Federal judge denies Trump admin’s effort to ban transgender people from military
A federal judge denied President Donald Trump’s administration’s efforts to ban transgender people from joining the military, which was set to go into effect Friday. Washington, D.C.-based U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee, on Wednesday, denied the government’s motion to dissolve her order that prevents the military from denying transgender people the ability to enlist in the military. TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN SET TO TAKE EFFECT DURING ONGOING COURT BATTLE Reyes presided over a hearing March 21, when she requested the Department of Defense delay its original March 26 deadline to enact the policy. Reyes said she wanted to allow more time for the appeals process. She also said she had previously allowed plenty of time to appeal her earlier opinion blocking the ban from going into effect. The legal challenge comes as the Supreme Court also considers a high-profile case dealing with transgender rights. The issue in the case, United States vs. Skrmetti, is whether the equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same, prohibits states from allowing medical providers to deliver puberty blockers and hormones to assist with a minor’s transition to another sex.
Congressional Democrats find their voice as Signal slip-up becomes talk of the town
It was sheer coincidence that two of the witnesses testifying before a rare, public hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday were part of the botched text chain about military action in Yemen. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were scheduled for the committee’s annual “worldwide threats” hearing. But something else commandeered the talk of the town. Had the text chain not dropped, there would have been lengthy discussions about domestic terrorism and the threat at the border. How the U.S. was grappling with China. Was there progress in the Middle East? How about the war in Ukraine? RUBIO BREAKS SILENCE ON LEAKED SIGNAL CHAT: ‘SOMEONE MADE A BIG MISTAKE’ FBI Director Kash Patel joined Gabbard and Ratcliffe at the witness table. Patel just assembled a task force to address domestic terrorism. Under other circumstances, senators may have questioned Patel about people setting Teslas afire and keying Cybertrucks. But that was not to be. Democrats have reeled since the early days of the second Trump Administration. They’ve failed to establish their footing. They’ve attacked one another after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sided with Republicans to help avoid a government shutdown. Other Democrats faced irate voters, infuriated that the people they elected aren’t doing more to stand up to President Trump and Congressional Republicans. And then Democrats scored a gift with the bolloxed text chain. Or, it was at least something Democrats could wield against the other side. They were apoplectic about the group chat. “It’s the dumbest thing I’ve seen,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. “I think this is one more example of the kind of sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior,” bemoaned Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. HEGSETH SAYS NO CLASSIFIED INFORMATION WAS SHARED IN SIGNAL GROUP CHAT: ‘NOBODY’S TEXTING WAR PLANS’ Democrats charged that intelligence officials were cavalier with information. “This sloppiness, this incompetence, this disrespect for our intelligence agencies and the personnel who work for them is entirely unacceptable. It’s an embarrassment,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “You need to do better. You need to do better.” Gabbard initially sidestepped when Warner questioned her about the digital misfire. “Senator, I don’t want to get into the specifics,” Gabbard said. That response confounded Warner. “You’re not going to be willing to address…?” said Warner. “Are you denying that? Will you answer my question, ma’am?” But Gabbard deliberately addressed the group chat controversy when she testified Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee. She did so in her opening remarks. But after she addressed cybersecurity threats from China and volatility in the Middle East. Gabbard said that it was a “mistake” to include Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg on the text chain. “The national security adviser has taken full responsibility for this. And the National Security Council is conducting an in-depth review, along with technical experts working to determine how this reporter was inadvertently added to this chat,” said Gabbard. “No classified information was shared. There were no sources, methods, locations, or war plans that were shared.” ELON MUSK TAPPED TO HELP LEAD INVESTIGATION INTO SIGNAL CHAT LEAK: WHITE HOUSE Gabbard then informed the committee that because of a lawsuit filed about the text chain she was “limited in my ability to comment further on that specific case.” The CIA and other intelligence services sometimes rely on the encrypted chat app Signal for coordination. “The use of Signal message and end encryption applications is permissible and was in this case, ‘use permissible,’” said Ratcliffe at the Senate hearing. Gabbard said the bungled texts divulged no top secrets. “There was no classified material that was shared in that,” said Gabbard. “So then if there (is) no classified material, share it with the committee. You can’t have it both ways,” countered Warner. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., who sits on the Intelligence Committee and is the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, chimed in at a news conference. “If that’s true, the administration should immediately provide a copy of the group chat to Congress,” said Reed. The debate over operational security and faulty handling of sensitive information is the entrée for this story. But frank assessments about Europe and U.S. allies by Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth constituted a fascinating group chat biproduct. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: IMPEACHAPALOOZA IS HERE TO STAY Vance texted his concerns about the U.S. commencing airstrikes – which may be more beneficial for Europe than the United States. Vance and other Trump Administration officials have criticized Europe for their approaches to security – often leaning on the United States. “3 percent of US trade runs through the suez,” texted Vance, addressing how the Houthis pose a risk to shipping through the Suez Canal. “40 percent of European trade does.” Vance blessed the operation on the text chain. But added this jab. “I just hate bailing Europe out again,” texted the Vice President. Then Hegseth jumped in. “I fully share your loathing of European free-loading,” replied Hegseth. “It’s PATHETIC.” “Doesn’t that harm our relationship with them?” yours truly asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “I think you have to put that into context for what it is,” replied Thune. “This is a new administration. There’s a new sheriff in town. And, at some point, I think the Europeans and all the other countries around the world – whether they like it or not – realize that.” Some Republicans tried to give the national security officials a pass. “If you have never made a mistake, then you can throw the first stone,” said Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla. ATLANTIC REPORTER PUBLISHES MORE TEXTS ABOUT ATTACK ON HOUTHI TARGETS Other Republicans shot the messenger. “What The Atlantic did by making public something that they believed could have been national security sensitive is irresponsible activity (by) the press,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. But deserved or not, consider how much time lawmakers from both sides burned on the chat group snafu versus delving into actual
Former state lawmaker Justin Eichorn released after arrest for alleged enticement of a minor
Former Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn was granted pre-trial release on Wednesday after being charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in connection to a prostitution sting. Eichorn, 40, is accused of arranging to meet up with a 17-year-old girl for sex on March 17. On Wednesday, the Republican was granted release from jail pending trial, with requirements that he go to a halfway house once a bed is available and be monitored by GPS. MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS TO INTRODUCE BILL DEFINING ‘TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME’ AS MENTAL ILLNESS Fox News Digital previously reported Eichorn was allegedly speaking with a girl who he was told was underage for about a week before arranging to meet on March 17 for sex. When he arrived at the meet-up, he realized the person he was talking to online was actually an undercover agent, affiliate FOX 9 Minneapolis reported. The former senator was arrested and initially granted release at his first court appearance, but prosecutors over the weekend requested a new detention hearing, claiming he asked his wife to move a laptop from his apartment before investigators arrived, according to FOX 9. Court documents showed FBI agents, who arrived at the apartment before his wife, told her she could not take the laptop, which Eichorn’s attorneys argued was for their shared real estate business. Also inside the apartment was a factory-reset cellphone and a gun Eichorn allegedly denied having when speaking with a probation officer, FOX 9 reported. Eichorn’s attorneys said the gun was kept in case anyone acted on threats he received about recent legislation he authored defining “Trump derangement syndrome,” or TDS, as a mental illness in Minnesota, according to the report. SANCTUARY CITY LAWYERS PLOT TO HELP ILLEGAL MIGRANTS EVADE ICE IN EXPOSED GROUP EMAIL Eichorn resigned on March 19 prior to a motion from Republican lawmakers to boot him from the state Senate. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Court records show his wife filed for divorce this week, according to the report. Eichorn could not be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.
Vance celebrates ‘no more quotas’ in the military as he fires guns and visits with Marines
Vice President JD Vance boasted of “no more quotas” in the military as he visited young Marines at Quantico Wednesday, emphasizing that the previous administration’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies are no longer in effect. “No more quotas, no more ridiculous mumbo jumbo, no more diversity trainings,” he said. “We believe the real strength and the real diversity in the United States Marine Corps is that you all come from every walk of life, every corner of America, and you have got the strength and the purpose to win the nation’s wars.” The vice president claimed he saw a “renewed sense of patriotism” and a “renewed commitment to excellence in the nation’s military youth.” After addressing a crowd of Marines, Vance briefly served lunch in the chow hall and fired three different guns — an M27, M107 and an M240B — and an inert Howitzer and a drone at a gun range. VANCE OFFICE TOUTS US DEFENSE OF GREENLAND FROM NAZIS, SOVIETS, AHEAD OF VP AND WIFE’S VISIT TO SPACE BASE Arriving three hours late, Vance blamed the delay on an Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump. “I was in the Oval Office talking to the president. I said, ’Sir, I know we’re in the middle of something, but the Marines at Quantico are waiting for me.” He said Trump sent his “love” and appreciation. Lieutenants at Quantico told Fox News Digital they were excited to see a former Marine in the White House. Amid rapid-fire changes in Washington, they said their day-to-day lives hadn’t changed much in the military, other than new restrictions about what they were allowed to post on social media. Wednesday’s address included Vance’s first public remarks since a bombshell report emerged of the vice president airing his concerns about Houthi strikes in a group chat on Signal with other top U.S. officials. He did not answer questions from reporters about the leaked discussion. JD VANCE RECALLS HIS WIFE TEXTING HIM UNDER TABLE AT SILICON VALLEY DINNER: ‘THESE PEOPLE ARE F—ING CRAZY’ Vance pointed out in messages revealed after The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to a high-level Signal chat that Europe’s shipping was far more affected than shipping in the U.S. by Houthi strikes in the Red Sea. “I think we are making a mistake,” Vance said in one message. “3 percent of US trade runs through the [Suez Canal]. 40 percent of European trade does. There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.” Hegseth addressed Vance’s hesitance: “VP: I understand your concerns – and fully support you raising w/ POTUS. Important considerations, most of which are tough to know how they play out (economy, Ukraine peace, Gaza, etc). I think messaging is going to be tough no matter what – nobody knows who the Houthis are – which is why we would need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded.” Hegseth added, “Waiting a few weeks or a month does not fundamentally change the calculus. 2 immediate risks on waiting: 1) this leaks, and we look indecisive; 2) Israel takes an action first – or Gaza cease fire falls apart – and we don’t get to start this on our own terms.” Vance replied, “If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Hegseth added, “VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes. I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space.”
HUD ends FHA mortgages for illegal immigrants: ‘Should benefit Americans who play by the rules’
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) terminated some mortgages for illegal immigrants in an effort to ensure federal home loans don’t go to those living in the U.S. illegally. HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the move Wednesday, a day after news of a joint effort with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to focus on homeownership for Americans. “Today, HUD terminated Biden’s taxpayer-backed FHA mortgages for illegal aliens,” Turner wrote on X. “American taxpayers will no longer subsidize open borders by offering home loans to those who enter our nation illegally.” HUD TERMINATES OBAMA-ERA HOUSING RULE THAT TRUMP WARNED WOULD ‘DESTROY’ HOME VALUES In another post, Turner said HUD-backed mortgages should benefit Americans “who play by the rules and work hard, not those who enter our country illegally.” “Today, HUD acted to protect the American Dream of homeownership,” he wrote. On Monday, Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem signed a memo to end “wasteful misappropriation” of taxpayer-funded public housing resources going to illegal immigrants rather than U.S. citizens. ICE NEARING HISTORIC DEAL WITH IRS TO AID IN DEPORTATIONS: REPORT The initiative will help with data sharing between the two agencies via newly established lines of communication, officials said. A news release said U.S. veterans stood to benefit from the move. “American tax dollars should be used for the benefit of American citizens, especially when it comes to an issue as pressing as our nation’s housing crisis,” Turner said Monday. “This new agreement will leverage resources, including technology and personnel, to ensure American people are the only priority when it comes to public housing. “We will continue to work closely with DHS to maximize our resources and put American citizens first.” Roughly 9 million people live in subsidized housing across the country, according to HUD. About 59% of noncitizen households — those including green card holders or illegal immigrants — use one or more public assistance programs, costing taxpayers as much as $42 billion annually, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for lower immigration levels. Upon taking office, President Donald Trump called for greater oversight to stop illegal immigrants from accessing taxpayer-funded resources. During the Biden administration, tens of millions of dollars were spent on housing for migrants, including for all-expense-paid stays at hotels for some. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Some states, such as Pennsylvania and Arizona, passed measures during the Biden administration aimed at ensuring illegal immigrants do not take public housing resources from Americans who need them. Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Tesla robots visit Capitol Hill amid anti-DOGE protests, attacks on Elon Musk’s dealerships
Tesla made an appearance on Capitol Hill Wednesday where the company was held up as one of several key American manufacturers during a bipartisan event on U.S.-made robotics. Two Tesla humanoid robots were at the event, with onlookers crowding the machines as they struck various poses. They waved their arms at times, and held up hands with two fingers aloft on each in a Richard Nixon-like pose. At one point, a robot’s arm swung out and hit the rope dividing it from the crowd, briefly sending a security guard scrambling to fix it. Outside of Washington, however, Tesla car dealerships have been targeted by progressive activists across the country. The automaker and tech company is getting singled out for acts of vandalism over its founder, Elon Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts in the Trump administration. DEMS WHO RAILED AGAINST DOMESTIC TERRORISM SILENT AS TRUMP FLOATS 20-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE FOR TESLA VANDALS House select committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., suggested Tesla’s appearance at the bipartisan event showed Congress rising above partisanship. “The competition is with China, and we are united in winning that competition,” Moolenaar told Fox News Digital at the event. He called Telsa “innovative,” adding, “All the companies here have shown tremendous ingenuity, and we were pleased to highlight all of their efforts.” The event featured bots from other events, including so-called “robot dogs,” officially known as “Spot the Agile Mobile Robot” by Boston Dynamics, and a similar machine by Ghost Robotics. Moolenaar said Spot stood out to him in particular, as well as Tesla’s two robot humanoids that were present at the event. “It’s amazing technology, and what struck me was a lot of the same technology that’s in a vehicle is used in these humanoid robots,” he said. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., another member of the committee, said the Tesla robots could have “unbelievable applications.” “Maybe in agriculture — a lot of our farmers are going out of business, can’t compete labor-wise, right? You get a couple of robots that can actually do very detailed farm work and drive the labor costs down, we’ll save the American farmer,” Gimenez said. EXCLUSIVE: HOUSE GOP FIREBRAND DRIVES DOGE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION OF GOVERNMENT MEDIA AGENCY CORRUPTION CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He also accused Democrats outside the event of having their “hair on fire” over Musk and criticized Tesla critics who have been vandalizing its car dealerships. “Some people have taken things to an extreme,” Gimenez said. “There is no need for putting down something that is advancing American technology and is going to be beneficial for America.” The Trump administration has recently made moves to crack down on those vandals, with President Donald Trump himself threatening to jail protesters. The FBI, meanwhile, has commissioned a task force to look into the matter.
Transgender military ban will take effect during ongoing court battle
The Trump administration’s ban on transgender people serving in the military is scheduled to take effect Friday after delays and ongoing court challenges to the controversial Department of Defense (DOD) policy. D.C.-based U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee, presided over a hearing March 21 where she requested the department delay its original March 26 deadline to enact the policy. Reyes said she wanted to allow more time for the appeals process. She also said she had previously allowed plenty of time to appeal her earlier opinion blocking the ban from going into effect. “I don’t want to jam up the D.C. Circuit. That’s my main concern here,” Reyes said during the March 21 hearing. “My chambers worked incredibly hard to get out an opinion on time.” A SECOND JUDGE RULES AGAINST TRUMP’S REMOVAL OF TRANSGENDER TROOPS Reyes gave the government a 3 p.m. deadline that same day to return about her request to push the deadline. The government responded, saying it agreed to delay the March 26 deadline to March 28. The legal challenge comes as the U.S. Supreme Court also considers a high-profile case dealing with transgender rights. The issue in the case, United States vs. Skrmetti, is whether the equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same, prohibits states from allowing medical providers to deliver puberty blockers and hormones to assist with a minor’s transition to another sex. HEGSETH SUGGESTS JUDGE REPORT TO MILITARY BASES AFTER RULING THAT PENTAGON MUST ALLOW TRANSGENDER TROOPS A decision from the high court, however, is not expected until May or June. “The Skrmetti decision will occupy a good bit of the field here and provide some guidance. And so I doubt the D.C. Circuit is going to feel the need to rush things,” Charles Stimson, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “If I was sitting on the D.C. Circuit and I had all these other cases coming my way, and I was on a three-judge panel, I don’t think it’d be the top of my pile.” Despite the looming deadline, Stimson said the ban will be “on pause” as the parties work through the appellate process. “I don’t think the secretary is going to do anything in violation of a court order,” Stimson said. “Even if they disagree with that, you’d be wise not to.” TRUMP ADMIN ASKS FEDERAL JUDGE TO DISSOLVE INJUNCTION BARRING TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN Reyes had issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the plaintiffs March 18. Reyes wrote in her opinion that the plaintiffs in the suit, who include transgender individuals, “face a violation of their constitutional rights, which constitutes irreparable harm” that would warrant a preliminary injunction.” On March 21, the defendants in the suit, who include President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, filed a motion to dissolve the injunction blocking the Pentagon’s ban. The filing argued that the policy is not an overarching ban but instead “turns on gender dysphoria – a medical condition – and does not discriminate against trans-identifying persons as a class.” The Trump administration further requested that, if the motion to dissolve is denied, the court should stay the preliminary injunction pending appeal. The government cited new guidance issued March 21 that it expected to enact the policy it not for the ongoing litigation. The guidance clarified that “the phrase ‘exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria’” solely applies to “‘individuals who exhibit such symptoms as would be sufficient to constitute a diagnosis.’” In its motion requesting to dissolve the March 18 injunction, the government wrote that the March 21 guidance constitutes a “significant change” that would warrant the court dissolving the injunction. Under the requirements, a party requesting to dissolve a preliminary injunction must demonstrate “a significant change either in factual conditions or in law” that shows that continued enforcement of the order would be “detrimental to the public interest.” “The March 21, 2025, guidance constitutes a ‘significant change,’” the filing states. “Whereas the Court has broadly construed the scope of the DoD Policy to encompass all trans-identifying servicemembers or applicants, the new guidance underscores Defendants’ consistent position that the DoD Policy is concerned with the military readiness, deployability, and costs associated with a medical condition — one that every prior Administration has, to some degree, kept out of the military.” Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
Appeals court blocks Trump admin’s deportation flights in Alien Enemies Act immigration suit
A federal appellate court declined to issue a stay on a lower court’s orders in a suit challenging the Trump administration‘s authority to deport Venezuelan nationals via a 1798 wartime law. In a 2-1 decision Wednesday, a three-judge panel sided with the plaintiffs in the suit, further blocking the Trump administration’s ability to move forward with its deportation agenda. Judges Karen Henderson, Patricia Millett and Justin Walker of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals presided over Monday’s oral arguments, which they agreed to hear last week on an expedited basis. The back-and-forth Monday was dominated primarily by Millett, an Obama appointee, who seemed to be clearly on the plaintiffs’ side. She sparred with Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign over the Trump administration’s implementation of the law in question, and whether the administration violated constitutional due process protections in possibly failing to allow individuals targeted for deportation enough time to seek habeas protections. In a concurring opinion of the ruling, Henderson, a Bush appointee, said: “At this early stage, the government has yet to show a likelihood of success on the merits. The equities favor the plaintiffs. And the district court entered the TROs for a quintessentially valid purpose: to protect its remedial authority long enough to consider the parties’ arguments. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO “Accordingly, and for the foregoing reasons, the request to stay the district court’s TROs should be denied.” Their decision could ultimately be kicked to the Supreme Court for further review. Attorney General Pam Bondi sharply criticized lower court judges for involving themselves in immigration issues, vowing in an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” to appeal the case to the Supreme Court for review if necessary. “This is an out-of-control judge, a federal judge, trying to control our entire foreign policy, and he cannot do it,” Bondi said of the lower court decisions. At issue was the Trump administration’s authority to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law, to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, from U.S. soil. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order last weekend blocking the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals, citing the need to better consider the merits of the case — and prompting the administration to file an emergency request for the U.S. appeals court to intervene. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TELLS FEDERAL JUDGE IT MIGHT INVOKE STATE SECRETS ACT ON HIGH-PROFILE DEPORTATION CASE Boasberg also issued a bench ruling ordering the Trump administration to return any planes to the U.S. that were carrying Venezuelan nationals or any other migrants subject to deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. Despite his order, planes carrying hundreds of U.S. migrants, including Venezuelan nationals removed under the law, arrived in El Salvador hours later. The Trump administration had filed an emergency appeal of Boasberg’s order that same day, describing his restraining order as a “massive, unauthorized imposition on the Executive’s authority to remove dangerous aliens who pose threats to the American people” in its initial filing. During Monday’s hearing, Justice Department lawyers were pressed by the appellate judges over the timing of the deportations, and whether the individuals deported under the law had any time to seek relief or challenge their status as a TdA member in the form of a habeas petition before they were sent to El Salvador. Millett told Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign that it appeared that there was not much time between Trump’s signing of a proclamation that authorized the use of the Alien Enemies Act to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals believed to be members of TdA and its first wave of deportation flights to El Salvador. TRUMP DOJ HAMMERS JUDGE’S ‘DIGRESSIVE MICROMANAGEMENT,’ SEEKS MORE TIME TO ANSWER 5 QUESTIONS If the Trump administration’s argument is that the restraining order handed down by a lower court judge last week is “an intrusion on the president’s war powers, and [that] the courts are paralyzed to do anything, then that’s a misreading of precedent,” Millett said. “And it’s a misreading of the text of the Alien Enemies Act. The president has to comply with the Constitution and laws like everybody else,” she added. Boasberg had ordered the Trump administration last week to submit more information to the court about its deportation flights as part of a fact-finding hearing to determine whether they knowingly defied his court order that blocked the deportations. The Justice Department repeatedly declined to do so, even after he offered the opportunity for them to do so under seal, prompting a scathing response from Boasberg last week. In a reply brief filed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the district court is “continuing to attempt to pry sensitive information from the Government,” describing the requests from Boasberg as “intrusive inquiries” and ones they said “could hamper negotiations in the future.” Boasberg wrote that the government had submitted a six-paragraph declaration from a regional ICE office director in Harlingen, Texas, which notified the court that Cabinet secretaries are “actively considering whether to invoke the state secrets [act] privileges over the other facts requested by the Court’s order.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a separate district court hearing, Boasberg pressed the government’s attorneys, at one point questioning them on their credibility. “So, your clients had you come argue this but kept you in the dark about it,” Boasberg said. “I often tell my clerks before they go out to practice law, that the most valuable thing they have is their reputation and their credibility. I would ask that your team retain that lesson.” “The government isn’t being forthcoming… but I will get to the bottom of if they complied with my order and who violated the order, and what the consequences are,” Boasberg said during the hearing.
US-Canada border eyed as vulnerability by China, Russia, says Patel: ‘The enemy adapts’
U.S. adversaries such as China and Russia have started to target the northern U.S. border with Canada, FBI Director Kash Patel told lawmakers Wednesday. During testimony in front of the House Intelligence Committee, Patel told lawmakers that the “effective resolution” to the crisis at the southern border has caused adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran to shift their resources to targeting the U.S. northern border. “The enemy adapts,” Patel said. FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL SENDS MEMO CALLING CNN REPORT OF ATF CUTS ‘ENTIRELY FALSE’ While Patel noted that adversaries have not stopped using the southern border altogether, the “monumental effort” to secure the border and stop known or suspected terrorists from coming into the country has made moving people and substances, such as fentanyl, illegally more difficult since President Donald Trump took office. Patel’s comments come as Trump has overseen a dramatic shift at the U.S. southern border since taking office in January, with the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded encounters plummeting by 90% in most sectors compared to the same time period last year. That shift has been aided by deployments of thousands of U.S. military troops to the border, who have assisted CBP agents with everything from reinforcing barriers to surveillance of potential illegal crossers. FBI LAUNCHES TASK FORCE TO CRACK DOWN ON VIOLENT TESLA ATTACKS, MIGRANT THREATS The sudden silence at the southern border comes after record-setting numbers of illegal crossings during the four years of the Biden administration, a trend that also saw a dramatic increase in attempted crossings from immigrants outside of North and Latin America. Chinese nationals were among the most likely to attempt illegal crossings, with the number of crossings from citizens of the country rising to over 24,000 in 2023, an over 5,200% increase from the 450 encounters just a year earlier, according to CBP data. Overall, Patel told lawmakers that between 2022 and 2025, roughly 178,000 Chinese nationals attempted to cross the southern border. Patel warned that the new security of the southern border could now open up threats to the north, arguing that U.S. adversaries will use the same tactics they previously used on sectors not receiving as much security attention. The FBI did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
The loudest silence: Top Democrats remain mum amid violent attacks on Tesla
Democrats are once again giving the silent treatment to violence and vandalism against Tesla cars and dealerships. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., refused to condemn the violence against Tesla when confronted on Capitol Hill. Few Democrats have unequivocally denounced the ongoing attacks on Tesla showrooms, charging stations and vehicles, even as the FBI has launched a task force to crack down on Tesla crime, the Justice Department announced charges against arson suspects, and Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the attacks “domestic terrorism” – an issue Democrats have railed against for years. House Democratic leaders Jeffries and Pelosi gave Fox News Digital the cold shoulder when asked to respond to the string of violent attacks against Tesla, as Democrats’ silence on the “domestic terrorism” against Tesla grows louder by the day. Jeffries refused to acknowledge the question when asked to denounce the violence as his staff ushered him inside the Capitol, earning a disapproving shake of the head from one staffer. Pelosi brushed off a question about her take on the situation with a polite wave, telling Fox News Digital she was running late. Yet, both Democratic leaders have been steadfast in their rejection of “domestic terrorism” – until now. DEMS WHO RAILED AGAINST DOMESTIC TERRORISM SILENT AS TRUMP FLOATS 20-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE FOR TESLA VANDALS “We have to act decisively to address the poison of White supremacy and domestic terrorism in America. It’s a poison, it’s a cancer, it’s destroying our society. It shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It’s not a Democratic issue or Republican issue, dealing with the crisis of violent White supremacy. It is an American issue,” Jeffries said in 2022. DEMS WHO HAVE SPOKEN PASSIONATELY AGAINST DOMESTIC TERRORISM GO SILENT AS TESLA TORCHERS ARE CHARGED Pelosi applauded her Democratic colleagues in 2018 for “refusing to accept the House GOP’s continued failure to investigate domestic terrorism.” Pelosi has yet to condemn the House Democrats for failing to condemn domestic terrorism against Tesla. Jeffries and Pelosi are just the latest Democrats to brush off questions from Fox News Digital about the attacks on Tesla. Fox News Digital asked 13 Democrats who sponsored legislation to combat domestic terrorism if they agreed the attacks are “domestic terrorism” and if the government should target the people vandalizing Tesla. None of the lawmakers responded. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., responded after publication to imply President Donald Trump should serve time for his own convictions after the president last week floated 20-year prison sentences for “people that get caught sabotaging Teslas,” including their “funders.” “People who violate the law and have 34 convictions should serve time. In addition, the convicted criminals who were documented participants of the Jan 6th insurrection should not be pardoned by the president,” Waters told Fox News Digital. Waters has yet to call for an investigation into how Tesla protests are being funded as many conservatives are pointing the finger at liberal activist groups. Musk recently blamed left-wing billionaire George Soros, billionaire Democratic mega-donor and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and others, claiming they are bankrolling the destructive “protests.” Waters did, however, call for an investigation in 2022 into how domestic extremists are funded. “We are deeply concerned about the financing of domestic violent extremist activities in the U.S.,” Waters and her Democratic colleagues said in 2022. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., however, was clear in calling for an end to the violence when asked about the string of Tesla attacks. “I’m opposed to violence. I don’t believe in violence. People can voice their opposition, but we can’t live in a violent nation,” DeLauro told Fox News Digital. “People can be opposed to something, and people boycott stuff all the time… but the violence needs to stop. We can’t really make that a part of what our national discourse is.” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has also been firm in his condemnation of Tesla attacks and urged his Democratic colleagues to follow suit. “There is zero tolerance for acts of vandalism against Tesla. Spraying the words “nazi cars” or lighting fire to dealerships and chargers is wrong. Period. All Democrats should condemn it,” he said in an X post earlier this month. When asked by Fox News Digital last week if the Tesla attacks are domestic terrorism, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., acknowledged that everyone has a right to protest but no one has the right to violence. “Well, I don’t know what domestic terrorism? It’s outrageous. It’s absurd. People have a right to protest. Musk, they have a right to protest, you know, in front of Tesla, nobody has the right to engage in any form of violence, period. But that’s all. No one has the right to engage in violence,” Sanders said. From Oregon to Massachusetts, Tesla cars and facilities have been vandalized in at least 10 locations this year. What began as protests against Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have escalated into violent incidents against the Trump ally’s company, including shots fired at a building, destroyed dealership windows and charging stations set on fire. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP While no serious injuries have been reported, the FBI identified an anti-Musk website that was registered on March 17, 2025. It featured an interactive map with a Molotov cocktail cursor of Tesla owners’ names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mails, Tesla supercharger and dealership locations, and addresses of individuals associated with DOGE.