Musk blasts judges over Trump executive orders: ‘We do NOT have democracy, we have TYRANNY of the JUDICIARY’
DOGE leader Elon Musk suggested the United States has a “TYRANNY of the JUDICIARY” following a series of court rulings that have paused or blocked some of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, while also saying corrupt judges should be impeached and removed. In a post on X, Musk lamented judicial rulings that have blocked some of the Trump executive orders, many that have included slashing wasteful government spending and deporting illegal immigrants. “If ANY judge ANYWHERE can block EVERY Presidential order EVERYWHERE, we do NOT have democracy, we have TYRANNY of the JUDICIARY,” Musk wrote. ‘IF YOU DON’T ANSWER…YOU’RE FIRED’: TRUMP STANDS BEHIND MUSK’S DOGE PRODUCTIVITY EMAIL The post came hours after a federal judge blocked raids by immigration authorities targeting certain places of worship and another gave the Trump administration two days to resume hundreds of millions of dollars in payments for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) projects across the globe. On Monday, a federal judge also blocked Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing personal records at the Department of Education (ED) as part of their cost-cutting sweep. In response to Musk’s post, U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said: “Corrupt judges should be impeached. And removed. Pass it on if you agree.” OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS ICE RAIDS AT CERTAIN PLACES OF WORSHIP, DEFYING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION “It’s the only way,” replied Musk. He cited the ousting of rivals to El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. Parliamentary leaders in that country recently sacked supreme court judges and an attorney general. “The only way to restore rule of the people in America is to impeach judges,” said Musk. “No one is above the law, including judges. That is what it took to fix El Salvador. Same applies to America.” “Unfortunately, as President Bukele eloquently articulates, there is no other option,” he added. “We must impeach to save democracy.” Bukele replied, saying that “if you don’t impeach the corrupt judges, you CANNOT fix the country.” “They will form a cartel, (a judicial dictatorship) and block all reforms, protecting the systemic corruption that put them in their seats,” he added.
Florida Rep. Byron Donalds announces plans to run for governor
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., announced plans to run for Florida governor next year during an interview on Fox News’ “Hannity” Tuesday night. The next Florida gubernatorial election is slated for Nov. 3, 2026. Speaking to host Sean Hannity, Donalds said he came to the decision to run “after a lot of prayer [and] a lot of thoughts with my family and my friends.” “Sean, we have a wonderful state,” Donalds said. “I got to Florida when I was 17 years old, off of a Greyhound bus with just a trunk full of clothes. And over the rest of my time in Florida, I built a family, I built a career. … I was able to serve four years in a state legislature, four years in Congress. “And I think now is the time to now take the mantle and lead our state into the future.” RON DESANTIS: FLORIDA WAS DOGE BEFORE IT WAS COOL The Florida Republican said he is the only candidate in the race so far and commended Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his service to the state. “We have a great governor. Ron DeSantis has done a tremendous job for our state,” Donalds said. “But now the job is to keep the best state in the country as the best state in the country. And so that’s going to be the mission at hand. And I’m excited to announce my candidacy with you tonight.” Donalds was endorsed by President Donald Trump, who recently wrote that his fellow Sunshine State resident “would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida.” “I am hearing that Highly Respected Congressman Byron Donalds is considering running for Governor of Florida, a State that I love, and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024,” a Trump social media post said. “[S]hould he decide to run, [Donalds] will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!” KAMALA HARRIS TAKES VEILED JABS AT TRUMP, ELON MUSK IN 1ST MAJOR SPEECH SINCE ELECTION DEFEAT DeSantis, however, has not signaled support for Donalds. On Monday, DeSantis told reporters he wants Florida congressmen to be “focused on enacting [Trump’s] agenda.” “They haven’t done very much yet,” DeSantis said. “They’re not putting his executive orders into place. We’ll see what they do on the spending, but we have such a narrow majority that to be trying to campaign other places and missing these votes, I think, is not something that’s advisable at all.” DeSantis’ comments came amid rumors that his wife, Casey, might run for governor. The Florida governor dodged a reporter’s question about his wife’s plans at a press conference Monday. “People ask me all the time about our wonderful first lady, who has done a fantastic job as first lady of Florida,” DeSantis responded. “I will tell you this. You’re talking about somebody like her. I won by the biggest margin that any Republican has ever won a governor’s race here in Florida. She would do better than me.” Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Noem announces DHS registry for illegal aliens in US that will require them to be fingerprinted
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem is warning illegal immigrants in the U.S. that they should leave the country now or face serious consequences, including losing the opportunity to enjoy freedom and live the American dream. Noem appeared on “Jesse Watters Primetime” on Tuesday night to discuss her latest initiative, announcing an illegal alien registry that requires fingerprinting. The secretary said DHS will enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act, which was enacted in 1952 and created several tools to track illegal aliens and compel them to voluntarily leave the U.S. DHS said the tools include criminal penalties for migrants who choose not to leave the U.S., fail to register with the federal government and get fingerprinted, and fail to notify the federal government of changes to their address. NOEM SENDS MESSAGE TO THOSE CONSIDERING ENTERING US ILLEGALLY: ‘DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT’ Illegal immigrants who fail to depart the U.S. will be charged with a crime resulting in a “significant penalty,” DHS said. But migrants who fail to register with the federal government could be fined, imprisoned or both. “For decades, this law has been ignored – not anymore,” DHS said. DHS SECRETARY NOEM APPEARS TO ACCUSE ‘CORRUPT’ FBI OF LEAKING LA ICE RAIDS Noem and DHS hope to convince illegal immigrants that self-deportation is a safer path, not just for them, but also for law enforcement officials. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message for those in our country illegally: leave now. If you leave now, you may have the opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. “The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws—we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce. We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans.” The DHS encourages immigrants in the U.S. illegally to visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, where there are instructions on how to register with the federal government. NOEM ENDS BIDEN-ERA USE OF CONTROVERSIAL APP TO ALLOW MIGRANTS TO BOARD FLIGHTS, EXCEPT TO SELF-DEPORT Noem’s push comes more than a week after she sent a stern warning on behalf of President Donald Trump, to those planning on entering the U.S. illegally. “Let me deliver a message from President Trump to the world. If you are considering entering America illegally, don’t even think about it,” she said. “Let me be clear. If you come to our country, and you break our laws, we will hunt you down. Criminals are not welcome in the United States. For too long, weak leadership has left our borders wide open, flooding our communities with drugs, human trafficking, and violent criminals. Well, those days are over.” Noem was the fourth member of the Trump administration to gain approval from the Senate, and is leading the department at a time when securing the border and tackling illegal immigration are top priorities for the new administration. The administration has taken a number of actions to secure the border, including deploying the military, restarting wall construction and ending Biden-era parole programs. Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Trump budget bill with $4.5 trillion in tax cuts survives House vote
The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution that will eventually become a massive multi-trillion-dollar bill full of President Donald Trump’s priorities on the border, defense, energy and taxes. In a major victory for House GOP leaders, the resolution passed in a 217 to 215 vote. All Democrats voted against the measure, along with lone Republican rebel Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who was concerned about its effect on the national deficit. The next step is now for the relevant House committees to meet and build their own proposals, which will eventually be returned into the framework and negotiated into a compromise deal with the Senate. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS It was a dramatic scene in the House chamber on Monday night as Republican leaders delayed formally ending a vote for roughly 45 minutes as they worked to convince conservative fiscal hawks to support the legislation. Impatient Democrats called out loud for the vote to be closed as Republicans huddled in varied groups. Two people on the House floor told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump got involved at one point, speaking to one of the holdouts, Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., by phone. Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, could be seen on the phone at other points on the House floor as well, but it’s not clear if they were speaking with Trump. At one point, House GOP leaders appeared to lose confidence that they had enough support and abruptly canceled the planned vote. Moments later, however, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were rushing back to the House floor and Fox News Digital was told the vote would be held. Meanwhile, three House Democrats who had been absent early in the day returned for the Tuesday evening vote in dramatic fashion. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., who had a baby roughly a month ago, returned to the House floor with her infant to oppose the bill. And Rep. Kevin Mullin, R-Calif., who was recently hospitalized for an infection, appeared in the chamber aided by a walker. House and Senate Republicans are aiming to use their majorities to advance Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process. It’s a Senate maneuver that lowers the threshold for passage from two-thirds to a simple majority, but it’s used when a party controls both houses of Congress and the White House because it allows that party to pass its policy goals even under the slimmest margins. And Republicans are dealing with slim margins indeed; with current numbers, the House GOP can afford no more than one defection to pass anything without Democratic votes if all liberals are voting. On the Senate side, Republicans can lose no more than two of their own in the reconciliation process. The House resolution aimed to increase spending on border security, the judiciary and defense by roughly $300 billion, while seeking at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts elsewhere. As written, the House bill also provided $4.5 trillion to extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions, which expire at the end of this year. An amendment negotiated by House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and conservatives on his panel would also force lawmakers to make $2 trillion in cuts, or else risk the $4.5 trillion for Trump’s tax cuts getting reduced by the difference. The resolution also fulfilled Trump’s directive to act on the debt limit, raising it by $4 trillion or roughly two years. NONCITIZEN VOTER CRACKDOWN LED BY GOP AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS A bipartisan deal struck in 2023 saw the debt limit suspended until January 2025. Now, projections show the U.S. could run out of cash to pay its debts by spring if Congress does not act. The resolution’s odds were touch and go for much of the week so far, since House lawmakers returned from a week-long recess period Monday. Several fiscal conservatives had demanded more assurances from House GOP leadership that Republicans would seek deep spending cuts to offset the cost of Trump’s priorities. Republican lawmakers in more competitive districts are concerned some cuts may go too far, however. The resolution directs the House Energy & Commerce Committee to find at least $880 billion in spending cuts – which those lawmakers fear will mean severe cuts for federal programs like Medicaid. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed back against fears of such cuts during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “Medicaid is hugely problematic because it has a lot of fraud, waste and abuse. Everybody knows that. We all know it intuitively. No one in here would disagree,” Johnson said. “What we’re talking about is rooting out the fraud, waste, and abuse. It doesn’t matter what party you’re in, you should be for that because it saves your money, and it preserves the programs so that it is available for the people who desperately need it.” It was also supported by a wide swath of Republicans, including conservative Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, a member of the House Budget Committee that approved the bill earlier this month. “It’s the best bill we’re going to get,” Gill said while praising Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, for his efforts. “If I were writing it then I’d write it differently, but this is the best we’re gonna get it.” Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, said he was eager to begin working on “cutting taxes for Iowans, securing our border, unleashing American energy production, and eliminating waste and fraud in our government.”
White House confirms who was appointed as acting administrator of DOGE
White House officials confirmed with Fox News that while billionaire Elon Musk is overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an acting administrator has been appointed to the role. Amy Gleason, who is a low-profile executive with an expertise in healthcare technology, has been appointed as the acting leader of DOGE, the department responsible for gutting many federal agencies while locating and cutting billions of dollars in government waste. Gleason’s identity was revealed after a reporter pressed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on who is actually running DOGE. CBS News’ Nancy Cordes pointed out to Leavitt that President Donald Trump’s executive order to create DOGE called for the naming of a DOGE administrator. She then asked the president’s spokesperson who is serving as the DOGE administrator. KAROLINE LEAVITT: TRUMP, ELON MUSK’S DOGE TEAM ARE DOING WHAT DEMOCRATS PROMISED ‘FOR DECADES’ “So, the president tasked Elon Musk to oversee the DOGE effort,” Leavitt said. “There are career officials and there are political appointees who are helping run DOGE on a day-to-day basis. “There are also individuals who have onboarded as political appointees at every agency across the board to work alongside President Trump’s Cabinet to find and identify waste, fraud and abuse, and they are working on that effort every day.” Cordes quickly asked, “So, is Elon Musk the administrator?” as Leavitt twice called on another reporter. ELON MUSK SAYS MILLIONS IN SOCIAL SECURITY DATABASE ARE BETWEEN AGES OF 100 AND 159 After the exchange, Fox News learned of Gleason’s temporary appointment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Gleason, 53, worked from 2018 through 2021 for the United States Digital Service, an agency that has been renamed the US DOGE Service, according to her LinkedIn profile. In that role, she worked with the White House on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. Gleason returned to the agency after Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump signs executive order to make healthcare prices ‘transparent’
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order directing the departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services to make healthcare prices transparent. The order directs the departments to “rapidly implement and enforce” the Trump healthcare price transparency regulations, which he claims were slowed by the Biden administration. The departments will ensure hospitals and insurers disclose actual prices, not estimates, and take action to make prices comparable across hospitals and insurers, including prescription drug prices. In addition, they will be required to update their enforcement policies to ensure hospitals and insurers are in compliance with requirements to make prices transparent. HERE’S HOW TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON CHINA COULD IMPACT DRUG PRICING AND OTHER HEALTHCARE COSTS “When healthcare prices are hidden, large corporate entities like hospitals and insurance companies benefit at the expense of American patients,” the White House wrote in a statement. “Price transparency will lower healthcare prices and help patients and employers get the best deal on healthcare.” The executive order notes a number of concerns with current healthcare pricing, including that prices vary between hospitals in the same region. “One patient in Wisconsin saved $1,095 by shopping for two tests between two hospitals located within 30 minutes of one another,” according to the statement. The White House claims one economic analysis found Trump’s original price transparency rules, if fully implemented, could deliver savings of $80 billion for consumers, employers and insurers by 2025. ‘THIS IS ABOUT FENTANYL’: TARIFFS ARE CRUCIAL TO COMBATING ‘DRUG WAR,’ TRUMP AND CABINET OFFICIALS SAY It added that employers will lower their healthcare costs by an average of 27% on 500 common services by better shopping for care. “They’ll be able to check them, compare them, go to different locations, so they can shop for the highest-quality care at the lowest cost,” Trump wrote in the statement. “And this is about high-quality care. You’re also looking at that. You’re looking at comparisons between talents, which is very important. And, then, you’re also looking at cost. And, in some cases, you get the best doctor for the lowest cost. That’s a good thing.” The White House said American patients are “fed up with the status quo,” with 95% saying healthcare price transparency is an important priority. More than 50% said it should be a top priority of the government. In his first term, Trump took historic action by mandating that hospitals and insurers make prices public. A lawsuit was filed against the Biden administration in 2023, alleging it did not enforce the prescription drug transparency requirements. “While the prior Administration failed to prioritize further implementation and enforcement of these requirements, President Trump is delivering on his promises to make the healthcare system more affordable and easier to navigate for patients,” according to the statement. Fox News Digital previously reported the administration’s tariffs on China will affect drug costs. Consumers are more dependent on China for medications for anxiety and other psychiatric disorders, such as antidepressants.
GOPers press for the release of JFK, Epstein files: Here’s why they’re not released yet
Republicans are mounting pressure on the Justice Department to advance the release of classified documents and records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and other federal secrets. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January for agencies to create plans to distribute the files, as well as documents pertaining to the assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who is leading the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, is pushing the Department of Justice for answers on when that will happen — and so far, says she has faced silence. “On Feb 11 & Feb 19, house oversight sent a letter to the DOJ asking for status on releasing the Epstein files as well as JFK etc.,” Luna said in a post on X Monday. “The DOJ has not responded. Reaching out on X because we can’t seem to get a response from the AG. @AGPamBondi what is the status of the documents? These documents were ordered to be declassified.” ANNA PAULINA LUNA TO LEAD TASK FORCE ON DECLASSIFICATION OF JFK ASSASSINATION RECORDS, EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST Luna sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and White House Counsel David Warrington requesting a briefing by Thursday on plans for the release of the documents. The letter also requests details on when the declassified documents will become available to the task force and the public. Trump’s executive order instructed the Department of Justice to coordinate with Gabbard, Waltz and Warrington to establish a plan by Feb. 7 for the release of the JFK files, and to create a plan for the release of the MLK and Robert F. Kennedy files by March 9. Additionally, Luna is pushing the Justice Department to share details regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. The American financier died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Meanwhile, Bondi said Friday that Epstein’s client list was awaiting review, and that she was looking over the Kennedy and King files. “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review,” Bondi told “America Reports” host John Roberts Friday about the Epstein files. “That’s been a directive by President Trump.” TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO DECLASSIFY FILES ON JFK, RFK AND MLK ASSASSINATIONS A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Luna’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital in response to Bondi’s statements. Luna isn’t the only Republican lawmaker pushing for the release of these documents. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also said Monday Democrats have undercut her efforts to “crack the Epstein trafficking ring wide open,” and vowed that she would receive answers under newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel. “The time for transparency is now,” Blackburn said in a Monday post on X. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also said in a Monday X post that the documents belong to the American people, and “it’s about damn time they be given access to it!” The Office for the Director of National Intelligence also did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, but told the Associated Press that a plan has been submitted regarding the Kennedy files. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. However, Trump vowed on the campaign trail that he would declassify all JFK-related documents if he won the 2024 election. The House’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets is scheduled to hold its first public hearing on March 26. Fox News’ Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
GOPers press for the release of JFK, Epstein files: Here’s why they’re not out
Republicans are mounting pressure on the Justice Department to advance the release of classified documents and records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and other federal secrets. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January for agencies to create plans to distribute the files, as well as documents pertaining to the assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who is leading the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, is pushing the Department of Justice for answers on when that will happen — and so far, says she has faced silence. “On Feb 11 & Feb 19, house oversight sent a letter to the DOJ asking for status on releasing the Epstein files as well as JFK etc.,” Luna said in a post on X Monday. “The DOJ has not responded. Reaching out on X because we can’t seem to get a response from the AG. @AGPamBondi what is the status of the documents? These documents were ordered to be declassified.” ANNA PAULINA LUNA TO LEAD TASK FORCE ON DECLASSIFICATION OF JFK ASSASSINATION RECORDS, EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST Luna sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and White House Counsel David Warrington requesting a briefing by Thursday on plans for the release of the documents. The letter also requests details on when the declassified documents will become available to the task force and the public. Trump’s executive order instructed the Department of Justice to coordinate with Gabbard, Waltz and Warrington to establish a plan by Feb. 7 for the release of the JFK files, and to create a plan for the release of the MLK and Robert F. Kennedy files by March 9. Additionally, Luna is pushing the Justice Department to share details regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. The American financier died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Meanwhile, Bondi said Friday that Epstein’s client list was awaiting review, and that she was looking over the Kennedy and King files. “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review,” Bondi told “America Reports” host John Roberts Friday about the Epstein files. “That’s been a directive by President Trump.” TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO DECLASSIFY FILES ON JFK, RFK AND MLK ASSASSINATIONS A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Luna’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital in response to Bondi’s statements. Luna isn’t the only Republican lawmaker pushing for the release of these documents. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also said Monday Democrats have undercut her efforts to “crack the Epstein trafficking ring wide open,” and vowed that she would receive answers under newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel. “The time for transparency is now,” Blackburn said in a Monday post on X. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also said in a Monday X post that the documents belong to the American people, and “it’s about damn time they be given access to it!” The Office for the Director of National Intelligence also did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, but told the Associated Press that a plan has been submitted regarding the Kennedy files. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. However, Trump vowed on the campaign trail that he would declassify all JFK-related documents if he won the 2024 election. The House’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets is scheduled to hold its first public hearing on March 26. Fox News’ Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
Federal judge in major blue city blocks key Trump move on refugees: ‘Not limitless’
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s move to suspend refugee admissions into the United States in response to a lawsuit from refugee aid groups. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office suspending refugee resettlement and ordering the Department of Homeland Security to report back in 90 days on whether resuming resettlement would be in the interests of the U.S. But District Judge Jamal Whitehead, a Biden appointee, said Trump’s actions were an “effective nullification of congressional will” in setting up the nation’s refugee admissions program. HOMAN ISSUES STARK WARNING FOR ILLEGALS AMID CLASH WITH SANCTUARY CITY OFFICIALS: ‘WE’RE COMING’ “The president has substantial discretion … to suspend refugee admissions,” Whitehead told the parties, according to The Associated Press. “But that authority is not limitless.” The case had been brought by refugee groups, including International Refugee Assistance Project, HIAS, Lutheran Community Services Northwest and individual refugees. The groups argued their ability to provide services to refugees had been damaged by the Trump order. The order was one of a number of orders attempting to limit both illegal and legal immigration, including the use of parole to allow in migrants by the Biden administration. Trump had limited refugee resettlement in his first term, but President Joe Biden made moves to take in more refugees, including by increasing the refugee cap. NOEM ENDS BIDEN-ERA USE OF CONTROVERSIAL APP TO ALLOW MIGRANTS TO BOARD FLIGHTS, EXCEPT TO SELF-DEPORT “The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees,” Trump said in his Jan 20 order. “This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The plaintiffs argued that the suspension is in violation of federal law, and any such change should have been subject to the notice-and-comment period as laid out in the Administrative Procedures Act. They also argued that the suspension, as well as a suspension of funding, was “arbitrary and capricious.” The ruling marks a blow for the Trump administration after a federal judge last week declined to block the suspension in a similar case brought by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The conflicting rulings could mean the case ultimately ends up before the Supreme Court. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Southern border state governor takes on cartels and security with signing of executive order
Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs plans to expand border security operations along the state’s four border counties, placing added focus on disrupting transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). Hobbs signed an executive order Tuesday to establish Operation Desert Guardian, a joint task force in which the state partners with local law enforcement, sheriffs and the federal government to disrupt TCO operations in the counties of Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise. “I’m proud to launch Operation Desert Guardian to combat the cartels, stop drug smuggling and human trafficking and secure Arizona’s border,” Hobbs said. “My administration has been in contact with the federal government and local sheriffs about the Operation, its critical objectives and our shared commitment to keeping criminals and drugs out of Arizona’s communities.” Hobbs added that the operation’s objectives will include identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities along Arizona’s southern border, which stretches about 370 miles, while also combating border-related crimes committed by TCOs. To do so, Hobbs said, the joint task force plans to dismantle TCO supply chains and operating networks. BORDER STATE GOVERNOR VOWS TO DEFY TRUMP’S ‘MISGUIDED’ MASS DEPORTATION PLAN Operation Desert Guardian’s funding will come from a portion of the state’s Border Security Fund, which has a balance of $28 million. The operation will also build on the efforts of Task Force SAFE (Stopping Arizona’s Fentanyl Epidemic), a joint operation between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Arizona National Guard to stop drugs from entering Arizona at ports of entry. Since its launch in July 2024, Task Force SAFE has intercepted 19 million fentanyl pills, 6,598 pounds of illicit drugs and 237 weapons at the border. ‘LOUD AND CLEAR’: BORDER STATE’S LEGISLATURE MOVES TO BACK TRUMP’S ICE ON DEPORTATION “I have worked productively with the federal government on Task Force SAFE and partnered with local law enforcement to deliver critical border security support, and I look forward to continued partnership on our shared border security priorities,” Hobbs said. “With Operation Desert Guardian, I’m confident we can take an important next step in our ongoing work to secure the border.” After President Donald Trump was re-elected to a second term in November, Hobbs said Arizona would not be aiding the incoming administration with its “misguided” plan to launch a mass deportation operation. She was asked by ABC News whether the Trump administration would bring a reset on the border, and she responded by focusing on current partnerships with the federal government to secure the border. ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’: TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS “I am very hopeful that that partnership can continue, and that the incoming administration will listen to, not only my administration, but the experts here on the ground, the people that are doing the work, about what is most needed, and what we can continue to do that will be most helpful in securing our border,” she said. “What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those.” State Republicans have a different plan, and, in January, state Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, introduced the “AZ ICE Act,” which would require sheriff’s departments and the Arizona Department of Corrections to enter into cooperative agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The agreements are based on 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers certain immigration functions, including identifying and detaining suspected illegal immigrants. Petersen’s bill would also require law enforcement to comply with ICE detainers, which are requests that ICE be notified when an illegal immigrant is being released from state or local custody. “Sanctuary” jurisdictions do not comply with detainers. After Trump was sworn into office Jan. 20, he immediately signed a number of executive orders to tackle border security and illegal immigration. Some local jurisdictions have pledged their support for the measures, but other officials have promised to either resist or not comply with any planned deportation operations. Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.