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Houston mayor bolts early from ICE cooperation after blue wave crashes in Texas

Houston mayor bolts early from ICE cooperation after blue wave crashes in Texas

The Democratic mayor of America’s fourth-largest city is reversing course on cooperation with federal immigration authorities despite an executive order from defeated Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that threatened the loss of millions in state funding for noncompliance. The Lone Star State swung blue for the first time since its new senator-elect, James Talarico, was born, and Houston Mayor John Whitmire wasted no time Friday announcing new restrictions on cooperation with ICE. Whitmire told The New York Times that city police are not permitted to notify ICE if they encounter an illegal immigrant in “nonviolent contacts” like traffic stops or minor offenses. ‘WE DIDN’T EXPECT THIS’: TEXAS DEMOCRATS STUNNED AS BLUE WAVE TOPPLES GOP STRONGHOLD “If they’re charged with a new crime, we’ll let ICE know as we get them to the jailhouse,” he told the paper Friday. Abbott lost his bid for a fourth term Tuesday, and Talarico flipped one of the state’s Senate seats blue for the first time since Clinton Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen won his final re-election bid in 1988 — seven months before the current senator-elect was born. Texas’ most recent Democratic governor, Ann Richards, the mother of former longtime Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, was elected shortly thereafter in 1990. Whitmire did not respond to a request for comment but signaled to the Times that he made the decision at least in part because Abbott’s order requiring DHS contact caused “anxiety” among Houstonians. In a statement put out Friday afternoon, Whitmire said, “I have signed an executive order directing HPD to no longer contact ICE for nonviolent offenses, helping reduce fear in our communities. Thank you to Chief Diaz, our state and local leaders for their collaboration. A step toward building a stronger Houston. Let’s Go to Work.” He also acknowledged Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa won’t take office until January but characterized his decision as “responsible” and “more effective policy.” A DHS spokesperson responded to Whitmire’s move in comments to Fox News Digital. “We remain disappointed that sanctuary politicians seek to limit cooperation with ICE, as our law enforcement are simply fulfilling their sworn duties to serve and protect our communities,” the spokesperson said. “Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country. Seven of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities. The spokesperson pointed to some recent criminal illegal aliens captured by ICE in Houston – including Alexander Montano of Cuba, convicted of willful homicide, burglary and forced entry into a residence. Vietnamese national Ding Nguyen, also convicted of homicide, along with Guatemalan national Julio Camey, convicted of sex offense against a child, were also mentioned by the spokesperson. “You write a citation or you warn them, and they go about their way. No contact with [ICE] over nonviolent, non-jailable offenses,” Whitmire told the AP. A previous policy enacted in March by Whitmire and Police Chief Noe Diaz stipulated that if a background check revealed an immigration-related warrant, a sergeant would be called to oversee ICE involvement, according to Houston’s FOX affiliate. The policy also said that if ICE could not make it to the stop within half an hour, the subject would be released. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The Houston City Council subsequently approved an ordinance in April limiting how long officers could detain individuals while awaiting ICE agents, but Whitmire backed revisions after Abbott threatened to withhold more than $100 million in state funding and then-Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the city’s immigration policies. The revised policy restored greater discretion for officers to contact ICE and wait for federal agents during encounters involving civil immigration warrants. Whitmire’s latest announcement would instead limit such notifications to encounters involving jailable offenses, marking a return to the restrictions city lawmakers initially sought.

Reporter’s Notebook: A user’s manual to upcoming leadership elections in the House and Senate

Reporter’s Notebook: A user’s manual to upcoming leadership elections in the House and Senate

Internal party House and Senate leadership elections are some of the most fascinating exercises that unfold on Capitol Hill.  Both House and Senate Democrats and House and Senate Republicans will choose their leaders in the coming days. And the changes are going to be seismic. But not everyone is on board with heir apparent leaders. That’s what makes this process so intriguing. However, there are only two rules in leadership elections: You can’t beat someone with no one. And, perhaps more importantly, it’s about the math. PROGRESSIVES FUME AT HAKEEM JEFFRIES FOR SAYING DEMOCRATS WON’T ‘GET EVEN’ WITH TRUMP There are some progressives and DSA-affiliated Democrats who will be House Members next year who want someone other than House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Who? Well, no one has said. Again, you can’t beat someone with no one. And, frankly, it’s hard to believe that Democrats would not elect the first Black speaker of the House. But drill down on the math. For the sake of argument, let’s say Democrats have 260 House seats in the new Congress. First, Democrats must tap a nominee for speaker in their caucus. That needs a simple majority. So, surely Jeffries will score at least 131 votes in a private ballot for speaker. The speaker of the House is the constitutional officer for the legislative branch of government, much like the president is for the executive branch and the chief justice of the United States for the judicial branch. Thus, the ENTIRE House votes for speaker when it convenes the new Congress at noon on Jan. 3. There are 435 members. If all members cast ballots, Jeffries simply needs 218. Jeffries could lose 40 votes or so and still prevail. So, that is not going to happen. It might not even lose more than a couple votes, frankly. Now let’s look at the GOP and their case for minority leader. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is running against Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.  If Democrats have 260 seats, Republicans would have 175. All INCOMING House Republicans (including non-voting delegates from U.S. territories) are allowed to vote in CONFERENCE. The selection of minority leader does NOT go before the entire House like speaker. So, the winning candidate only needs a simple majority. That would be 88. The same for the race between House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, for minority whip. MIKE JOHNSON’S NO 2 LAUNCHES GOP TAKEOVER BID AS HOUSE FALLS TO DEMOCRATS The Senate Democratic Caucus and Republican Conference work much the same way as the House. A simple majority wins for majority leader in the Democratic Caucus and minority leader in the Republican Conference.  However, the selection of Senate majority leader is not a vote that plays out on the floor. The concept of “Senate majority leader” has only been around since the early 20th century and is not mentioned in the Constitution. Remember what we said about the House speaker being the head of this branch of government. It would be hard to envision a scenario where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would not become majority leader after Democrats flipped the Senate in a beatdown. First, who else is running? Well, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, is popular among Senate Democrats. But he’s running for majority whip to succeed retiring Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill. One could see Democrats defaulting to Schatz if something happens with Schumer. Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, D-Mich., has said he wants to look at his options and has endorsed Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., for majority leader.  But Van Hollen isn’t running. Sen.-elect Annie Andrews, D-S.C., told colleague Bret Baier she wants a “generational change” in leadership. Sen.-elect Troy Jackson, D-Maine, and Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton, D-Kan., both said they would oppose Schumer. FIRST MUSLIM SENATOR, FIRST BLACK FEMALE GOVERNOR: 2026 MIDTERM ELECTION RESULTS MAKE HISTORY But again, you can’t beat someone with no one. Here’s the math: Let’s say Democrats do win Mississippi and Alaska, giving them 56 senators who caucus with the Democrats. All Schumer needs is 29 Democrats to support him in the Caucus, and he’s the next majority leader. There has not been as much rumbling about the future of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Heretofore, President Trump has not called for new leadership in the Senate.  But Senate Republicans would choose Thune or anyone else on a secret ballot in the Senate GOP Conference. A simple majority would win. If Republicans are down to 44 seats, the winner would just need 23 votes.

Pro-Israel Republican makes major campaign finance pledge after razor-thin election victory

Pro-Israel Republican makes major campaign finance pledge after razor-thin election victory

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., a key ally of Israel in Congress, announced plans on Thursday to reject all corporate PAC money or funding from special interest groups tied to “foreign policy” after narrowly hanging on to her seat in the midterm elections. “I still am on [the committee on] foreign affairs and I’ve taken a particular interest in peace deals as well as supporting the administration’s peace deal efforts. And I want my constituency to understand when I’m either talking on these things or advocating for them in Washington, that I am controlled by no one, influenced by no one,” Luna said in a video posted to X. Luna’s announcement comes on the heels of devastating midterm results for Republicans that have sparked debate about the role of pro-Israel political spending and U.S. policy toward Israel in several Democratic campaigns. FOX NEWS VOTER POLL: 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS USHER IN A BLUE WAVE AS DEMOCRATS WIN CONTROL OF CONGRESS Luna herself only narrowly beat out Democratic challenger Leela Gray, a veteran, in a 49.5% to 48.7% victory in Florida’s 13th Congressional District — a seat that has leaned safely Republican in years past. Many Democrats, including Luna’s opponent, used the Iran conflict as a proxy to attack Republicans on the cost of living after the conflict sharply restricted fuel exports from the Middle East. “In February, we were told this war would last ‘four to six weeks.’ Eight months later, at least 22 service members are dead, 800+ more are injured and the cost of living crisis at home is out of control,” Gray said in a post to X a week before the election. “Despite the obvious and disastrous consequences of the war, Luna voted to continue it six times,” Gray added, referring to Luna’s opposition to restricting Trump’s war powers. But those criticisms also spread far beyond Florida’s 13th Congressional District. Michigan Democratic senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed made the issue one of the cornerstones of his campaign, explicitly questioning Israel’s influence over the Republican Party and its role in the Iran conflict. MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT WHO LOST SENATE PRIMARY TO ABDUL EL-SAYED TAKES AIM AT BERNIE SANDERS OVER ISRAEL STANCE “I don’t consider an ally a country that takes us to wars we don’t need to fight, and I don’t want to be fighting wars we don’t need to fight,” El-Sayed said in a debate ahead of the election. El-Sayed’s position on Israel coincided with many other progressive candidates who also opposed U.S. support for Israel — a key policy difference that created Democrat-on-Democrat tension in several key races. In New York, for instance, several political newcomers like Brad Lander, Darializa Avila-Chevalier and Claire Valdez all defeated Israel-aligned Democratic opponents in their primaries. In Colorado, progressive challenger Melat Kiros unseated an incumbent who had served 30 years in office while advocating for a full arms embargo against Israel. And in Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won her Democratic primary against Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., while sharply critiquing her opponent’s political contributions from AIPAC. For her own part, Luna has consistently supported Israel as a key ally of the United States, citing aligned interests in the Middle East. She introduced the Stand with Israel Act, a bill that would bar U.S. funding for the U.N. Human Rights Council until it condemned Hamas for its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that left over a thousand victims dead. She also voted repeatedly to send U.S. financial assistance to Israel between 2023 and 2025 and condemned the International Criminal Court for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes. Campaign-finance records show Luna received roughly $38,000 in direct contributions from AIPAC’s PAC — less than 1% of the more than $4.3 million her campaign raised through mid-October. BERNIE SANDERS DEMANDS DEMOCRATS BAN SUPER PACS FROM PRIMARIES, BLASTS AIPAC, ‘CORRUPT SYSTEM’ Luna did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether she would encourage other Republicans to also forgo funding from foreign groups. She noted that her small-dollar contributions would uniquely enable her to shun PACs tied to corporate or foreign interest groups. “I ruffle a lot of feathers in Washington. These races can get expensive. Fortunately, this cycle, I was able to raise close to $4 million, if not more, largely from small-dollar donations. So I am able, because of you guys’ support, to not take that money anymore,” Luna said.

Trump names Stephen Miller new White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles

Trump names Stephen Miller new White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles

President Donald Trump named Stephen Miller his new White House chief of staff, calling him one of his “most trusted advisors” on Friday.  Miller will ascend to the role on Monday, officially replacing Susie Wiles, who Trump said will be moving to his political operation. “I want to thank her for her service as Chief of Staff — She has done a great job!” Trump wrote. Moments after Trump’s announcement, Wiles issued a statement of her own.  “Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff,” Wiles said. HEGSETH’S FUTURE DRAWS OMINOUS PREDICTIONS FROM INSIDERS AFTER GOP LOSSES, BUT TRUMP ISN’T BUDGING YET “Serving President Trump in the White House has been the honor of a lifetime. I’m so proud to have been a part of what we’ve accomplished together from securing our border and cutting taxes to strengthening our economy and putting America First,” she added. “More than anything, I’m grateful for the extraordinary people I’ve had the privilege of working alongside. While my role may be changing, my commitment to the President and the mission never will.” Trump told reporters Friday, before departing on Marine One. that Wiles did a “great job.”  “I think [she’s] done a very good job. Great job. But I just wanted to make this even been great.  We got to make. We’ve got to make those. So sometimes in life, we have to make [moves],” said Trump. In March, Wiles announced she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer upon early detection and received a strong prognosis. Six months later, in September, she shared that she was cancer free. “With grit, determination, faith and the support of extraordinary people, it is possible to fight this disease while continuing to embrace the work, relationships and sense of purpose that make you who you are,” Wile wrote in a USA Today op-ed in September. “For me, that means serving my president and my country. I will always be grateful to President Donald Trump for the kindness and compassion while I was undergoing treatment.” TRUMP PLEDGES TO VETO ‘INSANE’ DEM BILLS, PINPOINTS ISSUE PARTIALLY TO BLAME FOR REPUBLICAN LOSSES The Friday announcement came after Republicans lost control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, dealing a major blow to President Donald Trump after the war with Iran and persistent affordability concerns loomed large over elections, as voters weighed the economic toll of the conflict. A White House official told Fox News Digital the decision was “very amicable” and Wiles handed her resignation on Thursday night.  “A great pick. He has the trust of millions of Americans who understand that reversing mass migration is the crisis of our time,” an administration official told Fox News Digital. Wiles worked on Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, making history as the first woman to serve as chief of staff. She is a longtime Trump ally, first throwing her support behind him in 2015 when she became the Trump campaign’s co-chairwoman in Florida. “As a card-carrying member of the G.O.P. establishment, many thought my full-throated endorsement of the Trump candidacy was ill-advised — even crazy,” Wiles told the New York Times in a rare public statement back in 2016. Wiles has served in her role for 21 months, making her Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff across both of his terms. Trump cycled through four chiefs of staff during his first term, with John Kelly serving the longest—about 17 months. ‘POD SAVE AMERICA’ HOSTS CALL DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S MIDTERM WINS ‘THE END OF THE TRUMP ERA’ She has been dubbed the “Ice Maiden” by Trump, which he noted in his 2024 victory speech, for her hard-nosed approach to handling business. Wiles was seen as Trump’s behind-the-scenes enforcer, sitting in on high-level meetings and standing by his side at events, while Wiles rarely spoke directly to the public. Current and former Trump administration officials posted on social media to thank Wiles and congratulate Miller. “Very grateful to Susie for her friendship and service to the president and our country. Stephen Miller is an amazing patriot and will do great things. Congrats to him on a well deserved promotion,” wrote Vice President Vance. “Stephen Miller is a Trump OG, someone who has been with the President since the very beginning. There is no bigger advocate for the Trump agenda than Stephen, and he will help the Administration deliver on monumental victories for the rest of this historic second term,” wrote White House communication director Steven Cheung. “A huge thank you to Susie Wiles for her incredible service to our nation! She’s a rockstar and will no doubt continue working to make our country great. Looking forward to continuing our work with my good friend Stephen Miller as Chief. Together we’ve reduced crime to historic levels, enhanced public safety throughout our communities, and continue to root out the massive fraud that has taken advantage of American taxpayers. We’re not slowing down,” wrote Attorney General Todd Blanche. Wiles played a central role in engineering Trump’s return to the White House, earning a reputation as one of his most trusted political strategists. But her transition from campaign mastermind to White House chief of staff has also brought its share of challenges, with a few high-profile controversies drawing scrutiny during her tenure. Wiles faced scrutiny during her tenure over several controversies, including her involvement in a Signal group chat in which Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared sensitive details about impending U.S. military strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen. The chat inadvertently included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, who later exposed the discussions. The administration denied that classified information had been shared. Wiles also drew attention in December 2025 after Vanity Fair published a series of candid interviews in which she offered blunt assessments of Trump and senior administration officials.