Biden administration seeking to finalize $6.6B loan to build EV factory before term ends
The Biden administration is seeking to hand out a multi-billion dollar federal loan to fund a large scale electric vehicle manufacturing plant just months before the president’s term ends. The Department of Energy announced on Monday that they will be giving Rivian Automotive, an EV manufacturer, a $6.57 billion loan to finance construction of a 9 million-square-foot electric vehicle facility in Georgia, called Project Horizon. The DOE said that the initiative “supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal that half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 be zero-emissions,” an EV target likely to be tossed out by the incoming administration under President-elect Donald Trump. The conditional commitment comes as President Joe Biden has been dishing out billions of dollars to fund climate-related initiatives around the country to cement his legacy on the issue during the final months of his presidency. TRUMP PLANNING TO LIFT BIDEN’S LNG PAUSE, INCREASE OIL DRILLING DURING 1ST DAYS IN OFFICE: REPORT If the deal is finalized, the DOE anticipates the facility in Stanton Springs North, Georgia could produce up to 400,000 mass-market electric SUVs and crossover vehicles. GAVIN NEWSOM THREATENS INTERVENTION IF TRUMP KILLS BIDEN’S $7.5K EV TAX CREDIT However, before it is finalized, the company must satisfy certain technical, legal, environmental and financial conditions before the financing documents can be signed, according to the DOE. This means the White House only has two months to finalize the deal before the Trump administration steps in and could derail any plans that don’t align with its agenda. The funds will come from the Biden administration’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) and include $5.975 billion of principal and $592 million of capitalized interest, according to a press release announcing the loan. “Today’s announcement reinforces the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to strengthen the nation’s manufacturing competitiveness, helping ensure American businesses remain global leaders in the rapidly expanding EV industry,” the DOE said in a press release announcing the project.
Federal judge sides with SpaceX after environmental group tried to stop rocket launches
A federal judge sided with SpaceX after an environmental group sought to stop its rocket launches just months before the company’s CEO is slated to work closely with the incoming Trump administration. During static fire tests and launches, SpaceX uses a “deluge system” that applies water to the rocket engine exhaust to absorb heat and prevent explosions during takeoff. SpaceX has said the system uses “clean, potable (drinking) water” for the tests, but a Texas-based environmental group claims the process poses a risk to the environment. In an October lawsuit, Save RGV, a nonprofit based in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, claimed SpaceX was violating the Clean Water Act by releasing wastewater from the launches at Starbase in Boca Chica Beach, roughly 25 miles east of the city of Brownsville. FEDERAL COURT UPENDS DECADES OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS The group requested a restraining order be put in place to block SpaceX from using the deluge system, which would put a hold on rocket launches. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, after the suit was filed, the aeronautics company said an environmental review had already been conducted that cleared the system from any environmental hazards. TRUMP PLANNING TO LIFT BIDEN’S LNG PAUSE, INCREASE OIL DRILLLING DURING 1ST DAYS IN OFFICE: REPORT “The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) conducted a technical review of Starship’s water-cooled flame deflector, which uses potable (drinking) water and determined that its use does not pose risk to the environment,” SpaceX said in an Oct. 10 post. “Save RGV acknowledged that they are aware of these straightforward facts and still filed an unwarranted and frivolous lawsuit.” In a new ruling, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera denied the restraining order request, saying that halting the rocket launches could have various negative implications, including for NASA. “Being unable to launch would create various consequences for not only Defendant, but also the public at large. It would significantly delay and possibly destroy Defendant’s contracts with NASA to further the Artemis Program and Human Landing System Program — worth billions of dollars,” Olvera wrote. The judge also ruled that SpaceX has not been harming the environment, citing environmental reviews that have already been conducted on the launch system. “At the beginning of the Starship-Super Heavy Launch System’s development, it became evident that a deluge water system was necessary to protect the launch site and surrounding areas during launches,” the judge wrote. “A deluge water system sprays large quantities of potable water at the base of the spacecrafts during launch to prevent fires and reduce dispersal of dust and debris.” The decision comes just two months before Musk is expected to work closely with President-elect Trump’s administration. Musk is planning to work with Trump and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency to cut government spending.
California Bay Area city considers ordinance blocking local resources from supporting Trump mass deportations
The Redwood City Council in California voted 4-3 in favor of calling for staff to draft an ordinance for consideration that would restrict the city from cooperating with immigration authorities. “Council voted 4 to 3 to direct staff to place an ordinance restricting the use of city resources to cooperate with ICE on a future agenda in the first quarter of 2025. Thank you, RWC!” council member Chris Sturken said in a Facebook post. The vote came ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming Jan. 20, 2025, inauguration — Trump pledged that as president he will initiate the “largest mass deportation” in American history. MIGRANT MURDERS PUT AMERICAN COMMUNITIES ON EDGE AS OVER 1.4 MILLION AVOID DEPORTATION WITH SHADY TACTICS “The outcome of the national and state election has brought up feelings of uncertainty and anxiety for many of us. I assure you that as your representative I will do everything in my power to make Redwood City a safer and more inclusive community for all,” Sturken said in a Facebook post earlier this month. During discussion of his proposal on Monday, Sturken argued in favor of passing an ordinance to ensure that no city resources may be utilized to cooperate with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, unless required under law. Sturken said that the “ordinance would codify our existing non-cooperation policy with ICE and expand it across the whole city.” INCOMING BORDER CZAR HOMAN TO JOIN TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT AT KEY BORDER POINT, SERVE MEALS TO TROOPS Redwood City’s website indicates that “the Redwood City Police Department does not actively participate in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, which are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “This means that police officers do not conduct sweeps looking for suspected undocumented persons, and we serve all members of the public regardless of immigration status,” the site also states. TOM HOMAN RESPONDS TO DENVER MAYOR: ‘HE’S WILLING TO GO TO JAIL, I’M WILLING TO PUT HIM IN JAIL’ Trump has tapped former acting ICE Director Tom Homan to serve as border czar.
Tom Cotton slams ‘partisans and obstructionists’ in DOD reportedly plotting to block Trump plans
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., blasted anyone within the Defense Department working to safeguard certain norms or policies that they expect the incoming Trump administration to target. “It appears that partisans and obstructionists inside the Department of Defense are laying groundwork to defy or circumvent President Trump’s plans for both military and civil-service reform,” Cotton wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in reference to reports of such strategizing among DOD employees. “These actions undermine civilian control of the military and our constitutional structure of government.” Earlier this month, it was reported that there were “informal discussions” occurring among Pentagon officials on what the department would do if Trump ordered the military for a domestic purpose or if he fired a significant number of employees, per CNN. One anonymous defense official was quoted in the report saying, “Troops are compelled by law to disobey unlawful orders.” “But the question is what happens then – do we see resignations from senior military leaders? Or would they view that as abandoning their people?” they reportedly asked. CONGRESS HAS JUST WEEKS TO AVOID A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFTER THANKSGIVING President-elect Trump promised during his campaign to shake up the federal government, whether it be through staffing changes or reorganization. Some reports have indicated specific people are being looked at for termination once he enters office again. An ally of Trump, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, has been vocal about his belief that the federal government must be shrunk in size. Ramaswamy has been tapped by Trump, along with billionaire business magnate Elon Musk, to lead his planned Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in his new administration. The proposed department has the goal of reducing the size of government, cutting spending and increasing efficiency. SENATE GOP MOTIVATED TO RAPIDLY CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINATIONS AHEAD OF PARTY TRIFECTA IN WASHINGTON Cotton criticized Lloyd in his letter for “promulgating false claims that the incoming administration plans to arbitrarily fire uniformed leaders.” Further, he slammed the secretary for a message after the election that the military would specifically follow “lawful orders” from Trump. Cotton said this was “a thinly veiled and baseless insinuation that President Trump will issue unlawful orders.” “I have to observe that these actions and reports only prove the need for reform and fundamental change at the Department of Defense. And, of course, while inappropriate and annoying, these tactics are also useless because no action by the outgoing administration can limit the incoming president’s constitutional authority as commander-in-chief,” the Arkansas Republican wrote. ‘CONVEYOR BELT OF RADICALS’: GOP SLAMMED OVER SENATE ABSENCES THAT HELPED BIDEN SCORE MORE JUDGES IN LAME DUCK Cotton was recently elected to serve as chairman of the Senate Republican conference in the new Congress. He is also expected to take Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s place as the head of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. The DOD did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital for purposes of this story.
‘Deporter-in-chief’ Obama surpassed deportations under Trump’s first term
As many Democrats are voicing discontent with President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to carry out mass deportations in his second term, some commentators are pointing out that former President Barack Obama oversaw millions of deportations, even earning the title “deporter-in-chief.” On a Tuesday episode of the “Faulkner Focus,” Fox host Sandra Smith said that although Democrats are “promising pushback against Trump’s deportations plans,” “we didn’t hear much about this, former President Obama was dubbed ‘deporter-in-chief,’ that’s because he deported some 5.3 million illegals during his two terms.” “That is more than Trump, so why the resistance this time?” Smith asked. TOM HOMAN RESPONDS TO DENVER MAYOR: ‘HE’S WILLING TO GO TO JAIL, I’M WILLING TO PUT HIM IN JAIL’ Obama oversaw approximately 5,248,413 returns and removals of illegal migrants during his eight years in office, according to data collected by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). From 2009 to 2012, Obama’s DHS carried out approximately 3,175,696 returns and removals in his first term alone. The Trump administration, meanwhile, carried out approximately 1,795,888 returns and removals during his first term, 1 million less than Obama’s first term. Under President Biden, returns and removals dipped in the first two years but then started climbing back up. DHS data indicates that there were 700,000 returns and removals of illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2024, which is more than any other year since 2010. This comes after the Biden administration set the record for the highest number of illegal migrants entering the country in a single year in 2023, with 2,475,669 southwest border encounters. So far, there have been over 7 million southwest land border encounters since Biden took office. 1.4 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN US HAVE BEEN ORDERED DEPORTED, BUT YET TO BE REMOVED: OFFICIAL TRUMP’S ICE NOMINEE DECISION COULD BE IMMINENT AS DEPORTATION PLAN TAKES SPOTLIGHT Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, said that there were more deportations under Obama because illegal immigration was higher. “Why were returns and removals higher under Obama? The short answer is because there was a lot more illegal immigration under Obama and also because interior enforcement was very strong in Obama’s first term,” she said. “The peak of interior enforcement was the last year of Bush and the first year of Obama. And then under Obama, he’s making a decision, and you can track this through certain policies that were issued, to reduce interior enforcement.” However, Vaughan also cautioned against reading too much into the DHS returns and removal numbers without understanding the context. She said that in 2012, the Obama administration started counting removals by Border Patrol the same as interior removals by ICE, further blurring the lines on what is considered a deportation. She said there was a “certain amount of book-cooking that went on under Obama,” because he “wanted to be able to tell people that enforcement was very robust, without having it actually be very robust.” “In the past, removals were typically done from the interior and returns were done by Border Patrol. But under Obama, they changed policies, and they started having the Border Patrol do some removals as a way of imposing more consequences on illegal border crossers,” she said. “That spikes Obama’s removal numbers. Under Bush, a third of removals were border cases and two-thirds were interior. Under Obama, it became two-thirds were border cases and only one-third were interior. So, these numbers are interesting, but they masked some important policy differences between the administrations.” There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. Trump and his “border czar,” former-acting ICE Director Tom Homan, have vowed to use any means necessary, including declaring a national emergency and using military resources to remove illegal migrants from the country. They have said they will start with those deemed a risk to public safety.
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s federal Trump cases cost taxpayers more than $50 million, financials show
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Donald Trump over the last two years – which he opted to dismiss this week – have likely cost U.S. taxpayers more than $50 million, according to Department of Justice expenditure reports. Financial disclosures from the Special Counsel’s Office show that from mid-November 2022, when Smith was appointed special counsel, until March 31, 2023, his office incurred costs of about $9.25 million. A second disclosure laying out the office’s expenditures for the following six months showed the office’s spending increased to roughly $14.66 million. Meanwhile, a third expenditure report, the latest available, showed that from Oct. 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, Smith’s office spent roughly $11.84 million. These costs include both direct and indirect expenses, the latter of which is provided through various Department of Justice agencies. PAM BONDI, TRUMP’S PICK FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL, PRAISED AS ‘LOYAL’ AND ‘QUALIFIED’ FOR TOP US PROSECUTOR ROLE Expenditure figures for the months between April 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2024, have yet to be released, but the average of the three reported periods is roughly $12 million. When that estimate is added to the numbers from the three reporting periods that have been publicly reported, the amount spent by Smith’s office since he was appointed rounds to about $47.5 million. However, this estimate does not include any expenditures from Sept. 30 to date, so the total money spent is likely more than $50 million, Newsweek reported earlier this month. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith in November 2022 to oversee the federal investigation into Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 election, and his improper handling of sensitive classified documents. After an exhaustive, nearly two-year investigation, and other cases that saw Trump surrendering to authorities for a mugshot, Smith filed motions on Monday to dismiss the cases against the former president, citing procedural standards that preclude the prosecution of a sitting president. TRUMP SCORES MAJOR LEGAL WINS AS JACK SMITH DROPS CASE The judge overseeing the election interference case agreed to drop the charges, while a decision on the classified documents case was still pending as of Monday evening, according to the Associated Press. Trump responded to the judge’s decision Monday, calling the investigations he has been subjected to “empty and lawless,” adding that they “should never have been brought.” “Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, before laying into state prosecutors and district attorneys, such as Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and New York state Attorney General Letitia James, who Trump said “inappropriately, unethically and probably illegally campaigned on ‘GETTING TRUMP.’” Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice and White House for comment, but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Glenn Youngkin ‘personally invites’ new Trump admin to settle in Virginia over Maryland and DC
EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will release a video ad Tuesday inviting the countless new workers and officials in the second Trump administration to settle in his state, versus the District of Columbia and neighboring Maryland. Youngkin, who made education policy a pillar of his 2021 campaign against ex-Gov. Terence McAuliffe amid several school controversies in Northern Virginia, said the commonwealth has better schools than its neighbors. Youngkin cited a CNBC study ranking Virginia first in the U.S. in education, and first in the nation overall for business – displacing its neighbor in 2023, first-place North Carolina. “To the new members of President Trump’s administration moving to the area, I want to personally invite you to make Virginia your home,” Youngkin said. DOJ ONCE OK’D KAINE-ERA LAW AT CENTER OF YOUNGKIN VOTE CULLING ORDER FEDS NOW SUING TO BLOCK “Virginia is right across the Potomac. We offer a great quality of life, safe communities, award-winning schools where parents matter, and lower taxes than D.C. or Maryland.” Maryland was listed 31st in best-for-business, and the District of Columbia was unranked, according to the study. The ad flashed through several scenes in the Old Dominion, from the capital, Richmond, to the King Street Trolley slinking through Old Town Alexandria. “It’s why so many people choose Virginia as the best place to live, work and raise a family,” Youngkin said. Youngkin has called education the “bedrock of attaining the American dream,” and the CNBC study credited both Youngkin and the Democratic state legislative majority for compromising on $2.5 billion in new K-12 funding and 3% raises for teachers. When asked about Virginia being pitched as a new home for the new administration, Trump transition team spokesman Brian Hughes said Youngkin’s performance speaks for itself as its own advertisement. CLIMATE PROTESTERS INTERRUPT YOUNGKIN’S 9/11 SPEECH “With the amazing job Governor Youngkin has done bringing common sense, low taxes, and high quality of life to his state, it’s no wonder that he has a compelling case to make to people who are exploring next steps in the region.” Hughes said. Youngkin was swept into office in 2021 after a major political upset of McAuliffe – as Republicans had been out of power in Richmond for about a decade. The last Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, reappeared on the political scene during President-elect Donald Trump’s various legal trials, as he, too, had been subject to prosecution by now-special counsel Jack Smith. In McDonnell’s case, the once-rumored 2012 running-mate candidate’s political future imploded during his own corruption litigation, but the Supreme Court later unanimously threw out Smith’s conviction. Now-Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, ultimately chose then-Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. to run with him that cycle. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP With Virginia being the rare state that does not allow its governor to run for consecutive terms, Youngkin’s deputy, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, has launched a 2025 gubernatorial campaign she said seeks to build on the Youngkin-Sears record. The prominent Democrat in the upcoming contest thus far is Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who gave up her seat in launching her bid. Spanberger will be replaced in Congress by Rep-elect Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, D-Va., – the twin brother of Trump impeachment witness Col. Alexander Vindman.
Incoming border czar Homan to join Texas Gov. Abbott at key border point, serve meals to troops
Incoming border czar Tom Homan will join Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday at a key border area in Texas, and will serve meals to troops stationed there over Thanksgiving – ahead of what is expected to be significant cooperation between the Trump administration and Abbott’s team next year. Homan and Abbott will greet and serve meals to Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in Eagle Pass, Texas. Homan was appointed “border czar” by President-elect Trump this month after Trump’s election win. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THOMAS HOMAN, TRUMP’S INCOMING BORDER CZAR “I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders. Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job,” Trump said on Truth Social. Homan, a former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director, will be one of the most high-profile figures in terms of the mass deportation operation the incoming administration has planned. Abbott, meanwhile, has clashed repeatedly with the Biden administration over border security as his state bore the brunt of the historic migrant crisis at the southern border. Abbott caused controversy by bussing migrants to “sanctuary” cities like New York City, Chicago and others as a way to relieve the pressure on the state. His administration has also built its own border wall, set up buoys in the Rio Grande and deployed troops to provide additional border security. Abbott, a Republican, is likely to find an alliance with the incoming administration with aligned views on additional border security, the ending of “catch-and-release” and tougher penalties on those entering the U.S. illegally. Speaking on “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday, Homan said the incoming administration is not waiting until Jan 20 to get to work. TRUMP’S ‘BORDER CZAR’ WARNS DEM GOVS REJECTING TRUMP DEPORTATION PLAN: ‘GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY’ “We’re already planning what we’re going to do to lock down the state of Texas,” he said. “Gov. Abbott’s in a great job so far. Illegal crossings in Texas are down over 80% because of the great work by Gov. Abbott, and he’s been successful because he has taken the Trump policies and put them to work.” “We’re going to partner up and help him do 100% security on his border, and we’re going to do that across the southwest border,” he said. On Monday, Abbott announced that Texas recently installed more buoy barriers in the Rio Grande. “Texas continues our historic border security mission to stop illegal entry and safeguard our nation,” he said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “We’ll use every tool and strategy available to hold the line,” he said. Later Monday, he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he was thankful for the incoming administration and the role Homan will play in it. “I’m thankful that we have Tom Homan as the incoming border czar who is going to help execute those laws and enforce those laws and make sure that we get back to restoring order.”
NYC elementary school blasted for teaching ‘gender identity’ course to kindergarteners
A New York City elementary school is being called out for teaching a gender identity class to kindergartners after a copy of the course began circulating on social media. Hillside Elementary School, part of the Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free District, has been teaching a “gender curriculum” to elementary-level children in an effort to promote “inclusion” in the school, according to the course description reviewed by Fox News Digital. The course includes showing kindergarten students photos of other children which are used to “introduce vocabulary to describe characters of different identities,” including teaching them about the terms “cisgender, transgender, and non-binary,” according to a message to parents regarding the curriculum. “Our gender curriculum focuses on Hillside’s core value of respect and aims to center discussions on gender identity. The students will learn and discuss that there is a lot you can’t tell about a person by simply looking at them,” the kindergarten level course description reads. PA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AGREES TO CANCEL REQUIREMENT FOR TEACHERS TO ADOPT GUIDELINES DEEMED ‘WOKE’ “The students will look at pictures of children and talk about what they notice and what they think they know about the children just from the pictures. Using their observations, we will then take the opportunity to introduce vocabulary to describe characters of different identities,” the school writes. GOP SENATOR DEBUTS BILL TO ABOLISH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOLLOWING TRUMP CAMPAIGN PROMISE The “identity” being taught to children includes discussing “gender and the pronouns that you use,” and that “as we learn and grow, the words we use to describe our gender identity can grow too,” as described by the school. When asked by Fox News Digital about the curriculum, the Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free District communications team said that the lessons have been in place for several years and are rooted in “Hillside’s core values of respect and fostering dignity for all students.” “One 30-minute gender lesson is taught in each class one time per year. The classes are led by a certified educator, following a specific set of lessons designed to help students value the full diversity of their classmates,” Superintendent William S. McKersie said in a message to faculty and parents. “The lessons have been created in alignment with the NYS Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework,” he wrote. The school noted that the lessons do not address sex education or sexuality. The school district said that while they usually have the courses posted publicly online, the gender lesson description has been taken off the website since going viral. LibsofTikTok, a social media account known for posting content geared toward calling out the far-left, posted a copy of the message to parents, which quickly received millions of views. “Our kids can’t read or write or even possess a basic understanding of history, yet the gender communism indoctrination of kindergartners continues unabated,” New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino said in a repost of the curriculum. “This won’t stop until these people face real consequences.” Kemberlee Kaye, managing editor of Critical Race Training in Education, a database that allows viewers to see which schools identified have been practicing critical race theory teachings, responded on X to “get your kids out of government schools.”
Federal judge blocks Biden labor protections for foreign farmworkers
A federal judge in Kentucky rejected expanded protections implemented by the Biden-Harris administration for foreign farmworkers who come to the U.S. under H-2A visas. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves granted an injunction siding with Kentucky farmers and Republican attorneys general in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Alabama who argued that the new rules constituted granting foreign farmworkers collection bargaining rights. Reeves said that Congress, not the Biden-Harris administration, would have to determine whether to allow H-2A visa-holders the right to unionize. Those new rules, implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor in April, expanded protections for H-2A visa-holders, including requiring employers to ensure they would not intimidate, threaten or otherwise discriminate against foreign farmworkers for “activities related to self-organization” and “concerted activities for the purpose of mutual aide or protection relating to wages of working conditions.” “In perhaps its most blatant arrogation of authority, the Final Rule seeks to extend numerous rights to H-2A workers which they did not previously enjoy through its worker voice and empowerment provisions,” Judge Reeves wrote. “The DOL justifies this attempted regulatory expansion as an effort to prevent the alleged ‘unfair treatment’ of H-2A workers by employers to protect similarly situated American workers.” FARMERS ‘BRUTALIZED’ AS COSTS ‘GO THROUGH THE ROOF’ IN LAST DAYS OF BIDEN’S AMERICA “The Final Rule not so sneakily creates substantive collective bargaining rights for H-2A agricultural workers through the ‘prohibitions’ it places on their employers,” Reeves wrote. “Framing these provisions as mere expansions of anti-retaliation policies, the DOL attempts to grant H-2A workers substantive rights without Congressional authorization.” Under a prior preliminary injunction issued by a federal judge in Georgia, the new rules had already been blocked in 17 states. Reeves’ decision does not apply nationwide. TRUMP TAPS TEXAN BROOKE ROLLINS AS AGRICULTURE SECRETARY Congress created the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program in 1986 through the Immigration Reform and Control Act, allowing employers to hire foreign farmworkers on a temporary, seasonal basis, when there is a shortage of U.S. workers to fill the needed positions. It includes protections for American workers, including setting a minimum wage rate for foreigners coming to work under the program. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman argued that the Biden-Harris administration rules could have caused “serious and irreversible damage to farmers who are just trying to get by and bring food to Kentucky’s dinner tables.” “We should be working to help Kentucky’s farmers, not put them out of business. This unlawful and unnecessary rule from the Biden-Harris Administration would have made it harder to get farmers’ products to grocery store shelves and would have increased already high prices for families,” Coleman said in a statement. “We will continue to do what’s right to stand up for Kentucky’s farmers.”