EXCLUSIVE: ICE says El Paso detention facility will stay open under new contractor after $1.2B deal scrapped
EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas will remain open and is undergoing an operational upgrade, Fox News Digital has learned. “Camp East Montana is NOT closing, quite the opposite,” an ICE spokesperson exclusively told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “Rather, ICE has contracted with a new provider following Secretary Noem’s termination of the old contract inherited from the Department of War. ICE is always looking at ways to improve our detention facilities to ensure we are providing the best care to illegal aliens in our custody.” BLUE-STATE GOVERNORS MOVE TO KEEP HEAT ON NOEM AS DHS FIRES BACK The spokesperson said the new contract will allow the facility to maintain what the agency described as the “highest detention standards” while expanding oversight. According to ICE, the new contractor will also provide increased on-site medical care, additional staffing and a “PRECISE quality assurance surveillance plan.” The agency said the updated agreement also strengthens ICE’s direct oversight of operations at the El Paso-area facility. “Far from closing, Camp East Montana is upgrading,” the spokesperson said. FOUR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LINKED TO MS-13 INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MURDERING 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IN MARYLAND PARK The news that the facility will remain open comes after The Washington Post reported that the facility could face closure amid scrutiny over operations. A document was distributed to ICE staff, the Post reports, indicated that the agency was drafting a letter to terminate the facility’s $1.2 billion contract at an unspecified date. ICE officials, however, characterized the contract termination as a deliberate effort by Noem to raise standards and improve services. The facility, located at Fort Bliss in Texas, has been used to house thousands of detainees as part of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. ICE did not immediately provide details on the identity of the new contractor or the timeline for full implementation.
Sen. Hyde-Smith set for November clash with Dem foe she once vanquished
The race for Mississippi’s Senate seat is set for November and will feature a clash of a sitting incumbent battling a foe she once blocked from a lifetime judicial appointment. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., cruised to a victory in her primary to earn the GOP nomination for Senate in Mississippi. She beat Sarah Adlakha, a political newcomer who challenged Hyde-Smith’s effectiveness in Washington, D.C., since being appointed to the position in 2018. Hyde-Smith is running for a second term in the upper chamber and, in deep-red Mississippi, is expected to hold onto her job in the GOP’s sprawling battle to maintain control of the Senate. PAXTON VOWS HE’S ‘STAYING IN THIS RACE’ EVEN IF TRUMP BACKS CORNYN IN TEXAS GOP CLASH But she’ll face a Democratic opponent she’s dealt with before — just not on the election battlefield. Mississippi District Attorney Scott Colom came out on top of his crowded primary to earn the Democratic nomination for Senate in the Magnolia State. He toppled U.S. Marine Corps veteran Albert Littell and Priscilla Till, the cousin of Emmett Till, who was abducted and lynched in Mississippi in the 1950s. Hyde-Smith and Colom have a history dating back to the Biden administration, when the lawmaker blocked his nomination to serve as a district court judge in Mississippi. TRUMP TEASES ENDORSEMENT COMING SOON IN CRUCIAL GOP CLASH At the time, she used the veto power each home-state senator has, known as a blue slip in the upper chamber, to weigh in on a judicial nominee — it’s a tradition that President Donald Trump has demanded be done away with to nullify Democratic resistance to his own judicial nominees. Hyde-Smith told the Magnolia Tribune at the time that while she recognized that Colom was “smart and well-liked in his district,” she had concerns over his record. Nathan Calvert, spokesperson for the Hyde-Smith campaign, told Fox News Digital in a statement that “Colom has never seen a Biden/Harris policy he didn’t like.” “Senator Hyde-Smith is proud of opposing judicial nominations for extreme leftists who support a radical transgender agenda,” Calvert said. “She opposes allowing men to participate in women’s sports and believes we need judges who will take the same stance.” “Senator Hyde-Smith believes we need to cut government spending, fight inflation (driven by excessive government spending), and reduce (not increase) our soaring national debt, and she’ll continue voting to do that,” he continued. CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN TEXAS HEADED INTO OVERTIME “As someone with a strong interest in protecting the rights of girls and women, I am concerned about Scott Colom’s opposition to legislation to protect female athletes,” Hyde-Smith said. “The significant support his campaign received from George Soros also weighs heavily against his nomination, in my view. I simply cannot support his nomination to serve on the federal bench in Mississippi for a lifetime.” Meanwhile, Colom has gone after Hyde-Smith for voting against federal funding coming into Mississippi, which has consistently ranked as the poorest state in the country. His website accused Hyde-Smith of not “working for us anymore, voting against Mississippi jobs and investments because it serves her donors’ agenda.” Fox News Digital reached out for comment to Colom’s campaign, but did not immediately hear back.
Special election replacing Marjorie Taylor Greene goes to runoff between Trump-endorsed candidate and Democrat
The special election to fill former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s vacant House seat in Georgia’s solidly red 14th Congressional District is headed to a runoff next month. The seat in northwestern Georgia was left vacant when Greene stepped down at the beginning of January. Green quit Congress with a year left in her term after a public falling out with President Donald Trump over the Epstein files. Tuesday’s special election ended in a runoff between Trump-endorsed Republican District Attorney Clay Fuller and retired Army veteran Shawn Harris. The GOP clings to a razor-thin 218–214 majority in the House. As a result, Republicans cannot afford any surprises and allow the Democrats to pull an upset in a district Trump carried by a whopping 37 points during his 2024 presidential election victory. TRUMP FOE FANI WILLIS BLOCKED YET AGAIN FROM COLLAPSED RICO CASE AS PRESIDENT PUSHES TO CLAW BACK MILLIONS All 17 candidates in Tuesday’s special election in Georgia, regardless of party affiliation, were on the same ballot. Twelve were Republican, three were Democrats. Since no contender topped 50% of the vote in the primary, the top two candidates are advancing to an April 7 runoff. Harris, a retired Army brigadier general, got 39.9% of the vote, while Fuller, a district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, got 34.2%. HOUSE GOP FEARS PRIMARY LOSERS COULD JEOPARDIZE RAZOR-THIN MAJORITY With $4.3 million raised, Harris was the fundraising champion among all 17 candidates, but Fuller has a Trump endorsement in a district the president won handily. Fuller teamed up with the president recently during a stop in the district at an event in Rome, Georgia, during which he described himself as a “MAGA warrior.” In addition to his Trump backing, Fuller is backed by the politically potent and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative group the Club for Growth. “I think we’ve been very successful in staying with our message discipline that President Trump truly matters in Georgia 14,” Fuller told Fox News Digital. “His support has meant the world to me and meant the world to the voters. So, we’re just going to continue to get that message out about President Trump supporting us, and my experience, being a military officer, an elected district attorney and an America First fighter too.” FBI SUBPOENAS 2020 ARIZONA VOTING DOCS AS FEDERAL PUSH INTO ELECTION ADMINISTRATION WIDENS Former Congresswoman Greene, once a top Trump ally in the House, became a vocal critic of his and stayed neutral in the race to succeed her. Fuller told Fox News Digital Tuesday night that he had not gotten a chance to speak with other Republicans in the race, but said he was confident that the Republican Party would embrace him against Harris. Third place Tuesday evening went to former state Sen. Colton Moore, a vocal Trump backer who enjoyed support from the far right. Moore garnered 10.9% of the vote. “Everybody in the field understands that a Democrat cannot represent Georgia 14. It would be a tragedy for Georgia 14, a tragedy for the MAGA movement. And we’re going to rally around as a party and go and win this thing and defeat Sean Harris,” Fuller said Tuesday evening.
Speaker Johnson touts Trump’s agenda as crucial blueprint ahead of midterms: ‘On the ballot’
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled Tuesday that Republicans will continue to closely align themselves with President Donald Trump as the November midterms creep closer. “The American people are going to understand he is on the ballot, at least in a metaphorical sense, because if we were to lose the midterms, everybody knows the chaos that would ensue,” the leader of the House of Representatives told NBC News reporter Scott Wong. Johnson made the remarks at House Republicans’ annual policy retreat, which is taking place this year at Trump’s golf course and resort in Doral, Florida, where GOP lawmakers are huddling to hash out policy goals ahead of the midterm races and beyond. MCINTOSH: MIDTERMS A CHOICE BETWEEN TRUMP’S ‘GREAT PROGRESS’ AND ‘SOCIALISTS BACK IN’ He said Trump is also going to take an “active” role in the coming election cycle. “President Trump is going to be … he’s engaged, he’s going to run like he’s 2024. He’s going to do the rallies and do the events, and he’s already doing it now,” Johnson said. “He’s going to be heavily involved. And he is still the turnout machine for our side — as well as the other side, I acknowledge that.” The speaker’s comments are not surprising given Trump’s continued command and influence over the GOP, but tying Republicans so closely to a sitting president in a midterm year could be viewed as a risky strategy. JOHNSON WARNS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO ‘STAY HEALTHY’ AS GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO THE EDGE Political history dictates that the party holding all levers of power in Washington at the beginning of a presidential term — in this case, Republicans — generally lose control of one or both houses of Congress in the following election cycle. It happened most recently during former President Joe Biden’s term, when Republicans clawed back the House majority in the 2022 races and won the Senate in the following 2024 cycle. But Johnson has been and continues to be optimistic about Republicans’ chances of bucking that trend in November. “I think there’s so many factors in our favor. I think the energy and excitement is going to be on our side,” Johnson said. “I can’t wait for the midterm convention that we’re going to have before early voting starts in the fall, where we parade all of our stars across the stage, and we talk about all the great things we’ve done for the American people. “This is a midterm like none other. So, I’m telling you, do not bet against the House Republicans.”
DOJ blasts ‘partisan’ DC Bar complaint against senior Trump official
A senior Trump administration official and former acting U.S. attorney for D.C. is under disciplinary review for his role in President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative — sparking outrage from the Justice Department, which assailed alleged ethics violations against Ed Martin as a “partisan” effort, and one that unfairly targets Trump and his allies. The disciplinary charge, filed Friday to the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility and published Tuesday, centers on a letter sent by Martin to Georgetown Law last February while Martin was serving as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Martin allegedly demanded in the letter that Georgetown Law provide information about its DEI practices and teachings, according to the ethics complaint. It states that without “further explanation,” and without receiving a response from Georgetown Law, Martin then announced he would be imposing sanctions on the school — instructing his staff not to hire any students, fellows, or interns affiliated with the university. EXCLUSIVE: BONDI TRANSFERS FORMER DEATH ROW INMATES COMMUTED BY BIDEN TO ‘SUPERMAX’ PRISON The Justice Department blasted news of the ethics complaint, telling Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the complaint represented yet another “clear indication” of unfair and “partisan” treatment from the D.C. Bar, a body they argued has continued “to target and punish those serving President Trump while refusing to investigate or act against actual ethical violations that were committed by Biden and Obama administration attorneys,” representing what DOJ spokesperson described as “a clear indication of this partisan organization’s agenda.” The complaint was signed by the disciplinary counsel for the D.C. Bar, Hamilton Fox, whose role allows him to function similarly to a prosecutor for attorney misconduct cases. Fox previously donated thousands to Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008, according to FEC records reviewed by Fox News Digital. The complaint accuses Martin of violating the First and Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by using his role as a government official to demand that the university change its teachings; failing to give the university a time frame to respond; and threatening adverse action against Georgetown Law for teaching a particular viewpoint. It also accuses Martin of conducting unauthorized, ex parte communications with the chief judge and senior judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after he was asked to respond to a complaint about his remarks to Georgetown Law. “In that letter, he stated that he would not be responding to Disciplinary Counsel’s inquiry, complained about Disciplinary Counsel’s ‘uneven behavior,’ and requested a ‘face-to-face meeting with all of you to discuss this matter and find a way forward,’” the complaint said, noting that Martin had copied White House counsel onto the email. JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA The Justice Department’s second-highest-ranking official, Todd Blanche, sharply criticized the complaint on social media Tuesday, noting: “The DC Bar is such a blatantly Democrat-run political organization.” “Thank God I’m not a member, and trust me, I never will be,” Blanche said in a post on X.Martin, a former defense attorney who helped represent individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, has made headlines during his short time at DOJ. His path to confirmation to serve as U.S. Attorney for D.C. stalled last year amid concerns from some Senate Republicans, prompting Trump to install Martin last May as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney. EX-JUDGES BLAST TOP TRUMP DOJ OFFICIAL FOR DECLARING ‘WAR’ ON COURTS Trump also tapped Martin at the time to head up the Justice Department’s so-called “Weaponization Working Group,” or the newly formed internal body within DOJ tasked with probing federal prosecutions viewed by the administration as unfairly partisan. Martin was removed last month from his role heading up the working group, though no reason for his removal was immediately provided. The complaint will now be kicked to D.C. Court of Appeals for next steps and review — a notoriously lengthy process that will likely take months, if not longer. News of the ethics complaint comes just days after the Justice Department filed a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that would allow the department to suspend state bar investigations while the DOJ conducts its own review.
Fox News Poll: Voters expect AI to transform our lives — but today is not that day
Voters say artificial intelligence (AI) could dramatically reshape life in the United States — but for now, most say that transformation still feels more like a headline than a lived reality. The latest Fox News poll finds nearly 9 in 10 voters think AI will change the way we live either a lot (53%) or some (34%) in the next few years. Roughly 1 in 10 think it won’t change much (8%) or at all (4%). Although overall sentiment is where it stood two years ago, the share saying AI will change our lives “a lot” is up by 10 percentage points — from 43% in 2023 to 53% today. While nearly half find AI very or somewhat useful (47%) in their day-to-day lives, a small majority (53%) says it’s not very or not at all useful. More than twice as many say AI is “not at all” useful (29%) as think it is “very” useful (12%). FOX NEWS POLL: SOCIALISM GAINING GROUND AMONG VOTERS Men under age 45 (66% very/somewhat useful) and Republicans under age 45 (61%) are the most likely to find AI useful — the only groups where more than 60% say so. Among those least likely to find AI helpful are voters ages 65+ (67% not very/at all useful), women without a college degree (63%), Democrats ages 45+ (62%), rural voters (62%), and households with income below $50,000 (61%). An overwhelming majority feels people should be clearly told when online images, videos, or written content are created with AI (89%). The survey was completed before an X announcement March 3, requiring its users to disclose when videos of an armed conflict are AI-generated, or face consequences. Eight in 10 voters are extremely (44%) or very (36%) concerned AI is eroding trust in what we see and hear on the news and social media. Nearly 9 times as many are extremely concerned (44%) as say they are not at all concerned (5%). FOX NEWS POLL: DISAPPROVAL OF ICE ON THE RISE Overall, 60% feel confident they can tell if something is AI-generated, while 40% are not — unchanged since June 2025. By a narrow 5 percentage-point margin, more voters are concerned AI will eventually take control of humans (52% extremely/very concerned) than unconcerned (47% not very/not at all). Those most likely to be concerned are very conservative voters (63% extremely/very concerned), MAGA supporters (61%), households with income below $50K (59%), Hispanic voters (58%), and Republicans (58%). One more thing … While the AI debate rages here on earth, a majority of voters are certain about intelligent life elsewhere. By a 50-point margin, more think life did or does exist on other planets in the universe (74%) than believe it never existed (24%). CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Democrats (78% yes, life exists), independents (77%), Catholics (77%), and White voters (76%) are more likely to believe in life beyond our solar system than Republicans (68% yes, life exists), Protestants (67%), White evangelicals (64%), Black voters (65%), and Hispanics (68%). Conducted Feb. 28-March 2, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (642) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). 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.
WATCH: Dem witness accuses Trump of ‘population purge,’ Kennedy fires back: ‘You trigger my gag reflex’
David Bier, a Democrat-called witness at a Senate Budget Committee hearing Tuesday, drew a sharp rebuke from GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana after accusing the Trump administration of attempting a “population purge” in the U.S. Earlier in the hearing, Bier, an immigration policy expert at the CATO Institute, argued that both legal and illegal aliens “are a benefit to this country” because they help to reduce the national deficit. Kennedy ripped into Bier, asking, “What planet did you parachute in from? You trigger my gag reflex.” Bier had just claimed that federal judges opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations “are much braver” than U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. FAMILY DEMANDS FAR-LEFT PROSECUTOR BE OUSTED FROM OFFICE AFTER SISTER KILLED BY REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDER “They are much braver. They put their names on their rulings, and they stand behind their constitutional rulings,” said Bier. He accused the administration of attempting to carry out a “population purge,” saying, “They’re trying to deport U.S.-born citizens, people born here, they are trying to deport them as well. So, it’s not a mass deportation agenda, it is also an agenda intended to reduce the population of the United States, including U.S.-born people.” Earlier in the hearing, Bier had called for “more” immigrants to help address the soaring national deficit. While being questioned by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Bier said that there are “clear reasons for believing that they are reducing the deficits and debt, they are a benefit to this country, and we need more people who are going to contribute in the future as our population ages.” Bier said “it’s easy to understand why” immigrants reduce the deficit “because they work at 12 percentage points higher than the national average, they use less benefits because they’re subject to constraints, unique barriers to applying for those benefits, in particular Social Security and Medicare. Those are by far our largest programs, and they’re not eligible for those at all if they’re here in the country illegally or if they came legally and they don’t have a sufficient work history to qualify.” After the hearing, Bier later told Fox News Digital that “this exchange had nothing to do with illegal immigration” and that “the question was about immigration generally.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED FOR ALLEGEDLY VOTING IN EVERY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SINCE 2008 Despite testifying in a hearing titled “Sanctuary Cities: The Cost of Undermining Law and Order,” during which members criticized the mass migration under the Biden administration, Bier posited that more immigration is a positive step for the country. “According to the Social Security Administration, we need about 35 million more workers in order to keep revenues equal to expenses by the middle of the 2030s,” he said. “So, we are at a position right now where immigration is not going to solve it. Obviously, it’s not going to solve it, but it is moving us in the right direction.” He praised immigrants, saying, “These are people who are showing up, they’re ready to work, they’re often prime age individuals who are ready to enter the labor force.” “So, it’s a huge benefit fiscally to the United States to have these people who want to contribute to our country,” he added. Bier was not the only one arguing in the hearing that illegal immigrants can improve communities. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., one of the Trump administration’s most outspoken critics, took a similar line, arguing that sanctuary policies actually lower crime, poverty and unemployment. “Data shows that sanctuary policies actually make communities safer, healthier and more prosperous. That’s right, the evidence shows, the research shows sanctuary jurisdictions have lower crime rates, higher median household income, less poverty, less reliance on public assistance, higher labor force participation, and lower unemployment,” said Padilla. “That’s right. It seems like sanctuary cities are helping to make America great, I said it,” he added. FOUR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LINKED TO MS-13 INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MURDERING 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IN MARYLAND PARK Likewise, Kennedy was not the only Republican who took issue with Bier. After arguing over whether it was a mistake for Congress to ban people from entering the country illegally, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, slammed Bier as a “smug guy.” “You haven’t answered my question, but that’s okay. You’re a smug guy, and that’s part of your shtick,” said Moreno. After another Democrat-called witness declined to answer the same question, Moreno criticized both, saying, “This is the best that Democrats can come up with.” “This is the best witnesses you’ve got? A guy who can’t distinguish whether it’s okay to have people enter our country illegally. Of all the millions of people that you could have chosen to testify … the best you have is a guy who has no idea what our immigration law is, and isn’t sure if somebody should enter the country illegally [and] another guy is a smug guy who obviously has an agenda,” said Moreno.
Far-left lawmaker endorses candidate who boasted about voting with Republicans 80% of time
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a top progressive in Congress, is backing former businessman and Kansas state representative Raj Goyle in his bid to become New York’s next comptroller. “I am proud to endorse [Goyle] for New York State Comptroller. Raj has been a lifelong progressive: fighting for immigrant communities, defending reproductive freedom and holding corporations accountable,” Jayapal said in a post to X on Monday. The language of her endorsement seems to clash with Goyle’s characterization of himself as a moderate with a track record of agreeing with Republicans on a majority of issues. “In the state house, I voted with Republicans 80% of the time. I was one of the top five Democrats in agreeing with Republicans. And 89% of the legislation I sponsored, I sponsored with Republicans,” Goyle said in a campaign ad he filmed while pursuing Congressional office in Kansas. NY DEM WOULDN’T BACK MAMDANI FOR MAYOR — NOW MAMDANI IS BACKING HIS CHALLENGER Goyle has also attracted the support of other progressives besides Jayapal. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., another high-ranking progressive in the House, endorsed Goyle late last year. When asked about his support, Khanna’s office said the pair’s relationship spanned years. “Rep. Khanna has known Raj Goyle for decades and appreciated his commitment to public service and working-class Americans,” Khanna’s office said in a statement. Goyle, who has an Indian heritage, also shares similar backgrounds with Jayapal and Khanna as a fellow South Asian Democrat. Notably, he has not received an endorsement from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — another key progressive Democrat. SOCIALIST MAYOR MAMDANI BACKS HOCHUL IN MOVE THAT COULD RESHAPE NEW YORK GOVERNOR RACE Goyle previously represented Kansas’ 87th state district in the state’s House of Representatives as a Democrat from 2007-2011. In 2010, he would wage a bid for Kansas’ 4th Congressional District, raising $1.8 million for his bid, according to FEC records. Ultimately, he would lose out to Republican candidate Mike Pompeo. Pompeo beat out Goyle in a 58.8% – 36.5% victory. After his loss, Boyle would go on to found Bodhala, a business and legal analysis firm headquartered in New York City, before eventually selling the company in 2021. Now, as he pursues the New York Comptroller Office, in which capacity he would become the state’s chief fiscal officer, Goyle has pitched himself as a progressive who bucked the trend in a red-leaning state. DEMOCRAT RISING STAR CALLED OUT FOR ‘CREEPY’ COMMENT ABOUT TRANSGENDER CHILDREN “During his four years in the Kansas legislature, Raj voted down the line as a pro-labor, pro-choice and anti-NRA progressive,” Goyle wrote on his website. “His votes and advocacy supported working families, reduced healthcare costs, improved public schools and fought for immigration justice and clean energy — all in a deep-red state.” Goyle and Jayapal did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Trump urges Congress to pass SAVE America Act, fully fund DHS as TSA workers go without pay
President Donald Trump is urging Congress to pass the SAVE America Act (SAA) as well as restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as more than 100,000 federal employees go without pay during a prolonged funding lapse, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. Leavitt outlined the president’s dual push for sweeping election legislation and immediate action to reopen DHS, where employees have missed paychecks and travelers are facing long airport lines. The SAA would move through Congress as election legislation, while DHS funding requires a separate vote to reopen the department and resume full operations. Leavitt described the SAA as “one of the most critical pieces of legislation in our nation’s history.” “The Save America Act is overwhelmingly popular with all Americans because each provision is rooted in common sense,” she said. DHS FUNDING STALEMATE THAWS AS WHITE HOUSE SENDS DEMOCRATS ‘SERIOUS’ COUNTEROFFER According to Leavitt, the legislation includes five core provisions: requiring voters to show identification to cast a ballot, requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, ending universal mail-in ballots while maintaining exceptions for illness, disability, military service and travel, permanently banning biological males from competing in women’s sports, and banning transgender surgery for minors. On voter ID requirements, Leavitt said the proposal reflects broad public support. “Voters have to show ID to cast a ballot in an American election. Very simple,” she said. “Ninety percent of Americans, including more than 80% of Democrat voters, agree with this.” SCHUMER, DEMS HOLD FIRM ON DHS FUNDING DESPITE NOEM’S BOMBSHELL OUSTING The legislation would also require proof of citizenship when registering to vote. “The Save America Act will require all voters to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in American elections,” Leavitt said. “Again, this is popular and rooted in common sense. Only American citizens have the right to vote in American elections.” Leavitt said Trump is urging Congress to “get the job done and send this historic piece of legislation to his desk immediately for signature.” TRUMP VOWS BLOCK ON SIGNING NEW LAWS UNTIL SAVE AMERICA ACT PASSES SENATE She also pushed back on claims that the legislation could prevent married women who changed their last names from voting. “There is zero validity to these claims,” Leavitt said. “The Save America Act does not prohibit anyone from voting, with the exception of illegal aliens. “As far as married women who have changed their name, if they’re already registered to vote, they’re entirely unaffected by the Save Act,” she added. Leavitt also turned to the ongoing funding lapse at the DHS, saying the president wants Congress to move quickly to restore pay for affected workers and fully reopen the department. “President Trump wants the Department of Homeland Security — he wants TSA, he wants FEMA. He wants the brave men and women of our United States Coast Guard to receive their paychecks,” she said. More than 100,000 employees across the country have been impacted, she noted, acknowledging the strain on families. “To any American out there who is struggling without a paycheck, we know there’s more than 100,000 of you across the country,” Leavitt said. She added that the lapse is also affecting travelers nationwide. “To any American out there who is showing up to an airport and facing incredibly long wait times in lines,” she said, Trump is calling on Congress to restore funding and reopen the department. The president wants DHS “fully funded and fully reopened,” Leavitt said. DHS oversees agencies including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Coast Guard, all of which have personnel affected by the funding lapse. Trump is pressing lawmakers to act on both fronts, with Leavitt saying the president is calling on Congress to move swiftly to deliver both measures.
Minnesota Dem suggests studying ‘benefit of shoplifting’ in committee clash, then says it was sarcasm
A Minnesota Democrat whose retort to a Republican about potential “benefit[s] of shoplifting” during a hearing on worker misclassification defended the exchange as sarcasm gone awry. During a Minnesota House Workforce and Labor Committee hearing this week, lawmakers reviewed information on how laws governing employee and independent contractor classifications affect insurance payments and other benefits, according to local reports. State Rep. Dave Pinto, D-St. Paul, responded after a Republican lawmaker voiced concern that worker misclassification ultimately falls on the taxpayer. “It is an intriguing line of questions,” Pinto said, appearing to suggest a study on the “benefit of shoplifting and retail theft.” WATCH: WALZ, ELLISON, OMAR REFUSE TO ANSWER WHEN PRESSED ON FRAUD AFTER CONTENTIOUS FRAUD HEARING Pinto spoke of a recent presentation before another committee he sits on that sought to address solutions to organized retail theft. “And it actually had not occurred to me to ask — it probably would have been good — to make sure that they would study sort of the benefit of shoplifting, of retail theft since because perhaps people are relying on that and sort of using that maybe it’s you know assisting them in some way,” he said. Pinto went on to describe whether people involved in such activities are considered to be violating the law, and that there may be a policy question at the root of such a discussion. In comments to Fox News Digital, Pinto defended the remarks, saying he was reacting sarcastically to Rep. Isaac Schultz, R-Mille Lacs, who had posed the original question. “My comments, intended to be sarcastic, followed a line of questioning from Republican Rep. Isaac Schultz suggesting a study is needed on whether the illegal practice of worker misclassification harms consumers,” Pinto said. “As a prosecutor, of course I take retail theft and shoplifting seriously. Any insinuation to the contrary is absurd — just like Rep. Schultz’s remarks were.” NEARLY ALL SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN ST PAUL CHURCH STORMING; MLK’S NIECE SAYS HOSTILE TACTICS ‘NOT THE WAY’ Nonetheless, Pinto’s original comment was viewed thousands of times on social media and elicited responses from other lawmakers, amid ongoing scrutiny over social services fraud and other scandals in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. State Rep. Krista Knudsen, R-Lake Shore, was rendered speechless in a video response to the matter, as she put her hands to her face. “There are no benefits to shoplifting for the people that are being shoplifted from. I have no idea what else to say,” Knudsen said. “I’m shocked, actually. I don’t even know what to say. Who — I don’t know what to say — Who benefits from shoplifting? The criminals.” State Rep. Kristin Robbins, a Republican from the Minneapolis area, appeared to cite her region’s nationally recognized scandals, saying she cannot believe the comment was made by Pinto. “[W]e are trying to prevent fraud and prevent crime in Minnesota and this has been an issue that we’ve dealt with as a legislature for many years. We finally got the organized retail theft crime in statute last session,” she said. “It’s been a long haul and that’s a tool that we need to crack down on this real problem throughout our communities around the state.” Worker misclassification has been a focus of Democrat-Farmer-Labor lawmakers in the state legislature for some time, as an effort began in 2024 to ban employers from misclassifying employees. ILLEGAL’S DRAGGING OF ICE AGENT SHOWS THE EXACT DANGER THE OFFICER WHO SHOT RENEE GOOD FEARED, EXPERT SAYS That policy was reportedly spurred by a construction worker who testified before lawmakers that he racked up major medical bills after a work-related injury, but his employer later only offered him a small amount for expenses and “told him to forget about insurance and to change his name and address, saying the bills would eventually disappear if nobody paid them,” according to a post on the House of Representatives website. The man later allegedly found out his employer was misclassifying employees in order to save on labor costs, according to the lawmakers’ page. State Rep. Emma Greenman, D-Minneapolis, authored HF4444 to ensure businesses don’t act in such a way in the future and/or misclassify employees as contractors or the like. “Our job is to ensure that Minnesota workers have the protections that we in law provide,” she said at the time.