Spanberger dodges questions on whether she would reverse sanctuary policy as DHS turns up heat
RICHMOND, VA — Virginia’s Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday ignored questions on whether she would entertain calls from the Department of Homeland Security to end sanctuary policies in the state. “Governor Spanberger must end her sanctuary policies that allow these illegal aliens onto our streets and work with DHS to protect the citizens of the commonwealth,” the agency said in a post to social media. Virginia — and in particular Fairfax County — has made headlines in recent weeks for a string of deadly attacks carried out by illegal aliens. DHS BLASTS SPANBERGER ON POTENTIAL RELEASE OF ILLEGAL MIGRANT WITH 30+ ARRESTS CURRENTLY CHARGED WITH MURDER Earlier this month, authorities charged 28-year-old Guatemala native Misael Lopez Gomez with the murder of his 3-month-old daughter. His arrest comes on the heels of an attack by Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, 38, another Guatemalan charged with fatally stabbing a man in his home. The county was also where repeat offender and Sierra Leone national Abdul Jalloh, 32, stabbed a victim to death at a bus stop in February. DHS noted that three of the four suspects charged with murders in Fairfax County so far in 2026 are illegal aliens. Spanberger did not comment on the figure. MIGRANT ACCUSED OF GROPING MULTIPLE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS FACES CHARGES AS DHS WARNS SPANBERGER AGAINST RELEASE At the beginning of her term, Spanberger joined a handful of Democratic governors like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker who have made it harder for local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. On Jan. 17, Spanberger rescinded local-federal coordination requirements, arguing that Virginia’s resources would be better spent enforcing its own laws. “Virginians have been deprived of critical public safety and local law enforcement to divert their limited resources for use in enforcing federal civil immigration laws,” Spanberger said in a press release. “Federal authorities should enforce federal civil immigration laws — law enforcement in the Commonwealth should prioritize the safety and security of all residents in Virginia, the enforcement of local and state laws and coordination with federal entities on criminal matters,” she added. Another illegal alien who has gotten attention in Virginia is Israel Flores Ortiz, 19, who is facing nine counts of assault and battery for groping girls at a Fairfax County high school he was attending. Victims and parents have alleged that Ortiz approached about 12 girls from behind in crowded hallways, grabbed them between the legs and groped their private areas, according to 7News. DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said last month that the agency is “calling on Fairfax County sanctuary politicians to NOT release this predator from jail back into our communities to assault more teenage women.” She went on to slam Spanberger for ending former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policy of cooperation with ICE, saying it is “siding with criminal illegal aliens over American citizens.” NEW POLL REVEALS SPANBGERGER’S POPULARITY IS PLUMMETING AMID BACKLASH OVER GERRYMANDERING DHS explained in a statement to Fox News Digital that it depends on partnerships to coordinate detention and removal of illegal aliens like Gomez, Muy and Jalloh. “ICE can only detain illegals for the purpose of removal,” a DHS spokesperson said when asked how the agency coordinates handovers of suspects. Fox News’ Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
Second choke point crisis looms as Houthis threaten key Red Sea shipping lane
Iran-backed Houthi forces are raising the prospect of a second global shipping choke point in the Red Sea, threatening to deepen pressure on energy markets and global trade as the conflict with Iran intensifies. The Houthis entered the conflict in early April with missile and drone strikes on Israel and have since warned they could target shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb — a narrow corridor linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden — raising concerns the war could expand beyond the Strait of Hormuz and further disrupt global trade. Analysts warn that if Houthi forces begin targeting vessels again, it could open a second maritime front in a conflict that has already choked off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, adding pressure to global energy markets and supply chains. The Bab al-Mandeb is one of the world’s most critical shipping choke points, handling roughly 12% of global seaborne oil trade and serving as a key gateway for cargo moving between Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal. TRUMP SEEKS WARSHIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, are an Iran-backed armed group that controls much of northern Yemen and has been fighting a yearslong civil war against the country’s internationally recognized government. Houthi leaders, in coordination with Iran, have framed the potential escalation as part of their response to U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran and its allies, warning they could target shipping or restrict access to the Red Sea if the conflict intensifies. Iranian official Aliakbar Velayati posted on X on Sunday: “Today, the unified command of the Resistance front views Bab al-Mandeb as it does Hormuz. If the White House dares to repeat its foolish mistakes, it will soon realize that the flow of global energy and trade can be disrupted with a single move.” The Red Sea has taken on added importance as the conflict disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing more cargo and energy flows toward alternative routes. That shift has increased reliance on the Bab al-Mandeb — a choke point that handles roughly $1 trillion in goods annually — raising the stakes of any renewed disruption. Traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb is already running well below normal levels after earlier Houthi attacks pushed major shipping lines to reroute vessels around Africa. Ship-tracking data shows daily transits have fallen to roughly half of typical levels, underscoring that the route is already under strain even before any renewed escalation. “It’s less about what they can actually do and more about the threat,” former Fifth Fleet commander Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan told Fox News Digital. “Once that risk is there, shipping companies decide not to take it.” Even limited attacks or threats can drive up insurance costs and push major carriers to reroute vessels around Africa, effectively reducing traffic through the strait without a formal blockade. The U.S. launched a major air and naval campaign in 2025 — known as Operation Rough Rider — to counter Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, after the group began targeting commercial vessels in opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza. U.S. and allied forces carried out hundreds of strikes on missile launchers, drones, radar systems and other Houthi infrastructure across Yemen in an effort to restore freedom of navigation through the Red Sea. RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UN RESOLUTION AIMED AT REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP DEADLINE The campaign degraded parts of the group’s capabilities but failed to fully eliminate the threat, as shipping companies continued to avoid the route due to ongoing security risks. Both U.S. and regional experts say the Houthis lack the capability to fully shut down the Bab al-Mandeb, but retain the ability to harass vessels with missiles, drones and small boats — tactics that have previously disrupted shipping across the Red Sea. The Houthis field a growing arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles, anti-ship weapons and drones, much of it derived from Iranian designs. While Iran has long supplied key components through smuggling networks, the group has also developed the ability to assemble and produce weapons inside Yemen — though analysts say those supply lines may now be constrained by the broader conflict. “They do have the ability to pester international maritime traffic,” Middle East analyst Gregg Roman said, warning that broader attacks could trigger “a severe international response” from the U.S., Israel and Gulf allies. So far, the Houthis have limited their involvement to strikes on Israel, avoiding the kind of sustained maritime attacks that disrupted global shipping in previous years — a sign analysts say reflects both strategic restraint and pressure from regional actors. Officials and analysts say Iran could still encourage the group to escalate attacks on Red Sea shipping if the conflict deepens, positioning the Houthis as a secondary pressure point in the broader war. That dynamic has raised concerns the conflict could evolve into a multi-chokepoint crisis, testing the ability of the U.S. and its allies to keep critical global trade routes open. Beyond the immediate threat to shipping, Donegan warned that efforts by Iran or its proxies to influence who can safely transit key waterways could challenge long-standing norms of free passage — raising concerns about how similar tactics could play out in other global choke points.
A timeline of Trump’s escalating deadlines on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump issued a fresh ultimatum to Iran on Tuesday, demanding that all vessels be allowed to transit through the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on critical infrastructure. The warning comes after weeks of escalating threats and missed deadlines. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “We will find out tonight — one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world,” he added, referencing his 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to agree to a ceasefire and reopen the strait. Trump’s warning sharply raises the stakes in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but vital artery for the global energy supply, where disruptions have sent oil and gas prices surging worldwide. WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN The waterway, which lies between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, is one of the world’s most critical energy choke points, carrying roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day along with about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas, as well as refined fuels such as jet fuel. The strait is also a vital artery for refined fuels, including products like jet fuel. The latest threat builds on a pattern of deadlines Trump has imposed on Tehran over the strait. Here is a timeline of those demands: In a Truth Social post, Trump declared that if Iran did not “FULLY OPEN” the strait within 48 hours, the United States would “obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Ali Mousavi, Iran’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, responded by saying that the Strait of Hormuz was “open to everyone” except Tehran’s enemies. Meanwhile, other Iranian officials warned that attacks on energy infrastructure would amount to an attack on the Iranian people and would be met with retaliation. SAN FRANCISCO BECOMES FIRST US CITY WHERE DIESEL PRICES TOP $8 A GALLON Two days later, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that the U.S. had had “productive” conversations with Iran and that he had ordered the Pentagon to delay any strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days. Iranian officials publicly denied that any talks were taking place. Trump again extended his deadline — this time by 10 days, to April 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern — saying in a social media post that he was “pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction” at the Iranian government’s request. WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING FASTEST AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH WARNING TO IRAN Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that “great progress” had been made in negotiations to end the conflict. At the same time, he warned that if a deal was not reached and the Strait of Hormuz was not “immediately” opened, the United States would destroy Iran’s power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island — the country’s main oil export hub — and “possibly all” desalination plants. Trump said Iran requested a cease-fire, a claim Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson called “false and baseless,” according to the state news agency IRIB. In a social media post, Trump said the United States would consider a cease-fire only once the strait was “open, free and clear,” adding: “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING FASTEST AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH WARNING TO IRAN Trump warned in a Truth Social post that “time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.” The post followed several conflicting statements in previous days, in which he alternately criticized allies for not acting to reopen the strait and suggested it would reopen on its own. In a profanity-laced post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump wrote: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—–’ Strait, you crazy b——-, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.” “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” he wrote in a second post.
Vance says Iran has ‘2 pathways’ as 12-hour deadline looms, prays US on ‘God’s side’ in nixing nuclear threat
Vice President JD Vance said that Iran has “two pathways” it can take regarding the conclusion of the war as President Donald Trump’s 12-hour deadline is looming Tuesday for the regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on its power plants and bridges. Vance, speaking in Hungary, also said he is praying that the United States is on “God’s side” in its pursuit to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “There are two pathways that this thing is ultimately going to end. First of all, the United States has largely accomplished its military objectives,” Vance said. “There are still some things that we’d like to do, for example, on Iranian ability to manufacture weapons, that we’d like to do a little bit more work on militarily. But fundamentally, the military objectives of the United States have been completed.” “I think there really are two pathways, and I’m oversimplifying this a little bit, but I think pathway one is where the Iranians decide they’re going to be a normal country. They’re not going to fund terrorism anymore. They’re going to be part of the world system of commerce and exchange,” Vance continued. “And that’s going to mean much better things for them economically. It’s going to mean better things for the peace and safety of the world. It’s going to mean a lot of good things for a lot of people all over the planet. That’s option A.” LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP DEADLINE FOR IRAN TICKS CLOSER AS ISLAMIC REPUBLIC REJECTS TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE “Option B is that the Iranians don’t come to the table and they stay committed to terrorism, to terrorizing their neighbors, not just Israel but of course their Arab neighbors too. Then the economic situation in Iran is going to continue to be very, very bad. And frankly, it will probably get worse,” the vice president said. “The president also has been very clear that while the Iranians are trying to exact as much economic cost through the Strait of Hormuz, the United States has the ability to extract much greater economic costs on Iran than Iran has an ability to extract costs on us or on our friends in the world,” Vance also said. “So I hope that they’re smart. The president has set a deadline for about 12 hours from now, and the United States, we’re going to find out. But there’s going to be a lot of negotiation between now and then, and I’m hopeful that it gets to a good resolution.” HEGSETH TIES IRAN RESCUE TO EASTER STORY AND JESUS CHRIST: ‘A PILOT REBORN’ Vance told reporters Tuesday that his attitude toward military conflict has been to pray that “we are on God’s side.” “We’re doing this because we don’t want a regime that has committed acts of terrorism to have the world’s most dangerous weapon. Because that would mean a lot of innocent people dead,” Vance said about the war. “I certainly hope that God agrees with the decision that Iran shouldn’t have a nuclear weapon, but I’ll keep praying about it.” Vance also accused Iran of unleashing “acts of economic terrorism” that are obstructing the free flow of gas and oil around the world. “So they’ve got to know, we’ve got tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use. The president of the United States can decide to use them, and he will decide to use them if the Iranians don’t change their course of conduct,” he warned. Vance also confirmed Tuesday that “we were going to strike some military targets on Kharg Island” and “I believe we have done so.”
DeSantis urges Florida lawmakers to ban cousin marriages, links practice to ‘stealth jihad’
Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken pride in making Florida a leader among red states, but he acknowledged Monday that it was behind in banning cousin marriages, which he is hoping will be outlawed in the near future. “Florida doesn’t ban cousin marriage: That’s a hanging curveball for us to do; we need to do that,” DeSantis, famously a fan of baseball, said at a Tampa signing ceremony on another new law empowering state officials to designate groups as terrorist organizations and expel students who support them. DeSantis urged state lawmakers to ban marriage between first cousins, reopening debate over a practice that remains legal in Florida but is barred in most states. “Other states have done it,” DeSantis continued. “I don’t know why we wouldn’t, but obviously that feeds into some of the stealth jihad that we see, when you’re allowing things like that. It’s things that are coming in from other cultures that are not consistent with the United States culture, and certainly our culture here in Florida.” GOP GOVERNOR LAYS OUT PLAN TO ‘PURGE’ TERRORISTS AND TERROR SUPPORTERS FROM STATE Florida already bans marriages involving close relatives such as siblings, parents, grandparents, nieces and nephews, but first cousins are not on the prohibited list. The governor’s push follows the failure of HB 733, a 2025 proposal that would have added first cousins to the ban starting July 1. Supporters of such a measure cite public health concerns tied to a higher risk of genetic disorders, while critics argue the issue falls under personal freedom and private family decisions. REPUBLICAN SAYS ‘MUSLIMS DON’T BELONG IN AMERICAN SOCIETY,’ DRAWS FIERCE DEMOCRATIC BACKLASH DeSantis teased future action on a cousin marriage ban last month. “For some reason the ban on cousin marriages was dropped during the legislative process,” DeSantis wrote on X. “Stay tuned.” FLORIDA DESIGNATES MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND CAIR AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, DESANTIS SAYS This is DeSantis’ last legislative session as governor, as he terms out at the end of this year, but there remains the possibility he could call for a special session to reintroduce the effort, if not HB 733, Florida Politics reported Monday. “Now, there were some things that were a part of this package that we may need to add in upcoming, because I think there were some things that we really need,” DeSantis said, calling it an “important” issue for American culture and immigration law. “We have got to stop as a country importing people that reject the values of this country, and that’s just been going on for a long time,” he added. GOP WHIP: ‘AMERICA-HATING TERRORISTS’ SHOULD LOSE CITIZENSHIP UNDER SCAM ACT DeSantis pointed to the recent arrest of the niece and grand niece of late Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani by federal agents following Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s termination of their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. “How do they get to where she was even here to begin with?” the governor asked. “What is it about our laws or administrative bureaucracy over what, I think, a period of four or five years?” TEXAS GOV ABBOTT DECLARES CAIR, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS TERRORIST GROUPS, PREVENTING LAND PURCHASES DeSantis’ newly signed law empowers the state’s chief of domestic security, governor and cabinet to designate any organization they determine engages in extremist acts as a “terrorist organization.” After such a designation, the group can be forcibly dissolved and face a freeze on state funding, according to the legislation. It also says students shall be expelled from their institution if they “promoted a domestic terrorist organization or a foreign terrorist organization.” Reuters contributed to this report.
Trump warns ‘whole civilization will die tonight,’ as Iranian official urges human chains around power plants
President Donald Trump warned in a Tuesday Truth Social post that an entire “civilization will die tonight,” issuing the ominous message as his threat of a devastating U.S. attack against Iranian bridges and power plants loomed. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump declared in the post. “However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!” he added. TRUMP DEADLINE FOR IRAN TICKS CLOSER AS ISLAMIC REPUBLIC REJECTS TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE Iranian official Alireza Rahimi put out a video message urging “all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors” to create human chains around power plants, The Associated Press reported. In a prior Truth Social post issued on Easter Sunday, the president had threatened a Tuesday attack on the Middle Eastern country’s power plants and bridges. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F[—]in’ Strait, you crazy b——-, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” the president declared in the post. IRAN WAR NEARS ‘COMPLETION’ AS TRUMP EYES DEADLINE — WHAT THE ENDGAME COULD LOOK LIKE During remarks on Monday, Trump indicated the U.S. has “a plan… where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again. I mean complete demolition by 12 o’clock.” “We don’t want that to happen,” he said. Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who quit last month over his opposition to the Iran war, warned on Tuesday that the president’s proposed course of action would threaten America’s status as the world’s top superpower. ILHAN OMAR CALLS TRUMP AN ‘UNHINGED LUNATIC,’ URGES BOOTING HIM OUT OF OFFICE “Trump believes he is threatening Iran with destruction, but it is America that now stands in danger. If he attempts to eradicate Iranian civilization, the United States will no longer be viewed as a stabilizing force in the world, but as an agent of chaos—effectively ending our status as the world’s greatest superpower,” Kent wrote in a post on X. “This would upend our economy and shatter the global order. The process is already underway, yet we still have time to avert catastrophe if Trump finds the courage to pursue serious negotiations rather than reckless rage and destruction.”
77-year-old House Dem facing younger primary challengers seeks to impeach Donald Trump
Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., is mounting a long-shot bid to impeach President Donald Trump as he stares down a primary threat from younger challengers, who seek to thwart his bid for a 15th House term. Larson, 77, introduced 13 articles of impeachment against Trump on Monday, citing the president’s military intervention in Venezuela, the deployment of National Guard troops to cities across the country and his executive order to curtail birthright citizenship, among other charges. Larson also charged Trump with “murder, war crimes and piracy” for ordering a naval blockade around Venezuela targeting U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers ahead of the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January and for launching dozens of strikes against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean. “Through his serial usurpation of the congressional war power and commission of murder, war crimes, and piracy, Donald J. Trump has acted contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of law, liberty, and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States,” the resolution reads in part. COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURE RULED AS CAUSE OF PAUSING EPISODE DURING HOUSE FLOOR SPEECH, DEM CONGRESSMAN SAYS The resolution has little chance of advancing in the Republican-controlled House or resulting in a Senate trial, even if Larson chooses to force a vote when lawmakers return the week of April 13. However, Larson’s impeachment push comes as the septuagenarian congressman faces a heated primary challenge from several younger candidates running on a mantle of generational change. Larson, a senior member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, notably suffered a complex partial seizure while delivering a speech on the House floor in February 2025. VOCAL ANTI-TRUMP DEM REVEALS WHICH INDUSTRY IS TRYING TO OUST HIM FROM HOUSE SEAT: ‘I WAS A TARGET’ Primary challenger Luke Bronin, 46, a former Hartford mayor and military veteran, has called on Larson to step aside after nearly three decades in the House. Bronin, who is backed by Democratic-aligned veterans groups, outraised Larson during the first two months after launching his insurgent campaign in 2025. It is unclear whether Larson’s impeachment push is supported by House Democratic leadership. A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Larson is the latest in a string of House Democrats to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump since he began his second term. Trump has repeatedly warned that Democrats will attempt to impeach him for a third time if the party retakes control of the House chamber in 2027. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., did not rule out that possibility during an interview with MS NOW last week, but added that Democrats would focus on addressing cost-of-living issues. Fox News Digital reached out to Larson and the White House for comment.
Supreme Court clears path for DOJ to erase Steve Bannon’s Jan 6 conviction
The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the Justice Department to dismiss the criminal conviction against President Donald Trump’s former advisor, Steve Bannon — a symbolic, but significant move in one of the highest-profile prosecutions tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot and resulting congressional probe. In a brief, unsigned order, justices tossed an appeals court ruling that upheld Bannon’s criminal contempt conviction, sending the case back down to a district court judge for dismissal. The order clears a key legal obstacle for the Trump administration to dismiss Bannon’s criminal conviction completely. EX-FBI AGENTS INVOLVED IN ARCTIC FROST PROBE SUE FOR WRONGFUL TERMINATION The reversal is largely symbolic. Bannon, a longtime Trump ally and former White House advisor, was convicted in 2022 on two criminal charges of contempt of Congress stemming from his refusal to testify before a House select committee investigating the Capitol riot. He had already served a four-month prison sentence for the convictions in 2024, after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the guilty verdict handed down by the jury and declined to rehear the case. Bannon had also been ordered to pay more than $6,000 in fines in connection with the conviction. The Supreme Court, for its part, declined at the time to grant his emergency application to further postpone jail time. FBI AGENTS SUE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN. 6 INVESTIGATIONS In vacating the appeals court order, justices on the high court removed a key legal obstacle preventing the Trump administration from dismissing Bannon’s conviction. Bannon’s lawyers had argued at the time that he had been acting on the advice of his counsel in refusing to comply with Congress. They also attempted to argue claims of executive privilege, though the latter sparked skepticism from House lawmakers, who noted that Bannon had departed the White House in 2017, several years before the riot took place. It is unclear how long it might take to formally dismiss the case at the district court level. The Justice Department in February asked the Supreme Court to allow them to dismiss Bannon’s conviction and remand his case back to the district court to do so. They told the high court they had concluded the prosecution was no longer in “the interests of justice.” The unanimous Supreme Court order did not have any dissents. FBI AGENTS GROUP TELLS CONGRESS TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT AGAINST POLITICIZATION Still, the request and resulting order represents a stark about-face from the Biden-led Justice Department, which had argued to the Supreme Court in 2024 that Bannon had acted “with total noncompliance” in avoiding the House investigators. They had urged the high court to deny Bannon’s bid to delay prison time. The order also comes as Trump, in his second term, has moved to unwind many of the investigations brought by the Justice Department under then-President Joe Biden — including the convictions brought in connection with the Capitol riot. Shortly after taking office last year, Trump issued a blanket pardon to more than 1,500 persons convicted or charged in connection with the Jan. 6 events. His administration has also terminated a growing list of FBI agents assigned to the Jan. 6 investigation, prompting a wave of wrongful termination lawsuits, including one filed as recently as last month.
Major national security vulnerability exposed as DHS reveals how relatives of terror architect allowed into US
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it had discovered “significant national security and public safety risks” in U.S. vetting processes, calling the system “wholly inadequate,” just days before two relatives of slain terrorist leader Qasem Soleimani were taken into custody in Los Angeles. The arrests of Soleimani’s niece, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, and grandniece, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, left many asking how close family associates of one of the most well-known terrorists in the world could gain lawful permanent status in the U.S. A USCIS internal review announced just days before the arrests may shed some light on that. On March 30, USCIS issued an alert that, through an ongoing comprehensive review of pending workloads and benefit applications, it had “ascertained that prior screening and vetting measures were wholly inadequate.” The agency said that “many applicants for naturalization and lawful permanent residence were not sufficiently vetted.” As a result, USCIS said applications were approved and individuals were naturalized who “should not have been.” PARENTS OF MACDILL BOMB SUSPECTS ARE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, DHS WARNS OF BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP DANGERS “These gaps,” said USCIS, “expose the United States to significant national security and public safety risks and compromise the integrity of the immigration system.” In light of these risks, USCIS announced that the agency was issuing a hold and review of all pending asylum applications and benefit applications filed by aliens from high-risk countries. USCIS said the hold and review was in accordance with several executive orders and presidential proclamations by Trump mandating stricter screening and vetting. US BLOCKS 10K NARCOTERRORISTS AS TERROR WATCHLIST SWELLS BY 85K IN 2025 In a policy memo announcing the hold and review, USCIS said it would conduct a comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern who entered the United States on or after the day former President Joe Biden took office. The agency noted that “when appropriate,” it would “extend this review and re-interview process to aliens who entered the United States outside of this timeframe.” Then, on Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he had revoked green cards belonging to Soleimani’s grandniece after their association with the notorious Iranian military leader was discovered. Rubio said that Soleimani Afshar “is also an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the ‘Great Satan.’” He said that both were in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending removal. Soleimani, the late head of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed by a drone strike ordered by Trump in 2020. The White House declined to comment on Soleimani Afshar and Hosseiny’s arrests, referring Fox News Digital to the State Department. In turn, the Department of State referred Fox News Digital to the Department of Homeland Security. Acting Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that both entered the U.S. in 2015. Soleimani Afshar entered on a tourist visa in June, while her daughter, Hosseiny, entered in July on a student visa. Both were granted asylum status by a judge in 2019. Bis said that Soleimani Afshar became a green card holder under the Biden administration in 2021, giving her permanent lawful status. Two years later, in 2023, Hosseiny also got her green card, gaining permanent lawful status. According to Bis, Soleimani Afshar even filed a naturalization application last July. On her application, Soleimani Afshar disclosed that she had traveled to Iran at least four times since being issued a green card. Bis said these trips to Iran “illustrate her asylum claims were fraudulent.” TULSI GABBARD WARNS OF ‘DIRECT THREAT’ FROM SUSPECTED TERRORISTS NOW LIVING IN UNITED STATES Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, explained that under current law, the bar for asylum claims in the U.S. is “pathetically low.” “Some immigration judges apply the standards properly; others are incredibly lax, for altruistic or ideological reasons,” he told Fox News Digital. He said the Soleimani relatives most likely “made a case that they were being persecuted by the Iranian regime.” “This wouldn’t be impossible — there are relatives of dictators and bad guys who do oppose their own families. But it appears these women didn’t — they supported the regime, its proxies, and policy. They reportedly returned for visits.” “Children of regime apparatchiks from China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, and every other country with a communist, dictatorial, repressive regime come here to college, buy houses, get jobs, and stay,” he said, adding, “Some are running away from their home regime and could have legitimate claims to asylum. Most are here spending their parents’ money. Scumbags from all over the world rail against the West but they want the New York, Miami, and London lifestyle for their families to enjoy with the money they loot from their own people.” USCIS, which is a component of DHS, said that in light of its discoveries, it is developing a “layered vetting plan.” The agency said this plan will incorporate classified and unclassified information, as well as expanded criminal history checks, identity verification, and ad hoc security checks with the purpose of closing security gaps. The agency also said it has compiled information on each country listed in the travel ban proclamations and is working with the State Department to identify risk factors, including indicators of fraud, public safety, or national security risks. Bis emphasized that “it is a privilege to be granted a green card to live in the United States of America.” She added that “if we have reason to believe a green card holder poses a threat to the U.S., the green card will be revoked.”
Trump admin terminates some agreements with districts, college on transgender students
As President Donald Trump’s administration pushes back against radical leftist gender ideology, the Department of Education is taking aim at agreements from prior administrations. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has rolled back provisions of resolution agreements stemming from previous administrations, unshackling schools from unlawful enforcement of Title IX, according to the department. “Today, the Trump Administration is removing the unnecessary and unlawful burdens that prior Administrations imposed on schools in its relentless pursuit of a radical transgender agenda,” Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement. EDUCATION SECRETARY LINDA MCMAHON ACCUSES CRITICS OF HAVING ‘TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME’ “While previous Administrations launched Title IX investigations based on ‘misgendering,’ the Trump Administration is investigating allegations of girls and women being injured by men on their sports team or feeling violated by men in their intimate spaces,” she added. “Today is yet another demonstration of the Trump Administration’s commitment to uphold the law, protect our students, and restore common sense. No longer will the federal government force educational institutions to violate the law or punish them for upholding it,” Richey declared. The Department of Education listed Cape Henlopen School District, Delaware Valley School District, Fife School District, La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, Sacramento City Unified and Taft College. DETRANSITIONER CHLOE COLE ACCUSES MEDIA OF ‘TRYING TO SUPPRESS’ COVERAGE OF TRANSGENDER SHOOTERS “OCR is rescinding portions of six resolution agreements that were reached through the illegal, heavy-handed manipulation of Title IX. The Department will therefore no longer monitor or enforce these agreements,” the department said. A settlement that Delaware Valley School District had with the Obama administration required the district to allow students to utilize restrooms that matched their gender identity, according to The Associated Press. In February, the Trump administration sent the district a letter saying it was rescinding the settlement. The administration required the district to rescind antidiscrimination protections for transgender pupils, the AP reported. HARVARD ALUM PRAISES TRUMP ADMIN TARGETING UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS POLICIES, HANDLING OF ANTISEMITISM The school board voted last month to alter its transgender student policies to comply with the administration’s requirements, the outlet reported. The Associated Press contributed to this report