Dem governor in deep-red state calls for ICE pullout, triggering clash over enforcement authority
EXCLUSIVE: Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman fired back at Gov. Andy Beshear’s comments on “The View” about pulling ICE out of “every city,” setting up what could become a high-stakes intergovernmental battle over cooperation with federal immigration authorities. “Every ICE agent should be withdrawn from every city and every community that they’re in. This organization has to be reformed from the top-down. Secretary Noem needs to be fired, and every agent needs to retrained,” Beshear told the ABC talk show, before adding the “body-count of American citizens” should lead to a “pause [to] pull everybody back.” Coleman, who spoke to Fox News Digital from the sheriff’s office in Daviess County — home of NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip and one of several Kentucky jurisdictions that work with ICE — said his take is “not a political one” and that ICE also has the backing of those lawmen he was meeting with after the interview. “My view as the chief law enforcement officer of this commonwealth, someone that’s carried a badge and a gun, someone that has been a federal prosecutor, [is] that statement that the governor made was absurd,” Coleman said. TOM HOMAN VOWS TO WORK AROUND NEW DEM VA GOV SPANBERGER’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING ICE COOPERATION Coleman said the dispute centers on Beshear’s “commentary” versus the reality of which agencies he controls. The Kentucky State Police fall under Beshear’s authority, but they currently work with ICE. Meanwhile, Coleman’s office works with the state’s 120 county sheriffs’ offices, many of which cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security. “I don’t want to set up a straw-dog argument because the reality is the collaboration is never going to stop here because those of us who have taken an oath to protect families are going to work with our federal partners,” he said, pointing to recent successes across the Tug Fork River where such collaboration led to the arrests of 650 illegal immigrants in West Virginia. FROM OBAMA AWARD TO MINNESOTA OP: WHY TRUMP TAPPED TOM HOMAN FOR ON-THE-GROUND CRACKDOWN As for the legal ramifications of a potential clash between a DHS-aligned attorney general and a governor with opposing objectives, one legal expert said the situation presents an interesting case. Former Florida federal prosecutor Zack Smith said that while every state’s attorney generalship is slightly different, a governor is an elected constitutional officer, just as sheriffs are, and that neither can tell the other what to do “in most instances.” “The attorney general can issue opinions of law. He can issue certain advisory opinions about what state law means or requires. But there are very few instances, in Florida at least, where the attorney general can compel another constitutional officer, like sheriffs, to comply with state law.” “Now, if they violate state law or something like that, obviously, he could then prosecute them, but there’s really not a lot he could do as a practical matter,” he said, adding that Beshear is likely relying on his gubernatorial “bully pulpit” to effect change. “There are probably limits to what he can do — and keep in mind the 287(g) agreements” in the counties. “I think this from a practical and policy perspective, this is a very foolish and very dangerous statement by the governor of Kentucky,” he said, pointing to Minnesota chaos bred from similar opposition to ICE operations. PHILADELPHIA’S THREAT TO PROSECUTE ICE COULD TRIGGER LANDMARK COURT FIGHT OVER AUTHORITY, EXPERTS WARN Beshear’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Both Beshear and Coleman have served as attorney general — something the governor mentioned on “The View” — but Coleman said Beshear should therefore know that cooperation with federal authorities is preferable to going on offense. “I’d like to, on one hand, be respectful of my predecessor… [but] anyone who’s spent time in law enforcement… knows that we are more effective at protecting people,” he said, noting that the county he was sitting in has ICE to thank for removing a violent child-sex predator from the streets and that local Owensboro authorities cooperated with a DHS operation to arrest an illegal immigrant who had been financially extorting seniors. TRUMP DHS HAMMERS DEM GOVERNOR’S PORTAL TO TRACK ICE AGENTS: ‘ENCOURAGES VIOLENCE’ In neighboring Virginia, officials are moving to follow Beshear’s advice by ending state-federal cooperation forged under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin and advancing bills to restrict DHS collaboration. When asked, Coleman said he does not see Frankfort following Richmond’s lead anytime soon and lamented the loss of several cooperative colleagues in Virginia. “Fortunately, I don’t have to face that hypothetical here in this Commonwealth, but in our Mother Commonwealth (Virginia), it’s been very concerning. We [also] hated to lose a phenomenal colleague in Jason Miyares,” he added. DHS also pushed back on Beshear’s position. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said federal law enforcement “will continue arresting criminal illegal aliens across the state of Kentucky while sanctuary politicians like Governor Beshear continue to demonize our law enforcement and side with criminal illegal aliens over American citizens.” “We need state and local law enforcement engagement and information so we don’t have to have such a presence on the streets,” she said. She listed several recent arrests in Kentucky, including Roman Sanchez, described as a criminal illegal immigrant convicted of homicide, willful killing of a family member with a gun, larceny, robbery, receiving stolen property and armed street robbery, as well as several individuals convicted of rape.
Bangladesh invites PM Modi for Tarique Rahman’s swearing-in ceremony; Will he attend?
The development comes after leaders of Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) indicated that heads of state from neghbouring nations would be invited for the inauguration ceremony, which is set to take place on February 17.
Big action on Mumbai metro pillar accident: Rs 5 crore fine imposed on contractor, 5 arrested
A 46-year-old man was killed and three others injured after a parapet segment from the under-construction Metro 4 corridor collapsed in Mumbai’s Mulund. Five people were arrested, heavy fines imposed, and a high-level probe ordered as the state government announced compensation.
Delhi Gang War: Man linked to Gogi gang shot dead in Rohini, Tillu gang angle suspected amid rivalry
A man named Sahil was shot dead in Delhi’s Rohini area. Sahil had recently been released from jail. The attacker is absconding, and a gang war is suspected. A gang war is suspected of fueling a rivalry.
Murder or suicide? WhatsApp message surfaces after Noida couple found shot dead in parked car on Valentine’s day
Noida couple’s tragic end to 15-year love story: 32-year-old man shoots dead 26-year-old girlfriend, then self, over marriage plans. Police investigate murder-suicide pact, recover pistol, verify man’s last message.
A Walk for Peace: photos of Fort Worth monks’ journey to Washington
The Buddhist monks’ 15-week walk from Fort Worth to Washington covered roughly 2,300 miles.
Hillary Clinton says migration ‘went too far’ and ‘needs to be fixed in a humane way’
While in Germany for the Munich Security Conference, Hillary Clinton participated in a panel titled, “The West-West Divide: What Remains of Common Values.” During the panel, Clinton appeared to take a stronger approach to her previous stance on border security. ICE RAMPS UP DEPORTATION PUSH BY BOOSTING CAPACITY TO 92,600 BEDS WITH $38.3B EXPANSION “There is a legitimate reason to have a debate about things like migration,” Clinton said. “It went too far, it’s been disruptive and destabilizing, and it needs to be fixed in a humane way with secure borders that don’t torture and kill people and how we’re going to have a strong family structure because it is at the base of civilization,” she added. Clinton acknowledged that there are places where a physical barrier is appropriate but opposed large-scale expansion of a border wall during her 2016 presidential campaign. NEW DEM PROPOSAL WOULD RESTRICT ICE’S KEY TOOL TO DETAIN CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS At the time, she supported then President Barack Obama’s executive actions that deferred immigration enforcement against millions of children and parents in the country illegally and wanted to end the practice of family detention. Clinton also planned on continuing Obama’s policy of deporting violent criminals, but wanted to scale back immigration raids, which she said at the time produced “unnecessary fear and disruption in communities,” Fox News Digital previously reported. In 2018, Clinton called out the Trump administration for its deportation policies. CONGRESS UNVEILS $1.2T SPENDING BILL AS PROGRESSIVE REVOLT BREWS OVER ICE FUNDING “It is now the official policy of the US government — a nation of immigrants — to separate children from their families. That is an absolute disgrace. #FamiliesBelongTogether,” she wrote on X. At the Newmark Civic Life Series in Manhattan last year, Clinton argued that immigrants, whether legal or illegal, have made the American economy exceptional by adding to the workforce. “One of the reasons why our economy did so much better than comparable advanced economies across the world is because we actually had a replenishment, because we had a lot of immigrants, legally and undocumented, who had a, you know, larger than normal — by American standards — families,” she said.
Rubio meets with Zelenskyy ahead of crucial Geneva talks, says Trump wants solution that ‘ends bloodshed’
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, saying that President Donald Trump “wants a solution that ends the bloodshed once and for all.” “Met with Ukrainian President @ZelenskyyUa on Ukraine’s security and deepening defense and economic partnerships,” Rubio wrote in an X post in which he shared a photo of him shaking hands with the Ukrainian leader. “President Trump wants a solution that ends the bloodshed once and for all.” Earlier Saturday, Zelenskyy revealed he had spoken with Rubio and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of talks in Geneva, which he said his government expected to be “truly productive.” “I had a conversation with envoys of President Trump @stevewitkoff and @JaredKushner, ahead of the trilateral meetings in Geneva,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “We count on the meetings being truly productive.” US OFFICIALS TOUT PROGRESS IN TALKS TO REACH ‘LASTING AND DURABLE PEACE’ BETWEEN UKRAINE, RUSSIA Zelenskyy said they also discussed “some developments following the meetings in Abu Dhabi, which were held at the end of last month and the beginning of this month. “Not everything can be shared over the phone, and our negotiating team will present Ukraine’s position next week,” the Ukrainian president added. After the Abu Dhabi talks, Zelenskyy told reporters the U.S. had set a June deadline for Moscow and Kyiv to strike a peace agreement. “The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,” Zelenskyy said at the time, according to The Associated Press. Zelenskyy added at the time that if the June deadline is not met, the Trump administration would likely put pressure on Moscow and Kyiv to meet. On Saturday, he also thanked the U.S. for its “constructive approach” to ending the war. “We greatly appreciate that America consistently maintains a constructive approach and is ready to assist in protecting lives,” Zelenskyy wrote. “I thank President Trump, his team, and the people of the United States for their support.” Rubio on Saturday also said he had discussed peace between Ukraine and Russia at the Munich Security Conference with his G7 counterparts. “Met with my @G7 counterparts in Munich to advance @POTUS’s vision of pursuing peace through strength,” Rubio wrote. “We discussed ongoing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, promote stability in Venezuela, and address global threats to achieve international peace and prosperity.” The talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine are expected to start Tuesday in Geneva.
Fetterman slams Democrats’ ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ voter ID rhetoric as party unity fractures
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is continuing his streak of breaking with his party — this time on voter ID legislation gaining momentum in the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats have near-unanimously rejected the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, election integrity legislation that made its way through the House earlier this week. Schumer has dubbed the legislation “Jim Crow 2.0,” arguing it would suppress voters rather than encourage more secure elections. COLLINS BOOSTS REPUBLICAN VOTER ID EFFORT, BUT WON’T SCRAP FILIBUSTER But Fetterman, who has repeatedly rejected his party’s messaging and positions, pushed back on Schumer’s framing of the bill. “I would never refer to the SAVE Act as like Jim Crow 2.0 or some kind of mass conspiracy,” Fetterman told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany on “Saturday in America.” “But that’s part of the debate that we were having here in the Senate right now,” he continued. “And I don’t call people names or imply that it’s something gross about the terrible history of Jim Crow.” The bill would require voters to present photo identification before casting ballots, require proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote and mandate states remove non-citizens from voter rolls. MURKOWSKI BREAKS WITH GOP ON VOTER ID, SAYS PUSH ‘IS NOT HOW WE BUILD TRUST’ Momentum is building among Republicans. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, became the 50th member of the conference to back the legislation. But Senate Democrats have all but guaranteed its demise in the upper chamber, via the filibuster. Fetterman would not say whether he supports the bill outright. However, he noted that “84% of Americans have no problem with presenting IDs to vote.” “So it’s not like a radical idea,” Fetterman said. “It’s not something — and there already are many states that show basic IDs. So that’s where we are in the Senate.” HARDLINE CONSERVATIVES DOUBLE DOWN TO SAVE THE SAVE ACT Even if Fetterman were to support the bill on the floor, it is unlikely to pass without more significant procedural changes. There are currently not enough votes to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold. Fetterman is also not keen on eliminating the filibuster — a position shared by most Senate Republicans. He noted that Senate Democrats once favored scrapping the filibuster but now want to preserve it while in the minority in a Republican-controlled government. “I campaigned on it, too,” Fetterman said. “I mean we were very wrong about that to nuke the filibuster. And we should really humble ourselves and remind people that we wanted to eliminate it — and now we love it.”
ICE officers face criminal probe for alleged ‘untruthful statements’ under oath about Minneapolis shooting
Two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are under criminal investigation after federal prosecutors moved to dismiss felony assault charges against Venezuelan nationals from a January shooting in Minneapolis. ICE Director Todd Lyons said Friday that newly reviewed video evidence suggests the officers may have made “untruthful statements” under oath about the Jan. 14 confrontation, during which a Venezuelan national was shot, The Associated Press reported. The officers have been placed on administrative leave and could face termination and possible criminal prosecution, according to Lyons and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. MINNESOTA POLICE CHIEFS ALLEGE SOME ICE AGENTS RACIALLY PROFILED US CITIZENS, INCLUDING OFF-DUTY OFFICERS “A joint review by ICE and the Department of Justice (DOJ) of video evidence has revealed that sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in an email. “Both officers have been immediately placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a thorough internal investigation. “Lying under oath is a serious federal offense. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements,” McLaughlin added. “Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution. The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethical conduct. Violations of this sacred sworn oath will not be tolerated.” The case centered on Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, two Venezuelan nationals initially accused of attacking an ICE officer during what authorities described as a targeted traffic stop. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen moved to dismiss the charges, citing “newly discovered evidence” that was “materially inconsistent” with allegations outlined in the criminal complaint and earlier court testimony. A federal judge granted the motion on Friday. In court, video footage and witness testimony reportedly failed to support claims that the ICE agent had been assaulted with a shovel and broom, according to the AP. JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM ‘DESTROYING OR ALTERING’ EVIDENCE IN DEADLY MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING According to a previous announcement from DHS, officers attempted to arrest Sosa-Celis Jan. 14 when he allegedly fled in his vehicle, crashed into a parked car and ran on foot. DHS said at the time that an agent caught up with him and that Sosa-Celis resisted and assaulted him. The agency alleged that two additional men — Aljorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma — then struck the officer with a snow shovel and broom handle before the agent fired a shot, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. All three men were taken into custody after retreating into an apartment, and both the officer and Sosa-Celis were hospitalized, according to authorities. FEDERAL JUDGE BACKS AWAY FROM THREAT TO HOLD ICE LEADER IN CONTEMPT The officers’ names were not released. It remains unclear whether the Venezuelan nationals could face possible deportation. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.