Calm amid chaos: Noem defies calls to resign, touts border victory as shutdowns, storms and riots swirl
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been a lightning rod for criticism amid anti-ICE riots that have rocked the country, sparked a government shutdown and left many wondering whether the nation’s eighth DHS secretary would keep her job. Despite the mounting pressure, Noem appeared calm, collected and confident during a trip this week that included a stop in Mississippi to assess winter storm damage recovery efforts, visits to the southern border in Texas and Arizona as well as the northern border in North Dakota and a barbecue dinner hosted and served by Noem to Border Patrol agents in Arizona. During the first half of the four-day stint, Congress was still dealing with a partial government shutdown largely over how to fund DHS. The House ultimately reached an agreement, funding the agency through Feb. 13, but Noem’s focus remained the same before and after the bill passed, and her schedule was left unchanged. During an exclusive interview along the border wall in Nogales, Arizona, Noem told Fox News Digital the national security functions of the agency are too vital to be sidelined by a spending fight. BORDER CROSSINGS HIT 55-YEAR LOW — AFTER DEMOCRATS SAID REFORM WAS THE ONLY FIX “Every day [DHS is] finding terrorists and removing them from our country, protecting our cybersecurity systems, our critical infrastructure,” Noem told Fox. “Only 11% of the DHS budget is ICE. The rest of it is FEMA, TSA, that runs our security checkpoints at our airports. “It is also the Coast Guard, which is absolutely critical to our maritime protection and also partnering with the Department of War,” Noem added. “We have weapons of mass destruction, science and technology, our national labs. “We have a lot of responsibilities that we absolutely need to fund in order to do them properly. So, I’m hopeful that Congress will recognize that and pass this bill quickly.” KRISTI NOEM TO TESTIFY BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH But the debate over government spending wasn’t about the Coast Guard, FEMA or TSA. It was almost entirely based on one of the 23 agencies Noem oversees, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Specifically, it centered around ICE’s actions in Minneapolis, a so-called sanctuary city in which local authorities provide only minimal support to federal officers enforcing immigration laws. Since the beginning of the year, DHS estimates that Operation Metro Surge has resulted in the apprehension of 4,000 criminal illegal migrants in Minneapolis. The operation was launched mainly due to a fraud scheme that involved members of the Somali community in Minnesota. The mission then evolved into a heated clash between agitators and federal officers that ultimately left two U.S. citizens dead, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both killed by federal immigration agents. NOEM VOWS CRIMINAL PROSECUTION AFTER CATCHING ALLEGED DHS ‘PROLIFIC LEAKER’ Noem quickly labeled both Good and Pretti “domestic terrorists” and said their deaths were due to impeding “law enforcement operations,” sparking outrage from Democrats and some Republicans who began to call for her resignation. Rumors swirled whether Noem would resign or if President Donald Trump would fire her, but the president told reporters shortly after the death of Pretti he had no intention of relieving her from her position as head of DHS. When Fox News Digital asked Noem what she believed the American people want when it comes to ICE enforcing the law using the same tactics that led to riots, deaths and assaults on both agitators and agents, Noem said, “I think people would want less conflict.” LEAVITT SAYS TRUMP WILL NOT ‘WAVER’ ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN DESPITE DEMOCRATIC BACKLASH “[The American people] want to know that we’re enforcing our laws and that we are going after dangerous criminals, and they don’t want them to be released on the streets to perpetuate more crimes,” Noem explained. At some stops along Noem’s trip, agitators appeared. At a dinner she hosted inside a hotel in Tucson, Arizona, for CBP officers, protesters with drums, megaphones and seemingly pre-made signs gathered at the entrance of the hotel. Every other car traveling by the demonstration honked, though it’s unclear whether they were honking in support or in disagreement with the protesters. A Quinnipiac University survey taken from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 showed 58% of those questioned say Noem shouldn’t have her job. DHS SECRETARY NOEM STANDS BY BODY CAMERA REQUIREMENT FOR FEDERAL AGENTS FOLLOWING TRUMP COMMENTS Fox News Digital spoke with a GOP insider who pointed to Noem’s inexperience on the national stage, saying her time as governor of South Dakota didn’t prepare her for one of the most challenging roles in the presidential cabinet. Despite the critics, Noem’s record on securing the border has proven successful, according to figures provided by the department and the Trump administration. Trump’s goal to deter illegal migrants from crossing the border, which was Noem’s mandate, has been a priority for the White House. More illegal migrants crossed the southern border in one average month under former President Biden’s watch than have crossed under Noem’s entire watch, according to DHS. NOEM DEPLOYS TO BOTH BORDERS, SAYS ICE WON’T BE DETERRED BY SANCTUARY OFFICIALS WHO ‘WANT TO CREATE CONFLICT’ “We have over 3 million people that have deported, and that includes probably about 700,000 that we have detained and removed,” Noem told Fox News Digital Wednesday. “Beyond that, over 2.3 million have self-deported. “You know, you send the message around the world that America is now going to be enforcing its laws and making sure that if you’re in this country illegally, that you should go home, and we’ve been incentivizing that through a $2,600 payment and a flight,” Noem added. “Millions of people have taken us up on that.” Trump defended Noem for a second time during remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday when discussing whether he would relinquish her command at DHS. HOUSE DEMOCRATS HOLD ‘SHADOW HEARINGS’ AS THEY BUILD CASE TO IMPEACH KRISTI NOEM “Why would I do that? We have the strongest border in the history
This Senate Democrat wants voter ID for his campaign events — but not federal elections
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., asked attendees at a campaign event Saturday to show government-issued photo ID, even while opposing similar standards for voters in federal elections. Email confirmation information for an Ossoff rally in Atlanta detailed that “a matching government-issued ID will be verified against the RSVP list by name to enter.” Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., who is running against Ossoff for a Senate seat in 2026, blasted what he called a double standard. VULNERABLE DEM’S SUPPORT FOR ALEX PRETTI COLLIDES WITH LAKEN RILEY ACT ANNIVERSARY “Typical Jon Ossoff to say one thing and do another. It’s ridiculous that Jon Ossoff would require a government ID to listen to him speak about why you shouldn’t need a government ID to vote,” Collins said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Ossoff’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment. In the wake of election security concerns highlighted by President Donald Trump in previous years, Republicans across Congress have made demands for tighter voter registration standards. Most recently, lawmakers led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., have called for the passage of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES THREATEN EXTENDED SHUTDOWN OVER ELECTION INTEGRITY MEASURE In its current form, the SAVE Act would embed proof of citizenship requirements into existing voter registration pathways and require states to conduct stricter audits of their voter rolls. The bill also defines documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and links it to some form of photo ID. It is illegal for noncitizens to participate in federal elections, although Republicans maintain that the standard is applied inconsistently, leading to easily exploitable election vulnerabilities. Democrats like Ossoff have blasted the legislation, arguing it would only make it harder for people with limited access to photo ID to participate in elections. SCHUMER FACES BACKLASH AFTER CALLING SAVE ACT ‘JIM CROW’ DESPITE PREVIOUS ALLEGATION FALLING FLAT “This is a nakedly partisan, totally unworkable, bad-faith bill cynically intended to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters,” Ossoff said in a statement on the SAVE Act as the bill made its way through the House of Representatives last year. An earlier version of the SAVE already passed the House in April 2025, attracting bipartisan support in a 216-208 vote. Four Democrats joined Republicans to pass the bill. Despite Ossoff’s previous opposition to the SAVE Act, his campaign event framed the requirement for photo ID as a security measure. “Due to security requirements … be ready to show ID that matches our RSVP list and these arrival instructions (printed or on your phone),” the campaign event’s confirmation email said. The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation reaches the chamber floor, is expected to consider an updated version of the SAVE Act in the House of Representatives Monday.
Virginia Democrat gives profanity-laced response to Cruz’s criticism of the state’s redistricting push
Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas delivered a profanity-laden retort to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, amid a tense redistricting fight, arguing that Democrats had “f—ing finished” what she views as gerrymandering started by Republicans. On Friday, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, signed a bill that would allow voters to weigh in on multiple amendments, including one that would allow for a mid-decade redrawing of the state’s congressional districts. Virginia lawmakers are aiming to put the amendments before the people on April 21, 2026, months before the midterm federal elections. “Virginia voters deserve the opportunity to respond to the nationwide attacks on our rights, freedoms, and elections. Everyone deserves the freedom to marry who they love — and Virginia’s Constitution should affirm that all families are welcome in our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said in a statement on her website. “Women in Virginia deserve the freedom to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions without politicians dictating their choices. When Virginians have paid their debt to society, they deserve to regain their right to vote. And when other states take extreme measures, I trust Virginia voters to respond.” VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS MOVE TO SEIZE REDISTRICTING POWER, OPENING DOOR TO 4 NEW LEFT-LEANING SEATS Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, slammed the legislation, saying in a post on X it was “a brazen abuse of power [and] an insult to democracy.” Lucas, the 82-year-old Democrat who spearheaded the plan, hit back at the senator, saying, “You all started it and we f—ing finished it,” referring to a controversial redistricting effort in Texas that sparked fights over districts in several states. Several social media users slammed the Virginia lawmaker, including Braeden Sorbo, son of actor Kevin Sorbo, who asked, “So now gerrymandering is okay?” Many other responses spoke about the origins of gerrymandering as a practice, while some mocked Lucas for her use of profanity and her complaining about Texas’ redrawn maps. Democrats hold six of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats, and the new 10-1 map would likely give them four more. This has prompted some Republicans to say that the map disenfranchises large numbers of voters in the commonwealth. VIRGINIA JUDGE VOIDS REDISTRICTING PUSH, RULES LAWMAKERS OVERSTEPPED AUTHORITY Lucas had previously expressed a similar sentiment about the legislation during a news conference Thursday. “If Donald Trump had not started this power grab … we wouldn’t be in this place right now,” Lucas said, according to The Washington Post. “He started this mess, and Virginia is going to finish it.” Democrats across the country were left fuming after the U.S. Supreme Court moved to allow Texas to use redrawn congressional maps. Many were upset because the proposal appeared to stem from the White House after President Donald Trump proposed the idea of the mid-decade redrawing of maps in June 2025. The president is looking to fortify Republican control of the House, something he was unable to do in his first term when Democrats retook the House majority in 2018. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a vocal Trump critic, quickly jumped into the fight, with his state passing Proposition 50, a ballot initiative that will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature. The move is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning districts in California, with the goal of offsetting the move made by Texas. Several other states have also drawn new maps, including Missouri, North Carolina and Vice President JD Vance’s home state of Ohio. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser, Lindsay Kornick and Greg Wehner and Fox News’ Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.
Man arrested for allegedly threatening to kill JD Vance was in possession of child sexual abuse materials: DOJ
A man arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance was also found with child sexual abuse materials, according to the Justice Department (DOJ). Shannon Mathre, 33, of Toledo, Ohio, was arrested Friday on suspicion of threatening to kill Vance during the vice president’s visit to Northwest Ohio in January, the DOJ said. Mathre is accused of saying, “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” The DOJ did not give specific details about when or where the threat was made. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a news release, “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.” It suggested the threat could have been made online. SECRET SERVICE AWARE OF UMASS LOWELL-FUNDED RADIO DJ’S DIRECTIVE TO ‘KILL JD VANCE’ “Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Bondi added. The U.S. Secret Service arrested Mathre Feb. 6. A federal grand jury has since returned an indictment charging Mathre with making the threat against Vance. While investigating the alleged threats, federal agents found “multiple digital files of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM)” in Mathre’s possession, according to prosecutors. Subsequently, a grand jury charged that “from about Dec. 31, 2025, to Jan. 21, 2026,” Mathre engaged in the receipt and distribution of CSAM. CALIFORNIA MAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MAKING ONLINE DEATH THREATS AGAINST JD VANCE DURING DISNEYLAND VISIT “While arresting this man for allegedly threatening to murder the vice president of the United States, a serious crime in and of itself, federal law enforcement discovered that he was also in possession of child sexual abuse materials,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thank you to federal, state and local partners in working together to bring justice twofold to this depraved individual.” David Toepfer, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said “violent threats” such as the one allegedly made against Vance would “not be tolerated.” He vowed that those who make these threats “will face swift justice and prosecution.” Mathre made his initial court appearance Feb. 6, before a U.S. magistrate judge for the Northern District of Ohio, the DOJ said, adding he remains in custody until his detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 11. If found guilty, Mathre faces up to five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for a threat against Vance, according to the DOJ. Additionally, if found guilty on the CSAM charge, Mathre could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison and fined up to $250,000. ATTORNEY FOR SUSPECT IN VANCE HOME VANDALISM RULES OUT POSSIBLE MOTIVATION Vance faced multiple death threats and had his Ohio home vandalized last month. William DeFoor, 26, was arrested in early January in the vandalism of Vance’s home. DeFoor was booked on charges of vandalism, obstruction of official business, criminal damaging or endangering and criminal trespass. “I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home. As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows. I’m grateful to the secret service and the Cincinnati police for responding quickly. We weren’t even home as we had returned already to D.C.,” Vance wrote on X. In another January incident, Marco Antonio Aguayo, 22, of Anaheim, was also arrested after allegedly making multiple threatening comments on Disney’s official Instagram account referencing pipe bombs, imminent bloodshed and violent action against “corrupt politicians” on July 12, the same day Vance and his family were visiting and staying at the resort. Additionally, Fox News Digital reported exclusively that a volunteer radio show host resigned after authorities confirmed they are aware of a post threatening Vance on left-wing-dominated social media app Bluesky. The person revealed being a host of a radio show on WUML, which is funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. The university told Fox News Digital it alerted authorities once it became aware of the post. The Secret Service confirmed to Fox News Digital it was aware of the post. The Haverhill Police Department directed Fox News Digital to the FBI, which declined to comment. Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace, Alexandra Koch and Peter D’Abrosca and Fox News’ Matt Finn contributed to this report.
Trump says nuclear talks in Oman were ‘very good,’ claims Iran wants a deal ‘very badly’
The indirect nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Oman were “very good,” according to President Donald Trump. “Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly. We’ll have to see what that deal is. But I think Iran looks like they want to make a deal very badly, as they should. Last time they decided maybe not to do it, but I think they probably feel differently,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday. The president added that the U.S. had a “big Armada” heading towards Iran, something he has spoken about in the past. When he was pressed on how long the U.S. would be willing to wait to make a deal with Iran, the president indicated some flexibility, saying that he believes the two nations can reach an agreement. TRUMP WARNS IRAN, DELAYS STRIKES AS RED LINE DEBATE ECHOES OBAMA’S SYRIA MOMENT “It can be reached. Well, we have to get in position. We have plenty of time. If you remember Venezuela, we waited around for a while, and we’re in no rush. We have very good [talks] with Iran,” Trump said. “They know the consequences if they don’t make a deal. The consequences are very steep. So we’ll see what happens. But they had a very good meeting with a very high representative of Iran,” the president added. American and Iranian representatives held separate meetings with Omani officials on Friday amid flaring tensions between Washington and Tehran. Oman’s Foreign Ministry said that the meetings were “focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations.” IRANIAN OFFICIAL SAYS NUCLEAR TALKS WILL CONTINUE AFTER US, TEHRAN NEGOTIATIONS HAD ‘A GOOD START’ IN OMAN On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that indirect nuclear talks were “a good start” and that there was a “consensus” that the negotiations would continue. “After a long period without dialogue, our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side’s views were also heard,” Araghchi said. “It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,” he added. IRAN SEIZES OIL TANKERS, THREATENS ‘MASSACRE’ IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ HOURS BEFORE US TALKS While both sides expressed optimism about a possible deal, the U.S. moved to impose fresh sanctions on Iran after the talks. The State Department announced that the U.S. was sanctioning “15 entities, two individuals and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products.” “Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilizing activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran,” the statement read. “So long as the Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behavior and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable.” The Iranian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on the sanctions.
DeSantis celebrates end of ‘witch hunt’ as Trump DOJ reportedly drops Hope Florida Foundation probe
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis celebrated how the Department of Justice reportedly decided to dismiss a complaint into the Hope Florida scandal that rocked the former presidential candidate and became a talking point for DeSantis critics. The Floridian reported that President Donald Trump’s DOJ looked into the controversy in late 2025, but a source within the agency told the local outlet that there is “no predicate to open up an intake on this” and that “no further action is anticipated.” “The witch hunt against the Hope Florida Foundation was orchestrated by left-wing media and their RINO allies,” DeSantis said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital in response to the report. “As we’ve said from day one, all agency actions were appropriate and legally sound.” “The Hope Florida initiative continues to be the most successful conservative anti-poverty initiative of any state in the country,” DeSantis added. TRUMP-BACKED DONALDS VOWS TO MAINTAIN DESANTIS ‘TRAJECTORY,’ TAKE FLORIDA TO ‘WHOLE NEW LEVEL’ The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed the complaint has been dropped. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment. The controversy originated after Centene, a major health insurance company focused on government-sponsored programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, agreed to return $67 million to Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration to settle allegations that it overbilled Medicaid. After the settlement was finalized in September 2024, $10 million of the recovered funds was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation. The Hope Florida Foundation then distributed the $10 million as two $5 million grants to 501(c)(4) organizations: Save Our Society from Drugs and Secure Florida’s Future, Inc. Of the funds distributed, $8.5 million ultimately flowed to Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee known for its efforts to defeat Florida Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana through a constitutional change. Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife who has been floated as a potential candidate for governor herself, has consistently expressed opposition to the legalization of marijuana. Critics argue that the funds that wound up at Keep Florida Clean, which existed due to a government settlement, should never have been funneled into a political action committee for political campaigning. The funds were originally unearthed by Florida state Republican Rep. Alex Andrade, who told Fox News Digital in June that DeSantis’ then-chief of staff turned attorney general, James Uthmeier, was allegedly the lead culprit of the movement of funds. Andrade noted at the time that he didn’t “see how Casey or [Ron] DeSantis are involved.” DESANTIS SIGNALS RESET WITH TRUMP AS FLORIDA BACKS ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ PLAN Trump’s DOJ reportedly dismissing the complaint is yet another example of the president breaking bread with a governor who was once a fierce opponent for the Oval Office. DeSantis’s relationship with Trump has evolved since the two faced off in what was thought to be a toss-up GOP primary election for the White House. DeSantis’s highly anticipated run was stopped short just before the New Hampshire primary, with the Florida governor stating he didn’t see a path to victory. Rumors continue to swirl whether Casey DeSantis will enter the race for Florida governor in 2026, though Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., has already declared his candidacy and received an endorsement from Trump. June 12 is the filing deadline to run for governor in the Sunshine State, should Casey DeSantis decide to enter the field.
DHS fires senior CBP official for allegedly leaking sensitive information
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security fired a senior Customs and Border Protection official on Thursday after it was revealed that the officer was allegedly leaking sensitive, personal information about CBP personnel, as well as negotiations regarding the border wall to the press, sources within the department told Fox News Digital. The official, who was unnamed, was marched out of his CBP office in Washington D.C., after DHS discovered the leak, sources said. “As DHS law enforcement face an 8000% increase in death threats, leaking law enforcement sensitive information is abhorrently dangerous,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “DHS is agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment, or status as a career civil servant — we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” The news comes just days after a Fox News Digital investigation uncovered an underground communications network being used by anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitators across the country. Tactics include the doxxing of agents, the tracking of license plates and releases of personal information about agents. NOEM PRAISES DHS OFFICERS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY AS ATTACKS ON FEDERAL AGENTS SPIKE NATIONWIDE Fox News Digital also learned that at least 13 database systems are now known to store the data, which includes personal information as well as photographs, uniform details, behavior patterns, phone numbers, and other sensitive items. Last week, FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is investigating the now widely known Signal messaging chats that have allowed agitators to communicate to obstruct and confront federal agents in Minneapolis and in cities across the country. It is unclear whether the officer who was fired on Thursday had any involvement in Signal group activities, as sources at DHS could only confirm leaks to the press. THE FAR-LEFT NETWORK THAT HELPED PUT ALEX PRETTI IN HARM’S WAY, THEN MADE HIM A MARTYR The same Fox News Digital investigation reveals that sensitive information is at the center of what’s driving vigilante-type agitators to travel to hot spots where demonstrations are taking place. A nationwide web of hundreds of anti-ICE groups facilitates a “rapid response” system to train civilians and call them to action. Federal law enforcement officers have clashed with the trained and allegedly well-funded agitators on multiple occasions. These clashes have led to assaults on agents, raising concern over potentially physical and potentially deadly outcomes for both agitators and agents. One such arrest was that of Kyle Wagner, a self-described Antifa member and Minneapolis resident who was arrested after Wagner allegedly encouraged followers to attack ICE agents. In a video obtained by Fox News Digital, he is heard telling followers they should “get your guns” and identify agents. In announcing his arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wagner “allegedly doxxed and called for the murder of law enforcement officers, encouraged bloodshed in the streets, and proudly claimed affiliation with the terrorist organization Antifa before going on the run.” Wagner’s case and the uncovering of a multichannel communications network allegedly used to push and promote agitators to confront ICE agents are being investigated by a number of federal agencies. The senior CBP official’s firing is just the latest development by individuals exposing the identities of federal law enforcement officers that could ultimately put agents or their families in danger.
Top Haitian leader reveals which US policy the country would be ‘helpless’ without: ‘Give them money’
One of the nine current leaders of Haiti’s transitional government admitted to Fox News Digital that his country is currently “helpless” to handle the return of its citizens, noting that Haiti relies on billions of dollars generated by U.S., Canadian and French-based migrants to keep its economy going. Leslie Voltaire, a member of the nine-member transitional council leading Haiti ahead of scheduled elections later this year, described a state of total dependency on a “temporary” protected status that has now spanned more than 15 years, and which President Donald Trump is trying to end. Voltaire warned that a sudden termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would trigger an immediate crisis as the nation lacks the economic infrastructure to reabsorb as many as 400,000 repatriated citizens from the United States. “We think that we are helpless if another country is sending back our compatriots,” Voltaire told Fox News Digital. “We cannot do anything about it – just accommodate them, give them money to go back to their provinces and to their cities, help them with food, but it’s very painful due to the small budget that we have in the government.” Trump tried to end Haiti’s long-standing TPS status during his first administration, but similar to today, federal judges stepped in to block the move. In November, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice indicating that Haiti’s temporary status would not be renewed this month, but in a subsequent 11th-hour ruling earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from ending Haiti’s TPS status. Reyes argued the move was likely motivated by “hostility to non-white immigrants” as opposed to an objective view of the ongoing situation in Haiti. STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUES SECURITY ALERT AMID ‘HEAVY GUNFIRE’ NEAR US EMBASSY IN HAITI Shortly before Fox News Digital spoke with Voltaire Thursday evening, three U.S. warships arrived off the coast of Haiti ahead of the country’s Feb. 7 deadline for the council to transition power to a soon-to-be elected leader, or leaders. In addition to the U.S. ramping up its presence, the United Nations recently approved, with U.S. support, the deployment of a new Gang Suppression Task Force to Haiti to help with the ongoing violence there. When asked for specific metrics on when Haiti might be stable enough to no longer require its TPS status, Voltaire did not point to anything concrete, like a certain number of police officers, territory controlled, or national GDP. Rather, Voltaire said that Haiti needs more time, more investment, and greater security before the country can be considered stable enough to take back hundreds-of-thousands of its people. “The problem of security in Haiti is mainly to have jobs,” Voltaire told Fox News Digital. “There are no jobs because there is no investment right now. There is no investment because there is insecurity. And also we have to provide services to the population, so, there is a huge need of cash, of resources – financial resources … if they come with 400,000 people that would be a huge problem.” FLASHBACK: 2024′ IMMIGRATION GROUND ZERO IN SPOTLIGHT AGAIN AS JUDGE’S 11TH HOUR RULING SPARKS OUTRAGE Voltaire conceded the U.S. economy and migrant labor – pointing out Haitians living in the U.S., Canada and France bring $3 to $4 billion per year into Haiti through remittances – could be described as a “crutch,” indicating that around 85% of the country’s “professional” class resides abroad. Voltaire noted that Haitian leadership was currently “pleading” with U.S. leadership to give them a break on tariffs, something Voltaire thinks could improve his country’s economic situation. “We don’t have an economy that has the capacity to produce the kind of dollars that [migrant workers] are generating,” lamented Voltaire. While admitting his nation is propped up by migrant labor from the U.S., as well as France and Canada, Voltaire simultaneously pointed the finger at the United States for the very poverty that necessitates the aid Haiti needs. Voltaire argued that a 19-year U.S. military “occupation” in the early 20th century “depleted” Haiti’s middle class by turning the country into a pool of cheap labor for neighboring sugarcane producers. “I think one of the historic problems is that when the U.S. occupied Haiti between 1915 and 1934, they chose to use the Dominican Republic and Cuba as the sugarcane producers,” Voltaire said when asked about why the neighboring Dominican Republic has not dealt with some of the same instability as Haiti. “And Haiti, because it was densely populated, was treated as the labor for those countries. This is why we have like half-a-million Haitians in the Domincan Republic, and the same in Cuba … and we have been depleted.” Voltaire also cited the U.S. favoring the “dictatorship” of former president of Haiti between 1957 and 1971, Francois Duvalier, for the dire circumstances in Haiti and why the Domincan Republic has fared differently. “The U.S. was favoring the dictatorship of Duvalier, which was bad with the Tonton Macoute, and which did not have the investment that we hoped we would have when Kennedy launched the Alliance for the Progress. We were not part of it. And we have been under a dictatorship, and then when the dictatorship disappeared, there was a dismantlement of the Haitian state that we have to re-consolidate,” Voltaire pointed out. Voltaire, who cited this history as a reason why 85% of its professional class, like university professors, artists and skilled technicians live outside of Haiti, mused that “maybe it’s a good thing” to begin repatriating Haitians back to their home country, but reiterated that economic and political development must continue for that to happen.
Trump vows to ‘unleash’ commercial fishing off New England, reversing Obama-era Atlantic restrictions
President Donald Trump said he issued a presidential proclamation reopening thousands of square miles of protected Atlantic Ocean waters off New England to commercial fishing, saying the move would reestablish fishing access and reduce what he called burdensome restrictions on fishermen. Trump made the announcement on Truth Social late Friday, writing that the move was “another BIG WIN for Maine, and all of New England.” The proclamation would reestablish fishing in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the New England coast, a nearly 5,000-square-mile preserve east of Cape Cod that was created by former President Barack Obama. Trump rolled back protections in the area during his first term, and President Joe Biden later restored them. “Today, I signed a Presidential Proclamation to UNLEASH Commercial Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, advancing the America First Fishing Policy!” Trump wrote. “I am restoring nearly 5,000 square miles of fishing access off the Coast of New England, which will revitalize our fishing industry and strengthen our booming economy.” ZELDIN OVERHAULS BIDEN-ERA WATER RULE TO END ‘WEAPONIZATION’ THAT LED ‘PUDDLES’ TO TRIGGER PRICY PERMITS Trump has long been critical of the marine monument, which Obama described at the time as a way to protect vulnerable undersea corals and ecosystems. Trump has described the restrictions as an unfair penalty on commercial fishermen. Trump said Democrats had imposed excessive and unnecessary regulations on fishermen for years. “In my first term, I reversed the prohibitions placed on commercial fishing, but Joe Biden, or whoever was using the AUTOPEN, foolishly reinstated them,” Trump wrote. “Since Day One, I have taken historic action to end these disastrous policies.” ENERGY GROUPS CELEBRATE TRUMP’S LATEST MOVE TO UNLEASH ALASKA DRILLING Earlier this year, Trump also signed a broader order directing federal agencies to reduce the regulatory burden on fishermen, according to the White House. Commercial fishing groups welcomed the move, saying it would expand access while allowing the industry to operate sustainably. “We deserve to be rewarded, not penalized,” John Williams, president and owner of the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based Atlantic Red Crab Company, told The Associated Press. “We’re demonstrating that we can fish sustainably and continue to harvest on a sustainable level in perpetuity.” Environmental groups criticized the proclamation and warned that reopening the area could threaten sensitive marine ecosystems. “The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument was created to provide strong protections for the wide range of marine life that live in these unique habitats,” Gib Brogan, fisheries campaign director at environmental group Oceana, told the outlet. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ex-‘Squad’ Dem appears to be leaning on radical activist at center of damning Tlaib report in comeback bid
FIRST ON FOX: A former “Squad” House Democrat running for her old seat recently dished out over $20,000 to a consulting firm that appears to be the same firm that Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., received backlash over after paying out over $400K for “fundraising consulting” between 2020 and 2024. A Fox News Digital review of Federal Election Commission filings reveals Cori Bush’s House campaign paid $23,761 to “Unbought Power,” which appears to still be under the leadership of far-left activist Rasha Mubarak. Bush, who is currently running to reclaim the seat she lost in 2024 in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, reported two separate disbursements of $12,761 and $11,000 to Unbought Power on Dec. 5. The expense description on both disbursements was also “Fundraising Consulting.” TRUMP RIPS ‘CROOKED’ ILHAN OMAR AS HOUSE RAMPS UP INVESTIGATION INTO EXPLODING NET WORTH While Unbought Power is a Florida-based political consulting firm that was founded by Mubarak in March 2020, Bush’s most recent FEC filing lists Unbought Power’s address as the same P.O. Box as the Bush campaign’s P.O. Box, prompting multiple inquiries from Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to the Bush campaign and Mubarak multiple times about the payments and whether this was the same company, but neither responded. Mubarak recently came under fire in a new report released earlier this week by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, which was exposing Tlaib’s ties to radical groups. Mubarak and Unbought Power were included in the report, highlighting her affiliation “with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2009 Holy Land Foundation terror-financing trial.” “Mubarak has also been a speaker at events held by the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), an organization that promoted the BDS movement,” the report continued. “Previously, in September 2023, she served as the press contact for the Arizona-based non-profit Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), which was investigated for ties to Samidoun, an anti-Israel advocacy group banned in Germany, Canada, and Israel and classified as a terrorist entity in the United States for financing the PFLP.” Caitlin Sutherland, the executive director of Americans for Public Trust, told Fox News Digital that “Personnel is policy. Hiring a consultant with such a well-documented track record of anti-American and antisemitic ideas tells us everything we need to know about Cori Bush’s priorities.” Mubarak, a Palestinian American activist, has been involved in grassroots advocacy for over 15 years. She has publicly called for defunding the police multiple times. In April 2021, she tweeted that she believes the United States should “abolish the police.” Before that, in two separate tweets from July 2020, Mubarak called for Orange County, California, to “defund the police.” The Florida activist has also tweeted about her involvement with Dream Defenders, an activist group co-founded by self-described socialist and former Bernie Sanders surrogate Phillip Agnew, who faced backlash for saying Zionism is a “racist, exploitative, and exclusionary ideology.” ONLY ONE OUT OF NEARLY 20 SURVEYED DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN IN 2028 SAYS A MAN CANNOT BECOME A WOMAN Dream Defenders has been vocal about defunding the police across their social media platforms. In a now-deleted social media post, Mubarak tweeted a link to Dream Defenders’ “Sunday School” session video about how to defund the police and encouraged her followers to donate to their bail fund amid the riots in summer 2020. She also encouraged her followers to donate to the Dream Defenders organization. Mubarak has also repeatedly criticized Israel, accusing Israel of “ongoing ethnic cleansing” weeks before Hamas’ terrorist attack on innocent civilians. She also has a history of criticizing Israel over what she calls its “state-sanctioned violence.” “These aren’t clashes – it’s an ongoing occupation,” the Palestinian activist tweeted in May 2021. “These aren’t evictions – they are forced expulsions. This isn’t a conflict – it’s settler colonialism, it’s ethnic cleansing, it’s oppression, it’s apartheid.” “Say it loud. Say it clear. Palestine will be FREE,” she added. In 2022, Fox News Digital reported that Tlaib’s campaign and PAC sent Unbought Power 32 checks totaling $204,000 for fundraising consulting. Mubarak simultaneously acted as treasurer of Tlaib’s leadership PAC, Rooted in Community Leadership, which donated almost $8,000 to Bush’s past campaigns. The Squad Victory Fund, a joint fundraiser that props up the campaigns and leadership committees of the far-left Squad members, including Bush, also dished out over $85K to Unbought Power between 2022 and 2023. The joint fundraiser would go on to transfer almost $60K to Bush’s campaign between 2022 and 2024. Washington Examiner reported in 2024 that Tlaib’s campaign manager announced the campaign had severed its ties with Mubarak in an automated email saying, “Our campaign is no longer working with Rasha Mubarak’s firm Unbought LLC, so if you need any assistance in fundraising or have questions on how to support congresswoman Tlaib, please know I am here to help.” Bush recently took flack for complaining on social media that Congress doesn’t prioritize public transit funding, even though she once was part of a cohort of radical lawmakers who voted against a bill providing billions for transit improvements because it didn’t allocate enough money for their far-left agenda. Bush was just one of five other Democratic Party lawmakers, all part of the progressive group dubbed “The Squad,” who voted against the 2021 bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, despite it allocating up to $108 billion for public transit investments. Bush and her other far-left colleagues at the time wanted more money to also be allocated to environmental and social programs, like funding for universal pre-K, Medicare and Medicaid expansions, affordable housing, green infrastructure, a Civilian Climate Corps, and also included oil drilling and leasing bans. CORI BUSH RIPPED FOR ‘JAW-DROPPING’ HYPOCRISY ON KEY ISSUE AMID COMEBACK HOUSE BID At the time of “The Squad’s” stand against the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Bush argued that she “didn’t come to Congress to allow [her constituents’] priorities to be put on a shelf.” Meanwhile, Bush lamented to her followers on social media