Education bill would require parental notification to ‘TRACE’ foreign funding of curriculum as China looks on
EXCLUSIVE: Republican lawmakers will be putting forward a bill requiring parental notification of any foreign funding sources connected to their child’s public K-12 curriculum. House Education Committee members Aaron Bean, R–Fla., and Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., will put forward the TRACE Act – or Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education. It will amend the Elementary & Secondary Education Act of 1965 to make such parental notification a condition of federal funding allocation. The issue has come to the fore in recent years, as education officials in states like Oklahoma warn against Chinese Communist Party-linked Confucius Classrooms and other foreign-funded or globally-based initiatives. POMPEO LABELS TEACHERS UNION BOSS ‘AMONG THE MOST DANGEROUS PEOPLE’ IN THE US The TRACE Act would require schools to provide on an approximately monthly basis any education materials provided by, using funds received by or purchased from foreign governments. The bill will also require that parents have the right to know about any contract or financial transaction between a foreign country and their child’s school. Bean, who also leads the Congressional DOGE Caucus, forwarded a similar bill in 2024, but Republicans now hold full control of Congress – which they did not at the time. “American schools are for education, not espionage. We cannot allow our students – the future of our great nation – to be corrupted by foreign adversaries who are systematically and aggressively attempting to influence our nation’s K-12 schools,” Bean told Fox News Digital. “Yet, this is what happens when our institutions of learning accept the Trojan horse of foreign funding.” CHINESE INFLUENCE IN SCHOOLS LEADS TO GROWN CONCERNS, OKLAHOMA OFFICIAL SAYS Mackenzie, who just took office after a narrow but crucial GOP upset over Democrat Susan Wild in his Lehigh Valley district, called the TRACE Act “essential for safeguarding America’s children and schools against foreign influence.” “Parents have a fundamental right to know what’s happening in their children’s classrooms, especially in cases where foreign governments are funding curricular materials or compensating school personnel,” Mackenzie said. “By empowering parents to demand transparency and accountability, the TRACE Act will ensure that our children’s education remains free from external influence,” the Pennsylvanian added. Bean said parents deserve to know who is funding the materials used to educate their children and further warned against potential subtle indoctrination of America’s youth. Oklahoma’s top elected education official had called for congressional action in 2023 to blunt foreign influence in schools – and further pledged to be on the front lines of pushing back against untoward interference in children’s education. State Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters told Fox News Digital in June that foreign influence over education is a national security risk – especially when it comes without the knowledge of children or their parents. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He challenged his state’s largest school district, alleging funding for Confucius Classrooms had been “hidden” from parents and that it was “actually the Chinese Communist Party that was funding a nonprofit that was working directly in the school.” In a statement to Fox News at the time, Tulsa Public Schools said the district “has no Confucius classroom programs in its schools.” In a report from The Oklahoman, the district reportedly funded a professional development class for a Chinese language teacher at one high school, which was facilitated through a Confucius Classroom Coordination Office at an outside, Texas-based organization. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., then chair of the House Education Committee, said it is clear “significant investments” from foreign nations are “flowing into America’s K-12 schools [and] possibly impacting decisions regarding personnel or curriculum.” Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Wis., took over for Foxx as chair of that committee in January.
Attorney General Pam Bondi to travel to New Orleans to survey Super Bowl LIX security
Pam Bondi will spend her first full day as U.S. attorney general Thursday traveling to New Orleans to survey security of the Super Bowl game this Sunday, Fox News has learned. Her trip is part of an effort to highlight the administration’s broader commitment to crack down on violent crime and acts of terrorism. Bondi will be accompanied by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, the Justice Department said, where she will meet with multiple law enforcement groups at the federal and local level, including DOJ components and the FBI field office. BONDI’S DOJ DAY 1 DIRECTIVES; FIGHT WEAPONIZATION OF JUSTICE, ELIMINATE CARTELS, LIFT DEATH PENALTY BAN Her visit comes less than two months after a man used a vehicle to ram through crowds on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early New Year’s Day, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 30 others in what FBI officials said was being investigated as an act of terrorism. While in New Orleans, Bondi plans to conduct briefings during the visit related to preventing another terrorist attack in New Orleans, DOJ officials told Fox News. The visit comes as Bondi looks to move on her Day One prioritie— among them, cracking down on terrorist-linked or inspired attacks on U.S. soil. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Liz Cheney to Elon Musk regarding her past work at USAID: ‘Damn Right’
Former Rep. Liz Cheney emphatically acknowledged her past work for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) when responding to a tweet by Elon Musk. Musk, who is spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort to slash government waste and fraud, has the agency in his crosshairs. “Interesting,” Musk wrote in response to a post in which Mike Benz, founder and executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, said Cheney had been “spawned out of USAID.” Benz shared a screenshot from an article that said Cheney had worked at the agency. “Damn right, @Elon. I’m proud of what America did to win the Cold War, defeat Soviet communism, and defend democracy. Our nation stood for freedom. You may be unfamiliar with that part of our history since you weren’t yet an American citizen,” Cheney declared when retweeting Musk. USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN’S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY Benz shared screenshots of Cheney’s post and of Musk’s post, and wrote, “‘Damn right I was spawned out of USAID.’ – Liz Cheney.” “No kidding,” Musk replied when retweeting Benz. President Donald Trump shared a screenshot of Musk’s post on Truth Social. The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress notes that Cheney was a staffer at USAID from 1989-1992. She was one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. BIDEN AWARDS LIZ CHENEY, JAN 6 COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN A MEDAL: US ‘IS BETTER BECAUSE OF THEIR DEDICATION’ Last year she endorsed, and even campaigned with, former Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate who lost to Trump. During her congressional tenure, Cheney served on the House Select Committee that probed the Jan. 6 episode. President Joe Biden, who awarded Cheney the Presidential Citizens Medal, pardoned lawmakers and staffers who served on the committee out of concern that they could be targeted in “politically motivated prosecutions.” WHAT IS USAID AND WHY IS IT IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS? During a recent X spaces, Musk said that unlike an apple contaminated by a worm, USAID is “a bowl of worms.” “There is no apple,” he said. “It’s beyond repair.”
Former USAID official Mark Moyar says ‘corruption’ at agency ‘subverted’ Trump White House
In President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was rife with “corrruption” as staffers were intent on “subverting the president’s will,” on policy matters and sending taxpayer dollars overseas to further DEI and LGBT advocacy initiatives, a former USAID official told Fox News Digital in an interview. “A lot of them were beholden or had ties to the previous administration, the Obama administration, [and] the large majority of them had voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016,” Mark Moyar, who worked in the department from 2018 to 2019, said. “Now some of them did as they were told, but there was a large resistance element. And in one case, I was at a meeting, and they talked about how there was this aid going into Syria, and we needed to hide it from the White House, because we don’t want President Trump finding out about it and canceling it.” “They apparently just forgot I was in the room,” he added. WHAT IS USAID AND WHY IS IT IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS? Moyar resigned from his position in July 2019 after his security clearance was suspended due to a dispute over him publishing a book – “Oppose Any Foe: The Rise of America’s Special Operations Forces” – before the Defense Department was able to complete a prepublication review for potentially classified information, according to a court document. While USAID did not officially terminate his employment, Moyar said he was effectively “fired” without due process. He has also alleged that the suspension of his security clearance was a form of retaliation for reporting waste, fraud and abuse within the agency. Moyar said significant amounts of money were being spent at USAID without the knowledge of political appointees. He described a case from 2019, “more than halfway through the administration,” where officials discovered a “big slush fund that none of his political appointees knew about.” Once it was exposed, they were able to take action, but he emphasized that such issues were widespread across the agency. He also pointed to numerous conflicts of interest, where employees used their positions to benefit private businesses in which they had a stake – something he described as “totally illegal.” MUSK’S DOGE TAKES AIM AT ‘VIPER’S NEST’ FEDERAL AGENCY WITH GLOBAL FOOTPRINT Moyar explained that what ultimately led to getting in trouble at the department was reporting an office director who was not only using his role to assist a specific company but was also “the Chairman of the Board of that company.” Despite previous reports being made about the misconduct, he said no action was taken. Instead, he said the agency “helped him find employment at another federal agency, the Department of Defense, so he ends up OK.” “Meanwhile, they come after me and try to accuse me of publishing classified information and use that as a pretext to have me fired,” Moya said. “And I’m 100% sure this is fraudulent. I’ve actually sued the government to turn over the records, and still, five years later, the Department of Justice is fighting me. But it’s part of a larger pattern where the people who report the corruption are the ones who get kicked out, and the ones who are engaged in corruption thrive within the organization.” Moyar added this is part of why such “radical” changes are happening in real time at the USAID, as Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – the government accountability unit headed by billionaire Elon Musk – effectively shut down the $40 billion agency on Monday. The former director also detailed instances of government waste dating back to Trump’s first term, saying it;s “so important to get into the records of the agency” to determine how many taxpayer dollars have been used on wasteful initiatives. USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN’S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY Uncovering the full extent of DEI-related spending at USAID will take significant effort, as much of it has been “disguised or rebranded,” Moyar said. He noted that while it’s clear a “huge amount” has already been spent, the actual figure is likely even higher. He also criticized the push for DEI abroad, calling it not only a “ridiculous ideology” but one that is actively harming U.S. relations with other countries. “Most other countries look at this DEI stuff and say, ‘This is crazy,’” he said, adding that efforts to promote a “radical LGBTQ agenda” overseas have sometimes been met with resistance. “So I think we’re going to find a great amount of waste, fraud and abuse, especially because the Inspector General, I think, has been asleep at the wheel,” Moyar said. “In the weeks and months to come, we’re going to hear a lot of horror stories about how USAID has been misusing the money.” USAID was set up in the early 1960s to act on behalf of the U.S. to deliver aid across the globe, particularly in impoverished and underdeveloped regions. The Trump administration alleges that much of the spending has been wasteful, promoting a liberal agenda around the world. Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department, Department of Defense and USAID for comment. Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Trump announces executive order creating task force to ‘eradicate anti-Christian bias’
President Donald Trump announced at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that he will sign an executive order instructing the Justice Department to create a new task force to “eradicate anti-Christian bias.” Trump praised new Attorney General Pam Bondi as a “great person,” saying she would lead the new task force. “About time, right? Anti-Christian bias. Yeah, I never heard of that one before, right? But there is,” Trump said. “The mission of this task force will be to immediately halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government, including at the DOJ, which was absolutely terrible. The IRS, the FBI, terrible, and other agencies.” The president said the task force will also “work to fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism in our society and to move heaven and earth to defend the rights of Christians and religious believers nationwide.” WHITE HOUSE CALLS DEMOCRAT CRITICISM OF DOGE ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ AND ‘INCREDIBLY ALARMING’ “While I’m in the White House, we will protect Christians in our schools, in our military, in our government, in our workplaces, hospitals and in our public squares, and we will bring our country back together as one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all,” Trump said. “Throughout history, those who have sought control and domination over others have always tried to cut the people off from the connection to their creator. At the same time, every nation with big dreams and great ambition has recognized that there is no recourse more precious than the faith in the hearts of our people. It’s the thing that makes our nation great and makes other nations great. When you don’t have it, you don’t see great nations. Without God, we are isolated and alone, but with God, the Scripture tells us, all things are possible,” Trump said. Fox News Digital is told that Trump will sign the executive order Thursday afternoon to “end the war on Christians” and protect Americans’ “fundamental right to religious freedom.” The White House said what will be known as the “Task Force to End the War on Christians” will be comprised of members of the president’s Cabinet and key government agencies, and the order seeks to “end the anti-Christian weaponization of government.” The White House told Fox News Digital that the task force will review activities of all departments and agencies to “identify and eliminate anti-Christian policies, practices, or conduct.” The task force will also gather input from various stakeholders to ensure “broad perspectives are considered,” including faith-based organizations and Americans affected by “anti-Christian conduct.” The task force is also directed to identify and address gaps in law enforcement that have “contributed” to that conduct. The executive order will also ensure that federal law enforcement remedy any “failures” to fully enforce the law against acts of anti-Christian hostility, vandalism and violence. “The previous administration engaged in an egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses,” the White House said. “President Trump will not tolerate this abuse of government and is taking action to ensure that any unlawful and improper anti-Christian conduct, policies or practices are identified, terminated, and rectified.” The executive order comes after nearly two dozen pro-life Christians were charged and sentenced for demonstrating outside abortion facilities during the Biden administration. DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS FACE BACKLASH FOR INVOKING ‘UNHINGED’ VIOLENT RHETORIC AGAINST MUSK It also comes after an FBI memo asserted that traditional Catholics were domestic-terrorism threats and suggested infiltrating Catholic churches as “threat mitigation.” The House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government first discovered and investigated that memo. Speaking at the Washington Hilton Hotel, Trump invoked his own faith in discussing the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. “Well, look at me. I’m standing before you today. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here. A lot of people said I shouldn’t have been here,” Trump said. “It was God that saved me,” Trump added, garnering applause. Earlier, the president spoke at another prayer breakfast Thursday at the U.S. Capitol, where he announced that he would sign an executive order to create a new national park called the “National Garden of American Heroes.” “The stories of legends like Washington, Winthrop, and Williams remind us that without faith in God, there would be no American story,” Trump said. “Every citizen should be proud of this exceptional heritage. We have an unbuilt, livable heritage, and we have to use that and make life better for everyone.” As the United States approached the 250th anniversary of its founding next year, Trump said he would sign an executive order to “resume the process of creating a new national park full of statues of the greatest Americans who ever lived.” “We’re going to be honoring our heroes, honoring the greatest people from our country,” Trump said. “We’re not going to be tearing down. We’re going to be building up.” Trump also remembered the 67 lives lost during the fatal midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet landing at Reagan airport in D.C. last week. The president said he would be speaking with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to come together on a “single bill” to upgrade U.S. air traffic control systems in the wake of the disaster.
After DOGE crackdown on USAID, Trump’s House allies want this Cabinet agency on chopping block
Congressional allies of President Donald Trump have rallied around his and Elon Musk’s efforts to roll back the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Now, they’re urging the administration to set its sights on another core agency. “I think the conversation about the Department of Education getting drastically cut is the right conversation,” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital. “I trust the Tennessee General Assembly to craft curriculums for Tennessee students more than I do the California or the D.C. legislative bodies. And I think we all face that back home.” Republican lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital this week named several federal offices that they wanted to see audited or scaled back by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., rattled off a list of suggestions when speaking to Fox News Digital, “OSHA, EPA, Department of Education, ATF.” SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN But most coalesced around the Department of Education as a worthy next target, amid rumors that Trump could soon sign an executive order dismantling the Cabinet agency. “In order to get buy in, you could eliminate the Department of Education, but you would take at least a portion of the money and give it back to the states in the form of block grants or something like that,” Biggs suggested. Freshman Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, said, “I think we need to get rid of the Department of Education. We need to get rid of the ATF. I’ve co-sponsored bills to do that for both of those.” He said the Department of Education was a “good place to start,” accusing it of sinking millions of taxpayer dollars into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and other progressive causes. “I mean, the American people are sick of funding left-wing activism with their taxpayer dollars,” Gill said. Conservatives have long been critical of the Cabinet department, which first opened its doors in 1980 after President Jimmy Carter split it off from what is now the Department of Health and Human Services. “Education Department should’ve been gone or reined in a long time ago,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. He said he hoped Musk would “put a dollar tag on it, trace the money, where it’s going.” A bill introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., this week to eliminate the Department of Education already has 30 House GOP co-signers. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested on Wednesday there was an appetite for Congress to back up Trump if he follows through with an executive order on the department. “The teachers unions will viciously fight, of course, any idea of disbanding the federal Department of Education. But I think the principle is one whose time has come. We’ve all seen the ratings. I mean, the U.S. is falling far behind other countries because the system is not working,” Johnson said in response to a question by Fox News Digital. The speaker stressed that further details were necessary, but added, “You’re going to see a lot of support among House and I think Senate Republicans, for the general idea of pushing the decisions down, back down to the local level. I think that’s something that would serve us all well.”
Federal judge orders limited DOGE access to sensitive Treasury Department payment system records
A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from obtaining access to certain Treasury Department payment records. Treasury officials “will not provide access to any payment record or payment system of records maintained within the [Treasury] Bureau of Fiscal Service,” Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a temporary restraining order. That program handles an estimated 90% of federal payments. The order comes after the Justice Department on Wednesday agreed in a proposed court order to limit access to the sensitive records to only two “special government employees” within DOGE, who will have read-only permission. Kollar-Kotelly approved the motion in a brief order Thursday. USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40 BILLION AGENCY Several government employee unions brought suit over who could access the material as part of a government-wide evaluation of programs and systems, led by DOGE. The lawsuit claimed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent allowed improper access to Elon Musk’s team, potentially exposing personal financial information to unauthorized individuals. ‘AMERICA HAS DOGE FEVER’: STATES FROM NEW JERSEY TO TEXAS DRAFT SIMILAR INITIATIVES AS FEDERAL LEADERS CELEBRATE Under the order, only Musk ally Tom Krause, CEO of Cloud Software Group, and Marko Elez – an engineer and former Musk company employee — will continue to have access to Treasury’s Fiscal Service, but they will not be allowed to make any changes to the program. The order identifies both Krause and Elez as “Special Government Employee[s] in the Department of the Treasury.”
Civil rights officials probe four US medical schools over antisemitism at 2024 commencement ceremonies
The Office of Civil Rights within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced investigations into four medical schools over alleged antisemitic incidents during their 2024 commencement ceremonies. While HHS did not identify the schools subjected to these investigations, the Wall Street Journal reported that Harvard, Columbia, Brown and Johns Hopkins medical schools were the targets. The investigations will come after a school year riddled with what critics have described as antisemitic incidents after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. “After October 7, we saw Jew-hatred explode not just on college campuses and city streets, but in the medical profession. This has caused a lot of concern that anti-Jewish bias in medicine endangers the lives of Jewish patients – and these concerns have not been conclusively addressed to date,” said Gerard Filitti, senior counsel at The Lawfare Project, which provides pro bono legal services to protect the civil rights of the Jewish community. “The investigations announced by HHS are a crucial first step towards addressing these concerns.” ISRAELI HARVARD STUDENT SPEAKS OUT ON ANTISEMITISM BEHIND LATEST SETTLEMENT Harvard’s 2024 commencement ceremony was ridiculed over the school’s decision to tap media CEO Maria Ressa as the school’s commencement speaker following a year of incidents that included an assault against an Israeli student by pro-Palestinian protesters, scores of alleged antisemitic displays and chants, including some that praised Hamas, and numerous civil rights allegations from Jewish students. In addition, Harvard was accused by its own students of turning a blind eye to antisemitism. Ressa, not long after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, penned an op-ed comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, and during her commencement address complained that she had been attacked over her pro-Palestinain advocacy “by power and money because they want power and money,” which people construed as promoting antisemitic stereotypes. Ressa was also accused of praising pro-Hamas demonstrations happening on campus during her address. JEWISH COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER VOWING TO DEPORT PRO-HAMAS ACTIVISTS WITH STUDENT VISAS The commencement ceremony was allegedly so bad that a campus Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi felt compelled to confront Ressa during the event and subsequently walked offstage. According to media reports, Zarchi later described the ceremony as a “really vile program.” Harvard Medical School spokesperson Ekaterina Pesheva said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the school “condemns antisemitism and remains committed to combating all forms of discrimination and harassment.” Pesheva added that Harvard would “continue to advance our efforts to ensure that all community members feel they belong” and said the school is currently reviewing HHS’s civil rights request and will cooperate to address the agency’s questions regarding the 2024 commencement ceremony. Columbia, Johns Hopkins and Brown similarly faced a slew of complaints over alleged antisemitism on their campuses and the universities’ failure to address them. The environment at these schools was so hostile, reportedly, that some Jewish students who were admitted to these Ivy League schools decided to go somewhere else. A rabbi at Columbia went so far as to tell Jewish students to leave campus for their safety. President Donald Trump has moved quickly to challenge antisemitism in the U.S., with news of the investigations coming the same day the Trump administration’s Department of Justice announced the formation of a multi-agency task force to combat antisemitism. News of the probe also came after Trump signed an executive order several days after taking office seeking to combat antisemitism, particularly on college campuses. “HHS has been so quick to implement President Trump’s Executive Order is tacit recognition of the failure on the part of these universities to address antisemitism, despite several lawsuits and congressional investigations,” Filitti said. “The Biden Administration, for all its rhetoric, failed to do nearly as much as President Trump has in only one week to address Jew-hatred, and we now have a President clearly willing to use the power of the executive branch to take concrete action to stamp out antisemitism and protect the civil rights of Jewish Americans – and all Americans.” PATRIOTS OWNER ROBERT KRAFT LAUNCHING ‘NO REASON TO HATE’ SUPER BOWL AD, COMBATING ANTISEMITISM In addition to facing potential consequences over the school’s failure to address antisemitism on their campuses, Trump has also threatened to withhold millions of federal dollars in research grants if they do not comply with new orders quashing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. “Antisemitism has no place in American society, least of all in medical schools,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, chairman of the nonprofit Do No Harm, which seeks to root out identity politics in medical education. “Medical schools, especially those who push a DEI agenda have become hotbeds of antisemitism, the department of Health and Human Services is right to raise concerns about blatantly antisemitic protests.” On Monday, the Department of Education also launched a slew of additional civil rights investigations into Columbia, Northwestern, the University of California – Berkeley, the University of Minnesota and Portland State universities. Fox News Digital reached out to Harvard, Columbia, Brown and Johns Hopkins for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
First 10 ‘high threat’ illegals to arrive to Guantanamo Bay are all Tren de Aragua members
The Department of Defense (DOD) confirmed the arrival of the first 10 “high threat” illegal migrant criminals to the U.S.’s most secure prison – the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp – in Cuba, all of whom are members of the violent Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua (TdA). TdA is an international criminal group that has been terrorizing U.S. communities from New York City to Colorado. As one of his first actions, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 20 instructing the State Department and other government agencies to move to designate TdA as a “foreign terrorist organization.” On Thursday, ICE and other federal law enforcement agencies conducted a series of raids in Aurora, Colorado, resulting in the arrest of over 100 TdA members. MEXICAN TROOPS BEGIN ARRIVING AT US-MEXICO BORDER FOLLOWING DEAL MADE TO PAUSE TRUMP-APPROVED TARIFFS The 10 high-threat migrants arrived at Guantánamo Bay on Thursday, the DOD confirmed in a statement. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also confirmed the migrants’ arrival and stated that all 10 are members of Tren de Aragua. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The DOD stated that these migrant criminals are being housed in vacant detention facilities. The DOD said that is only a temporary arrangement being made to “ensure the safe and secure detention of these individuals until they can be transported to their country of origin or other appropriate destination.” DHS clarified that the Guantánamo Bay prison will be used to house only “the worst of the worst” criminals. TRUMP HAS BECOME ‘GAME-CHANGER’ IN CONFRONTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRISIS: TOM HOMAN Commenting on the arrests of the over 100 TdA members on Wednesday, Joseph Humire, executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society and an expert on TdA, told Fox News Digital that Trump’s latest moves are “tremendously significant” that shows that there is a “new attitude” against TdA in the U.S. “That’s what’s needed to be able to dismantle them and eventually deport them from the United States,” he said. “This is a foreign terrorist organization that has been spreading throughout the United States for the last couple of years and doing it so very rapidly, so I think the impetus is on the United States to use all the elements of our national security to be able to dismantle them from within.”
Trump DOJ slaps Illinois, Chicago with lawsuit over sanctuary laws
The Department of Justice on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago for allegedly interfering with federal immigration enforcement – the latest escalation in the battle between the Trump administration and Democrat-led cities and states on the administration’s mass deportation operation. The lawsuit filed in Illinois, against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and others, claimed that several state and local laws are “designed to and in fact interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.” The lawsuit comes a day after Attorney General Pam Bondi signed a directive to limit funding to sanctuary cities. Sanctuary jurisdictions typically limit or forbid state and local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers – requests that illegal immigrants in custody be transferred to ICE. This is a breaking news alert; check back for updates.