Republicans slam Biden migrant parole program: ‘Rife with fraud’
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee grilled Ur Jaddou, head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on Wednesday, slamming her leadership and the Biden administration for waving in mass illegal immigration and running a humanitarian parole program “rife with fraud.” USCIS is a federal agency meant to oversee lawful immigration into the U.S. “You totally blew it,” Texas Rep. Troy Nehls told Jaddou. “The American people are sick and tired, and you should all be fired. Well you will be shortly because the American people said, ‘We ain’t going to tolerate this anymore,’” he added. BIDEN USCIS NOMINEE CALLED FOR PAUSING BORDER PATROL FUNDING Rep. Tom McClintock, head of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, also drilled into Jaddou, saying: “If anyone wonders why real wages for working families have declined under this administration, look no further than the agency before us today.” “Our subcommittee,” he continued, “has noted that in millions of cases, credible fear interviews are not even conducted before migrants who have illegally entered the country are then released into the country. How do you explain that?” Jaddou attempted to explain by saying that USCIS, which primarily receives its funding from applicant fees, is underfunded. McClintock shot back that “until we opened our borders those fees were more than adequate to conduct those interviews and under your administration, they’re not.” BORDER PATROL CHIEF THRILLED WITH TRUMP BORDER CZAR PICK AFTER ‘EXHAUSTING’ BIDEN-ERA CRISIS: ‘I’M EXCITED’ The chairman took particular issue with the Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans parole program – known as CHNV – which, according to a November report by the subcommittee, was used to allow more than 530,000 migrants from those countries into the U.S. The CHNV program was started by the Biden administration in January 2023 and allows up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S. each month. It was temporarily paused by the administration in July due to fraud concerns but then reinstated just weeks later. “They took a parole authority that required case-by-case review of individual exigent circumstances to provide temporary entry to the United States and transformed it into a fraud-ridden, mass admission of more than half a million Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans up to 1,000 every day,” said McClintock. COLORADO REPUBLICANS SOUND OFF ON IMPACT OF MIGRANT SURGE ON CITIZENS: ‘THEIR SOULS ARE CRUSHED’ McClintock also criticized USCIS for not properly vetting CHNV sponsors and allowing migrants to sponsor each other. “Literally one parolee can immediately arrive in this country, receive indefinite status, and then sign up as a sponsor for the next. This is illegal chain migration on steroids all made possible by an agency willing to contort and ignore the law,” he said. Pressed further by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, Jaddou admitted that the program allows migrants to sponsor other migrants. She said 86% of CHNV parole sponsors are U.S. citizens and lawful residents, leaving questions about the other 14%. Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs dug further, questioning Jaddou on the widespread abuses of the CHNV program by migrants, citing hundreds and thousands of instances of the same Social Security number, email, zip code and responses being used on multiple sponsor applications. “This program is rife with fraud,” Biggs said, adding that “the fraud was so rampant you closed down the program, but you didn’t fix it. It’s still ongoing.” “Do you know how you reduce illegal immigration, according to the left? It’s really simple. You make illegal immigration legal,” said Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt. “Biden was upset the American people were complaining about the increase in illegal immigration numbers at the border,” he said. “So, what did Biden do? He legalized illegal immigration by expanding the intended use of parole to fit his needs.” Throughout the hearing, Jaddou maintained that her agency was effectively managing its duties, including the CHNV program, which she said is “just one piece” of “an entire border management strategy.” “It cannot work alone,” she said. “Neither can enforcement measures work alone if we want it to be long-lasting, and that’s why this process is important.”
You’ve been elected to Congress. Now what? Freshman Republican reveals what it’s like to enter office
Rep.-elect Ryan Mackenzie, R-Penn., says entering office is like a “whirlwind” as Republican leadership prepare the freshman class of lawmakers to hit the ground running in January. Mackenzie, who ousted Democratic incumbent Rep. Susan Wild to gain his seat, told Fox News Digital in an interview that his experience from multiple terms in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has proven invaluable in these opening weeks. Incoming House members of both parties – this cycle it’s 57 new members – visit Washington barely a week after winning their elections for a freshman orientation that Mackenzie says makes it seem “just like it’s any other job.” “You go through ethics training, HR training, cybersecurity training to make sure that you’re gonna protect your information and the data that is so critical and sensitive for ourselves and our constituents and everybody else,” Mackenzie said. HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO MEET WITH VOTE ON RELEASING GAETZ REPORT LOOMING Mackenzie said new lawmakers also have to get up to speed on legislation passing through Congress or legislation that soon will be, all while setting up and staffing their Capitol Hill offices. “Some people have called it that you’re building a small business when you’re running a congressional staff and office networked across your district and in Washington, D.C., but you’re building that in a very short period of time,” he said. DEM REP. NADLER PICTURED WITH HEAD DOWN, EYES CLOSED DURING TESTIMONY FROM OTHERS OF MIGRANT CRIME VICTIMS Mackenzie also offered a look at the Republican game plan for when they take over Congress in January, saying the party is set to be far more effective than the opening months of the first Trump administration. Republican lawmakers heard from both their congressional leadership and President-elect Trump about what the party’s priorities will be come January. “With the House, the Senate and the White House all lined up, we have a great opportunity, but it’s still incredibly difficult to get things done,” Mackenzie said, noting that lawmakers have to come to an agreement on the specific solutions to the campaign issues they ran on, namely lowering the cost of living and stemming the flow of illegal immigration. END OF DEFUND POLICE ERA? CRIME, PROSECUTORIAL CRACKDOWN IN BLUE AND PURPLE STATES SIGNALS SHIFT, EXPERTS SAY “I feel very confident that we’re going to hit the ground running in those first 30–100 days in Congress,” he said. “It’s not going to be like it was the first time when Donald Trump came into office and people were maybe shocked and didn’t really have their act together. It’s much different this time around.” Mackenzie went on to argue that handling the issues of cost of living and illegal immigration “go hand-in-hand in a lot of ways.” He stated that mass illegal immigration drives up the cost of housing and health care. He nevertheless noted that lowering costs was consistently the top priority for voters in polls, followed closely by the border crisis. “We need to make sure we’re addressing these things in tandem,” he said. “It’s about how can we best get both of these things actually across the goal line and through a House, a Senate and signed into law by the president.”
‘ANTIFA Baby Onesie’: Podcast group founded by former Obama staffers sells ANTIFA gear for babies, toddlers
A progressive political media group founded by former Obama administration staffers is selling “ANTIFA” onesies for babies and other anti-fascist-themed clothing for both kids and adults. The items can be bought via a digital merchandise store run by Crooked Media, which was co-founded in 2017 by former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor. Oftentimes referred to as the “Obama bros,” the three communications professionals co-host “Pod Save America,” one of the most listened-to political podcasts in the nation, per Apple Podcasts U.S. rankings. ‘DANGEROUS’ SUSPECTED ANTIFA SYMPATHIZER PLEADS GUILTY TO DETONATING NAIL-FILLED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE In addition to the “ANTIFA” onesie for babies, a T-shirt with the same bold “ANTIFA” text written across it can be purchased for toddlers via the Crooked Media merch store. An “ANTIFA Dad Hat” is also for sale. “ANTIFA” is a common term used to refer to far-left “anti-fascists” who were at the forefront of the George Floyd protests during the summer of 2020. Many of those protests devolved into violent riots, even resulting in the deaths of dozens of people and billions of dollars in property damage because of the unrest. Following that summer, ANTIFA continued to deploy violent tactics. A spokesperson for Crooked Media told Fox News Digital that the clothes it has listed on its website “are not a joke,” but also quipped that “all toddlers are antifa until their souls are broken by capitalism.” JOURNALIST ATTACKED ON CAMPUS BY ANTIFA RECOGNIZES ATTACKERS FROM 2020 BLM RIOTS: ‘THESE ARE PROFESSIONALS’ In addition to the “ANTIFA”-branded clothing for babies and toddlers, the Crooked Media merch store also carries other items, such as a onesie that reads “WOKE MOB” across the front and another that simply reads “BIRTH CONTROL” in big, bold lettering. One onesie for sale displays the word “ILLUMINATI” on the front. They come in T-shirts, too. Crooked Media produces a number of podcasts, but “POD SAVE AMERICA” gets most of the group’s attention with nearly 1,000 episodes recorded, far surpassing any of its other programs, according to Crooked’s website. Fox News reporter Brooke Singman contributed to this story.
GOP senators ‘very impressed’ with Musk, Ramaswamy DOGE framework amid meetings on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Lawmakers told Fox News Digital they are “very impressed” with President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) framework amid meetings on Capitol Hill with agency appointees Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. In November, Trump tapped Tesla CEO Musk and former presidential candidate Ramaswamy to co-lead DOGE under his administration — a new federal department that will aim to reduce government waste and slash costs. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa., chair of the Senate’s DOGE Caucus, led a meeting with senators Thursday to unveil a 60-page cost-cutting proposal. Ramawasy was present at the meeting, while Musk simultaneously sat down with incoming Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune of South Dakota. “I’m very impressed with what Elon and Vivek want to accomplish,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital after leaving the DOGE Caucus meeting. “I can’t talk about what they are going to be proposing, but I’ve known them for a long time, and I think they’re going to do a great job.” DOGE CHIEF MUSK BASHES MASSIVE GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: ‘BOGGLES THE MIND!’ While senators who attended the meeting would not reveal specifically where DOGE intends to cut costs, they all agreed that the conversation was productive. “It showed a lot of us are on the same page,” Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., said of Thursday’s chat. “We need to make government serve people again.” Budd added that he believes Musk and Ramaswamy are “the right people for the moment” to cut government costs. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital that DOGE is rolling out “hundreds of ideas” aimed towards achieving a “balanced budget.” “It was just a great conversation,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said after leaving the meeting. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said, “We talked about a lot of things. This is the very beginning of a process that, if we do it right, will be ongoing. So right now, we are just talking about the art of the possible.” Tillis added that he believes Democrats will come on board with DOGE. Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan of Arkansas said his top priority in addressing costs is fixing “the regulatory burden and litigation abuse to do anything in America.” SENATE DOGE LEADER ERNST TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK ABUSE AT FIRST MEETING WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine also told reporters that it was a “good meeting.” During Thursday’s DOGE caucus meeting, Ernst proposed the federal government relocate Washington’s workforce across the country, and for Congress to set a goal for all federal government agencies to achieve a 60% daily occupancy at their headquarters. Ernst’s report found that only 6% of workers currently report in-person on a full-time basis, with nearly one-third working remotely, according to a copy shared with Fox News Digital. Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Selling Americans a ‘lie’: How election integrity attorneys battled left-wing efforts to upend voting laws
The 2024 election cycle was rife with repeated legal battles to protect the voting processes from left-wing attorneys leveraging the courts to strip election safeguards, the chief of an election integrity nonprofit who saw a string of legal wins told Fox News Digital. “They’ve been selling American people a lie,” Restoring Integrity & Trust in Elections (RITE) President Derek Lyons told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview, referring to left-wing efforts to undermine election laws. “And I think that these past two election cycles, where people have said ‘No, voting is very easy and millions, hundreds of millions of people have been doing it,’ have shown that what they’re doing is misleading, at the very least.” RITE is a non-profit organization founded in 2022 following voters’ concern over the security of the 2020 election during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group was co-founded by Fox News contributor Karl Rove and includes board members such as former Attorney General Bill Barr and Fox News contributor Andrew McCarthy. The organization hit the ground running in 2022 to ensure its “mission of protecting the rule of law in the qualifications for, administration of, and tabulation of voting in the United States,” according to the group’s website. Lyons spoke to Fox News Digital just less than a month after Election Day, when he took a victory lap for his team’s battles against efforts to reportedly undermine election integrity, detailing the top legal tactics left-wing activists took during the election season. POLITICAL HEAVYWEIGHTS LAUNCH EFFORT TO RESTORE INTEGRITY AND TRUST IN ELECTIONS Lyons, an attorney and former White House staff secretary and counselor to the president under President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, explained that Democrat activists were hyper-focused throughout the election on decrying efforts put forth by state legislatures to ensure safe elections, such as voter ID laws, frequently claiming such a policy would disenfranchise voters. “The main thing they do is anytime anybody puts up any sort of election integrity measure, whether that’s voter I.D., voter photo I.D., whether that’s rationalization of cure periods – the ability of people to fix errors in their ballots sort of after the election – ballot receipt deadlines, so that we can know the result of the election quickly … they attack it and say, this is disenfranchising,” he said. ELECTION INTEGRITY IS ‘PARAMOUNT’ FOR 2024 RACE, SAYS FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR “‘This makes voting harder … this takes away people’s right to vote.’ …. They invoke federal voting rights laws that were meant to prevent the worst abuses of Jim Crow. They’re sort of shameless about it. They’ll throw any, any tactic at it,” he explained of Democratic efforts to change voting laws. When groups such as RITE step in to challenge claims that such voting laws are legal and protect elections from illegal activity, Lyons said left-wing activists slam them in court as holding no standing. “They try to kick us out on procedural grounds because, ultimately, a lot of times they don’t want to defend the merits of what election administrators are trying to do.” Lyons pointed to a successful case in Wisconsin back in 2022 when RITE challenged state officials from enabling what he called “re-voting” procedures, which entailed absentee voters who already submitted their ballots changing their votes mid-election. RITE challenged the practice and won to ensure that once a ballot is mailed, it cannot be changed. “We were able to win that case on the grounds that once a ballot is put into the mail, received by the election officials, that’s the end of that person’s vote. There’s no fishing ballots back out and putting them back in, etc. Which obviously creates a risk of errors and double voting and all sorts of other problems. And so they tried to kick us out on standing. We were able to defeat that and secure that victory in Wisconsin,” he said. ARIZONA BALLOT HARVESTING CASE LEADS TO 2 WOMEN BEING SENTENCED Pennsylvania was again the premier battleground state this year, with both Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and a bevy of their respective surrogates criss-crossing the state to rally support ahead of Election Day. For RITE, the group has filed and taken part in 10 different election cases since 2022, including a case revolving around potential double votes. “In Philadelphia, we just got them to admit that they had planned to eliminate a crucial check against double voting to make sure that people weren’t both voting in the mail and in person. So we had that in place for both elections [the 2022 midterms and 2024 election] to prevent that type of double voting, which does happen in Allegheny County,” he said of the double vote case. WHY THE LEFT HATES ELECTION INTEGRITY AND THE SECRET BALLOT Lyons also celebrated a win in a case he described as the “crown jewel” of Pennsylvania: ensuring undated and incorrectly dated mail-in ballots were not counted in the official tally. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in September that mail-in ballots without the correct dates on ballot envelopes cannot be counted in elections. The ruling gained widespread attention following Nov. 5, when Democratic-led election boards bucked the state high court’s ruling and voted to include such ballots in a recount concerning longtime Democratic Sen. Bob Casey’s race against Sen.-elect Dave McCormick. Democrats in the state openly defied the ruling before the state Supreme Court ordered counties to not include undated ballots, and Democrats walked back their decision. NEW ELECTION INTEGRITY GROUP WILL POUR MILLIONS INTO PAYING, PROTECTING WHISTLEBLOWERS ON ‘FRONT LINES’ “We took it to state court and got a declaration that this had to be done under state law,” Lyons said of RITE’s battle against Democratic activists over undated ballot envelopes. “They ran to federal court and said federal law prevents this. We won that case. They took it to the Court of Appeals. Democrat judges disagreed with them and said the date requirement does not violate federal law. They went back to state court and said, ‘well,
Trump assassination attempt hearing devolves into screaming match
The acting director of the U.S. Secret Service and a Texas congressman got into a screaming match Thursday during a hearing on the agency’s failures leading to two assassination attempts against President-elect Trump. Acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe shouted at Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, after the GOP lawmaker lambasted the service for security lapses that made Trump a target of two failed shooting attempts. The outburst happened after Fallon showed a picture of Presidents Biden and Trump at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony this year and suggested that as the Special Agent in Charge of that detail, Rowe should have been close enough to Biden to be in the picture. Rowe was not pictured. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: SECRET SERVICE ACTING DIRECTOR REVEALS ‘NUMEROUS CHANGES’ AGENCY HAS IMPLEMENTED “Who is usually at an event like this closest to the President of the United States?” Fallon asked, pointing at the photo. “Were you the special agent in charge of the detail that day?” Rowe said the security detail was present but out of view of the camera. As he spoke, he became enraged and accused Fallon of using 9/11 for political purposes. SECRET SERVICE KNEW AIRSPACE PROTECTION WOULD END WITH FORMER PRESIDENT ONSTAGE “That is the day where we remember more than 3,000 people that have died on 911. I actually responded to Ground Zero,” Rowe said. “I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center.” “I’m not asking that, I’m asking you, if you were … were you the special agent in charge!?” Fallon interrupted, shouting at Rowe. Rowe raised his voice in response. “I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11!” he yelled back. “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe screamed at the lawmaker. SECRET SERVICE, FBI RESPOND TO TRUMP RALLY VIDEO SHOWING FIGURE ON ROOF MINUTES BEFORE GUNFIRE “I’m not,” Fallon fired back, as the committee chairman demanded order and banged his gavel. “You are, sir. You are out of line, congressman!” Rowe fumed. “Way out of line.” Fallon then accused Rowe of “playing politics” by refusing to answer his question. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I am a public servant who has served this nation,” Rowe retorted, saying he served on the nation’s “darkest day.” “You will not politicize it!” Rowe thundered.
Arizona Republican lawmakers ask for investigation into county recorder’s handling of 2024 election
Republican lawmakers in Arizona are calling for Pima County recorder Gabriella Cazares-Kelly to be investigated for her handling of the 2024 General Election, accusing her of closing an early ballot request portal before the legal deadline for early ballot requests, among two other claims of potential misconduct. Arizona State Representatives Teresa Martinez and Rachel Jones penned a letter to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes last week requesting a probe following reports of “significant and highly concerning issues” involving Cazares-Kelly’s actions leading up to and during the election, the lawmakers said in a joint statement Monday. Cazares-Kelly, a progressive Democrat, has been in office since 2021. Martinez and Jones claim the Pima County Recorder’s Office disabled its online ballot request system six days before the legal deadline, impacting nearly 4,000 voters. They say the decision has raised concerns about compliance with Arizona election laws and potential voter disenfranchisement in the county, located in southern Arizona. The county has a population of just over 1 million people, per the 2020 census, making it Arizona’s second-most populous county, behind Maricopa County. END OF DEFUND POLICE ERA? CRIME, PROSECUTORIAL CRACKDOWN IN BLUE AND PURPLE STATES SIGNALS SHIFT, EXPERTS SAY The pair have also raised concerns that inadequate safeguards in the recorder’s voter registration program for prison inmates may have allowed ineligible individuals to vote. They say previous inquiries into this matter, including a letter sent by Jones and State Representative Cory McGarr on June 5, went unanswered. Thirdly, Martinez and Rachel Jones say that the method of how undeliverable ballots were processed, stored and tracked under Cazares-Kelly’s leadership, has also been raised. A follow-up letter sent by Jones and McGarr on Oct. 24 to clarify compliance with Arizona law likewise received no response, according to the letter. “Election integrity is the foundation of our democracy, and voters deserve to know their elections are being administered fairly, lawfully, and transparently,” Martinez said in a statement. “The numerous irregularities and lack of accountability from the Pima County Recorder’s Office demand a full investigation.” ARIZONA ALLEGED ‘FAKE ELECTORS’ WHO BACKED TRUMP IN 2020 INDICTED BY GRAND JURY Jones added that: “When nearly 4,000 voters face barriers to requesting a ballot, and when questions about unlawful voting and ballot processing are met with silence, it’s clear that immediate action is needed to restore public trust.” Fox News Digital reached out to Cazares-Kelly’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response. A spokesperson for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office says it has received the letter but is declining to comment further, telling Fox News Digital that the attorney general’s office does not comment on potential investigations. Cazares-Kelly is the first Native American woman elected to a seat in Pima County, according to her campaign website. She is the President of the Progressive Democrats of Southern Arizona and Vice President of the Arizona Democratic Party’s Native American Caucus. In Martinez’s and Jones’ letter, the pair made reference to Mayes’ comments last month that her office was investigating whether President-elect Trump’s remarks about former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney qualifies as a death threat under Arizona’s law. On the campaign trail, Trump called Cheney a war hawk and postulated how she might feel standing in a war zone with “nine barrels shooting at her.” “Arizonans deserve free, fair, and transparent elections,” the letter reads. “In light of your recent decision to immediately investigate President-elect Donald Trump over his speech (although you later determined his remarks were protected by the First Amendment), we hope you will agree that Recorder Cazares-Kelly’s alarming conduct administering the 2024 General Election warrants a thorough investigation.” READ THE LETTER BELOW. APP USERS CLICK HERE.
Firebrand GOP lawmaker demands Mayorkas preserve border crisis records for Trump admin: ‘Undo the damage done’
FIRST ON FOX: A firebrand Republican lawmaker in Congress is demanding that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas preserve all information related to the border crisis that took place over the last four years as part of an ongoing records request. “During your tenure as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, we have seen recordbreaking illegal alien encounters at our borders, millions of aliens released into the interior, scores of criminals and other bad actors infiltrating our communities, endangering Americans and aliens alike, and much more. It is imperative DHS preserve any and all information related to the border crisis and mass influx of aliens into the interior so the incoming Trump administration can deliver on its mandate to undo the damage done,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said in a letter to Mayorkas, obtained first by Fox News Digital. Republicans have consistently complained that DHS has not been responsive to requests for information, a claim that DHS has denied – pointing to a slew of briefings, responses and hearing appearances that officials have given. DEM SENATOR URGES BIDEN TO EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN: ‘NOBODY IS SAFE’ Roy says his office and others have received “at best – delayed and insufficient responses or – at worst – no response from your office at all.” “As such, I request that you take all reasonable steps to prevent the destruction of all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information, that are or may be responsive to this congressional inquiry, including memoranda, numerical data, reports, letters, and subpoenas received by Congress surrounding border security and immigration policies of the Biden-Harris Administration from January 20, 2021, to the present,” he writes. The letter comes as a political sea change on how to handle border security and illegal immigration is about to hit Washington, D.C. While the Biden administration has taken a number of hawkish moves at the border in recent months, including a presidential proclamation in June that drastically limited asylum, the incoming Trump administration and Republican Congress are eyeing significant overhauls to how immigration and border security are handled. Given the historic crisis at the border, which started in early 2021 and continued deep into 2024, Republicans have hammered the administration on the border crisis, with Roy being a key member in the impeachment of Mayorkas earlier this year – although that impeachment was not taken up by the Senate. While the Trump administration will likely bring in sweeping changes at the border, Roy’s letter indicates there will be continued interest in how the Biden administration handled the crisis. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Roy’s letter requests that DHS preserves information, including the number of migrants released with court dates, their countries of origins, last known whereabouts, and similar information for those released into the U.S. under humanitarian parole and those allowed to stay under programs like Temporary Protected Status. It also seeks information on how the controversial CBP One app – which allows for migrants to schedule appointments to be paroled into the U.S. – was being used. Information requested also includes those who are no longer able to be contacted, those released with criminal charges or convictions, those with gang affiliations, and those given protection under Temporary Protected Status. Roy also wanted to see the number of visa overstays, those admitted with visas who are suspected of fraud, and the number of countries that are “recalcitrant” and who are not taking back illegal immigrants. He also wants to know the number of Chinese nationals released into the U.S. with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the names of organizations that have received DHS grants for caring for migrants and the number of worksite enforcement investigations conducted by ICE. The letter is the latest sign that immigration, which was a political hot topic in 2024, will likely remain a top item for Congress as well as the administration in 2025. President-elect Trump has already appointed former ICE Director Thomas Homan as his border czar, and has nominated South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be Mayorkas’ successor at DHS. Republicans are expected to push for additional legislation to aid in that operation. That push could take the form of HR 2, the Republican border bill that passed in the House in 2023, but has not been taken up by the Senate.
Sexual misconduct at Veterans Affairs facility is ‘disturbing and disgusting,’ House committee chairman says
Investigative documents shared with a congressional committee revealed “disturbing and disgusting” sexual relationships and misconduct among workers at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility in Tennessee, the committee chairman said Wednesday. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, has been looking into allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and inappropriate interpersonal relationships at the Mountain Home VA Medical Center in Tennessee since the allegations surfaced in July. On Wednesday, the VA shared certain documents from its investigation with the committee that showed sexual misconduct did occur on VA property in Mountain Home. “The sexual misconduct, harassment, and inappropriate interpersonal relationships that were allowed to persist at the Mountain Home VA facility are disturbing and disgusting,” Bost said in a statement on Wednesday. “If these allegations are verified, without question, these men and women have no business serving veterans in East Tennessee, and this should have never happened.” VETERANS’ PTSD SYMPTOMS COULD IMPROVE WITH HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY, STUDY SHOWS Concerns about sexual misconduct among staff at the facility were first raised in July, and later confirmed by whistleblowers, according to the committee. Since July, Bost has sent three letters to VA Secretary Denis McDonough inquiring about the allegations of “a serious culture problem” and requesting an investigation. The VA told Fox News Digital in a statement that the department has “zero tolerance” for sexual misconduct, and the “employees involved in any wrongdoing are no longer with the VA.” “As soon as allegations of misconduct at this facility were uncovered, VA reported the matter to the proper authorities, began our own investigation, and informed Congress,” a VA spokesperson said. “We continue to fully cooperate with all proper authorities in this matter, and we hold our employees accountable to the highest standards of care and respect. Whenever employees fail to live up to those standards, we take immediate action – as we have done in this case.” TRUMP NOMINATES FORMER REP. DOUG COLLINS FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS The committee on Wednesday said that though the VA’s investigation remains ongoing, to their knowledge, the senior leadership at Mountain Home, who were aware of the “sexually explicit activity,” were still employed by the VA. Fox News reached out to the VA Mountain Home health care facility but has not yet received a response. Bost said he’s committed to finding those ultimately responsible for allowing the behavior to occur at the facility and holding all those involved accountable. “As we continue to get more information from the Department on why this behavior was allowed, who committed these actions, whether those involved are still collecting a taxpayer-funded paycheck from VA, and who is ultimately responsible, I will continue to fight tooth and nail to urge the Biden administration to hold everyone involved accountable,” Bost said.
‘Miscarriage of justice’: Soros DA ripped by police for ‘war’ on cops after officer sentenced to prison
FIRST ON FOX: Austin, Texas, police officers past and present are speaking out against the county’s progressive district attorney after a fellow officer was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday for what they say was a case of him performing his job the right way. Austin police officer Christopher Taylor was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of deadly conduct, after originally being charged with murder in the shooting death of 46-year-old Mauris DeSilva in 2019. DeSilva was in the midst of a mental health episode, walking around an apartment complex, threatening to harm himself and holding a knife to his throat, when he failed to drop the knife after being instructed by officers to do so. Fox News Digital spoke to several members of the law enforcement community in Austin who say that Taylor’s prosecution represents a malicious targeting of police officers on the part of the county’s progressive District Attorney Jose Garza. SOROS-BACKED ‘ANTI-POLICE’ DA SPARKS OUTRAGE AFTER SHOWING UP TO FALLEN OFFICER FUNERAL: ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’ “The weaponization of our Justice System by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza has taken away the life of Officer Chris Taylor today,” Austin Police Officer Justin Berry told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Chris knew that by wearing the badge of a police officer he may be called to make the ultimate sacrifice in the service and protection of another officer or his community. I do not believe he, nor his family, ever thought his life would be taken by a malicious District Attorney with a spiteful agenda against a police officer trying to protect himself and others. I have spoken with Law Enforcement leaders from around Texas and we all stand behind Officer Chris Taylor and the other maliciously persecuted officers against the ongoing weaponization of the justice system for rogue District Attorneys to abuse with impunity.” Garza has long faced criticism from law enforcement in Austin for an alleged “war on cops” after the Soros-backed district attorney campaigned on indicting police officers and “reimagining” policing in Austin. Soros contributed $652,000 to the Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC in the months leading up to the 2020 Travis County DA election, according to campaign finance records. That same PAC spent almost $1 million on digital and mail advertisements to help Garza’s campaign. Berry, who was one of over a dozen police officers indicted by Garza for their role in quelling Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, told Fox News Digital that Taylor’s situation “highlights the historic abuse of office by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza to further his personal war against the men and women of the Austin Police Department.” “Today Garza sent a clear message that police officers in Travis County, Texas are prohibited from defending themselves and others (to include members of this very community),” Berry told Fox News Digital. “When an armed subject charges at an officer to harm or kill that officer, every police officer has always been trained and taught they are legally justified in defending themselves or others from serious bodily injury or death. Today that is no longer the case in Austin, Texas. Jose Garza has set the policy that no police officer should respond to ANY call involving anyone in a mental health crisis, especially if they are armed with a weapon.” SOROS DA PUT MURDER CASE ON ‘BACK BURNER’ BECAUSE IT DOESN’T ‘FIT’ LIBERAL AGENDA: VICTIM’S FAMILY A second Austin police officer, who was granted anonymity in order to speak freely, called Tuesday a “sad” and “dark day” for Austin, Texas. “No one wants to go to these mental health calls anymore and, if we do go, there will be some hesitation,” the officer said. “This conviction will cause people to get hurt when they otherwise wouldn’t have.” “We’re all heart broken for Chris and his family. Chris showed up, answered the call, utilized sound tactics and decision making, and is now looking at a two-year prison sentence. We haven’t gotten any meaningful guidance because – what do you change when Chris did it the right way?” AUSTIN’S SOROS-BACKED DA BLASTED AFTER MAN CHARGED WITH 7TH DUI, KILLING 2 PEOPLE RELEASED ON BOND The officers who spoke with Fox News Digital maintain that Taylor followed his training, which was backed up by testimony in Taylor’s defense from former Austin police chief Brian Manley and former Austin assistant city manager Bruce Mills. Additionally, an internal police department review of the incident concluded Taylor followed protocol, and he was allowed to return to work. The prosecution argued that Taylor, believed to be the first police officer in Travis County to be convicted for use of force, could have diffused the situation without deadly force and that DeSilva was not a threat at the time deadly force was used. “We lost him because of your ignorance,” DeSilva’s father said in court. “You were reckless. You know very well that he was not a danger to you, Mr. Taylor, or anyone else. I have no idea why you decided to shoot him.” Dennis Farris, president of Austin Police Retired Officers Association, pointed Fox News Digital to evidence in the trial that DeSilva had meth in his system, a blood alcohol level of over .20 and testimony that DeSilva was moving toward the officers armed with a knife from a short distance away. “We as a society cannot expect police officers to go out every day and protect us while they worry if they will be indicted by some elected DA who decides what they did was criminal,” Farris told Fox News Digital. “Chris Taylor followed the law and his training in dealing with this situation and somehow the prosecutors convinced a jury that it was unlawful.” ‘FAILED EXPERIMENT’: EXPERTS REVEAL WHY SOROS-BACKED POLICIES TOOK BEATING IN DEEP BLUE STATE “This verdict and sentence are absolutely a miscarriage of justice by a DA who is targeting police officers for doing their job and letting real criminals off with little or no punishment.” In a