Illegal immigrants rack up $1B-plus in Texas hospital costs in fiscal year 2025; total likely higher: report
Texas hospitals accumulated more than $1 billion in healthcare costs for illegal immigrants during fiscal year 2025, the first year the state began tracking the figures. The data, compiled by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and obtained by Texas Scorecard, shows hospitals logged 313,742 visits linked to individuals not legally present, with total costs reaching $1.05 billion by the end of the fiscal year. Texas’ fiscal year runs from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, but hospitals were only required to begin reporting in November. Based on the reported data, costs averaged about $105 million per month, meaning the true annual total could be significantly higher. MIGRANT INFLUX PUSHING MASS. SHELTER COSTS PAST $1B IN FY25: REPORT To put the figures into perspective, the reported hospital costs approach about 1% of the state’s tax-funded resources. The figures were collected under an executive order signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in August 2024 that mandated the agency track the number of “individuals not lawfully present” in the U.S. who use Texas public hospitals. Abbott’s executive order directed Texas hospitals to provide HHSC with quarterly breakdowns on patients not lawfully present in the U.S., including the number of inpatient discharges, emergency department visits and the cost of care provided to these patients. Texas, a border state, reported some of the highest crossing numbers ever recorded under the Biden administration, putting immense pressure on its healthcare system, Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary, told Fox News Digital previously. The largest share of expenses came from inpatient discharges for non-Medicaid and non-CHIP patients, totaling $565.4 million across 40,947 discharges, according to the report. CHIP is the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a federal-state program that provides low-cost health coverage for children in families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. CONGRESSMAN CALLS ON NOEM, DR. OZ WITH PLAN TO ‘SWIFTLY REMOVE’ 1.4 MILLION ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ON MEDICAID Emergency department visits for non-Medicaid and non-CHIP patients added another $205.5 million in costs, according to the report. Patients enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP accounted for significant costs as well, including $255.3 million tied to inpatient discharges and $24.3 million in emergency department visits. For fiscal year 2025, hospitals were initially required to submit data only for November 2024, when they reported 30,743 visits costing more than $102 million, according to the state. Subsequent reporting showed continued high costs. From December 2024 through February 2025, hospitals reported 149,619 visits totaling $330.8 million. Between March and May 2025, reported costs reached $319.3 million, followed by $298.3 million from June through August 2025.
US congressional delegation visits Denmark amid backlash over Trump’s push to acquire Greenland
A bipartisan, bicameral group of U.S. lawmakers set off to Denmark to reassure the NATO ally amid President Donald Trump‘s push for a takeover of Greenland. The group was mostly made of Democrats, but included two Republicans: Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Murkowski, Tillis, Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., and Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., were among those who traveled to Europe for meetings with Danish and Greenlandic officials. Some members of the delegation are expected to go to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week. “The trip will highlight bipartisan support for our allies in the Kingdom of Denmark and discuss how to deepen this partnership in line with our shared principles of sovereignty and self-determination, and in the face of growing challenges around the world, especially bolstering Arctic security and promoting stronger trade relations between the two countries,” a statement Shaheen issued prior to the visit read. TRUMP AFFIRMS US ‘WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR NATO,’ WHILE EXPRESSING DOUBTS ABOUT ALLIANCE Coons, who led the delegation, underscored the lawmakers’ desire to “reaffirm Congress’ commitment” to Denmark, calling it one of the U.S.’s “oldest, strongest NATO allies.” “A great day leading our bipartisan delegation to Copenhagen meeting with Danish and Greenlandic officials to reaffirm Congress’ commitment to one of our oldest, strongest NATO allies. In an increasingly unstable world In which our adversaries are cooperating, our alliances are more important than ever,” he wrote in a post on X. The visit comes as Trump’s renewed push for the U.S. to takeover Greenland continues to draw criticism from both sides of the aisle and some of America’s allies. “That rhetoric doesn’t just undermine our bilateral relationship, it undermines the NATO alliance at a time when our adversaries seek to benefit from division,” Shaheen said during a speech at the University of Copenhagen. TRUMP’S GREENLAND TAKEOVER WOULD LIKELY ENTAIL ENORMOUS PRICE TAG: REPORT The trip began before Trump announced on Saturday planned tariffs for Denmark and several European nations in a bid to force a deal for the U.S. purchase of Greenland. While the lawmakers were visiting, Denmark saw massive protests of crowds voicing their opposition to the U.S. taking the semiautonomous Danish territory. Thousands gathered across the country to show their solidarity with Greenland. The crowds chanted “Greenland is not for sale” and held banners with slogans such as “Hands off Greenland,” according to Reuters. “I am very grateful for the huge support we as Greenlanders receive… we are also sending a message to the world that you all must wake up,” Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, an organization for Greenlanders in Denmark, told Reuters. “Greenland and the Greenlanders have involuntarily become the front in the fight for democracy and human rights,” she added. TRUMP EYES ACTION ON GREENLAND, SETTING UP WHITE HOUSE FACE-OFF WITH DENMARK Trump has insisted that the U.S. needs Greenland for purposes of national security, saying that Russia and China were eyeing the island. During her speech at the University of Copenhagen, Shaheen argued that Trump’s approach is unnecessary, saying the U.S. already has pathways to secure its interests in the Arctic. “Anything the president might want — whether it is U.S. bases to defend against Arctic threats or critical minerals deals — the leaders of Denmark and Greenland have made clear they are happy to partner with us. So, the threats are not only unnecessary, they are also counterproductive, and they risk undermining the broader NATO Alliance in the process,” Shaheen added. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker pushed back against growing European backlash over Washington’s focus on Greenland after France announced new military exercises with Denmark, saying Arctic security is a core American defense interest and that Europe “has a tendency to overreact.” Americans appear divided on the idea, however, with 86% of voters nationwide saying they would oppose military action to take over Greenland, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. The survey found that voters opposed any U.S. effort to buy Greenland by a 55%–37% margin, suggesting the idea has yet to gain broad support among American voters. Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter and Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Fetterman’s former progressive backer says he ‘sold us out,’ escalates efforts to primary Democrat senator
The Pennsylvania affiliate of the Working Families Party said it has launched a new website as part of its campaign to primary Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and “defeat him.” “We supported John Fetterman in 2022. Since then, he’s sold us out. It’s time to replace him,” reads a message on the homepage of PrimaryFetterman.com, which was paid for by the Working Families Party PAC. “He has supported more of Trump’s nominees than any Democratic Senator. He consistently skips votes and Senate work. We deserve better,” the website adds. Fox News Digital has reached out to Fetterman’s office for comment. The effort to primary him was announced last November, and at the time, Fetterman told Fox News, “I guarantee whoever they put up, they’re going to make me look the reasonable guy that’s going to work with both sides together and find a way for Pennsylvania.” SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS TO ‘RESIST’ ADVOCACY OF ‘EXTREME’ STANCES LIKE ABOLISHING ICE Fetterman was elected to the Senate in 2022. He isn’t up for re-election until November 2028. When PA Working Families launched their effort to primary him, they said in a post on X, “We’re training potential candidates, recruiting volunteers, and soliciting donations to help us defeat him.” “If you previously donated to any of Fetterman’s campaigns, you can request a refund of your contributions on the site in just a few clicks,” it added Friday in a post about PrimaryFetterman.com. On its website, the Working Families Party describes itself as, “a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful.” FETTERMAN BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATS TO BACK TRUMP TAKING MILITARY ACTION IN IRAN IF NECESSARY While some Democrats advocate for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Fetterman pressed his party this week not to advocate for “extreme” ideas. “Even Mayor Frey of Minneapolis doesn’t support abolishing ICE. The party must resist the destructive tendencies to push extreme positions,” Fetterman noted Thursday in a post on X. “Secure the border. Deport all the criminals. Stop targeting the hardworking migrants in our nation,” he added. Fetterman also said Monday that he would surely support President Donald Trump taking military action in Iran if it was deemed necessary. “Sure, absolutely,” he said on CNN. “If it continues to make more sense, absolutely. I think I was the only Democrat that fully supported our strike of their Iranian nuclear facilities last year.” Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.
‘Scourge’ of sexual predators, violent criminals being removed from Minneapolis streets despite backlash
Despite widespread protests and intense pressure from local and state politicians to cease operations, the Department of Homeland Security said that its agents are continuing to remove the “scourge” of sexual predators, violent assailants, domestic abusers and drug traffickers from Minneapolis streets. Immigration enforcement agents in the city have faced intense opposition from anti-ICE agitators, especially since the fatal shooting of activist Renee Nicole Good. Despite this, DHS said its efforts in Minneapolis, dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” have continued to nab illegal immigrants with serious criminal records. Among those arrested by DHS agents this week is Teng Houa Vang, an illegal alien from Thailand, who, according to the agency, has been convicted of domestic assault and pled guilty to terroristic threats and violation of a protection order. He has also been charged with arson, peeping tom, obstructing police, trespassing, assault, drug possession, and property damage. Another, Michael Opeoluwa Egbele, from Nigeria, was arrested by immigration officials on Tuesday and has been convicted of fraud and impersonation. MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR DEFENDS SANCTUARY STANCE AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ALLEGEDLY KILLS WOMAN WHILE DRUNK DRIVING A third, Francisco Salazar-Solorzano, from El Salvador, was also arrested on Tuesday and has been charged with assault, domestic violence, and driving under the influence of liquor. Mexican illegal immigrant Victor Javier Bahena-Sandoval was also arrested in Minneapolis and has a criminal history that includes an arrest for domestic violence and convictions for four counts of disorderly conduct and illegal re-entry. Another Mexican national, Santiago Antunes Mendiola, was arrested the same day and has been charged with battery. Spanish national Lorenzo Armillas Llaurado was nabbed as well and has been convicted of felony distribution of a controlled substance. ANGRY MOB CAUGHT ON CAMERA HURLING PROFANITY, DEMANDS FEDERAL AGENTS LEAVE MINNESOTA MEXICAN RESTAURANT In a Wednesday statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reiterated, “We are in Minnesota to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” McLaughlin said that Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey “refuse to let us into their jails and instead chose to release criminal illegal aliens back into Minnesota neighborhoods to victimize more Americans.” “Despite violence against them and a lack of cooperation from sanctuary politicians, our law enforcement will not stop their efforts to get criminals out of our country,” McLaughlin went on. “Another day, another scourge of sexual predators, violent assailants, domestic abusers, and drug traffickers arrested from the streets of Minnesota by our law enforcement.” RENEE GOOD’S FORMER FATHER-IN-LAW SAYS ‘I DON’T BLAME ICE’ FOR DEADLY SHOOTING Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Walz and Frey but did not immediately receive a response.
Democrat insider rips Mamdani bidet hopes for Gracie Mansion, cites Trump White House bathroom reno hypocrisy
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has officially moved into the historic Gracie Mansion, and he’s already hoping to make changes. The mayor spoke to reporters on Jan. 12 and shared his “aspirational hope” to have a few bidets installed in the mayor’s residence. “One thing that we will change is we will be installing a few bidets into Gracie Mansion,” Mamdani said. “That’s an aspirational hope. We’ll see if we can get it done.” A prominent New York City Democrat mocked the mayor’s idea, painting it as a rich man’s fantasy coming from someone who preaches socialism. “He’s been mayor for a minute and now the socialist thinks he’s flush with so much cash he can buy bidets,” the prominent Democrat, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital. MAMDANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAVE BEEN TEXTING AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK — AS UNLIKELY BROMANCE BLOSSOMS: SOURCES When speaking to Fox News Digital, the prominent Democrat pointed out the difference between the reaction to Mamdani’s “aspirational hope” to add bidets versus President Donald Trump‘s renovations to the White House’s Lincoln Bedroom bathroom. Trump posted photos of the renovated bathroom on Truth Social in November celebrating the upgrade which included “highly-polished, statuary marble.” While the president argued that the renovation was in line with the original vision for the space, historians disagreed and comedians mocked him. John Oliver, the host of “Last Week Tonight,” called it “tone-deaf.” The president’s renovations to the East Wing ballroom have also drawn criticism and mockery with Democrats taking aim at the president over the project. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said during an appearance on MSNBC that Trump “found time to demolish the East Wing of the White House so that he can build a ballroom where he can be celebrated as if he was a king.” The East Wing renovation was mocked on “Saturday Night Live,” which did a skit featuring James Austin Johnson as Trump and Miles Teller as Drew and Jonathan Scott from HGTV’s popular home makeover show “The Property Brothers.” The mockery didn’t end there. During a “Weekend Update” segment, Michael Che said he was glad the floor looked “slippery,” according to the Architect’s Newspaper. MAMDANI SPEAKS ABOUT ‘WEIRDEST THING’ HE SAW DURING TRUMP WHITE HOUSE VISIT The Gracie Mansion Conservancy’s website notes that the residence was originally built by Archibald Gracie, a prosperous merchant, in 1799 and was originally a country house located five miles north of what was then known as New York City. Since then, the city has expanded and the mansion is currently located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which is known to be one of the wealthier parts of the city. The conservancy also stated that Gracie Mansion is one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in Manhattan and has served as the official residence of New York City mayors since 1942. “Parks Commissioner Robert Moses convinced City authorities to designate the Gracie Mansion as the official residence of the Mayor in 1942 when Fiorello H. La Guardia and his family moved into the house,” the conservancy’s website reads. HomeAdvisor, a home-improvement cost and contractor marketplace owned by Angi, said in 2025 that the average cost to install a bidet was $640, with a typical range of $400 to $1,500. The site noted that costs can run as low as $40 or as high as $2,000. The bidet type, size and quality, as well as necessary plumbing modifications can impact the installation cost. Meanwhile, HomeGuide, a home-improvement cost guide that compiles pricing data from contractors and project estimates, broke down bidet pricing by unit and installation. The site said a standalone bidet could cost between $700 and $2,600 including installation, while the unit and installation cost for a bidet attachment typically ranges from $100 to $300. It is unclear how exactly the city would install bidets in Gracie Mansion. New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection celebrated Mamdani’s announcement, saying that “more bidets = fewer wet wipes.”
What would Trump’s use of the Insurrection Act look like in Minnesota?
President Donald Trump responded to unrest in Minnesota this week by threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act, which critics said would amount to federal overreach and unnecessarily militarize cities. Trump’s potential use of the Insurrection Act would be the latest in a list of several instances of presidents using it and would allow active-duty U.S. military troops to conduct law enforcement within the state. The statute authorizes the president to take the extraordinary step of deploying the military in the country under certain circumstances, including, according to the text of the law, when “unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion” make it “impracticable to enforce the laws.” TRUMP THREATENS TO INVOKE INSURRECTION ACT IN MINNESOTA IF AGITATORS KEEP ATTACKING FEDERAL OFFICERS The powerful law allows the president to “take such measures as he considers necessary to suppress [an] insurrection” when state officials are unwilling or unable to. The law functions as an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, which says the military cannot be used as a domestic police force, and it allows the president to bypass Congress. Trump seeks to stop ‘professional agitators’ Trump framed the possible use of the Insurrection Act as a means of addressing what he said were failures by Minnesota’s Democratic leadership. “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” he wrote. On Friday, he told reporters he did not plan to use it, for now, but that he has not ruled it out. “It has been used by 48% of the presidents as of this moment,” Trump said, adding, “If I needed it, I’d use it. I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it.” His remarks come as protests and instances of vandalism and violence continue to rock Minneapolis. Tensions skyrocketed this month after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen who had an altercation with ICE that the FBI is now investigating as a possible assault on the agent. DHS ARRESTS ARMED MAN WITH EXTRA AMMUNITION FOR ASSAULTING FEDERAL OFFICER AT LATE-NIGHT MINNEAPOLIS RIOT The shooting came as DHS has deployed thousands of ICE agents to Minnesota in recent weeks as part of what it dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” which has led to at least 2,000 arrests, according to court papers filed as part of a lawsuit Minnesota’s leaders brought against the administration over the crackdown. A federal judge recently denied Minnesota’s request for an emergency order that would have paused ICE’s work. Minnesota’s leaders, openly at odds with the administration, argued the Insurrection Act would improperly militarize a domestic conflict that should be handled by the state. “Minnesota needs ICE to leave, not an escalation that brings additional federal troops beyond the 3,000 [ICE agents] already here,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote on X. “My priority is keeping local law enforcement focused on public safety, not diverted by federal overreach.” Gov. Tim Walz responded to Trump’s call by asking him to “turn the temperature down.” Asked about what would justify the use of the Insurrection Act, Chad Wolf, America First Policy Institute’s chair of Homeland Security and Immigration, told Fox News Digital the president could have “little choice” but to invoke the Insurrection Act. “If the situation on the ground in Minneapolis continues to grow violent, with ICE officers being targeted and injured as well as other violent acts, and Governor Walz and Mayor Frey continue to restrict local law enforcement from doing their job and encouraging their residents to resist ICE, President Trump will have little choice,” Wolf, former acting secretary of DHS, said. “Local leadership is currently taking all the wrong steps and making the situation worse. I hope commonsense will eventually prevail.” What could the military do in Minnesota? There are few restrictions on how Trump could use the military in Minnesota if he were to do so under the Insurrection Act, which legal experts say is lacking in specifics and gives the president wide latitude. The Trump administration would first draft an order outlining which military forces would be used and how. MIKE DAVIS: WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MINNESOTA IS WHY WE HAVE THE INSURRECTION ACT The president could then direct the troops to carry out numerous tasks, such as enforcing federal laws, breaking up protests, or otherwise suppressing what Trump deems to be rebellious activity. What else have presidents used it for? The Insurrection Act dates back to 1807, and although it has been used several times, Trump would be the first to invoke it since President George H.W. Bush used it to quell Los Angeles riots in 1992. President Abraham Lincoln used what amounted to Insurrection Act powers to respond to a rebellion within the Confederacy in the Civil War era. In the 1940s, President Franklin Roosevelt deployed 6,000 Army troops to Detroit in response to race riots under the Insurrection Act. President Dwight Eisenhower used the law to deploy the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, in the 1950s to enforce civil rights laws in the face of resistance from the state. President John F. Kennedy later used the military for similar purposes in Alabama. Would the Insurrection Act stand up in court? Trump federalized the National Guard under Title 10, a separate statute, to respond to anti-ICE activity in Illinois and Oregon, but the Supreme Court recently halted those deployments. Trump would be testing out an alternative by invoking the Insurrection Act, which has faced minimal scrutiny in the courts. Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital he hoped the use of the Insurrection Act could be avoided but that Trump would have a solid legal argument if it were challenged in court. “The rhetoric of the mayor and the governor has only strengthened the case for the Administration in fueling
Minnesota Dept of Corrections dismisses DHS narrative about them not complying with ICE
The Trump administration accused Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of “actively organizing” anti-ICE resistance after officials from the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of lying about how the state is handling its illegal immigration problem. DHS called on Walz and Frey earlier this week to honor federal immigration detainers for the more than 1,300 illegal aliens that the federal agency said the state of Minnesota had in custody, accusing officials in the state of releasing nearly 470 criminal illegal immigrants onto Minneapolis’ streets. Walz’s office subsequently disputed DHS’s claim, calling it “categorically false” that the state does not honor federal immigration detainers, meant to hold criminal illegal aliens in custody after committing a crime until Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can come pick them up. In a press release Thursday, the Minnesota DOC echoed Walz’s verbiage that DHS’s claims were “categorically false,” adding that they are “unsupported by facts and deeply irresponsible” as well. The Minnesota DOC also claimed that they have “always” coordinated with ICE agents when individuals in custody have detainers. ICE RELEASES PHOTOS AFTER VIOLENT MINNEAPOLIS PROTESTS LEAVE MULTIPLE ALLEGED AGITATORS ARRESTED “The Minnesota Department of Corrections honors all federal and local detainers, including those issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” said the Minnesota DOC. “DHS’s assertion that 1,360 non-U.S. citizens are in Minnesota’s state custody is inexplicable. Minnesota’s total state prison population is approximately 8,000 individuals, and only 207 (less than 3 percent) are non-U.S. citizens. Further, in 2025, 84 individuals with ICE detainers were released. In each case, ICE was notified in advance and DOC staff coordinated with ICE officials to facilitate the custody transfer when requested.” According to the Minnesota DOC, DHS did not identify which “jurisdictions, systems, or timeframes” were relied upon by the agency to support their numbers, and said that they did not align “with DOC records or the reality of Minnesota’s prison system.” But the Trump administration stood behind their numbers and claims in a statement to Fox News Digital from DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, arguing Walz and Frey were “actively encouraging an organized resistance to ICE and federal law enforcement officers.” “As DHS stated, across the state of Minnesota nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens including violent criminal illegal aliens have been RELEASED into communities. We have more than 1,360 active detainers on illegal aliens in the custody across all jurisdictions in Minnesota,” McLaughlin said. “We are once again calling on Governor Walz and his fellow sanctuary politicians to commit to honoring all ICE detainers.” REPUBLICANS URGE TRUMP NOT TO INVOKE INSURRECTION ACT IN MINNEAPOLIS AMID UNREST AFTER ICE-INVOLVED SHOOTING On the heels of a fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this month involving federal ICE officers, Minneapolis Mayor Frey told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to “get the f—- out” of his city, while Walz similarly told the Trump administration to “leave Minnesota alone.” Mayor Frey has also issued an executive order prohibiting federal agents from using city property to conduct operations, and a city separation ordinance was recently bolstered by local Minneapolis officials to protect illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, in February, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a formal opinion arguing state law prohibited state and local law enforcement from holding someone solely on an ICE civil detainer. The danger of not properly adhering to ICE detainers reared its head in December after an illegal immigrant with a detainer in Northern Virginia was released from custody and then subsequently killed someone a day later. On Friday, two sources familiar with the probe indicated that federal prosecutors were investigating both Walz and Frey for allegedly impeding law enforcement efforts in the blue state. Sources said the investigation is in early stages, and it is unclear if it will result in any criminal charges.
Jeb Bush heaps praise on Trump’s ‘unprecedented support’ for Iranians 10 years after heated primary
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush credited his former political foe President Donald Trump‘s “historic leadership” on pushing for a denuclearized and democratized Iran, saying that his current organization — United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) – stands ready to help Trump and the people of Iran against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. With Trump’s emergence into presidential politics in 2015, he found his top rival in the former Florida governor, notably dubbing him “Low Energy Jeb” — as the Republican scion hit back that the mogul could not “insult his way to the presidency.” This week, détente appeared to emerge between the two as Bush heaped praise on Trump’s position after the president urged Iranian “patriots [to] keep protesting.” EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE APPEALS TO TRUMP AS IRAN PROTESTS MARK ‘DEFINING’ MOMENT “Take over your institutions. Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. “President Trump continues to demonstrate historic leadership on Iran, with unprecedented support for the Iranian people as they face bullets for freedom. We at UANI join him in standing with the brave people of Iran.” Bush leads UANI alongside former Ambassador Mark Wallace, the ex-husband of MS-NOW host Nicolle Wallace and a key diplomat in Bush’s brother’s White House. FREED IRANIAN PRISONER SAYS ‘IN TRUMP, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS MET ITS MATCH’ “UANI applauds President Trump’s unprecedented support of the people of Iran as they fight to reclaim their country,” Bush and Wallace said in a statement. “For far too long, the United States and the West have equivocated in expressing support for the people of Iran in the face of the Ayatollah’s violence and repression.” “President Trump’s post made clear that no longer will the United States and the West lack the moral clarity to support the people of Iran as they face bullets for freedom. That change is historic.” TRUMP CREDITS IRAN NUCLEAR STRIKES FOR KICKSTARTING ISRAEL-HAMAS PEACE DEAL Trump has been praised for taking a harder line than recent presidents against Iran, cancelling talks with Tehran leaders after reports surfaced that they were shooting and killing protesters in the streets. “UANI joins with President Trump and stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against the Ayatollah,” Bush and Wallace added. Their group is a nonprofit, nonpartisan one, formed to combat threats posed by Iran. POMPEO SAYS IRANIAN REGIME HAS ARRIVED AT ‘NATURAL TERMINUS’: ‘LET’S NOT WASTE THIS HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY’ The tenor between the two Republican stalwarts is a marked change from the turbulent 2016 sweeps. At the time, Trump often mocked Bush for his family’s involvement in the race, reportedly saying, “Your mom can’t help you with ISIS” after former first lady Barbara Bush cut a campaign ad for her son. “Donald is great at the one-liners,” Bush quipped during a 2015 debate. “But he’s a chaos candidate.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the two leaders’ new common ground. On Iran, a senior administration official said the administration supports the people of Iran against the regime’s continued human rights abuses and authoritarian repression, and that the regime is one of the world’s worst violators of human rights; oppressing its people to maintain its grip on power.
‘LA DOGE’ delivers nearly $1 billion in savings for red state: ‘Unbelievably tremendous effort’
Though the federal government’s Department of Government Efficiency has been largely disbanded, a Louisiana state version, dubbed “LA DOGE,” has pushed on and, according to an official report, is set to garner $1 billion in annual tax dollar savings. LA DOGE will achieve $999.5 million in annual cost savings of both federal and state tax dollars across 17 state departments, according to a report by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s office reviewed by Fox News Digital. The report posits that these savings will be achieved “without any reductions in service.” LA DOGE was established by an executive order signed by Landry in December 2024 as the Louisiana Fiscal Responsibility Program. Similar to Elon Musk’s vision for the federal DOGE, the Louisiana version was set up with the intent to eliminate wasteful spending, improve government efficiency and modernize government operations. Since being established, LA DOGE has been spearheaded by Louisiana Fiscal Responsibility Czar Steve Orlando, an oil and gas executive who had worked exclusively in the private sphere until being appointed to the role. The report said the department worked closely with Louisiana legislative leadership, the Louisiana legislative auditor, and the commissioner of administration to identify and implement the cuts. PRITZKER CHALLENGERS DEMAND AUDIT, PITCH ‘DOGE FOR ILLINOIS’ AND POINT TO WALZ-STYLE FAILURES Of the nearly $1 billion in savings, the report said that $367 million was from Louisiana’s state general fund, $601 million from federal tax dollars and $65 million from other funding sources. From the state fund, LA DOGE was able to cut $407.6 million in spending by improving the governmental workforce and service inefficiencies amongst state staff. An additional $206.4 million was cut through renegotiated and canceled contracts. Critically, Louisiana was able to cut $285.5 million through Medicaid cuts that included improved eligibility determination processes to remove ineligible recipients and the implementation of an optimized process of monthly checks of residency of Medicaid members by utilizing data from the Office of Motor Vehicles. An additional $14.9 million was cut in similar eligibility determination improvements for SNAP beneficiaries. An official in the governor’s office emphasized to Fox News Digital that the state has been able to do all these cuts while simultaneously improving the state’s services to citizens. TRUMP’S MAIN DOGE OFFICE SHUTTERS — BUT ITS WAR ON GOVERNMENT WASTE ISN’T OVER “We have been able to keep the budget down and not have a fiscal cliff, wean ourselves off of one time money used for recurring expenses, improve our roads and bridges, fund SNAP through these savings during the government shutdown, and give the largest tax cuts in state history,” she said. Meanwhile, the official said that this has allowed the governor’s office to “continue to push for no income tax.” Landry, who has been in office just two years, referred to LA DOGE as an “unbelievably tremendous effort” during a press conference touting its success. The governor told Fox News Digital that he was “shocked” by the “sheer amount of federal and state matching dollars that we were able to save in the welfare program by doing simple things like cross-checking IDs, license verifications, things that have been pointed out as best practices in order to control the abuses inside the welfare system and nobody would do them. And we just did them and we just immediately started seeing savings.” Landry compared some of the cuts the state made to a family going back and cancelling its unused subscriptions. “Sometimes it’s as just checking to find out about subscriptions,” he said. “In our households, we have a tendency to maybe go back and do that, especially when times get tight, inflation starts biting into people’s pockets. But in government, it’s really not their money, they don’t have to generate the revenue like you have to generate in businesses.” ‘MISSISSIPPI MUSK’: STATE AUDITOR’S MOGE REPORT FINDS $400M IN GOVERNMENT WASTE Though he said LA DOGE’s mission is complete, Landry noted that “our goal and efforts toward improving government and continuing to seek efficiencies are not complete.” “In fact, we are just getting started,” he said. The governor shared that he plans to reform the Office of the Inspector General to “take on a new, expansive role as a reformed office also focused on optimization and efficiency within state government.” “We haven’t stopped, and we won’t stop in finding efficiencies and actually improving the services we have provided through state government,” said Landry. In a word of advice to other states hoping to emulate LA DOGE’s success, Landry urged governors to “just go out and challenge your cabinet members to reach into the bureaucracy and take a look at where the spending is occurring.”
Philadelphia’s threat to prosecute ICE could trigger landmark court fight over authority, experts warn
The Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and legal scholars laid out what could happen if Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner follows through on his promise to prosecute ICE for acts committed in the line of their duty, should operations in Pennsylvania reach a flashpoint. Last week, Krasner warned he would prosecute agents who “come to Philly to commit crimes” in an apparent reference to allegations an agent acted unlawfully in shooting a Minnesota woman who appeared to intentionally hit him with her car while disrupting an operation. Philadelphia County Sheriff Rochelle Bilal doubled down, calling ICE officers “fake, wannabe law enforcement” and warned them they “don’t want this smoke ‘cause we will bring it to you.” GOP, DEMOCRATS CLASH ON CAPITOL HILL AS REPUBLICANS TARGET CARTELS AND DEMS PUSH TO CURB ICE PARTNERSHIPS Krasner argued President Donald Trump could not pardon arrested agents because any cases would be brought at the state level, leading Fox News Digital to ask officials and experts to weigh in on what the true case may be. César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, the chair of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties at Ohio State’s college of law, and an expert in immigration and criminal law that is at nexus in this case, said interfering with federal law enforcement carrying out their job duties is just as much of a crime as killing someone without legal justification. “Immigration agents are permitted to enforce federal immigration laws within any community in the United States, including Philadelphia, but local police officers there are equally authorized to investigate anyone who they suspect of having committed a violent crime.” TOP REPUBLICAN REBUKES NOTIONS TO ARREST DHS AGENTS WITH PLAN TO PULL FUNDING FROM PROBLEM CITIES While federal and local authorities often work in tandem in important operations to deconflict potential flash points, Hernandez said that dynamic has “clearly broken down in cities like Minneapolis” and that Krasner’s comments suggest it’s “frayed” in Philadelphia. If trust is broken between local and federal authorities, actions like Krasner’s pledge may lead to court battles to determine supremacy. Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano — a former professor of strategic studies at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle — predicted the feds would win any litigation due to the Supremacy Clause, which reads that “the supreme law of the land and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.” ICE HEAD SAYS AGENTS FACING ‘CONSTANT IMPEDIMENTS’ AFTER MIGRANT SEEN RAMMING CARS WHILE TRYING TO FLEE He added in recent comments to Fox News Digital that the “Constitution is not optional” and if Philadelphia officials think they can “bully” Washington, they will find out “that’s not how America works.” Hernandez said, “It is absolutely clear that no one — not even federal law enforcement officers — can do anything they like in the course of carrying out their job duties.” “The hard question is where the line is drawn. That is what courts are set up to do, but they can only play their part if law enforcement officials investigate what happened, then prosecutors dig in to see whether there is a legal basis for filing criminal charges.” When asked how they would treat such a case, a Justice Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital the DOJ has a “zero-tolerance policy for violence against law enforcement and will hold offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” A top attorney at the Washington investigative nonprofit Oversight Project said that Philadelphia officials have to be “bluffing.” “Any local arrest of a federal law enforcement official for performing federal law enforcement functions would be blatantly unlawful. Any ICE agents would be immediately released and the local officials should face charges for obstructing federal law enforcement.” “This is hornbook constitutional law that every law student in America learns early in their schooling,” he said, adding that residents in cities where prosecutors believe they can pursue federal agents deserve officials with a “basic rudimentary understanding of law.” DHS also weighed in, saying that the city would have no legal leg to stand on if prosecutors were to decide to interfere in any Minneapolis-style operations on Broad Street. “Enforcing federal immigration laws is a clear federal responsibility under Article I, Article II and the Supremacy clause,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. It would be up to Congress then to give local officials any carveouts, she suggested. MINNESOTA AG SAYS ‘THERE IS NO STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON MURDER’ AFTER FATAL ICE SHOOTING OF RENEE GOOD “Our law enforcement is enforcing federal law — if politicians and activists don’t like the law, they should try to change it instead of demonizing our brave men and women in uniform.” McLaughlin said Philadelphia is not alone in anti-enforcement rhetoric, and laid out the stakes of what kind of lawlessness could have continued in Pennsylvania if her agency hadn’t already begun taking criminal illegal immigrants off the streets. She pointed to DHS’ recent capture of Yehia Badawi, an Egyptian illegal immigrant convicted of aggravated assault and robbery in Philadelphia. McLaughlin also shared the names of a Cuban drug trafficker, a Cambodian methamphetamine dealer and several other illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes, including rape. Krasner’s office did not return a request for comment, and Bilal referred further questions to the DA after a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that lawmakers in Harrisburg do not decide who gets arrested in Philadelphia.