Puerto Rico governor signs law recognizing unborn babies as human beings
Puerto Rico’s Republican governor on Thursday signed a bill that amends a law to recognize an unborn baby as a human being, which opponents argued could eventually lead to outlawing abortion in the U.S. territory. Gov. Jenniffer González said in a statement that the measure “aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the unborn child as a human being.” The amendment, in Senate Bill 923, altered an article within Puerto Rico’s Penal Code that defines murder. The government said that the amendment complements a law affirming that it would be first-degree murder if a suspect intentionally and knowingly kills a pregnant woman, resulting in the death of the conceived child at any stage of gestation. SOUTH CAROLINA GOP LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE BILL TO CRIMINALIZE ABORTION AS MURDER The legislation was named after Keishla Rodríguez, a pregnant woman who was killed in April 2021. Her partner, former Puerto Rican boxer Félix Verdejo, was convicted in the killing and received two life sentences. Supporters of the law said it was designed to provide consistency between civil and criminal codes and focus on harsher punishments for the murder of pregnant women and that it was unrelated to abortion, but critics argued that it opens the door to eventually criminalizing the procedure in Puerto Rico, which remains legal. “A zygote was given legal personality,” Rosa Seguí Cordero, an attorney and spokesperson for the National Campaign for Free, Safe and Accessible Abortion in Puerto Rico, told The Associated Press. “We women were stripped of our rights.” WYOMING SUPREME COURT RULES LAWS RESTRICTING ABORTION VIOLATE STATE CONSTITUTION Dr. Carlos Díaz Vélez, president of Puerto Rico’s College of Medical Surgeons, contends that the new law would lead to “defensive health care,” in which doctors may refuse to treat complicated pregnancies for fear of criminal prosecution on murder charges. “This will bring complex clinical decisions into the realm of criminal law,” he told The Associated Press, adding that it would bring “disastrous consequences.” Díaz said the amended law also allows a third person to intervene between a doctor and a pregnant woman, which violates privacy laws. He also said new protocols and regulations would need to be implemented. “The system is not prepared for this,” he said. Opponents of the law also said the amendment was approved without public hearings. “There is no doubt that the measure did not undergo adequate analysis before its approval and leaves an unacceptable space for ambiguity regarding civil rights,” Annette Martínez Orabona, executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union in Puerto Rico, told The Associated Press. “The legislative leadership failed to fulfill its responsibility to the people, and so did the governor.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sanctuary policies let alleged child predator roam free until DHS made Portland, Oregon, airport arrest
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrested an illegal migrant who was charged with rape, purchasing sex with a minor, and sexual abuse in Oregon, after the migrant was released on bail by sanctuary policies. Manuel Cruz-Ramirez, who still faces the slew of charges, was not referred to immigration officers upon his arrest and release due to Marion County’s sanctuary status. The illegal immigrant from Mexico was apprehended only because he was using a fraudulent Mexican passport at the Portland International Airport. TSA and CBP agents were flagged when his falsified name did not return full data, according to DHS. “Manuel Cruz-Ramirez was arrested for rape, purchasing sex with a minor, and sexual abuse in Oregon,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “The state’s sanctuary politicians allowed this pedophile to be released from jail back into American communities.” TRUMP URGES DHS, ICE TO PUBLICIZE ARRESTS, SAYS CRACKDOWN IS ‘SAVING MANY INNOCENT LIVES’ In non-sanctuary cities, Cruz-Ramirez would have referred to immigration officers, who would have apprehended him before he was released from detention. “Americans can be proud of the swift actions of TSA and CBP for protecting them and our judicial system by preventing this monster from fleeing the country,” McLaughlin explained. “Criminal illegal aliens should not be released from jails back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans. “Oregon’s sanctuary politicians must stop this reckless insanity of releasing child predators from jail back into our neighborhoods to prey on more innocent children,” she added. DHS DEMANDS MN LEADERS HONOR ICE DETAINERS, ALLEGES HUNDREDS OF CRIMINAL ALIENS HAVE BEEN RELEASED UNDER WALZ DHS also told Fox News Digital that Cruz-Ramirez had been deported from the U.S. in 2018, though he re-entered the country at an unknown location and time. He is now in ICE custody and his removal order has been re-instated. Portland has been one of several cities where agitators have mobilized to confront and protest federal law enforcement. On Thursday, Fox News Digital reported that DHS launched an investigation into an Oregon resident who was arrested during a traffic stop with knives and materials to make Molotov cocktails. DHS URGES NEWSOM TO HONOR ICE DETAINERS AFTER FEDERAL AGENT ASSAULTED WHILE ARRESTING ILLEGAL ALIEN AT JAIL The 18-year-old Oregon resident allegedly authored a manifesto with the intention of killing ICE at a Portland ICE office. The individual reportedly told authorities that he was planning on picking up an AR-15 rifle to carry out the attack. Democrats, including those in Congress, have referred to ICE agents as Nazis and gestapo, and the Trump administration has said that such rhetoric is endangering the lives of law enforcement officers across the country. During an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem noted the difference between some cities and those which are controlled by far-left leaders, saying that in cities where authorities cooperate with federal law enforcement there is far less conflict. “Minneapolis and St. Paul, the Twin Cities, have an opportunity to do the same thing that Memphis did. There we had a Democrat mayor who worked with us,” Noem told Fox News Digital. “It was about the same size as a city, about the same amount of federal law enforcement officers were there, and we dramatically cut crime and murder rates and partnered well together.”
Over 1.5 million illegal aliens with deportation orders in US, ICE director reveals
Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons revealed that there are about 1.6 million illegal aliens with final deportation orders in the U.S., half of whom have criminal convictions. During testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday, Lyons said, “What we’re tracking right now is about 1.6 million final [deportation] orders in the United States, with approximately 800,000 of those having criminal convictions.” Lyons clarified that these deportation orders have not been issued by ICE or the Department of Homeland Security. Rather, Lyons said the orders have come “through an immigration judge with the Department of Justice separate from Immigration Customs Enforcement.” The director added that “there’s 16,840 final orders at large in the state of Minnesota.” ACTING ICE DIRECTOR DEFENDS AGENCY’S FOCUS ON TARGETING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, DETAILS THREAT TO AGENTS Lyons revealed this during questioning by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla. Lankford asked Lyons to communicate his gratitude to the men and women in immigration enforcement, commenting, “Two years ago, we had 10,000 people a day illegally crossing into the country, two years ago, 10,000 people a day not vetted, had no idea who they were.” Lankford also pointed out that “70,000 people were estimated by the Biden administration to come in in 2024 that were special interest aliens that had a locational connection to terrorism.” “But we had no idea who they were. They were allowed to be able to come into the country two years ago,” he lamented. SCOOP: THOUSANDS OF VIOLENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN MINNESOTA AS ADMIN VOWS ‘WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN’ This comes as ICE faces intense criticism from Democrats over their operations, especially in Minnesota, where two activists, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed in altercations with federal officers. Democrats have threatened defund DHS unless the agency changes its approach to enforcement. Lankford remarked, “We’re losing perspective of what’s really happened.” “The work that the men and women that work around you have done have stopped that chaos,” Lankford said to Lyons. TRUMP DHS HAMMERS DEM GOVERNOR’S PORTAL TO TRACK ICE AGENTS: ‘ENCOURAGES VIOLENCE’ “There are thousands of arrests that are happening in a day that are happening by the book,” he continued. “And what’s happening is a group of protesters that are protesting and agitating, and some of them running into churches and disturbing church services and saying, ‘It’s my First Amendment right to shut down your church during a service.’ And saying they’re a peaceful protester while they throw rocks at agents, it just gets old.”
Newsom stop in key presidential primary state sparks more 2028 speculation
California Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s book tour will take him early next month to New Hampshire, the state that’s traditionally held the nation’s first presidential primary for a century. The Portsmouth Music Hall announced on Thursday that California’s two-term Democratic governor will present his new book, “Young Man in a Hurry,” on Thursday, at their theater on March 5. It’s a sure bet that the stop along New Hampshire’s Seacoast will generate more buzz about Newsom’s national ambitions and the likelihood that he’ll launch a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, in the race to succeed term-limited President Donald Trump. Newsom’s stature in his own party has soared over the past year, thanks to his very vocal and visual pushback against the president, including his viral social media trolling of Trump and his successful California push to counter the Republican congressional redistricting effort. THE 2028 WHITE HOUSE RACE IS ALREADY UNDERWAY “Newsom has shown an ability to stand up to Trump in a bold and highly effective manner without shying away from core democratic values,” veteran Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo told Fox News Digital. Newsom was treated like a VIP as he held meetings and mingled with party delegates during the opening day of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) winter meeting, which was held in Los Angeles in December. And Newsom held meetings with the Democratic Party chairs from New Hampshire and Nevada, another crucial early voting state. “We had a great discussion on a wide range of issues,” longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley told Fox News Digital. DEMOCRATIC HEAVYWEIGHTS TURN HEADS, SPARK 2028 SPECULATION Newsom has acknowledged that he’s mulling a presidential bid, telling CBS News last year he would “seriously consider” following the 2026 midterms and that he’d be “lying” if he said otherwise. Newsom is one of more than a dozen Democrats viewed as potential 2028 White House contenders. And many of them have been paying visits to New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, which held the first sanctioned Democratic presidential primary in the 2024 election cycle. Newsom stopped in South Carolina last summer. A New Hampshire-based Democratic strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely shared that he and other activists in the state for months have been receiving fundraising emails on a regular basis from some of the White House hopefuls. “Every week I receive a dozen,” the strategist said. VANCE AMPLIFIES HIS 2026 MESSAGE WHILE LANDING KEY 2028 BACKING Kathy Sullivan, a former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair and former DNC committee member, told Fox News Digital that “successful candidates in New Hampshire start early here and get to know the activists. They find out what issues are important to people in New Hampshire.” Sullivan said the early trips to New Hampshire by the potential contenders “show that they’re putting the work in to take the whole process seriously and know they need to do the hard work to win the primary.” The California governor was last in New Hampshire in July 2024, to support then-President Joe Biden in the days after Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump. Newsom was a top surrogate for Biden, and later for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the party’s standard-bearer after Biden dropped his re-election run amid questions about his physical and mental durability. Harris, a fellow Californian who is also currently on a book tour, is also mulling a potential 2028 presidential run. Among the other Democrats seen as possible presidential candidates are Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Wes Moore of Maryland and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan; Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut; progressive superstar Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, another leading progressive; and two moderate Democrats, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former White House chief of staff and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Noem slams Dems blocking DHS funding bill citing TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard: ‘I hope they come to their senses’
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem warned Thursday that a lapse in funding for her department could disrupt airport security, disaster response and counterterrorism operations, escalating a partisan standoff in Congress over immigration policy. Senate Democrats demanded stringent reforms to immigration enforcement and blocked multiple attempts Thursday to keep the agency open, though Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only accounts for 11% of the bill’s funding, according to Noem. Noem’s comments came as she joined U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks and Executive Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Diane Sabatino in Otay Mesa, California, to discuss ongoing drug seizure operations. Noem accused Democrats of sending “the wrong message,” arguing that failing to fund DHS undermines national security. Democrats have said the dispute centers on immigration enforcement policies, not disaster response or transportation security. NOEM RIPS DEMS FOR USING FAMILIES AS ‘POLITICAL WEAPONS’ AS DHS FUNDING FIGHT THREATENS LIFE BEYOND ICE She warned other DHS-funded agencies will see the impacts of the shutdown, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “If we had some kind of an attack or a terrible disaster that hit our country, FEMA is the agency that’s responsible for running our government, for stabilizing our country — and the Democrat Party is choosing not to fund FEMA and putting us in jeopardy in that situation.” According to DHS, disaster grant funding could be stuck due to the FEMA GO system being offline, National Fire Academy classes will be canceled, and preparedness exercises will be paused nationwide. The housing market could also see disruptions, as federally-backed mortgages require national flood insurance, managed by FEMA. Noem added that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, who keep the skies safe, will not be paid after Friday — leading to increased wait times at airports and safety concerns. SENATE REPUBLICANS WEIGH DEM DEMAND TO SPLIT DHS BILL, TURN TO SHORT-TERM EXTENSION TO AVOID SHUTDOWN “They’re expected to still show up. How long would you continue to show up for a job that you’re not being paid for,” she said. “These TSA employees just went through a 43-day shutdown where they weren’t paid. How often do you expect these good patriots to keep showing up and to do their job, knowing that their salaries won’t be taken care of and their families’ bills won’t be taken care of.” The U.S. Secret Service (USSS), which is tasked with protecting current and former administration officials and visiting dignitaries, will also go unfunded, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, which is addressing winter weather impacts on the East Coast. “The Coast Guard right now is keeping rivers open on the East Coast so that critical food and energy sources can get to our largest cities,” Noem said. “… What you’re saying by not funding the Coast Guard, is that the Democrat Party doesn’t think it’s important that people eat, or that they stay warm, or that our national security is protected.” “This is a dangerous situation that we’re in, that the Democratic Party has chosen to shut down the department that was created after 9/11. This department was created recognizing that we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks,” she continued. “… We have responsibility for cyber operations … and going after terrorists who would attack our critical infrastructure, our electrical grid, our water systems, that would come in and hack into our intelligence agencies and our national security operations.” KENNEDY CLAIMS ‘KAREN WING’ WILL PUNISH ANY DEMOCRAT WHO VOTES TO KEEP DHS OPEN AMID BUDGET STALL The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office lacks legal authority to operate during the lapse, leaving biodetection and mail screening disrupted. “The Democrat Party is choosing not to fund [DHS] and making us very vulnerable to those terrorists being successful here in our homeland,” Noem said. “I hope that they will come to their senses, recognize that the American people need to come first, and have a policy discussion.” During Noem’s plea for critical funding, anti-ICE protesters gathered nearby chanting, “shame, shame” through megaphones, while blowing horns. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, released a statement Thursday afternoon, emphasizing the urgency of a deal. SCHUMER ROLLS OUT LIST OF ICE DEMANDS AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS DEMS ‘BLOCKED’ DEAL-MAKING SESSION “There will be a burden shouldered, and the cost will be paid by people who never asked to be part of the fight,” Cole wrote. “… And while all these consequences are slated to start tomorrow at midnight, Senate Democrats are still readying to get on a plane out of town — instead of focusing on completing the job they were elected to do. Flying home or abroad while leaving TSA in limbo isn’t the message of leadership I’d want to send.” He added the House has “acted in good faith at every turn,” as the House and Senate previously struck a bipartisan and bicameral deal to finalize all Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills. After helping negotiate the deal, Senate Democrats altered it at the last minute, undermining DHS funding. “The consequences are real, and the responsibility for them in this moment is clear,” Cole wrote. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus have demanded a list of reforms to ICE. “The administration doesn’t actually want to reform ICE,” Schumer said. “They never do it on their own. That is why we need — we are fighting for — legislation to rein in ICE and stop the violence.” The Democratic Strategic Communications Committee did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Vulnerable Dem senator slammed for requiring photo ID at rally, but not to vote
A new attack ad from Republicans targeting U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is slamming the vulnerable Democrat senator for requiring entrants at his political rallies to show proof of identification, but arguing that identification requirements for voting are a form of voter suppression. “Want to get into a Jon Ossoff rally?” the advertisement’s narrator begins, before it goes into a montage of staffers at Ossoff’s Feb. 7 rally asking for entrants’ IDs. “Don’t forget your ID” rally staff can be heard saying as folks walked into the Georgia International Convention Center located in metro Atlanta. JEFFRIES ACCUSES REPUBLICANS OF ‘VOTER SUPPRESSION’ OVER BILL REQUIRING VOTER ID, PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP “Also, do you have your ID with you?” another staffer can be heard asking entrants in the video captured by a GOP tracker. “I’ll just grab your ID from you. Thank you so much,” another said. “Please have your IDs ready, please, thank you.” Meanwhile, Ossoff has referred to attempts to establish stricter photo-identification rules for voting and voter registration in federal elections as “nakedly partisan, totally unworkable, [and] bad faith.” Ossoff’s team declined to comment for this story. On Wednesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives passed the latest iteration of a voter integrity law aiming at requiring stricter in-person documentation requirements, such as needing a photo-ID to vote. This bill is a broader and stricter version of the 2025 version of the bill which focused predominantly on registering to vote as opposed to the act of voting itself. ONLY ONE HOUSE DEM VOTED IN FAVOR OF VOTER ID, PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP IN US ELECTIONS Ahead of the vote’s passage, one of Ossoff’s Republican challengers in the upcoming U.S. Senate race in Georgia, Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., called out the incumbent Democrat Senator for “once [saying] that voter ID was ‘right and appropriate,’ [but] now supports his party as reframing it as ‘voter suppression.’” “The law didn’t change. Public opinion didn’t change. What changed was he – and other Democrat politicians like him – realized that illegal immigrants could no longer vote to keep Democrats in office,” Carter asserted. “They oppose this bill because it chips away at their voting base; plain and simple.” Despite Ossoff’s previous opposition to voter integrity laws, his campaign event framed the requirement for photo ID as a security measure. “Due to security requirements … be ready to show ID that matches our RSVP list and these arrival instructions (printed or on your phone),” the campaign event’s confirmation email said.
Tim Walz demands federal government ‘pay for what they broke’ after Homan announces Minnesota drawdown
Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is demanding the federal government “pay for what they broke” after the Trump administration announced it would draw down its immigration enforcement presence in the Twin Cities. During a news conference after Border Czar Tom Homan’s announcement that the administration would be ending its Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, Walz said federal law enforcement’s presence in the state was leaving “deep damage” and “generational trauma.” “The federal government needs to pay for what they broke here,” said Walz. “There [is] going to be accountability on the things that happened, but one of the things is the incredible and immense costs that were borne by the people of this state. The federal government needs to be responsible. You don’t get to break things and then just leave without doing something about it. “So, we’re going to be asking the federal delegation to be investing and doing the things necessary.” TRUMP DHS HAMMERS DEM GOVERNOR’S PORTAL TO TRACK ICE AGENTS: ‘ENCOURAGES VIOLENCE’ Walz, best known for being former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election, has been at odds with the administration throughout much of the operation, which was meant to crack down on rampant fraud and abuse in the state. Regarding the federal drawdown, Walz said, “We are cautiously optimistic … that this surge of untrained, aggressive federal agents are going to leave Minnesota, and I guess they’ll go wherever they’re going to go. “The fact of the matter is they left us with deep damage, generational trauma. They left us with economic ruin in some cases. They left us with many unanswered questions: Where are our children? Where and what is the process of the investigations into those that were responsible for the deaths of Renee and Alex? “So, while the federal government may move on to whatever next thing that they want to do, the State of Minnesota and our administration is unwaveringly focused on the recovery of what they did.” HOUSE DEM EXPLODES ON TOP TRUMP IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL, SAYS HE ‘BETTER HOPE’ FOR PARDON FROM PRESIDENT Homan announced Thursday that the administration will conclude Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. Homan told reporters during a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal in Minneapolis that the operation succeeded in reducing public safety threats with “unprecedented levels of coordination” from state officials and local law enforcement. “As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said. “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude.” Homan said “a significant drawdown” of immigration agents was already underway and will continue through next week. The border czar announced last week that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota, though 2,000 officers will remain. He cited improved cooperation with jails and said a complete drawdown was the goal, but it was “contingent upon the end of illegal and threatening activities against ICE.” ICE ARRESTS MURDERERS, PEDOPHILES DURING SUPER BOWL WEEKEND AS AGENTS SAY HALFTIME SHOW ‘DEMONIZED’ THEM He said only a “small footprint of personnel” will remain for a period of time, while he will also remain on the ground to oversee the operation’s drawdown and success. “Additionally, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done,” Homan said.
Americans may have to pay to bring back alleged members of ‘foreign terrorist cartel’ to US
Alleged members of “foreign terrorist cartel” Tren de Aragua may be brought back to the U.S. after their deportations in 2025, and it could come at taxpayers’ expense. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has repeatedly butted heads with the Trump administration, ordered the Trump administration Thursday to facilitate the return of 137 migrants deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, CECOT, in 2025. Boasberg stipulated in his ruling that the government pay for the migrants’ airfare back to the U.S., meaning taxpayers are likely footing the bill. Boasberg argued that it’s “unclear why Plaintiffs should bear the financial cost of their return in such an instance,” noting that “this situation would never have arisen had the Government simply afforded Plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them.” FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS DEPORTED VENEZUELANS TO BE RETURNED TO US The ruling comes as part of a nearly year-long saga during which the federal judge attempted to halt the Trump administration’s deportation of migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act in March 2025. The Supreme Court ultimately allowed the Trump administration to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to carry out deportations in April but ordered that detainees receive notice and an opportunity to challenge allegations. Boasberg has since been wading through legal avenues with the men in El Salvador, issuing a ruling in December that the Trump administration denied them due process. It is unclear how many of the men will actually take the offer and return to the U.S., with Boasberg noting that the noncitizens “would be detained upon arrival” back to the U.S. Similar to Boasberg’s ruling, another federal judge this month ordered the Trump administration to pay for the return of three migrant families the judge ruled ICE unlawfully deported by a 2023 humanitarian parole settlement. TRUMP ADMIN ASKS BOASBERG FOR MORE TIME TO DETAIL CECOT PLANS AFTER MADURO OUSTER DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital Thursday in response to the ruling that the illegal aliens in El Salvador were removed under proper legal authority, before taking a shot as Boasberg. “Nothing has changed; in addition to being in our country illegally, these aliens are foreign terrorists designated as alien enemies by the president,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. TRUMP ADMIN SAYS MADURO CAPTURE REINFORCES ALIEN ENEMIES ACT REMOVALS “They were removed under the proper legal authorities. This case is no longer about the facts or law but about Judge Boasberg’s crusade to stop President Trump from doing the will of the American People. He has been shut down by appellate courts again and again on this case.” Boasberg has become a prime target for Republicans over a string of rulings tied to Trump-era policies, including the Trump administration backing a potential judicial impeachment of the judge and other “rogue” judges in January. The migrants in El Salvador were removed under The Alien Enemies Act, which is a 1798 wartime immigration law the Trump administration invoked to deport violent gang members with alleged ties to criminal organizations, such as Tren de Aragua (TdA). TdA, as well as MS-13, were designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration’s State Department in February 2025. The administration has described those deported to the notoriously secure prison in El Salvador as “violent savages” and terrorists who pose a threat to U.S. security. A previous analysis of 238 migrants deported to El Salvador found six faced attempted murder, assault, armed robbery, gun possession or domestic battery charges in the U.S., the Texas Tribune reported in May 2025. Thirty-two other deportees had been convicted in the U.S. of crimes, many of which were nonviolent, according to the outlet. DHS has said deportees labeled “‘non-criminals” by the media are “terrorists, human rights abusers, gang members and more — they just don’t have a rap sheet in the U.S.”
Democrats salivate at GOP’s near zero-vote margin as shutdown looms over ICE reform gridlock
Democrats believe a one-vote GOP margin for error in the House of Representatives would give them newfound leverage in negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other priorities as rumors circulate that yet another Republican may cut his time in office short. A Republican majority hangs by a thread as questions continue to circulate over whether Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., will resign his seat in the coming days. To members like Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., that prospect strengthens Democrats’ hand. “Look, yeah, the less of a majority they have, the better it is for us to actually get real stuff done that benefits the country,” Jayapal said Wednesday evening. SENATE REPUBLICANS TEE UP KEY SHUTDOWN TEST VOTE AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING It’s unclear when Dunn, who has wrestled with health concerns in the past, might come to a decision. If Dunn steps aside, Republicans will have just a one-seat majority and almost no margin for error that will prevent them from passing most pieces of legislation with just one vote to spare among their own party or secure help from Democrats. With persistent rebels like Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the mix, Democrats are willing to bet they’ll be asked for help. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., believes that even just one less vote changes how Republicans have to think about DHS funding and the list of demands Democrats have made for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “This place runs on numbers,” DeLauro said. “I think what I’ll do is take the circumstance and, for me, we need to be bold, transformational but do what is attainable.” Democrats led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have made a list of 10 demands for ICE reform that, among other items, include a ban on masks, an end to racial profiling, stiffer warrant requirements and an end to paramilitary policing practices. Gridlock over those demands looks poised to force a partial government shutdown as lawmakers run up against a funding deadline Friday without a compromise in sight. “Let’s look at what we can get done,” DeLauro said. DHS FUNDING FIGHT DRIVES SENATE SCRAMBLE TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY: LITTLE LOVE IN THE AIR AS UNCERTAINTY SWIRLS ON THE HILL While control of what legislation goes to the floor likely won’t change with an even tighter majority, Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., believes Democrats could press their priorities through the amendment process. Most bills have what’s called a “closed” rule process by which only preapproved amendments are considered. Olszewski hopes that’s one area Republicans could allow some give. “I have, in good faith, tried to offer amendments to make bills better and potentially able to support,” Olszewski said. “I know that many of my colleagues have done that. And, so, I guess, you know, if we’re serious about coming together and finding solutions — especially on the cost of living crisis that’s crushing America — maybe we’ll see that. “I don’t think that’s a good way to get Democratic support for anything to continue to shut them out of the process.” When asked if he sees Democrats locking down legislative efforts Republicans can’t unite on, Olszewski said he hopes that’s not how things play out. “It doesn’t have to be that way,” Olszewski said. “Since I’ve been sworn in, I’ve been pleading to Speaker Johnson and the Republican majority to strike a more bipartisan tone.” Jayapal believes previous votes Republicans and Democrats have forced together indicate that there’s more room for collaboration. “I mean, you’ve seen the success with discharge petitions,” Jayapal said, referring to the legislative process Republican rebels have used to force votes over the objection of the chamber’s leadership. Notably, the legislation that forced the release of the Epstein files came about through a discharge petition effort. SENATE REPUBLICANS WEIGH DEM DEMAND TO SPLIT DHS BILL, TURN TO SHORT-TERM EXTENSION TO AVOID SHUTDOWN Lawmakers have filed 16 discharge petitions this Congress. Of those, four have reached the needed 218 signatories to advance. While Dunn’s picture remains uncertain, Republicans can expect to add to their razor-thin majority when Georgia holds its special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., March 10. Greene resigned from Congress in January. The heavily Republican district was last won by Greene by a 28.8% margin of victory.
Cruz targets Minnesota-style fraud with bill requiring proof before federal childcare payouts
EXCLUSIVE: A trio of Republican senators are moving to overhaul how federal childcare funds are distributed after what they call “mass fraud” in Minnesota exposed a system that paid providers before verifying children were ever in the room. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joined by senators Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., is introducing the Payment Integrity Act, legislation that would require states to distribute federally funded childcare dollars based on verified attendance, not enrollment claims. “Programs in Minnesota for welfare and childcare were designed to channel resources into protecting vulnerable children but were treated like an open ATM by criminals,” Cruz told Fox News Digital. “The mass fraud in Minnesota shows that American taxpayers can no longer rely on local and state politicians to prevent abuses because those politicians often have electoral and partisan incentives to look the other way. My legislation reduces the risk of the waste and fraud we’ve seen and ensures that resources are provided to children and families who need it.” WALZ’S MINNESOTA MESS COULD SPARK THE TOUGHEST FRAUD REFORMS IN DECADES The bill would reverse a 2024 Biden administration rule requiring states to pay childcare providers before attendance verification. Under Cruz’s proposal, providers would be paid only after services are confirmed, shifting from enrollment-based payments to attendance-based billing. Cruz’s bill comes as the outspoken Texan led a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on alleged Somali fraudsters last week. There, lawmakers heard directly from David Hoch, a journalist who accompanied blogger Nick Shirley to sites claiming to be Somali daycare centers. HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WIDENS INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED MINNESOTA FRAUD “There are few crimes more morally repugnant than stealing from vulnerable children. Every dollar stolen is a meal not eaten, a doctor’s visit missed and a future diminished,” Cruz said, adding that such fraud “plunders our children’s potential.” Gesturing toward a photo of the “Quality Learing Center” in Minneapolis during the hearing, an alleged fraudulent childcare provider Cruz called “emblematic” of the crisis, he said the fraud was occurring not in “some distant or lawless place, but in the heart of America’s Midwest.” Co-sponsor Lee said support for childcare should “go to real kids, not empty rooms.” “Fake childcare operations are stealing funding from the ones who are actually taking care of America’s children in need. Our bill will address this massive fraud by granting funding based on actual attendance rather than reported enrollment and allowing states to pay retroactively instead of in advance,” Lee said, adding such “diligence” should have been the law all along. PAM BONDI DISPATCHES FEDERAL PROSECUTORS TO MINNESOTA FOLLOWING SOMALI FRAUD ALLEGATIONS The Payment Integrity Act also puts into law the January rule from Health and Human Services that established attendance-based billing procedures. That rule, according to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s deputy, Jim O’Neill, was also spurred by what has been happening in Minnesota. “We’ve seen credible and widespread allegations of fraudulent daycare providers who were not caring for children at all. The reforms we are enacting will make fraud harder to perpetrate,” O’Neill said in a statement. The Payment Integrity Act amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, to include such “attendance-based billing.” “Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to require a lead agency to make a payment to a child care provider prior to the provision of child care services,” the bill states in a direct reversal of the prepayment system Cruz says allowed fraud to flourish.