Federal judge refuses to reconsider order to facilitate deportee’s return to US
A federal judge denied a request from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reconsider his order calling for the Trump administration “to take all immediate steps” to return a Guatemalan deportee to the U.S. The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy in Massachusetts comes after he issued a ruling last week saying that the removal of the individual – identified only as O.C.G. – “lacked due process.” “In general, this case presents no special facts or legal circumstances, only the banal horror of a man being wrongfully loaded onto a bus and sent back to a country where he was allegedly just raped and kidnapped,” Murphy wrote Friday. “Defendants are hereby ORDERED to take all immediate steps, including coordinating with Plaintiffs’ counsel, to facilitate the return of O.C.G. to the United States,” he added. US JUDGE ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF ‘MANUFACTURING CHAOS’ IN SOUTH SUDAN DEPORTATIONS, ESCALATING FEUD In the filing, Murphy described O.C.G. as a native and citizen of Guatemala who first entered the U.S. “without proper authorization” in March 2024. “O.C.G. alleges that he presented himself for asylum at the border and was denied an interview. In any event, he was deported shortly thereafter to Guatemala. In April 2024, O.C.G. decided to try again and crossed Mexico on his way to the United States. There, he was raped and held hostage until a family member paid ransom,” the filing said. READ THE JUDGE’S ORDER – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: “In May 2024, O.C.G. again arrived at the United States and was arrested by Border Patrol. This time, however, he was referred to an asylum officer after expressing fear of return to Guatemala. That officer determined that O.C.G. had a credible fear of persecution or torture and initiated withholding-only proceedings, where an immigration judge agreed and determined that it was more likely than not that O.C.G. would be persecuted or tortured if sent back to Guatemala. Accordingly, O.C.G. was granted withholding of removal from Guatemala,” it continued. “Two days after being granted withholding of removal, and with no advanced warning, O.C.G. was put on a bus and sent to Mexico. According to O.C.G., he begged the officers to let him call his attorney but was refused,” according to the filing. NY AG, 19 OTHERS FILE 2 LAWSUITS AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN, ALLEGING FEDERAL MONEY TIED TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT “In Mexico, O.C.G. was given the option of being detained indefinitely while trying to obtain asylum there — a country where he has consistently maintained that he faces a significant risk of violence — or of being sent back to Guatemala — the very country from which an immigration judge awarded him withholding from removal due to the risk of persecution that he faced. O.C.G. chose Guatemala. He remains there today,” Murphy said in the filing. “Just yesterday, O.C.G. submitted a declaration informing the Court of his current status. He reports living in constant fear of his attackers, being unable to leave the place where he is staying, not being able to rely on the police to protect him, and not being able to see his mother for fear of exposing her to violence, among other hardships,” Murphy also wrote. DHS said in response to the decision that “America’s asylum system was never intended to be used as a de facto amnesty program or a catch-all, get-out-of-deportation-free card. “The person in question was an illegally present alien who was granted withholding of removal to Guatemala. He was instead removed to Mexico, a safe third option for him, pending his asylum claim. Yet, this federal activist judge is ordering us to bring him back, so he can have an opportunity to prove why he should be granted asylum to a country that he has had no past connection to,” the department wrote on X in response to a news article about Murphy’s decision. “The Trump administration is committed to returning our asylum system to its original intent,” it declared. MARYLAND REP. IVEY BACK FROM EL SALVADOR AFTER FAILING TO MEET KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA The order from Murphy to return O.C.G. came in response to a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of him and three other plaintiffs, identified as immigrants from Cuba, Ecuador and Honduras who are residents of Massachusetts and Texas. “Plaintiffs and proposed class members are noncitizens with final removal orders resulting from proceedings in which they have been notified that they could be deported to a designated country of removal (usually their country of origin) and, in some cases, an alternative country of removal (usually a country of which they are a citizen or in which they hold status) and had an opportunity to contest removal to the designated country based on a claim of fear,” read a complaint filed in March. “They bring this class action to challenge the policy or practice of the Department of Homeland Security of deporting, or seeking to deport, them to a third country — a country never designated for removal — without first providing them with notice or opportunity to contest removal on the basis that they have a fear of persecution, torture, and even death if deported to that third country,” the complaint added. “DHS’ policy or practice of failing to afford these basic, minimal protections violates the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment, and the treaty obligations of the United States,” it also said. Attorneys representing the four plaintiffs did not immediately respond Wednesday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Longtime Democrat senator’s daughter takes aim at Trump, Musk, RFK Jr, in launch for key House swing seat
The eldest daughter of longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire is taking a step to follow in her mother’s political footsteps. Stefany Shaheen on Wednesday declared her candidacy for the U.S. House in the open seat race in New Hampshire’s competitive 1st Congressional District. The younger Shaheen wasted no time in targeting President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, who has been steering Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, and Republicans in Congress. In a campaign launch video, Shaheen spotlighted her efforts as a healthcare advocate for her daughter Elle, who has Type 1 diabetes. Shaheen said the diagnosis turned her “into a fierce fighter for medical research and innovation to help Elle and millions like her.” MARINE VET JUMPS INTO RACE FOR KEY HOUSE SEAT IN 2026 BATTLE FOR MAJORITY “So, when I see Donald Trump crushing medical research and slashing health care for kids, seniors and veterans to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, I have to fight back. That’s why I’m running for Congress,” Shaheen said in a statement.. “No one fights harder than a mom for her kids, and that’s how I will fight for your family, too. I’ll never give up.” Shaheen, in her video, also charged that Musk has been “chasing out our best scientists and doctors” and claimed that Kennedy is “allowing measles to run rampant because he believes in conspiracy theories instead of proven vaccines.” The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP’s campaign arm, took aim at Shaheen over her famous family’s political pedigree. THIS LONGTIME DEMOCRATIC SENATOR IS NOT RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION IN 2026 “Nepo baby Stefany Shaheen is a DC elitist who is committed to the Democrats’ radical agenda that makes life more expensive and less safe. Granite Staters will resoundingly reject her and her out of touch policies,” NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole argued in a statement to Fox News. Shaheen is running for the seat currently held by four-term Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who is campaigning to succeed the elder Shaheen, the first woman in U.S. history to be elected both as a governor and a U.S. senator. The 78-year-old senator announced in March that she would not seek re-election to the Senate in 2026. The move by the younger Shaheen, who previously served on the Portsmouth City Council and the Portsmouth Police Commission, sets up a likely blockbuster primary with Maura Sullivan, a New Hampshire Democratic Party vice chair. Sullivan is also a Marine veteran who served in the Iraq War and was the 2018 Democratic primary runner-up to Pappas in the 1st District. Sullivan launched a congressional campaign last month. New Hampshire’s 1st District, which covers the eastern half of New England’s only battleground state and includes the cities of Manchester and Portsmouth, was once one of the nation’s premiere swing congressional districts. Republicans are aiming to flip the seat in next year’s midterm election, and the race is likely to be competitive and expensive. However, no Republican has won the district since 2014. In the race for the GOP congressional nomination, facilities management executive Chris Bright, who ran unsuccessfully in 2024 for the seat, has declared his candidacy. Former state Sen. Russell Prescott, the 2024 nominee who lost to Pappas, is mulling another run for Congress. So are New Hampshire GOP Vice Chair Hollie Noveletsky and Joe Kelly Levasseur, who, along with Bright, came in behind Prescott in the 2024 GOP primary. State Attorney General John Formella is also thought to be a possible contender for the GOP nomination.
Rubio urged to punish Iraq with ‘maximum pressure’ sanctions for its ‘complete subjugation’ by Iran
FIRST ON FOX: A pair of House Republicans are urging Secretary Marco Rubio to punish Iraq with sanctions for its “complete subjugation” by Iran as part of the U.S.’s “maximum pressure” policy toward Tehran. “More than 4,400 American service members sacrificed their lives since the start of the Iraq War, yet today, Iraq stands as nothing more than a puppet of Tehran,” Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Greg Steube, R-Fla., wrote in a letter to the secretary of state and interim national security advisor. The letter laid blame on the Obama administration, arguing former President Barack Obama and his Iraq envoy Brett McGurk “propped up” Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose leadership was marred by brutal political crackdowns and led to the rise of ISIS. “The Obama administration doubled down on its mistakes, relying on Iranian-backed militias to fight ISIS,” the letter read. “The consequences of those failed decisions are now undeniable: Iran-backed forces wield unchecked power over Iraq’s government and security services.” TRUMP ADMIN ENDS WAIVER ALLOWING IRAQ TO BUY IRANIAN ELECTRICITY AS PART OF ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN Since 2015, the U.S. has offered Iraq’s forces $1.25 billion in foreign military financing, in addition to billions more for the interior ministry and defense ministry. Iran’s influence over Iraq was on full display when, in 2021, Iraq issued an arrest warrant for President Donald Trump for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, even as the U.S. still has 2,500 forces on the ground in Iraq to partner with local forces and fight ISIS. Steube and Wilson called on the U.S. to cut all foreign aid to Iraq until it comes out from under Iran’s influence. The letter calls for the U.S. to sanction Iraq’s importation of Iranian gas. Currently, only payment for the gas is under sanction, meaning Iran gives fuel to Iraq without charge but expects repayment in other ways. The Trump administration ended a waiver that allowed Iraq to buy Iranian electricity in March. GOP REP. JOE WILSON TRUMPETS ‘MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!’ MESSAGE The lawmakers called for designating the Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iranian-backed paramilitary group operating in Iraq, and its financial backers as foreign terrorist groups and sanctioning Iraq’s state banks that financially support Iran. It also called for sanctions on Iraq’s political figures that allow Iranian influence to flourish. “We urge you to take immediate action to implement these necessary policies and ensure that American resources are no longer used to prop up Iran’s control over Iraq.” The U.S. initially invaded Iraq in 2003, toppling Saddam Hussein’s regime and drawing down its troop presence from wartime levels in 2007 and leaving altogether in 2011, before returning in 2014 at the head of the coalition to fight the Islamic State. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Other nations, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy, also contribute hundreds of troops to the coalition. In September, reports emerged that the Biden administration was working on a plan to draw down the U.S. troop presence in Iraq within the year, but no set-in-stone decision was made. Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department and the Iraqi Embassy for comment.
Rubio announces visa restrictions for foreigners ‘complicit’ in censoring Americans
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new visa restrictions the Trump administration is implementing against foreign authorities who it says are “complicit” in censoring Americans. “For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights,” Rubio wrote on X. “Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans. Free speech is essential to the American way of life – a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority.” TRUMP ADMIN ASKING FEDERAL AGENCIES TO CANCEL REMAINING HARVARD CONTRACTS “Foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Americans should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to our country,” America’s top diplomat added. “Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over.” The United States has long condemned censorship and repression by the Chinese Communist Party, Russia, and the Iranian and Cuban regimes, but the Trump administration more recently has added criticism against allies in the European Union. Vice President JD Vance argued that the EU’s Digital Services Act could effectively export European-style censorship to the U.S. through pressure against American tech companies. In February, Vance accused European leaders at the Munich Security Conference of suppressing dissenting opinions by categorizing those views as “misinformation” and “disinformation.” The vice president specifically cited the United Kingdom’s prosecution over silent prayer outside an abortion clinic, the annulment of the Romanian 2024 presidential election results over alleged foreign interference, the conviction of a Christian activist in Sweden for burning a Quran and Germany policing anti-feminist views online. “What I worry about is the threat from within—the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values,” Vance said at the time. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Watchdog finds ‘no evidence’ Biden knew of crucial climate EOs, demands answers on who signed autopen
FIRST ON FOX: A pro-energy group is renewing its call for an investigation into over half a dozen Biden administration executive actions related to climate that it believes should be deemed null and void due to them being signed by an autopen without any public comment from former President Joe Biden confirming his knowledge of them. Power the Future, a nonprofit organization that advocates for American energy jobs, reviewed eight Biden executive orders that it says were significant shifts in domestic energy policy and said it found no evidence of the president speaking about any of them publicly, raising concerns that the orders were signed by autopen and that he was not aware of them. “These are not obscure bureaucratic memos; these were foundational shifts in American energy policy, yet not once did Joe Biden speak about them publicly,” Daniel Turner, founder and executive director of Power The Future, told Fox News Digital. The executive orders reviewed by Power the Future include an Arctic drilling ban in 2023, a 2021 executive order committing the federal government to net-zero emissions by 2050, an executive order mandating “clean energy” AI centers and an offshore drilling ban executive order shortly before leaving office in 2025. PRO-ENERGY GROUP URGES AG BONDI TO PROBE BIDEN’S AUTOPEN ON CRUCIAL DECISIONS THAT DEVASTATED INDUSTRY Finding no evidence of Biden publicly speaking about the executive orders on climate, Power the Future sent letters this week to the DOJ, EPA, DOI, DOE, along with the House and Senate Oversight Committees, calling for an investigation to determine who made the decisions, drafted the executive orders and ultimately signed them. “In light of the growing evidence that actions purportedly taken by the former president may not have been approved or signed by him, but instead promulgated by a small coterie of advisers in his name without his knowledge or over his signature using an ‘autopen,’ the need for congressional access to information has grown in importance with these revelations,” the letter to GOP House Oversight Chair James Comer states. “Congress deserves to know how or whether these executive actions were authorized, and whether the former President was aware of such orders before they were implemented by the federal bureaucracy. Were these actions taken on behalf of the president and purporting to execute his authority undertaken with the president’s knowledge and approach? It appears incumbent upon Congress to inquire, about all parties involved in these actions, who instructed them to do what, when.” WHAT IS AN AUTOPEN? THE SIGNING DEVICE AT THE HEART OF TRUMP’S ATTACKS ON BIDEN PARDONS Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment but did not hear back by press time. The presidential autopen has been a topic of conversation with Republicans in recent weeks and months as questions continue about Biden’s mental acuity during his presidency, particularly the last few years, which have faced increased scrutiny after the release of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book “Original Sin.” “Power The Future remains concerned that key policies of major economic and national security significance directed by the White House during the Biden administration may have been undertaken without presidential awareness and approval, but perhaps instead by a small coterie of staff,” the letter states. “Although this likelihood has become more apparent by claims made in a recent book titled Original Sin, those claims merely support information that had already emerged.” An autopen is a device that physically holds a pen and is programmed to replicate a person’s signature. The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel determined in 2005 that the president is permitted to use an autopen to sign bills into law, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling in February that said the absence of “a writing does not equate to proof that a commutation did not occur.” In March, President Donald Trump claimed that Biden’s pardons of lawmakers who served on the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, and others, are “VOID,” alleging that they had been signed via an autopen and that Biden did not even know about them. DAVID MARCUS: OLD MAN BIDEN’S AUTOPEN PARDONS SHOULD BE NULL AND VOID Despite Trump’s concerns over the validity of Biden’s pardons due to the alleged use of an autopen, constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital that the odds of successfully legally challenging them in court are “vanishingly low.” “Presidents are allowed to use the autopen, and courts will not presume a dead-hand conspiracy,” Turley said. Power the Future’s letter references House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who in January shared that Biden, during a meeting, appeared to forget that he signed an order to pause LNG exports. A report published by an arm of the Heritage Foundation claimed that the majority of official documents signed by Biden were allegedly an autopen signature. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “During the Biden administration, hundreds of billions of dollars were funneled towards pet green projects, while the American fossil fuels industry was punished, and there is no evidence that Biden ordered it, directed it, or was even aware it was happening in his name,” Turner told Fox News Digital, adding that the American people “deserve to know” who was signing the executive orders “behind closed doors.” “This autopen scandal is evidence that these green EOs are invalid, and the instigators should be thoroughly investigated by the DOJ for violating the trust of the American people and perpetuating a great fraud on the nation.” Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
Texas border sheriff says illegal crossings have seen ‘dramatic decline’ as CA migrant center shuts down
A Texas sheriff, whose county shares 54 miles of the U.S. southern border with Mexico, told Fox News Digital he has seen a “dramatic decline” in illegal migrant crossings since President Donald Trump took office, specifically, a sharp decrease in the last two weeks. “Since President Trump took over, we have seen a continued decline in apprehensions,” Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland told Fox. “This past two-week period, we should have been busier because it coincides with the full moon cycle, that’s usually when we see more activity in our area.” ALLEGED HUMAN SMUGGLERS ARRESTED IN TEXAS AFTER HIDING MIGRANTS INSIDE HOLLOWED HAY BALES The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed earlier this month that April year-over-year apprehensions at the border were down 93%. CBP reported 129,000 apprehensions in April 2024 under the Biden administration, compared to 8,383 this past month under Trump. “You know, during the Biden administration, we saw, just like the rest of the U.S.-Mexico border, record levels of crossings and gotaways in our county,” Cleveland explained. “We also saw record levels of deaths from people trying to enter the United States. So that was definitely a challenge for us when you talk about the 10th largest county in the state of Texas, just over 2300 square miles, 54 miles of river.” Trump border czar Tom Homan weighed in on the dramatic decrease in illegal crossings, telling Fox News Digital last week that the U.S. border “is the most secure in the nation’s history.” TRUMP SANCTIONS ARE ‘FULL-FRONTAL ASSAULT’ ON ORGANIZED CRIME AT THE BORDER, EXPERT SAYS “The way we did it, that we got a president in the White House, a strong president, who simply ruled a lot of [Executive Orders], the same [Executive Orders] that were proved effective in Trump 45, remain in Mexico, third state country agreements, ending catch and release, and continue building border barriers,” Homan told Fox. Cleveland’s comments come days after a San Diego immigrant center shut down due to an “unprecedented decrease in illegal crossings this year.” “In 3/2025, San Diego Sector arrested 1,199 illegal aliens with an average of 38 per day. This was a 186% drop compared to 3/2024,” the U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector posted to X on Sunday. ICE BEGINS NEW, NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO ARREST ILLEGAL ALIENS AT IMMIGRATION HEARINGS Cleveland noted there might be additional facility closures if illegal crossing numbers continue to plummet. “As the border activity becomes slower and we see less and less crossings, we’re starting to see Border Patrol close more of these south side of facilities,” the Texas sheriff added. “We don’t have any out here in our area of West Texas. The closest one we had was down in Eagle Pass.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “There’s no reason to spend that money to keep those open, and they can definitely use that money in other parts of the border.”
DeSantis goads Congress to follow FL’s DOGE blueprint as Musk’s cuts still wait for vote
Gov. Ron DeSantis urged House Republicans to take note of Florida’s successful implementation of “DOGE”-type governance and get moving on slashing waste, fraud and abuse identified by the executive branch organization. “Elon Musk took massive incoming – including attacks on his companies as well as personal smears, to lead the effort on DOGE,” DeSantis posted on X. “He became public enemy #1 of legacy media around the world. To see Republicans in Congress cast aside any meaningful spending reductions (and, in fact, fully fund things like USAID) is demoralizing and represents a betrayal of the voters who elected them,” the Republican said on Tuesday. DeSantis had reposted a comment from former government scientist Matt van Swol, who claimed congressional Republicans have not done enough to go to bat for DOGE. WINNERS, LOSERS AND GRAB-BAGS FROM HOUSE GOP’S NARROW PASSAGE OF BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL “DOGE is literally one of the most popular government initiatives in history. 73% of Americans say they support cutting government waste. Trump brought in the smartest man on earth to do it… …the Left destroyed Elon for it …the GOP won’t vote on it I can’t believe this,” van Swol said in the shared message. In remarks Tuesday, DeSantis expounded upon his concerns, saying that Florida’s executive branch has successfully implemented DOGE-type policies in the state, increasing affordability, lowering taxes and ridding Tallahassee of waste and fraud. He said Florida has been a state for 180 years, and it was his own administration who reportedly paid down 41% of its accumulated debt to-date. DeSantis said the average Floridian’s share of the state debt is $400, while federally, their onus is about $105,000. The governor noted how Musk stuck his neck out for DOGE and saw his car dealerships “firebombed” and how the media “smearing him relentlessly because he basically said, look, we can’t keep doing this…” “And yet, we have a Republican Congress, and to this day, we’re in the end of May, past Memorial Day, and not one cent in DOGE cuts have been implemented by the Congress,” the one-time congressman said. DEMS CALL BUDGET BILL ‘BUREAUCRATIC WATER TORTURE’ AS GOP ‘GLAD TO HAVE THE BALL IN OUR COURT’ “That’s one of the reasons why we need a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It’s another reason why we need term limits for members of Congress. But I think what you’ve seen with how, and I kind of said this early on, that DOGE and Elon were on a collision course with the swamp.” Libertarian-minded Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., had lodged a similar complaint – claiming that rescission votes to act on DOGE’s proposed cuts were “cancelled” earlier in May – but a top aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., disputed the claim. “No votes on rescissions were cancelled this week. The Speaker has repeatedly expressed his commitment to save taxpayer funds via the rescissions process,” wrote press secretary Athina Lawson. “Under law, this process requires a special message to Congress detailing proposed rescissions before Congress can act.” House Republicans could not include any DOGE cuts in the “big beautiful bill” because, in order to pass the Senate, the bill could only deal with statutorily “mandatory” spending concerns. The rules of Senate Reconciliation preclude that move as well. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The two options House Republicans have are to wait for a formal rescission request for a cut or cuts from Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought – a Trump appointee – and take that up within 45 days, or try to pass separate legislation themselves through the appropriations process. The issue with the latter is that legislation independent of a request originating from the executive branch would require 60 votes – while a rescission request only requires a simple majority. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate. Two independents – Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King, Jr. of Maine – caucus with Democrats. However, Republicans have had luck putting Democrats in a bind via the appropriations process, as the last passage of the typically massive bills led to members of that party turning on its leader – Sen. Charles Schumer of New York – for ultimately voting to fund the government earlier this year. Fox News Digital reached out to DeSantis and Johnson for comment.
DOJ sues North Carolina over voter rolls
The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections on Tuesday for allegedly failing to maintain an accurate voter list. The Trump administration claims the Tar Heel State is in violation of the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA) after board officials provided a statewide voter registration form that did not make clear whether an applicant must provide a driver’s license number, or if the applicant does not have a driver’s license, the last four digits of the applicant’s social security number. If an applicant has neither, the law says the state must assign a special identifying number. The lawsuit says, “a significant number of North Carolina voters who did not provide a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a social security number using that voter registration form were nonetheless registered by their election officials, in violation of HAVA” and the defendants “only took limited actions to prevent further violations.” FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS NC TO CERTIFY SUPREME COURT ELECTION RESULTS WITH DEMOCRAT LEADING “Upon information and belief there currently are a significant number of voters that do not have a driver’s license number, last four digits of a social security number, or any other identifying number, as required by Section 303 of HAVA, listed in North Carolina’s state voter registration file,” according to the filing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “Those violations will continue absent relief from this Court.” “Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.” A previous edition of the state elections board, in which Democrats held a majority, acknowledged the problem in late 2023 after a voter complained. The board updated the voter registration form but declined to contact people who had registered to vote since 2004 in time for the 2024 elections so they could fill in the missing numbers. According to the lawsuit, the board indicated that such information would be accumulated on an ad hoc basis as voters appeared at polling places. It is unclear exactly how many voters’ records still lack identifying numbers. Lawyers from the DOJ Civil Rights Division want a judge to give the state 30 days to develop a plan to contact voters with records that do not comply with federal law, obtain an identifying number for each and add that to the electronic list. The state and national GOP last year sued over the lack of identifying numbers, which they estimated could have affected 225,000 registrants. However, federal judges declined to make changes so close to the general election. The lawsuit also referred to President Donald Trump‘s executive order on elections in March to “guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion.” FEDERAL JUDGE KICKS BATTLE OVER NC SUPREME COURT ELECTION BACK TO STATE COURT After Election Day, formal protests were filed by Jefferson Griffin, a Republican candidate for a seat on the state Supreme Court, who challenged about 65,500 ballots. He contended that about 60,000 were cast by registrants whose records failed to contain one of the two identifying numbers. The state election board said earlier this year at least roughly half of those voters actually did provide an identifying number. Griffin also challenged another 5,500 ballots belonging to overseas military personnel and their family members who were not required to attach a copy of their photo IDs, as well those in a category of “Never Residents,” or U.S. citizens with family ties to North Carolina who have never lived in the United States. A state appeals court criticized the board’s handling of the registration records but ultimately ruled the challenged ballots had to remain in the final election tally. Six months passed during what amounted to be the nation’s last contested 2024 election. Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs was ultimately certified as the winner over Griffin by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast. Griffin conceded earlier this month but said he did not fully agree with the court’s analysis. This month, the state election board’s composition changed to reflect a 2024 law approved by the GOP-dominated General Assembly that shifted the board’s appointment powers from the now-Democratic governor to Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek. A previous 3-2 Democratic majority is now a 3-2 Republican majority. The new iteration of the board sounds open to embracing the Justice Department’s wishes. Executive Director Sam Hayes said late Tuesday the lawsuit was being reviewed, “but the failure to collect the information required by HAVA has been well documented.” “Rest assured that I am committed to bringing North Carolina into compliance with federal law,” he said, according to The Associated Press. Local elections start in September. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump order targeting law firm WilmerHale blocked as ‘unconstitutional,’ federal judge rules
A federal judge permanently blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm WilmerHale on Tuesday. Trump’s order sought to limit the influence of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP by urging federal agencies to suspend security clearances for the firm’s employees as well as cancel contracts with the organization. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon found that the order violated the Constituion’s First, Fifth and Sixth Amendments, as well as separation of powers. “For the reasons set forth below, I have concluded that this order must be struck down in its entirety as unconstitutional,” Leon wrote. “Indeed, to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers!” Leon argued that Trump’s order served as a threat to law firms across the country. FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING “If you take on causes disfavored by President Trump, you will be punished!” Leon wrote. “Other firms facing similar executive orders have capitulated to President Trump.” WilmerHale drew Trump’s ire as the home firm of Robert Mueller, who served as special counsel during Trump’s first term and investigated alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO Federal judges have been a bane to Trump’s agenda in the opening months of his return to the White House, foiling or delaying key aspects of his immigration and economic plans. A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily halted the administration’s effort to kill New York City‘s controversial congestion pricing program as well. U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman issued a temporary restraining order barring the administration from getting rid of the program and withholding federal funding if the city failed to nix the program. Another federal judge in Massachusetts chastised senior Trump officials Monday night for failing to comply with his court orders after a group of migrants was deported from the U.S. to South Sudan. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy rejected Trump’s request to amend or withdraw the judge’s earlier decision requiring them to keep in U.S. custody six migrants who were deported to South Sudan without due process or notice. “It turns out that having immigration proceedings on another continent is harder and more logistically cumbersome than defendants anticipated,” Murphy said in his order, noting that the Trump administration is free to return individuals to have the interviews carried out on U.S. soil. The salvo comes as Murphy, a federal judge in Boston, presides over a class-action lawsuit from migrants who are challenging deportations to third countries, including South Sudan, El Salvador and other countries, including Costa Rica, Guatemala and others that the administration has reportedly eyed in its ongoing wave of deportations. Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report
Succeeding Trump: 6 Republican potential presidential hopefuls to keep your eyes on in 2028
The 2028 presidential election seems like a long way away, but in reality, the early moves are already underway by some Democrats with likely national ambitions. And one Republican politician is already selling 2028 merchandise. “Trump 2028” hats are available for $50 and T-shirts that read, “Trump 2028 (Re-write the Rules),” sell for $36 on the Trump Organization’s website. But the rules are quite clear: The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution restricts presidents to two terms in office. And after months of flirting with running for a third term in the White House, President Donald Trump appears to be ruling out another campaign. WHERE TRUMP STANDS WITH AMERICANS 4 MONTHS INTO HIS 2ND TERM Despite touting strong support in the MAGA world for a 2028 run for re-election, the president in an interview this month on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” said, “I’m not looking at that.” “I’ll be an eight-year president,” Trump added. “I’ll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important.” But Trump’s 2028 flirtations, which he said weren’t a joke, and his sweeping moves since the start of his second tour of duty in the White House are keeping the spotlight firmly on him, averting any lame-duck talk and putting a damper on any early moves by those in the Republican Party hoping to succeed the president. DEMOCRATS EYE 2028 JUST MONTHS INTO TRUMP’S 2ND TERM The race for the next GOP presidential nomination won’t get underway until Trump’s ready to share the spotlight, and he recently said it’s “far too early” to begin holding those discussions. But Trump also added, “I’m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward.” With that in mind, here’s a look at the potential 2028 Republican White House contenders. Vice President JD Vance appears to be the heir apparent to the “America First” movement and the Republican Party’s powerful MAGA base. It was a point driven home by Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, MAGA rockstar and powerful ally of the vice president. “We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance,” Trump Jr. said on the campaign trail in Ohio a few weeks ahead of the November 2024 election. As sitting vice president, Vance enjoys plenty of perks that could boost him to frontrunner status. Among them, a large staff that comes with the job, and Air Force Two, which he has repeatedly used to make stops across the U.S. and the globe since the start of the second Trump administration. And Vance is now finance chair of the Republican National Committee, the first sitting vice president to hold such a position with a national party committee. The posting puts Vance in frequent contact with the GOP’s top donors. But while Trump has hinted that Vance could be his successor and called him “a fantastic, brilliant guy” in the “Meet the Press” interview, he has avoided anointing his vice president as the party’s next nominee. Vance has taken no steps toward a 2028 presidential run and isn’t seriously thinking about it at this time, a source in the vice president’s political orbit told Fox News. “I really am just not focused on politics,” Vance said in early April in a “Fox and Friends” interview. “I’m not focused on the midterm elections in 2026, much less the presidential election in 2028. When we get to that point, I’ll talk to the president. We’ll figure out what we want to do.” And the 40-year-old vice president added, “The way I think about it is, if we do a good job, the politics take care of themselves.” In his “Meet the Press” interview, besides Vance, Trump also named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a “great” potential GOP leader. “Marco’s doing an outstanding job,” the president said. Rubio, a one-time rival who clashed with Trump during the combustible 2016 Republican presidential nomination battle, became a leading Trump ally in the U.S. Senate during the president’s first term in office. And besides serving as secretary of state, the 53-year-old former senator from Florida is also acting national security advisor, acting head of the National Archives and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. While Rubio’s expanding portfolio in the second Trump administration is fueling speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid, he still faces skepticism from parts of MAGA world who question his “America First” credentials. Conservative Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was flying high after a landslide re-election in 2022, but an unsuccessful 2024 presidential primary run and a bruising battle with Trump knocked him down in stature. However, the term-limited 46-year-old governor, who has a year and a half left in office steering Florida, proved in the past few years his fundraising prowess and retains plenty of supporters across the country. DeSantis was also able, to a degree, to repair relations with Trump, helped raise money for the GOP ticket during the general election and earned a prime-time speaking slot at the 2024 Republican convention. And in December 2024, the governor was seen as a possible replacement when now-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s nomination briefly faltered. While DeSantis is certain to still harbor national ambitions, his feud this year with the Republican-dominated Florida legislature and the controversy over a charity tied to Florida first lady Casey DeSantis are seen as potential hurdles. Thanks to his 2021 gubernatorial victory, the first by a Republican in Virginia in a dozen years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin instantly became a GOP rising star. In Virginia, governors are limited to one four-year term, which means Youngkin has seven months left in office. The 58-year-old governor, who hails from the Republican Party’s business wing but has been able to thrive in a MAGA-dominated party, likely harbors national ambitions. And Youngkin’s trip to Iowa, the state that for a half century has kicked off the GOP’s presidential nominating calendar, in July to headline