Activists in Mexico report flow of migrants has ‘enormously decreased’ one month into Trump admin
Less than a month into the new Trump administration, a migrant shelter along the pathway to the U.S. in Northern Mexico is reporting that the flow of immigrants has “enormously decreased.” Commenting on the development, White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai told Fox News Digital that Trump’s immigration policies are working and “put Americans first.” The Mexican news outlet “Milenio” reported on Wednesday that the migratory flow running through the Mexican city of Torreón has “decreased enormously.” The outlet pointed out that the decrease “coincides with the threats of the president of the United States.” Milenio reported that according to migrant activists, “after the deportations, migrants have little by little disappeared from the lagoon landscape due to fear of being detained.” TRUMP ADMIN REVEALS LIST OF CARTELS AND GANGS TO BE DESIGNATED TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS María Concepción Martínez Rodríguez, a migrant activist and coordinator of the “Jesús Torres Fraire Day Center for Migrants” in Torreón, told Milenio that now that the border is “so militarized, so difficult,” many migrants “don’t want to try anymore and they are giving up.” “The migratory flow is changing,” said Martinez Rodriguez, adding: “If we have eight migrants, there are shelters that don’t have a single one.” Since returning to the Oval Office, President Donald Trump has made good on his campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration and prioritize border security. Among his many actions, he ordered the resumption of border wall construction, deployed active-duty U.S. service members to the border, significantly increased enforcement and removal operations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) and moved to designate several migrant gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended just 29,116 illegal immigrants along the southern border during the month of January, down from 47,000 in December and hitting a low mark not seen since May 2020, when 32,349 arrests were made at ports of entry, according to a White House press release. FIRST 10 ‘HIGH THREAT’ ILLEGALS TO ARRIVE TO GUANTANAMO BAY ARE ALL TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS This week, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan touted the administration’s quick success in cracking down on illegal immigration, saying that in the last 24 hours U.S. Border Patrol agents had only encountered 229 aliens across the entire southwest border. This is down from the over 11,000 a day during the worst period under the Biden administration. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “I started as a Border Patrol Agent in 1984 and I don’t remember the numbers ever being that low,” Homan said on X. “President Trump promised a secure border and he is delivering.” ICE ARRESTS UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUE IN MIGRANT ‘SANCTUARY’ CITIES Desai told Fox News Digital that in the span of just weeks, Trump has stopped the migrant crisis caused by 4 years under former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. “In less than a month, President Trump has already put an end to the dumpster fire that was the Biden border crisis,” he said. “After four years of a malfeasant Biden administration, Americans finally have a president who will use every lever of executive power to protect our border, enforce our immigration laws, and put Americans first.” Fox News Digital writer Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Trump FBI director nominee Kash Patel picks up support from key GOP senator
President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation picked up support from a key Republican senator on his road to confirmation. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Tuesday that he would vote to confirm Kash Patel to serve as FBI director for a 10-year term. “I’ve spoken to multiple people I respect about Kash Patel this weekend—both for and against,” Cassidy, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, wrote on X. “The ones who worked closely with Kash vouched for him. I will vote for his confirmation,” Cassidy said. KASH PATEL HAMMERS ‘GROTESQUE MISCHARACTERIZATIONS’ FROM DEMS AMID FIERY FBI CONFIRMATION HEARING The Senate overcame a procedural hurdle on Patel’s nomination Tuesday with a party-line 48-45 vote, setting up a final vote on his nomination likely Thursday. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Patel’s nomination in a 12-10 party-line vote to be considered by the whole upper chamber of Congress last Thursday. After Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats held Patel’s nomination for seven days, the committee’s chair, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, defended Patel last week ahead of the vote. Grassley said Patel “spent his whole career fighting for righteous causes” and has “been a public defender, representing the accused against the power of the state.” 4 OF THE BIGGEST CLASHES BETWEEN PATEL, SENATE DEMS AT HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING “He’s been a congressional staffer, investigating the partisan weaponization of our legal system. And he’s served in key national security roles, protecting Americans from foreign enemies,” Grassely told the committee. “He’s received support from former FBI agents, former federal and state prosecutors, and organizations representing more than 680,000 law enforcement officers. But Mr. Patel’s resume, his accomplishments and his support aren’t why he’s the best man for the job.” Grassely said Patel “should be our next FBI Director because the FBI has been infected by political bias and weaponized against the American people.” “Mr. Patel knows it, he’s exposed it, and he’s been targeted for it,” he said, describing how Patel was “instrumental in exposing Crossfire Hurricane,” and “he showed that the Democratic National Committee funded false allegations against President Trump, that the DOJ and FBI hid information from the FISA court to wiretap a presidential campaign and that an FBI lawyer lied in the process.” “As reward for his efforts to uncover the truth, he was attacked by the media, and the DOJ secretly subpoenaed his records,” Grassley said. “I know a thing or two about this kind of retaliation.” At his confirmation hearing last month, Patel clashed with committee Democrats after he refused to share his grand jury testimony in the since-dropped classified documents case against Trump, as well as over Patel’s defense of Jan. 6 rioters and critique of the “deep state.” Democrats had pushed for a second confirmation hearing for Patel, but Grassley denied that request. Trump nominated Patel in November, moving to replace former FBI Director Chris Wray. Trump tapped Wray to lead the FBI in his first administration but later accused him of weaponizing the agency. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have not confirmed whether they will vote in support of Patel. Both Collins and Murkowski notably voted against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation, for which Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote.
Schumer spotted posing for photo with CCP official as warnings swirl about China influence
FIRST ON FOX: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has been repeatedly photographed this month sharing a stage with a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official who has publicly denied China’s alleged genocide against the Uyghur population. Chinese Consul General in New York Chen Li has posted multiple photos of him posing with Schumer on his X profile this month, including attending at least two Chinese parades. “Thrilled to join thousands at the [Brooklyn] Lantern Festival Parade!” Chen recently posted on X along with a photo standing with Schumer at the annual Lantern Festival parade in New York City. “Incredible #Chinese cultural performances—so proud of Chinese Community in New York! It’s time for celebration and friendship!” he added. CHINESE OFFICIAL WHO PRAISED CCP, DENIED UYGHUR GENOCIDE VISITS WITH THREE MORE TOP UNIVERSITIES In another post on Monday, Chen said he was “glad to join the 27th NYC Lunar New Year Parade together with” all his American “friends” and Chinese “fellow-countrymen.” Chen has previously denied China’s alleged genocide against the Uyghur population, which has been condemned by many on the world stage, including the United Nations. “It’s hard to imagine how could ‘genocide’ and ‘forced labor’ associated with such a place where population grows steadily, society is safe and open, and people enjoy happy life. Where do the accusations come from?” Chen wrote in 2021. “‘Genocide’ was claimed by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the very last day of his term. It was based on reports fabricated by some extremist anti-China individuals who haven’t been to Xinjiang for years and accounts of a few so-called witnesses who were proved to be trained ‘actors’ and ‘actresses.’” The CCP has long claimed its “re-education camps” are voluntary and work only to stamp out extremism, but the leaked documents and photos have shown the camps are far from voluntary, Fox News Digital previously reported. ‘WARM HOSPITALITY’: UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT HAS REPEATEDLY COZIED UP TO TOP CCP OFFICIALS Fox News Digital spoke to an expert on U.S.-China relations, who pushed back on the idea of elected officials publicly fraternizing with CCP officials. “The Chinese Communist Party is actively seeking to weaken America from within. Elected officials shouldn’t share the stage with them; they should be working to defeat Beijing,” Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Michael Sobolik told Fox News Digital. “It sends mixed signals when politicians talk about countering the CCP one day then break bread with them the next,” he added. Schumer has previously been criticized for associating with Chen’s predecessor at the consulate, Huang Ping, who also denied the Uyghur genocide and has promoted CCP propaganda in the past. Huang traveled up and down the East Coast visiting business leaders, lawmakers, media companies and universities before leaving his post last year shortly after being named dozens of times in a criminal indictment against Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s now-former deputy chief of staff, Linda Sun. Huang, who was the consul general of China’s New York Consulate between 2018 and 2024, and repeatedly called the CCP a “great party,” was listed as “PRC Official-1” in the indictment and has repeatedly met with Hochul, who is referred to as “Politician- 2” in the 64-page indictment against Sun. “The Chinese Communist Party’s malign influence in the United States is pervasive and perverse,” Sobolik told Fox News Digital last year. “The CCP, through ‘united front’ actors, uses American voices to advance its own hostile agenda. Governments at every level, from local and state to federal, must root out Beijing’s ongoing efforts to exploit our openness and freedom.” Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office and the Chinese consulate in New York for comment.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says Trump lives in ‘disinformation space’ amid rift on Russia talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lashed out at President Donald Trump on Wednesday, suggesting that Trump is in a “disinformation space” regarding peace talks with Russia. Zelenskyy made the comments to reporters in Kyiv after canceling a trip to Saudi Arabia, where the U.S. and Russia held peace talks earlier in the week. “Unfortunately, President Trump – I have great respect for him as a leader of a nation that we have great respect for, the American people who always support us – unfortunately lives in this disinformation space,” Zelensky said. Zelenskyy’s canceled trip to Saudi Arabia was widely seen as a rebuke of the agreements Trump’s team made with Russian counterparts during their Tuesday meeting there. Trump also followed up the meeting with aggressive criticism of Zelenskyy and Ukraine. FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY “Today I heard, ‘Oh well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should’ve ended it after three years. You should’ve never started it. You could’ve made a deal,” Trump said, appearing to suggest Ukraine was at fault in the war. PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS Trump envoy Keith Kellog, a retired 3-star general, arrived in Kyiv to hold talks with Zelenskyy on Wednesday. Ukrainian officials have emphasized that any peace deal will require U.S. security guarantees in order to ensure Russia does not continue the violence. “We understand the need for security guarantees,” Kellog told Ukrainian media. “It’s very clear to us the importance of the sovereignty of this nation and the independence of this nation as well…. Part of my mission is to sit and listen,” he added. Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the U.S. delegation in Saudi Arabia, meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce also confirmed that Rubio’s team agreed to “lay the groundwork for cooperation” with Russia on various issues in addition to Ukraine. They also agreed to appoint “high-level teams” to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine. Their proposed framework for a peace agreement would see a ceasefire, followed by elections in Ukraine and the signing of a final agreement. Reports from multiple foreign diplomatic sources say forcing Ukraine to hold new elections could be a key part of a peace deal. Both the U.S. and Russia believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a low chance of winning re-election, the sources say. “Putin assesses the probability of electing a puppet president as quite high and is also convinced that any candidate other than the current President of Ukraine will be more flexible and ready for negotiations and concessions,” the diplomatic sources said in a readout of the meeting. Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich and the Associated Press contributed to this report
Here’s the argument Trump hopes will net first major SCOTUS win in second term
In its first appeal of its second term to reach the Supreme Court, the Trump administration is arguing that the judiciary is attempting “to seize executive power” as courts have blocked the president from firing certain federal employees. Experts say the high court will likely be sympathetic to that argument and point to the ferocious dissent from a lower court judge, Trump appointee Greg Katsas, which they said laid the groundwork for Trump’s potential victory. “I am of the strong opinion that the devastating dissent written by Judge Katsas will strongly influence the current justices on the Supreme Court,” Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. The Justice Department filed an appeal to the Supreme Court in the case involving the firing of Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Special Counsel Office. Dellinger was fired from his role this month and shortly thereafter filed suit against the Trump administration, arguing that his termination was illegal and was “in direct conflict with nearly a century of precedent” delineating proper removal of independent agency officials. TRUMP ADMIN AIMS FOR KILLING BLOW TO INDEPENDENCE OF ‘DEEP STATE’ AGENCIES A lower court judge initially issued an administrative stay that reinstated Dellinger to his position, to which he was appointed by former President Joe Biden. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declined to block that decision. The lower court then issued a temporary restraining order that reinstated Dellinger for 14 days. The DOJ appealed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which declined to lift the order on Sunday. The panel, which voted 2-1, was split along party lines, with Katsas dissenting. The Trump-appointed judge wrote that the order “warrants immediate appellate review” as the issue at hand “directs the President to recognize and work with an agency head whom he has already removed.” “Where a lower court allegedly impinges on the President’s core Article II powers, immediate appellate review should be generally available,” Katsas wrote. Katsas said the order “controlling how [the president] performs his official duties” is “virtually unheard of.” Katsas also wrote that the order “usurped a core Article II power of the President.” In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the DOJ said the case “involves an unprecedented assault on the separation of powers that warrants immediate relief.” TRUMP ADMIN SEEKS PERMISSION TO FIRE HEAD OF THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL “Until now, as far as we are aware, no court in American history has wielded an injunction to force the President to retain an agency head whom the President believes should not be entrusted with executive power and to prevent the President from relying on his preferred replacement,” the appeal reads. The Trump administration referred back to Katsas’ dissent numerous times in its appeal, arguing that the Court cannot allow courts “to seize executive power by dictating to the President how long he must continue employing an agency head against his will.” Von Spakovsky called the appellate court’s decision declining to lift the order “really outrageous and an unprecedented abuse of their judicial authority.” JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR SAYS ‘COURT DECISIONS STAND’ AS LIBERALS FRET THAT TRUMP MAY NOT ACCEPT LEGAL RULINGS “The Supreme Court itself has said that the president has the unrestricted authority to remove the single head of an executive agency, as Katsas points out, and yet these courts are thumbing their noses at the Supreme Court and blithely violating those precedents,” von Spakovsky said. Likewise, constitutional law attorney and Fox News Contributor Jonathan Turley said he expects the justices to “resonate” with the arguments made in Katsas’ dissent. “While the panel ruled on a technical barrier to the review of a temporary restraining order, the dissent correctly points out that this is an extraordinary claim of authority by the district court,” Turley said. Von Spakovsky called the appellate court’s decision “one of the worst examples of judicial activism we have seen” and said “it needs to be immediately and decisively stopped by the Supreme Court.” He continued on to advise that the court “should forgo its usual politeness and collegiality and severely criticize the district court judge for her contemptuous behavior as well as the appellate court judges for not stopping it.”
Louisiana governor slams teacher who made students complain to his office about climate change
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, criticized a teacher and the education system after his office received submissions from students saying the educator required them to make complaints about issues such as climate change. The governor shared screenshots of some of the submissions on Tuesday to the social media platform X. “My teacher says climate change is bad , sorry to bother you,” one submission said. LOUISIANA SURGEON GENERAL WANTS TO ‘DEPOLITICIZE MEDICINE’ BY ENDING STATEWIDE MASS VACCINATIONS Another student wrote: “my teacher made me sent this to you it for a grade , add more vet for cat and dog . and stop make power plant because it hurt earth.” A third submission read: “idk my teacher is making me do this but I mean you need to fix the whole cancer ally thing.” The governor’s office told WBRZ that the submissions were made by students of a teacher at West Side Montessori School in Hammond, Louisiana. It is unclear what subject or grade level the educator teaches. Landry wrote on X that the education system prioritizes indoctrination over education. “As I stated in my inaugural address, our education system is too focused on indoctrination instead of education,” Landry said. DOCTOR WHO PRESCRIBED ABORTION PILL WON’T BE EXTRADITED TO LOUISIANA AS NY GOV HOCHUL REFUSES REQUEST CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Look at the emails we received from students at a school in Hammond,” he continued. “A teacher required students to email our office to complain about climate change.” The governor added: “It is NEVER the job of a teacher to push a political agenda. We are committed to bringing common sense education back to our classrooms!” Fox News Digital has reached out to the Tangipahoa Parish School System for comment.
Bipartisan probation reform modeled off DeSantis and Jay-Z efforts primed for passage in VA
Bipartisan Virginia lawmakers are putting forward a criminal justice reform bill proponents say is modeled after a 2022 Florida law that featured the unlikely pairing of Gov. Ron DeSantis and rap mogul Jay-Z. State Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart, is spearheading the effort that already garnered the support of the entire Democratic majority in Virginia’s lower House earlier this month. The Democratic-majority state Senate is set to vote on its version of the legislation on Wednesday, after which it will then be conferenced into a final bill for Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s review. Williams’ legislation will offer convicts on supervised probation the ability to fulfill certain criteria in exchange for lighter treatment. One example is that probates who can prove they are holding a job, seeking educational opportunities or partaking in rehabilitation programs for several months could see their probationary period shortened. Those provisions and others in the bill are similar to DeSantis’ legislation from three years ago that had been championed by the Jay-Z-founded criminal justice “REFORM Alliance.” The Florida law, authored by a Tampa Republican, allows probates to earn education and workforce credits that in turn get them out of the system faster, according to Axios. In Virginia, Williams told Fox News Digital he was inspired both by Florida’s law and the fact that reform initiatives like the First Step Act on the federal level have been key priorities for President Donald Trump. YOUNGKIN TO DRAFT SANCTUARY CITY BAN, MAKING STATE FUNDING CONTINGENT ON COOPERATION “Virginia [is] offering conservative solutions that emphasize rehabilitation and second chances,” Williams said. “Virginia’s approach mirrors Florida’s successful model, focusing on providing individuals under supervision the opportunity to reduce their probation terms by engaging in rehabilitative programs like job training, education, and mental health services.” While typically viewed as a liberal or Democratic bailiwick, Williams added that Virginia’s legislation proves conservatives can create a consensus on reforms that also align with their values while remaining compassionate. “By focusing on rehabilitation and offering individuals the chance to prove their commitment to change, the state has demonstrated that reducing recidivism, lowering costs, and promoting public safety are achievable goals,” he said. Crime and reform were top issues in the last gubernatorial election, with Youngkin and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe trading barbs, including about Democrats’ “defund the police” group that had endorsed the Democrat and purportedly “criminals-first” appointees McAuliffe had made to the parole board. YOUNGKIN INVITES NEW TRUMP ADMIN TO SETTLE IN VA OVER DC, MD Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, the front-running Republican gubernatorial candidate in November’s race, heartily endorsed the legislation in comments to conservative radio host John Fredericks this week. “What I’m talking about is we have about 50,000 men and women who are on probation. And if we can give them incentives, we can get them engaged, get them education; then if you have a job, of course, then there’s something about work that dignifies the soul,” Sears said. “And all work, of course, is dignified. This is America, where dreams come to see the realization of it. It’s where you can say to your children, ‘You can make it in America.’” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “So I’m all for lifting up that soul,” Sears concluded. Top Democratic candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, has also been a proponent of some criminal justice reforms, vociferously supporting the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act while in Congress. A spokesperson for Youngkin told Fox News Digital the “governor will review any bills that come to his desk.” In 2024, he vetoed a similar bill, HB-457, which would decrease probationary periods and establish criteria for reduction of such.
Medicaid becomes flashpoint in House debate over Trump budget bill
Medicaid is quickly emerging as a political lightning rod as House Republicans negotiate on a massive bill to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda. Some Republican lawmakers are worried about the level of spending cuts being sought by fiscal hawks to offset the cost of Trump’s policies, arguing the current deal could force potentially unworkable cuts on Medicaid and other federal safety net programs. “I’m concerned that $880 billion out of [the House Energy & Commerce Committee] is likely very steep cuts to Medicaid – and it’s the very thing President Trump asked us not to do,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. GOP lawmakers are working to pass a broad swath of Trump policies – from investments in defense and border security to extending his 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips – via the budget reconciliation process. The mechanism allows the party in control of both houses of Congress to pass a tax and budget bill without help from the opposing party. KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN But conservative spending hawks are looking for deep cuts in federal dollars to offset money going toward Trump’s priorities. The current resolution advancing through the House would aim to cut government spending by at least $1.5 trillion, while allocating $4.5 trillion toward Trump’s tax cuts. An amendment added after conservatives balked at that deal would cut funding going toward Trump’s tax cuts by $500 billion if at least $2 trillion total spending cuts were not reached. Even before the additional cuts, however, some Republicans like Bacon are concerned that the $880 billion that the Energy & Commerce Committee is tasked with cutting will negatively impact their constituents. Conservatives have pushed back, arguing that significant cuts could be found in Medicaid work requirements. But skeptics of that argument say that the level of spending cuts being sought go past what work requirements can cover. “We want to ensure that it’s not going to hurt… our hospitals, or our organizations that serve the developmentally disabled, and we’re asking for clarity on where the $880 billion in savings come from,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., the only House Republican representing part of New York City, told Fox News Digital. She did agree with GOP rebels that there was “mismanagement” and waste to root out in those programs. Malliotakis and other Republicans on the Ways & Means Committee tasked with writing tax policy are also uneasy about the new amendment that could cut funds allocated to their panel. “I don’t think that is doable without affecting beneficiaries, and I’ve expressed that concern to leadership and in talking to some of my colleagues,” Malliotakis said. Another House Republican who declined to be named told Fox News Digital that “there’s a bunch of us” who think the proposed cuts “are too big.” “They’re trying to sell us $1.5 trillion, but in reality, there’s another $500 billion attached to it that they’re trying to cut. And it’s not going to pass,” the GOP lawmaker said. Meanwhile, Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., who unseated a Democrat in a close race last year, wrote on X over the weekend, “I ran for Congress under a promise of always doing what is best for the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania. If a bill is put in front of me that guts the benefits my neighbors rely on, I will not vote for it.” GOP LAWMAKER CALLS FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARING OVER DC PLANE CRASH The budget reconciliation process allows legislation to advance with only GOP votes by lowering the threshold for Senate passage from two-thirds to a simple 51-seat majority. The House already operates on a simple majority. But currently, Republicans can lose just one vote in the House to pass anything on party lines – meaning they can afford almost no dissent to get their reconciliation bill over the line. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a conservative on the House Budget Committee who would not have supported the resolution last week without the last-minute amendment, told reporters last week, “Medicaid’s got to be in it. You don’t get to the [$1.5 trillion figure], much less two, without it.” “And it’s not cuts to Medicaid. Work requirements have an $800 billion savings on it… able-bodied 40-year-old men who can work don’t need to be on Medicaid,” Norman said. Democrats are waiting to pounce on the discord. The House Majority PAC, which is aligned with House Democratic leadership, released a memo on Tuesday accusing Republicans of seeking to make “deep cuts” to Medicaid “to fund $4.5 trillion in tax cuts to Elon Musk and other billionaires.” “In battleground congressional districts across the country, House Republicans are putting Medicaid on the chopping block – a move that would rip life-saving health care away from tens of thousands of their own constituents – roughly half of whom are children,” the memo said. But according to Ways & Means Republicans, the average American household could see taxes raised by over 20% if the Trump tax cuts expired.
Pro-union Trump nominee faces Senate grilling as at least one Republican vows to oppose her
Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a pro-union Republican, will go before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing to be the next Secretary of Labor. President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Labor will be questioned by committee senators beginning at 10 a.m. Chavez-DeRemer has already found an opponent in Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who is a member of HELP. “Her support for the PRO Act, which would not only oppose national right to work, but it would preempt state law on right to work,” he previously told reporters. “I think it’s not a good thing, and it’d be sort of hard for me since it’s a big issue for me to support her. So I won’t support her.” MCCONNELL’S MENTAL ACUITY TARGETED BY TRUMP AFTER EX-SENATE LEADER JOINS DEMS AGAINST CABINET NOMINEES The Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) is a piece of legislation designed to protect union workers and was introduced in Congress several years ago. It would effectively kill state-level laws that prohibit employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Republicans have traditionally supported such Right-to-Work laws, and many have opposed the PRO Act for that reason. As of the night before the confirmation hearing, Paul was still planning to oppose Trump’s pick. “If she wanted to make a public statement saying that her support for the PRO Act was incorrect and she no longer does, then I’d think about her nomination,” he told Fox News Digital in a statement. Fox News Digital asked a representative for Chavez-DeRemer whether her support for the bill had changed but did not receive a response. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., foreshadowed the questions Chavez-DeRemer would face while speaking with reporters recently. DEMS TORCHED OVER DOGE SECURITY CLAIMS AFTER ALLOWING ‘WIDE-OPEN’ BORDER, ‘EMPOWERING IRAN’ “[S]upport for the PRO Act is not something that most Republicans have tolerated in the past, but I think she’s attempted to address that, and my hope is that she can further clarify her position on some of those issues when she goes through the hearing process,” Thune said. If Paul chooses to vote “no” or abstain from voting at the committee level, Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination could fail to get a majority of “yes” votes or end up tied. However, it could still be reported and scheduled for a floor vote, without a favorable recommendation from the committee. In this case, she would need to amass 60 votes in the full Senate to move on to confirmation. TRUMP AGRICULTURE PICK CONFIRMED AS PRESIDENT RACKS UP CABINET WINS Following his election in November, Trump announced Chavez-DeRemer as his choice to lead the Labor Department. “Lori has worked tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America,” he said in a statement at the time. “I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand Training and Apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our Manufacturing jobs. Together, we will achieve historic cooperation between Business and Labor that will restore the American Dream for Working Families.” TULSI GABBARD SWORN IN AT WHITE HOUSE HOURS AFTER SENATE CONFIRMATION “Lori’s strong support from both the Business and Labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our Agenda for unprecedented National Success — Making America Richer, Wealthier, Stronger and more Prosperous than ever before!”
Four Florida sheriffs tapped for council advising new state immigration enforcement board
Four sheriffs in Florida have been appointed to a council advising the state’s new Board of Immigration Enforcement. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters and Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell will make up half of the State Immigration Enforcement Council, which advises the board on how the state can best work with the Trump administration to enforce federal immigration laws. The board was created last Thursday when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 2C into law. The council advising it consists of four police chiefs and four sheriffs, who will keep the board updated on local law enforcement’s efforts to combat illegal immigration. St. Cloud Police Chief Douglas Goerke, who was nominated on Tuesday, will also serve on the council. The three remaining police chiefs have yet to be selected. FLORIDA SHERIFF SAYS ICE PARTNERSHIP ONLY THE BEGINNING IN ILLEGAL MIGRANT CRACKDOWN The council is tasked with asking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for training opportunities and strategies that will strengthen participation in the agency’s 287(g) program. It will also be responsible for making recommendations in several areas, including the allocation of necessary financial assistance to local law enforcement, the enhancement of information sharing from local and state agencies to federal data centers, and how to create more available detention beds for ICE. LEADER BEHIND MIGRANT FLIGHT TO MARTHA’S VINEYARD TAPPED TO HEAD RED STATE’S NEW IMMIGRATION BOARD DeSantis said on Monday that the Sunshine State is “setting the standard” for immigration enforcement and how states can help the Trump administration deliver on its promise to stop illegal immigration, deport illegal aliens, and keep American citizens safe. “On Thursday, I signed a bill to make Florida the strongest state in the nation for immigration enforcement. We are now implementing this new legislation. Illegal immigration is an emergency, and we have no time to waste,” the governor wrote on X. Larry Keefe was nominated to be the board’s executive director at Monday’s Cabinet meeting by the state’s newly appointed Attorney General James Uthmeier. DeSantis, Uthmeier, state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson make up the rest of the board. The Cabinet also passed two resolutions on Monday aimed at ensuring all local officials are following the state’s initiative “to detain and deport illegal aliens.”