Behind the scenes of Congress’ eleventh-hour rush to fund the DHS
What would you say if one body of Congress didn’t take a formal roll call vote on a major piece of legislation – yet passed it at 2:19 on a Friday morning? Would you try to outdo your colleagues across the Capitol Rotunda with some Congressional chicanery of your own? Perhaps by passing an equally important version of the same bill – while officially sidestepping a direct up/down vote on the measure – at 11:28 p.m. on that same Friday night. That’s what happened late last week. The Senate scored approval from all 100 senators to pass a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security for the rest of the fiscal year – but did it on a voice vote at 2:19 a.m. Friday with only five senators in the chamber. House Republicans scoffed at this. So they passed their own bill – to fund all of DHS – just before the witching hour Friday. But technically, the House didn’t even vote directly on the legislation itself. The House voted to approve a “rule” (which manages debate for bills). With adoption of that rule, the House “deemed” the underlying DHS funding measure as passed. GOP LEADERS ENDORSE TRUMP’S SHUTDOWN-PROOF MOVE TO END DHS FUNDING LAPSE But despite all of this, the House and Senate weren’t aligned. They hadn’t approved the same bill. And despite the parliamentary antics, House Republicans then implored the Senate to pass the measure it approved Friday night on Monday morning – without a roll call vote and with just two senators in the chamber. If you followed all of that, that is exactly what’s unfolded on Capitol Hill the past few days as lawmakers struggled to end the six-week Department of Homeland Security shutdown. It was clear early Thursday evening that there wasn’t a path in the Sente to approve a partisan GOP bill to fund DHS after a lengthy roll call vote which started in the afternoon. But something was afoot. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MAKES MAJOR MOVE TO RELIEVE ‘UNFAIR BURDEN’ ON DHS WORKERS AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON Congress was staring at a 15-day recess for Easter and Passover on Friday. Failure to address the crisis now meant that lawmakers would leave town until the middle of April – extending the shutdown until then as airport lines swelled. So Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., got to work on something which could pass the Senate – and potentially pass the House – before everyone abandoned Washington for the break. Thune suggested earlier in the week that the Senate usually has to get “to Thursday” before frozen positions may begin to thaw. He was right. There was a corridor for the Senate to approve a bipartisan bill to tackle most of the funding crisis at DHS. So Thune’s charge late Thursday night and into the wee hours of Friday morning was not necessarily to persuade bipartisan senators to support the bill he was putting on the floor. But instead, Thune’s goal was to coax skeptical senators not to object and blow the whole thing up. There’s something called a “hotline” in the Senate. Any time the leadership wants to set up a series of votes, make particular amendments in order and perhaps allocate wedges of time to debate, it sends around a “hotline” to all 100 senators. If any senator objects, they let the leadership know. This streamlines the process ahead of time. It also ensures that senators aren’t blindsided by something called a “unanimous consent” request. Unanimous consent requests, or “UC’s,” happen all the time in the Senate. One of the most powerful tools in the Senate is “unanimous consent.” If you obtain the “unanimous consent” of all 100 senators, you can make the sun rise in the west. But all it takes is one objection to block a UC – even if all other 99 senators agree. The behind the scenes hotline takes care of this in advance. Any senator could object and block Thune’s proposal to fund most of DHS. But there shouldn’t be any problem if he cleared it with all 100 senators offstage in advance. That’s why Thune went to the floor at 2:19 a.m. Friday. Not a single senator flagged his proposal. And so the South Dakota Republican went to the floor with a team of five senators – and passed the bill. Not by UC. But by something called a “voice vote. Those in favor shout yea. Those who oppose holler nay. The louder side wins. The Senate passed the bill. There was no roll call vote. HOUSE GOP RAMS THROUGH NEW DHS FUNDING PLAN WITH SHUTDOWN FAR FROM OVER So, this wasn’t something snuck by in the dead of night on the sly. If any senator had a reservation, they could have flagged it. Or better yet, come down to the floor at 2:19 a.m. and contested it. In short, there were 100 senators, 100 chiefs of staff, 100 legislative directors and 100 counsels who should have known about Thune’s plan. That’s a universe of at least 400 people – if not more. So, this wasn’t an episode of someone pulling a fast one. By morning, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said he “opposed this bill.” Same with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Well, that’s fine. But no one objected nor pushed back on the hotline. No one went down to the floor to demand a roll call vote – or even argued that the Senate couldn’t do anything because there wasn’t a quorum present to conduct business. So anything said by Republican senators upset about the bill were simply academic or rhetorical objections. If those senators truly opposed the bill, they missed their opportunity to do something about it. It was thought that the House might take up the bill – reluctantly – the next day to end most of the shutdown and pay TSA workers. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., signaled support. So did Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the Appropriations
Trump says Iran ‘no longer a threat’ after 32 days — outlines next phase of US war
President Donald Trump declared Iran is “essentially really no longer a threat” after a 32-day U.S. military campaign, telling Americans in a primetime address Wednesday that the country has been “eviscerated” following weeks of strikes. Even so, Trump said the United States is preparing additional attacks in the coming weeks even as diplomatic discussions continue. “I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly. Very shortly, we are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Trump said. “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong. In the meantime, discussions are ongoing.” Trump pointed to U.S. attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, saying sites hit by B-2 bombers were “obliterated” and warning the United States would launch additional strikes if Tehran attempts to recover nuclear material. INSIDE IRAN’S MILITARY: MISSILES, MILITIAS AND A FORCE BUILT FOR SURVIVAL “The nuclear sites that we obliterated with the B-2 bombers have been hit so hard that it would take months to get near the nuclear dust,” Trump said. “If we see them make a move, even a move for it, we’ll hit them with missiles very hard.” The remarks come as key questions remain about the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, including roughly 900 pounds to 1,000 pounds of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, according to international watchdog estimates. The conflict has driven volatility in global energy markets and rising fuel costs for Americans. WHY TRUMP, IRAN SEEM LIGHT-YEARS APART ON ANY POSSIBLE DEAL TO END THE WAR Addressing those concerns directly, Trump blamed recent increases in gasoline prices on Iranian attacks targeting commercial shipping and regional infrastructure. “Many Americans have been concerned to see the recent rise in gasoline prices here at home,” Trump said. “The short-term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers and neighboring countries.” Trump also suggested Iran’s leadership structure has been fundamentally altered by the strikes, saying senior figures are dead and warning of additional attacks if Tehran does not reach an agreement with the United States. “We never said regime change, but regime change has occurred because of all of their original leaders’ death. They’re all dead,” Trump said. “If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard and probably simultaneously.” He further claimed Iran’s air defenses had been eliminated. “They have no anti-aircraft equipment,” Trump said. “Their radar is 100% annihilated. We are unstoppable.” This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Trump administration makes major move to relieve ‘unfair burden’ on DHS workers as shutdown drags on
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration will extend tax filing deadlines for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel as the ongoing shutdown intensifies financial pressure on thousands of federal workers. The Treasury Department and IRS will announce a 30-day automatic tax filing extension for affected employees, shielding them from penalties and interest. The partial government shutdown is in its 46th day, intensifying pressure on federal workers. HOUSE GOP RAMS THROUGH NEW DHS FUNDING PLAN WITH SHUTDOWN FAR FROM OVER Such broad tax relief is highly unusual and typically reserved for major disasters and other extraordinary circumstances, underscoring the severity of the current shutdown. “The continued shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has created unnecessary disruptions, placing an unfair burden on DHS personnel and their families,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “We are committed to supporting our hard-working DHS officers and employees so they can stay focused on their mission and keep the American people safe without being penalized for missing a tax filing deadline.” AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700 MIDWAY THROUGH FILING SEASON, TREASURY SAYS Under the measure, affected workers will now have until May 15, 2026, to file their taxes and pay what they owe without facing additional financial penalties. DHS personnel include Border Patrol agents, TSA officers, Secret Service agents and FEMA responders, frontline workers responsible for border security, aviation safety, disaster response and counterterrorism. Many have reported struggling to cover basic expenses such as rent, mortgages and childcare as missed paychecks pile up. The decision comes as pressure mounts over the real-world consequences of the shutdown, with DHS employees caught between their national security responsibilities and growing financial strain. While the administration says the relief is intended to ease the burden, for many workers it remains only a temporary lifeline as the broader standoff continues.
WATCH: Robert De Niro brushes off ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ label hurled by critics
FIRST ON FOX: Actor Robert De Niro was in the nation’s capital Wednesday sitting in the same crowded courtroom as President Donald Trump and some of his closest advisors during oral arguments by the Supreme Court about birthright citizenship. Fox News Digital caught up with De Niro as he was exiting the courthouse, but De Niro said he did not have any perspective on how the arguments went. “I’m waiting to get a, getting a – I’m not sure because I could hear, but not hear. It’s complicated. So, I can’t say,” De Niro responded when asked about the oral arguments he had just witnessed before the high court. De Niro described the Trump administration’s argument on the matter — that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens — as a way for Republicans to “get rid of people they don’t want.” ALITO INVOKES SCALIA ANALOGY IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP FIGHT OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION “It’s that simple,” De Niro said. The actor and activist, who spoke at a “No Kings” protest in New York City over the weekend, has been criticized for his anti-Trump rhetoric. He has called the president “a piece of s—,” a “nasty little b—-,” a “petulant little punk,” has said he’d “like to punch him in the face” and declared Trump an “enemy” of the United States. When asked about claims he has “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” sometimes referred to by the acronym “TDS,” De Niro called it “nonsense.” “People don’t like him for a reason,” De Niro shot back. “All the terrible things he’s done. If he did nice things, then he could have, he had the chance — he became president — to do nice things, not hateful, retribution, not just, outright mean things. If he did nice things, people would love him. But he’s got a problem. He’s damaged.” SCOTUS SLATED TO WEIGH FUTURE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP PROTECTIONS FOR MILLIONS — HERE’S WHAT AT STAKE Asked what specifically bothered him about Trump, De Niro said “everything.” “Everything that we all know now,” De Niro added. Reporting from Wednesday indicated the Supreme Court appeared ready to reject Trump’s argument on birthright citizenship. The arguments reportedly lasted over two hours, and, in addition to Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi was present, as was Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. De Niro reportedly sat in seats reserved for the justices’ guests, according to The Associated Press. “When the crowds are chanting ‘No Kings,’ what I’m really hearing – as we all know – is ‘No Trump.’ There have been other presidents who have tested the constitutional limits of their power, but none have been such an existential threat to our freedoms and security — none — except Trump,” De Niro told supporters at the No Kings rally he attended over the weekend. “He must be stopped, and he must be stopped now,” De Niro added, calling members of Trump’s Cabinet “goons.”
Fox News Poll: Broad anxiety about AI doesn’t extend to jobs
As artificial intelligence continues to expand into homes and the workplace, voters are less concerned about it taking their jobs and more worried about its overall influence. The latest Fox News Poll finds 66% of registered voters are concerned about artificial intelligence, up from 63% in December and 56% in 2023 (the first time the question was asked). The increase in concern is across the board, with the biggest jumps happening among women, voters without a college degree, Democrats and liberal voters. FOX NEWS POLL: SOUR VOTERS SAY WASHINGTON IS OUT OF TOUCH Yet when it comes to how AI will affect the workforce, voters aren’t concerned about their own jobs even though most think it will eliminate more positions (59%) than it will create (7%) over the next 5 years. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS OPPOSE ACTION IN IRAN BUT GIVE US MILITARY POSITIVE MARKS Seven in 10 (69%) employed voters are unconcerned their job will be cut in the next five years, while three in 10 are worried (31%). This matches where sentiment was in November. The lack of concern may reflect broader attitudes toward AI in the workplace: Seven in 10 say it is not important to their career that they learn how to use AI, including six in 10 employed voters. Another three in 10 say it is important, and that jumps to roughly in 10 among workers, voters with graduate degrees, and those living in households with an annual income of $100,000 or higher. Those most likely to feel learning AI is a career priority are men under age 45 (48%). But if they must tech up, a majority of voters feel comfortable adopting and using new technology (60% comfortable vs. 40% not comfortable). The highest numbers saying they’re comfortable are voters under age 45, particularly younger men (81%) and younger Republicans (82%). Artificial intelligence and the military… As the Iran conflict enters its fifth week, nearly two-thirds of voters are uncomfortable with the military using autonomous weapons systems (AWS). About four in 10 feel comfortable. The partisan divide on this issue is wide: 52% of Republicans are comfortable with AWS vs. 27% of Democrats. Fifty-eight percent of MAGA Republicans are comfortable vs. 40% of non-MAGA Republicans. There is also a prominent gender gap with men (43%) more comfortable than women (31%). Still, nearly all voters say that when the military is considering a strike that could kill people, a human should be required to make the final decision: 93% feel that way vs. 7% saying AI systems alone should have the final say. This is a bipartisan belief, with at least nine in 10 Democrats, Republicans and independents agreeing a human needs to make the decision. More than half of voters who have served in the military are uncomfortable with the use of AWS systems (54% not comfortable vs. 45% comfortable), and an overwhelming majority thinks a human should be making the choice between life and death (90%). One more thing… While concern about AI is up among voters, it’s far from the top worry with inflation (86% extremely/very concerned), healthcare (81%), gas prices (80%), political divisions (80%), unemployment (73%), attacks by Islamic (73%) and non-Islamic terrorists (70%), ability to pay bills (70%) and gun violence (69%) ranking higher. Concern about Iran getting a nuclear bomb ties with concern over AI (66% extremely/very) while antisemitism (63%) and detentions by ICE (62%) rank lower. CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted March 20-23, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (641) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (256). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.
Sauer cites ‘striking’ figures on secretive birth tourism in high-stakes SCOTUS case
Birth tourism in the U.S. remains notoriously difficult to measure, but Solicitor General John Sauer on Wednesday pointed the Supreme Court to what he called “striking” figures as the justices weighed President Donald Trump’s effort to curb birthright citizenship. “Here’s a fact about it that I think is striking,” Sauer said. “Media reported as early as 2015 that, based on Chinese media reports, there are 500 — 500 — birth tourism companies in the People’s Republic of China whose business is to bring people here to give birth and return to that nation.” Sauer’s response came after Chief Justice John Roberts asked him about the prevalence of birth tourism, which is the practice of traveling to the United States for the purpose of giving birth, so the child can automatically receive U.S. citizenship. Sauer acknowledged that “no one knows for sure” about firm data in the industry before citing media figures estimating more than 1 million cases from China alone. NEARLY ALL REPUBLICAN AGS ADD FIREPOWER TO TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP PUSH Wednesday’s oral arguments centered on Trump’s 2025 executive order advancing a narrower interpretation of the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause so that children born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily would not automatically receive U.S. citizenship. The administration has argued the amendment’s birthright citizenship provision incentivizes and rewards illegal immigration. Conservatives have long raised concerns about birth tourism. Senate Republicans wrote in a 2022 report that it was a lucrative industry that “short circuits and demeans the U.S. naturalization process.” But the scale of birth tourism remains elusive, and proponents of birthright citizenship have downplayed it, contending it occurs infrequently. The GOP senators noted in the report that they could not calculate birth tourism numbers because the U.S. government does not have a way to track them. Existing visa data cannot distinguish between birth tourism and other categories of traveling to the United States, such as medical travel, they said. Sauer, however, rattled off a string of statistics in an attempt to illustrate the magnitude of the issue. “There’s a March 9 letter from a number of members of Congress to [the Department of Homeland Security] saying, ‘Do we have any information about this?’ The media reports indicate estimates could be over a million, or 1.5 million, from the People’s Republic of China alone,” Sauer said. “The congressional report that we cite in our brief talks about certain hot spots, like Russian elites coming to Miami through these birth tourism companies.” BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP SUPPORTERS GET THE LAW WRONG BY IGNORING OBVIOUS EVIDENCE Although the numbers remain unclear, prosecutors have secured convictions for birth tourism businesses. In 2024, Michael Liu and Phoebe Dong were found guilty by a jury of conspiracy and money laundering for running a birth tourism operation that helped pregnant Chinese women travel to the United States under false pretenses to give birth. Prosecutors said the couple coached clients to deceive immigration officials. Sauer noted in his opening remarks to the Supreme Court that the United States’ nearly unconditional birthright citizenship policy has “spawned a sprawling industry of birth tourism, as uncounted thousands of foreigners from potentially hostile nations have flocked to give birth in the United States in recent decades, creating a whole generation of American citizens abroad with no meaningful ties to the United States.” HOW THE SUPREME COURT’S INJUNCTION RULING ADVANCES TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP FIGHT At issue in the case before the Supreme Court is the language in the amendment that says anyone born in the United States and “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” is automatically a citizen. Trump said the provision was a relic of the Civil War. “It had to do with the babies of slaves,” Trump said Tuesday as he announced he planned to attend the oral arguments, making him the first sitting president to do so. “It didn’t have to do with the protection of multimillionaires and billionaires wanting to have their children get American citizenship. It is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.” Sauer argued that illegal immigrants and temporary visitors lacked the ability to establish a “domicile” in the United States, meaning they were subject to the jurisdiction of another country. Roberts questioned the relevance of Sauer’s birth tourism claims, asking him to confirm that it had “no impact on the legal analysis before us.” Modern-day implications of the amendment, including birth tourism, “could not possibly have been approved by the 19th century framers,” Sauer replied. “We’re in a new world now, as Justice Alito pointed out, where 8 billion people are one plane ride away from having a child who’s a U.S. citizen,” Sauer added. Roberts made his skepticism of Sauer’s argument apparent. “Well, it’s a new world. It’s the same Constitution,” Roberts said.
Trump to address nation about Iran as he signals war could end within weeks
President Donald Trump is expected to address the nation at 9 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday about U.S. operations in Iran after one month of combat. The message will be an “important update” about the war, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X. The president will give an operational update on the mission known as Operation Epic Fury and is expected to reiterate the two-to-three week timeline for a drawdown of the operation that he gave in comments to reporters Tuesday, a White House official told Fox News Digital Wednesday. “He will highlight the United States Military’s success in achieving all of its stated goals prior to the operation: destroy Iran’s deadly ballistic missiles and production facilities, annihilate their Navy, ensure their terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region and guarantee that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon,” the official added. US EYES SEIZING IRAN’S OIL LIFELINE — BUT IT MAY NOT CRIPPLE TEHRAN Trump told reporters Tuesday he expected the mission to end in two to three weeks. He posted on Truth Social Wednesday that Iran had asked for a ceasefire, but the U.S. was not open to negotiation until the Strait of Hormuz is open for shipping. “We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear,” Trump said. “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said the claim that Iran had asked for a ceasefire was “false and baseless,” according to Iranian state TV. Trump has sent mixed signals in recent days, at times suggesting the conflict could end soon while also threatening intensified strikes if Iran does not meet U.S. demands. The president told multiple news outlets Wednesday that he is strongly considering pulling the U.S. out of NATO over frustrations at what he sees as insufficient military support from allied countries in the Middle East. “I was never swayed by NATO,” Trump told The Telegraph in an interview published Wednesday. European nations so far have resisted pressure to offer warships to reopen commerce in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil supply typically passes. The average price of a gallon of gas surpassed $4 on Tuesday, a first since 2022. Several key European allies have moved to restrict U.S. military access as the Trump administration presses forward with operations against Iran, with Spain closing its airspace to U.S. aircraft tied to strikes and France imposing limits on certain overflights carrying military supplies. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS US COULD FINISH IRAN OPERATION WITHIN TWO TO THREE WEEKS “We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us.” Administration officials have suggested U.S. objectives in the conflict are nearing completion, raising the possibility that Trump could outline a path toward winding down operations. But at the same time, thousands of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne division along with a task force of 2,500 Marines from the USS Tripoli have reached the Central Command theater in recent days, raising speculation of a potential ground invasion. Meanwhile the USS George H.W. Bush, an aircraft carrier with 6,000 sailors deployed Tuesday to join the USS Abraham Lincoln already in theater. Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28. Since then, U.S. forces have struck more than 12,000 targets inside Iran and damaged or destroyed 155 naval ships, according the Central Command. Thirteen U.S. service members have died in the operations and 350 have been injured.
‘Virginia father’ charged with murdering infant daughter is illegal alien, says DHS
A “Virginia father” charged with beating his infant daughter to death is a Guatemalan illegal immigrant who was let into the country under the Biden administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Local outlet WUSA9 reported Tuesday that 28-year-old “Virginia father” Misael Lopez Gomez was arrested Friday for allegedly killing his own daughter. According to the outlet, the three-month-old baby was found not breathing by Fairfax County Police. Officers administered CPR, but the infant was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be “blunt force trauma.” Lopez Gomez is being charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse causing serious injury, according to the Virginia Judiciary’s official website. Though his immigration status is not listed on the judiciary website, DHS told Fox News that Lopez Gomez is a Guatemalan illegal alien who admitted in an interview to crossing the New Mexico border illegally in July 2023 during the Biden administration. ILLEGAL ALIEN ALLEGED GROPING OF MINOR GIRLS AT HIGH SCHOOL BEING INVESTIGATED BY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Fox News is told ICE has lodged a detainer – request to hold – on Lopez Gomez with Fairfax County law enforcement. This is the latest in a string of crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Fairfax County, the most populous county in Virginia and a major suburb of Washington, D.C. Fairfax County is considered a deep-blue Democratic stronghold. DHS has been pressuring new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger to commit to having authorities honor ICE’s detainers against illegal immigrant criminals. JAYAPAL FLOATS REPARATIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IMPACTED BY TRUMP CRACKDOWN, DEMANDS PROSECUTIONS Despite being widely perceived as moderate during the election last year, since taking office, Spanberger has been criticized for the progressive policies she has pursued, which include an executive order barring law enforcement from cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced ICE had also lodged a detainer for another Guatemalan illegal alien in Fairfax County named Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy. Chavarria Muy was arrested by local authorities for second-degree murder in a machete stabbing incident. TRUMP ADMIN UNLAWFULLY TERMINATED LEGAL STATUS OF MIGRANTS WHO USED BIDEN-ERA APP, JUDGE RULES Before that, ICE also lodged a detainer for 18-year-old Israel Flores Ortiz, who is accused of sexual assault of a dozen female students at a Fairfax County high school. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office and Fairfax County officials for comment.
Trump hypes moon mission as Artemis II prepares to lift off under pressure from past failures
President Donald Trump on Tuesday celebrated NASA’s Artemis II mission, which is set to send U.S. astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time in more than five decades. “Tonight at 6:24 P.M. EST, for the first time in over 50 YEARS, America is going back to the Moon!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Artemis II, among the most powerful rockets ever built, is launching our Brave Astronauts farther into Deep Space than any human has EVER gone. We are WINNING, in Space, on Earth, and everywhere in between — Economically, Militarily, and now, BEYOND THE STARS. Nobody comes close! “America doesn’t just compete, we DOMINATE, and the whole World is watching,” he added. “God bless our incredible Astronauts, God bless NASA, and God bless the Greatest Nation ever to exist, the United States of America!” The Artemis program was established during President Donald Trump’s first term in 2017 as part of a broader push to return American astronauts to the moon. NASA RACES TO BUILD MOON BASE AS US CHALLENGES CHINA IN NEW SPACE RACE Artemis II was previously targeted for an earlier launch but faced delays following technical issues identified during testing, including fuel and helium leaks that required additional repairs to the Space Launch System rocket. The four astronauts assigned to Artemis II — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch of the U.S., and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — are expected to travel around the moon and back, marking the first crewed mission beyond low-Earth orbit since 1972. While the mission will not land on the lunar surface, it is designed to carry astronauts farther from Earth than any crewed mission since the Apollo era. NASA BEGINS INFRASTRUCTURE OVERHAUL UNDER ISAACMAN AS TRUMP PUSHES AMBITIOUS SPACE EXPLORATION GOALS The mission is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, which the agency describes as the most powerful it has ever built. Standing about 322 feet tall, the rocket will send the Orion spacecraft and its crew into deep space for the first time, testing critical systems ahead of future lunar landing missions. NASA RETURNS HUMANS TO DEEP SPACE AFTER 50 YEARS WITH FEBRUARY ARTEMIS II MOON MISSION After launch, the crew is expected to spend several days in space, including a multi-day journey around the far side of the moon before returning to Earth for a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Artemis II follows the uncrewed Artemis I test flight and is considered a key step toward future missions, including Artemis III, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface. NASA has said the Artemis program is intended to support long-term lunar exploration and lay the groundwork for eventual human missions to Mars. Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
ICE pressures Spanberger as Fairfax murder suspects trigger new detainers in ‘sanctuary’ clash
Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger and local authorities in deep blue Northern Virginia are facing mounting hold requests from ICE after two more illegal immigrants were arrested for murder in Fairfax County this week. This week, ICE lodged two detainers — requests to hold — for illegal immigrants charged with murder in Fairfax County. One detainer was lodged against 28-year-old Guatemalan national Misael Lopez Gomez, who is charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse after allegedly beating his 3-month-old daughter to death. The agency lodged another detainer for a Guatemalan national, Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, following his arrest by local authorities for second-degree murder in a machete stabbing. The Department of Homeland Security has personally appealed to Spanberger and “Fairfax County sanctuary politicians” to not release Chavarria Muy. These cases are the latest in a string of high-profile crimes involving illegal immigrants in Northern Virginia that have rocked the community. ILLEGAL ALIEN ALLEGED GROPING OF MINOR GIRLS AT HIGH SCHOOL BEING INVESTIGATED BY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT This comes after one of Spanberger’s first actions as governor was to issue an executive order barring state and local authorities from cooperating with federal authorities for immigration enforcement. Here are some of the latest high-profile cases that have outraged Northern Virginia residents: Two ICE sources told Fox News that Misael Lopez Gomez, who was recently arrested for allegedly beating his 3-month-old daughter to death in Fairfax County, is a Guatemalan illegal alien. The sources said Lopez Gomez is believed to have entered the U.S. as a got-away during the Biden administration in July 2023. Fox News has learned ICE placed a detainer request on Lopez Gomez with Fairfax County law enforcement. According to local outlet WUSA9, the infant died from blunt-force trauma. The outlet reported Tuesday that Lopez Gomez is currently jailed without bond and is facing second-degree murder and felony child abuse charges. On Tuesday, ICE lodged a detainer request for Fairfax County to not release Chavarria Muy following his arrest in connection with a fatal stabbing on Sunday. DHS said that the killing was carried out using a machete. WUSA9 reported that officers responding to a call in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia, found a man inside a home with multiple stab wounds. The victim was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to the outlet. Chavarria Muy was later arrested for the stabbing and charged with second-degree murder. According to DHS, he is in the U.S. illegally and entered at an unknown place and time. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis called the case “another preventable tragedy” caused by open borders policies. FORMER VIRGINIA GOVERNOR CHALLENGES SPANBERGER TO DEBATE HER REDISTRICTING FLIP-FLOP Fairfax County has also been rocked by a case involving 18-year-old Salvadoran illegal alien Israel Flores Ortiz, who is accused of sexually assaulting a dozen girls at a local high school he was attending. ICE has also lodged a detainer for Flores Ortiz following his arrest for allegedly groping a dozen female high school students at a Fairfax County high school he attended. Like Chavarria Muy, DHS has asked Spanberger to intervene to prevent local authorities from releasing Flores Ortiz back into the public. Flores Ortiz is facing 13 counts of assault and battery. He is currently being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond. According to DHS, Flores Ortiz is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration in 2024. His case has elicited disgust, outrage and fear from Fairfax County parents about the safety of schools in the area. In late February, ICE lodged a detainer for another illegal alien, Sierra Leone national Abdul Jalloh, charged with murder in connection with the fatal neck stabbing of a woman at a bus stop. The victim, Stephanie Minter, 41, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was found dead at a local bus stop on Feb. 23 with multiple stab wounds to the upper body. DHS said that Jalloh entered the U.S. illegally in 2012. He has an extensive criminal history that includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pick-pocketing. ILLEGAL ALIEN MURDER SUSPECT AVOIDED SYSTEM AS ICE PUSHES DEM GOVERNOR TO KEEP HIM LOCKED UP Commenting on the most recent detainer being lodged for Chavarria Muy, DHS lamented “yet another life lost in a sanctuary county at the hands of a criminal alien who should have never been here in the first place.” The agency decried Fairfax County’s policies, saying it “has a history of refusing to honor immigration detainers.” DHS asked, “When will sanctuary politicians wake up and begin putting American lives FIRST?” The White House’s rapid response social media account also chimed in, commenting, “Meanwhile, Democrats continue to block funding for [DHS], demanding changes to make ICE less effective in finding and arresting these criminals. Insane.” Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office and Fairfax County officials for comment.