Pope Leo places former illegal immigrant in charge of red state diocese
A large Roman Catholic diocese pushed back at criticism Friday after Pope Leo XIV appointed a former illegal immigrant as a bishop amid heightened tensions between the Vatican and Washington over refugees and ICE enforcement. Leo nominated Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which covers all of West Virginia. Menjivar-Ayala originally arrived in San Ysidro, California, smuggled in a car trunk after making several prior attempts as a teenager to flee guerrilla war-torn El Salvador. The bishop has also been critical of increased immigration enforcement measures, calling them a human rights concern and responding directly to critiques of the church from fellow Catholics in the Trump administration like border czar Thomas Homan. After commentary piled up on social media Friday, Wheeling diocese spokesman Tim Bishop told Fox News Digital Menjivar-Ayala’s appointment is a blessing to West Virginians, praising the clergyman’s pastoral work and service. POPE LEO SAYS COUNTRIES HAVE RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS, ADVOCATES FOR HUMANE TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS “Bishop Evelio came [to America] some time ago looking for a better life and better opportunities, and thank God he did because he will shepherd the faith of our diocese,” Bishop said. “Any insinuation that the Holy Father made this or any other appointment in any way to increase vitriol or insinuate that it gets back at the president of the United States is absurd,” Bishop added, noting he was not speaking for Leo. The Roman Catholic Church “worries about the lamb, not the elephant or the donkey,” he said. Meanwhile, “Letters from Leo” publisher and former DNC delegate Christopher Hale tweeted the bishop is a “remarkable choice” by Leo to lead a “state that is over 90% White and voted for President Trump by 42 points.” Media outlets in the United States and France highlighted the appointment in light of Leo’s reported aversion to Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. At a 2025 forum, Menjivar-Ayala said criticism of the Catholic Church’s stance toward immigration enforcement is not a question for him to answer but for those officials to discern how they are living the Gospel after he was asked about Homan’s comments that bishops at a national conference in Baltimore were “wrong” in rebuking illegal immigration enforcement. US CATHOLIC BISHOPS PRESIDENT SAYS DEPORTATIONS INSTILLING ‘FEAR’ IN ‘WIDESPREAD MANNER’: ‘CONCERNS US ALL’ “The question is for them, for those who claim to be Catholic but are not seeing the face of Christ in the migrants,” Menjivar-Ayala said, according to World Catholic Report, which also said the newly minted West Virginian advised caution about characterizing illegal immigration as similar to murder and theft. Menjivar-Ayala tried as many as three times as a teenager to flee to the U.S. but was caught each time, including once by Mexican authorities who imprisoned him. Amid guerrilla warfare and extreme poverty in his home country in the 1980s, Menjivar-Ayala was first deported to Guatemala by Mexican authorities who caught him in the border town of Tijuana, according to an interview with U.S. Catholic. He then attempted to travel through the Guatemalan jungle on a second attempt but returned home on his own. MIAMI CATHOLIC CHARITIES LOSES $11M CONTRACT PROVIDING CARE FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN UNDER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION Finally, Menjivar-Ayala was successful after a bribe was paid to secure his release from a Mexican prison in Chiapas, and an elderly American smuggled him and three others through the San Ysidro border checkpoint while they were crammed in the trunk of the man’s car, according to The Washington Post. Menjivar-Ayala told U.S. Catholic he found odd janitorial jobs but eventually relocated to Hyattsville, Maryland, near extended family, where he cleaned a UPS site. It was there in Prince George’s County where he first began working as a youth minister and was able to obtain a green card for legal residence through what he said was an extant religious visa policy. The Washington Post characterized Leo’s move Friday as another effort to “elevate” American clergy relevant to tension points with the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has lambasted Leo — born Robert Prevost in Illinois — and quipped that he much prefers his “brother [Louis who] is MAGA all the way.” Trump has said he has “nothing against” Leo, who has a right to disagree on subjects like the legitimacy and human rights aspects of the Iran conflict and illegal immigration crisis. POPE LEO XIV STRONGLY SUPPORTS US BISHOPS’ CONDEMNATION OF TRUMP IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL’ In 2025, Menjivar-Ayala criticized Trump’s immigration enforcement push in a Catholic Standard column, “This Ordeal is the Passion,” which featured an image of a suspect being detained by federal authorities. “The Church remembers Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus in a spiritual and sacramental way during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, but some people actually experience the Passion in a tangible and personal way in their very lives. Among them are members of the immigrant and refugee communities today,” Menjivar-Ayala wrote, referring to the Passion of Christ, Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection. “Yet, while redemptive suffering is a grace, it would be better still if these injustices and infamies did not happen at all,” the bishop later added, calling for people to speak up in the style of martyred St. Oscar Romero. He went on to say that the “dark side of anti-immigrant animus” cannot be allowed to take hold and called some recent enforcement behavior a “violation of fundamental human rights,” while also appearing to reference actions taken against the Catholic Church in that regard. Trump’s Department of Health & Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement recently canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities of Miami that had aided in housing unaccompanied minors, according to the Miami Herald. While Trump has not yet been able to meet with Leo, the first American pope has held audiences with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Obama confidant David Axelrod. Fox News Digital reached out to the Vatican, White House and DHS for additional comment.
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Educators disciplined after lamenting Trump survival, university sued
PINK SLIPS COMING: Educators fired or suspended after lamenting Trump survived dinner shooting FREE SPEECH FIGHT: University sued for allegedly stonewalling probe into violent protest at TPUSA event POISON LECTURE: Ex-professor canned for supporting terrorists now touring colleges with talks TOXIC CULTURE: Board member claims he was ousted for reporting misconduct at major Arab advocacy org DOUBLE STANDARD: University dean warned conservative group it would face discipline for naming protesters SIGN UP TO GET THE CAMPUS RADICALS NEWSLETTER REVERSED COURSE: College reinstates Students for Justice in Palestine after suspension over antisemitism PROBLEMS AHEAD: Education on verge of being completely upended if Mamdani gets his way, expert warns TABLES TURNED: Private Catholic school buckles on conservative club it once rejected as conflicting CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Teacher fired over video seeming to wish Trump was killed in shooting
Trump signs stopgap FISA extension after Senate blocks long-term renewal
President Donald Trump signed a 45-day extension for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Thursday night after the Senate rejected the three-year extension passed by the House, the White House confirmed to Fox News Digital. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned House leaders Tuesday that including a provision in the FISA extension to permanently ban the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currencies (CBDC) would make it “dead on arrival” in the Senate. As Thune suggested, the three-year extension ultimately failed to pass the Senate due to opposition from Democrats. As a temporary measure, the Senate approved a 45-day extension of the controversial national security law by unanimous consent. Trump subsequently approved the short-term renewal. TRUMP-APPROVED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SCUTTLED BY SENATE Once the 45-day period ends, Congress will be forced to begin the FISA extension process all over again. FISA allows the federal government to compel phone and internet providers to provide information about foreigners using their platforms without a warrant, including communications with American citizens. Civil libertarians long have argued that the law undermines the privacy of Americans and potentially violates the Fourth Amendment. Those working in law enforcement and intelligence agencies, meanwhile, maintain that FISA is an indispensable tool in thwarting terrorism, drug trafficking and ransomware attacks. HOUSE PASSES FISA RENEWAL IN BIPARTISAN VOTE, PUTTING PRESSURE ON SENATE BEFORE LOOMING DEADLINE More than 20 Republicans maintained their opposition to the FISA extension, even with the CBDC ban attached. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT “We should all be standing up for the Fourth Amendment,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said during a debate over the extension Tuesday. Republican leadership included the CBDC ban to appease conservative holdouts concerned that a government-issued digital dollar could expand federal visibility into Americans’ transactions.
Democrat Tina Shah calls transgender healthcare for children a ‘no-brainer’ in competitive NJ House race
A progressive candidate aiming to unseat a vulnerable Republican in a battleground House district is leaning into a politically fraught issue that has dogged the Democratic Party. Tina Shah, an ER physician and former Biden administration official, appeared to back taxpayer-funded sex change procedures for minors in a video obtained by Fox News Digital. When asked whether children should have the “right to transgender healthcare,” Shah replied, “This is a no-brainer.” “Healthcare is a right, period,” the New Jersey Democrat added. “It includes transgender children.” MODERATE DEM’S TOP AIDE RESIGNS AFTER LAWMAKER’S COMMENTS ON ‘FORMERLY MALE’ ATHLETES Shah is one of four relatively well-funded Democrats vying to take on Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., in November’s midterm elections. Kean’s suburban swing seat is considered one of the most competitive House districts in the country. Shah’s apparent embrace of “transgender healthcare” for minors aligns with the views of her former boss, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who denounced Republican-led states cracking down on child sex-change procedures during the Biden administration. Shah served as a senior advisor to Murthy in 2021 and 2022. The National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm, sharply criticized Shah’s support for “transgender healthcare” for children in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Radical Democrat Tina Shah said it loud and clear: She’d be a vote for radical policies like sex changes for minors and taxpayer-funded drag queens,” NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said. “Shah is completely out of step with Garden State families.” Fox News Digital reached out to Shah’s campaign prior to publication. Shah’s remarks come as some Democrats have blamed the party’s lurch to the left on the issue for its poor performance in the 2024 election. Major medical groups, which previously offered full-throated support for child sex changes, have also largely retreated from the issue, with the American Medical Association in February saying those procedures should be generally postponed to adulthood. Still, Democrats in Congress have not made a clear attempt to calibrate on transgender issues. Just a handful of Democrats crossed party lines in 2025 to vote for GOP-authored legislation that would have criminalized child sex changes. Kean was among nearly all Republicans who supported the bill. TOP SCHOOL DISTRICT PUT ON NOTICE AS WATCHDOG GROUP THREATENS LEGAL ACTION OVER GENDER POLICY The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Kean’s re-election bid a “toss-up.” The election prognosticator downgraded the race for Republicans last year after Gov. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., carried the swing district by two points. Shah entered April with nearly $1.4 million in the bank, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings. Navy veteran Rebecca Bennett and businessman Brian Valera, who are also vying for the Democratic nomination ahead of the June primary, have posted similar fundraising numbers. Kean’s campaign notably dwarfs the field with roughly $3.4 million cash on hand. The GOP incumbent, who fended off a competitive Democratic challenge in 2024, has come under recent scrutiny for a prolonged absence from Congress due to an unspecified health issue. Kean has missed 52 roll call votes in the House since March 17, amounting to a 100% absence rate, according to GovTrack, a website that monitors congressional activities. “My doctors continue to assure me that my recovery will be complete and that I will be back to the job I love very soon,” he said in a statement last week. “I expect to return to a full schedule and be at 100 percent.”
Food stamp fraud crackdown at USDA would end loophole that lets Ferrari, Lamborghini owners get benefits
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is ramping up efforts to crack down on food stamp fraud nationwide, targeting what officials say is a loophole allowing some wealthy individuals to qualify for government benefits. Secretary Brooke Rollins posted on X this week that a single state has 14,000 individuals on SNAP benefits who also drive luxury vehicles like Ferraris, Bentleys and Lamborghinis. She warned fraudsters the USDA is working to close a loophole under the Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility policy used to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits despite having the financial means to purchase cars for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rollins told Fox Business this week that the department is “getting very, very close to being able to fix that” loophole. FOOD-STAMP FRAUD NUMBERS EXPOSE WHICH STATES ARE DRAINING THE MOST TAXPAYER DOLLARS SNAP, the largest federal anti-hunger program in the United States, has long been a target of conservatives pushing for reforms, and Rollins spoke to “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday night to shed light on just how widespread some of the issues are. “We’ve found 500,000 people getting more than one benefit illegally. We found 244,000 dead people. This is just the red states,” Rollins said about what she’s discovered going through the data from the states that have agreed to provide it since her first day on the job. “We have arrested 895 different people in the last year for illegally using the food stamp system and, of course, now we’re talking about what is happening with that money.” USDA data shows 4.2 million fewer food stamp recipients during President Trump’s first year in office as the administration continues to crack down amid reports from all across the country that food stamps are being misused. NEW SNAP WORK REQUIREMENTS TAKE EFFECT IN MORE STATES UNDER TRUMP-BACKED LAW “Food stamp waste and fraud is out of control,” Republican congressional candidate in Orange County and CAL DOGE Director Jenny Rae Le Roux told Fox News Digital. “California alone loses nearly $14 million every day from SNAP to EBT skimming, out-of-state and country beneficiaries and eligibility lapses at a time when technology exists to close every gap, quickly.” In March, Fox News Digital reported on a Minnesota man, Rob Undersander, who said that despite being a millionaire, he was able to qualify for food stamps. Undersander has been sounding the alarm on the issue ever since and has testified on the issue in Minnesota and before Congress. “Reintroducing basic guardrails like an asset test is a commonsense step to restore integrity, ensure benefits go to those who truly need them and protect the long-term viability of the program,” America First Policy Institute Health & Harvest Campaign Director Matt Schmid said in March. “This isn’t about taking help away. It’s about making sure SNAP works the way it was intended to.” Additionally, the USDA issued a press release Thursday outlining the “reorganization” plan Rollins has within the SNAP program, which includes moving food nutrition resources and staff out of Washington, D.C. to other cities like Indianapolis, Dallas, Denver and Kansas City. A USDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital Friday the announcement “aligns with the Food and Nutrition Administration’s mission, to nourish those in need through financially sound programs that promote health and work, as well as champion the productivity of American agriculture.” “As the Food and Nutrition Administration begins its refocusing of operations, all 16 federal nutrition programs will continue without disruption. Pertaining to Indianapolis, it has a lower cost of living, one of the top airports in the country, and has excelled at innovative program delivery.” Ultimately, the administration says the reforms will end up helping the people who depend on the assistance the most. “Since its inception, SNAP has helped our most vulnerable citizens afford the essential and nutritious food they need,” Rollins and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in a Fox News op-ed in March. “At least, that is what the program is supposed to do. “Over time, however, SNAP has been taken advantage of, allowing many to game the system and leaving millions of vulnerable Americans without healthy, nutrient-dense food options.” Fox News Digital’s Katelyn Caralle contributed to this report.
Van Hollen backs embattled Dem with Nazi-linked tattoo, says ‘second chances’ matter
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., pushed back against criticism of U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner over his “Nazi tattoo” and past online comments, arguing that Platner’s behavior may be linked to PTSD stemming from his deployment to Afghanistan and that he deserves a second chance. Platner, an Army and Marine Corps veteran, is vying to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Now that Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her Senate campaign Thursday, Platner has become the leading Democratic candidate in Maine’s U.S. Senate race. In an interview with Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer, Van Hollen described Platner as a candidate that “can beat Susan Collins” and appeal to a broad coalition of supporters, particularly blue-collar workers, labor groups and Native American tribes. Van Hollen said although Platner has had his “ups and downs,” he has proven able to connect with voters. SEE IT: BILLBOARDS EMERGE AS GOP CAMPAIGN TROLLS ‘FAKE INDEPENDENT’ SENATE CANDIDATE WITH SOCIALIST THEME “The dude has a Nazi tattoo,” Sherman asked. “How do you view that?” He went on to suggest that would be “disqualifying” to run for office. “Let’s take a couple issues, including the comments he’s made in the past,” Van Hollen said. “I mean, he’s been very clear that he went into combat on behalf of the United States. He went through a really rough period, a PTSD-type period.” “He himself said there are lots of things he’s done and said that he completely regrets, and I do believe people should have second chances and that people can learn from their mistakes, and I think he’s been doing that,” Van Hollen continued. In October, Platner told reporters that a tattoo on his chest resembling the Totenkopf, a skull-and-crossbones symbol associated with Nazi police, had been covered. In past Reddit posts, Platner said he was a “communist,” accused rural White Americans of being racist and stupid, and said police officers were “bastards.” Platner said he was seeking “to get a rise out of people” with his Reddit posts. Platner has received the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and shares his vision of implementing socialist policies like “Medicare-for-all” and dismantling the billionaire class.
MN governor race to replace Walz sees major shakeup as GOP contender ends campaign: ‘Don’t see a path’
FIRST ON FOX: Minnesota Republican lawmaker Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, announced on Friday she is ending her gubernatorial campaign to replace embattled Gov. Tim Walz. “It was not a tough decision to get into the race 10 months ago,” Robbins exclusively told Fox News Digital. “We could not allow Tim Walz to have a third term in Minnesota. He’s destroyed our state, and we had to stop him, and so, I think I made a great case for that, and because of all my work on the fraud committee he got out nine months ahead of schedule, which is great.” Robbins continued, “Once Senator Klobuchar became sort of the anointed candidate to replace him, I just think the establishment kind of circled the wagons and, you know, it became a challenging endeavor, and I’m a realist, and I am a numbers person, and when I look at the math, I don’t see a path for me to win.” Weeks after Walz dropped his re-election bid in January amid a massive fraud scandal that unfolded during his watch, Sen. Amy Klobuchar jumped into the race, bringing her deep political backing and name recognition with her as the presumptive nominee for the Democrats. MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS UNLOAD ON WALZ’S ‘LEGACY’ AFTER HE TOUTS FRAUD RECORD IN FINAL ADDRESS: ‘RIDICULOUS’ Robbins told Fox News Digital she determined it was better to “bow out” and find a “new way to contribute” due to love of her state and the realization that there are “many ways to serve.” In terms of what’s next, Robbins says she hasn’t had the time to give that much thought but said she is focused on closing out the current legislative session and said “there’s a lot of big things going on in the front committee.” “I know where the bodies are buried,” Robbins said about the fraud situation, pointing out that there is much more work to be done to get answers on how the billions of dollars in fraud was allowed to go unchecked for so long. MN LAWMAKER TAKES ACTION TO GET ANSWERS ON OMAR’S ALLEGED FRAUD TIES AFTER SHE SKIPS KEY HEARING: ‘GHOSTED US’ With Robbins exiting the race, the Republicans vying to win the gubernatorial primary include Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, healthcare executive Kendall Qualls, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and several other lesser known candidates. Robbins told Fox News Digital she will “not be endorsing anyone.” “That will be up to the voters to decide, and I wish all the other candidates well,” Robbins said. Ultimately, Robbins says her “overwhelming thought” is “gratitude” when she looks back on her campaign. “I am so grateful for the last ten months of going all over the state meeting Minnesotans from every walk of life and to have had the privilege to run for governor and meet all these amazing people and hear their stories, be inspired by what they want for Minnesota,” Robbins said. “I am just so grateful and so privileged.” Robbins says that going forward, the “answers” are not going to come from the capitol in St. Paul, but rather “from the communities and from the people” and she “looks forward to plugging into that.”
Amazon explores ‘The Apprentice’ reboot with Trump Jr set for promotion: report
With President Donald Trump “hired” by the American people for a second term, Amazon — which now owns production rights to NBC’s “The Apprentice” — is looking for a new host to potentially reboot the once No. 1-rated television program, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trump leveraged decades of media coverage as a New York mogul amid the ups and downs of the 1980s and 1990s into a smash-hit program that premiered in 2004, following several wannabe business executives through a several-week “job interview” to work for the Trump Organization. Fifteen seasons and a presidency-compelled hiatus later, Amazon is reportedly considering Trump Organization Executive Vice President Donald Trump Jr. for the role, as the eldest son has served as a frequent stand-in “boardroom adviser” for Trump executives Carolyn Kepcher and George Ross. Trump addressed rumors of a reboot on Thursday, telling Fox News’ Peter Doocy that his son is a “good guy” and would “probably be good” in the role. JIMMY KIMMEL JOKES TRUMP SHOULD LET HIM HOST WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER TO ‘THINK OF THE RATINGS’ “He’s got a little charisma going. You need a little charisma for that sucker. So, we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. Several people familiar with the discussions told The Wall Street Journal that Amazon executives have internally discussed casting Trump Jr. as a host for an “Apprentice” reboot if they do indeed launch the project. The Journal reported Amazon has not yet approached Trump Sr., Trump Jr. or any Trump family members, but that, instead of NBC, it would air the show on Amazon Prime. A source close to Trump Jr. told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the Journal report was indeed the first time the 48-year-old father of five had heard his name was in the pot. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Trump Organization for comment, as well as Amazon and Amazon’s production company. An Amazon spokesperson told the Journal that the Jeff Bezos-led company previously acquired MGM, which itself bought a majority stake in reality-show impresario Mark Burnett’s company several years earlier. TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER HONORS OVERHAUL DELIVERS STAR-STUDDED LINEUP, NEW MEDALLION AND HISTORIC HOSTING ROLE Burnett has launched several reality shows, including “The Apprentice” and CBS-aired contests “The Amazing Race” and “Survivor,” with the latter now in its 50th season. The credits for “The Apprentice” list Trump Sr. as executive producer. A reboot would be Amazon’s second foray into Trumpworld in recent months, as it recently debuted a $40 million biopic of first lady Melania Trump that drew praise from supporters and mockery from critics like ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel. “Melania” was directed by Brett Ratner of “Rush Hour” fame, as Trump reportedly pressed Paramount Pictures to revive the Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker series and put Ratner back at the helm, according to CNBC, which further reported the original New Line Cinema films are now subject to a distribution pact between Paramount and New Line parent Warner Bros. Trump Sr. regularly touted his “Apprentice” success throughout his political tenure, once telling the National Prayer Breakfast that attendees should “pray” for former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after the “Terminator” took over the show and oversaw what the president called a ratings collapse. KIMMEL FIRES BACK AT TRUMP’S DEMAND TO TAKE HIM OFF THE AIR, SAYS ‘I’LL GO WHEN YOU GO’ Schwarzenegger, the most recent Republican to serve as governor in Sacramento, occasionally spars with Trump, as he is seen as less bombastic and more politically moderate than the president. “Hey Donald, I have a great idea,” Schwarzenegger shot back at Trump in an X video at the time. “Why don’t we switch jobs — you take over TV — since you’re such an expert in ratings, and I take over your job so that people can finally sleep comfortable again — hmm?” the Austria native, who voted for then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich in 2016, quipped. Fox News Digital reached out to NBCUniversal for additional comment on the potential resurrection of their onetime series. Neither Amazon nor the Trump Organization responded by publication time. Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash contributed to this report.
Dem tied to cartel operative says ‘White nationalists’ joining immigration enforcement to ‘hunt down people’
A controversial Democratic congressional candidate running in a South Texas border district is under fire again as critics accuse him of smearing Border Patrol agents as racists, an allegation his campaign dismissed as “desperate attacks.” Bobby Pulido, a former Latin music star running to unseat Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, is taking heat for a recent interview in which he asserted, “It’s always down to race.” During the interview, which was on a podcast called “Mind of Geniuz,” Pulido accused the Trump administration and Republicans’ immigration enforcement agenda of being motivated by the “theory of White replacement.” “When President Trump ran, he ran on getting rid of the bad guys. They lied to us,” Pulido said. “It’s race. It’s always down to race. And I hate to say this, because I hate to inflame it, but I’m going to call it out because that is what it is. Look, when they have this theory of White replacement, they’re saying, ‘Oh, no, no, if it weren’t for this and this and crime,’ they’ll throw in all these other things to dance around the true issue,” he said. “Which is there’s too many Brown and Black people, which they’re saying they’re just going to stay the same and be poor.” CRITICS ROAST JASMINE CROCKETT AFTER SHE CALLS HERSELF ‘ONE OF THE 535 MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE’ IN US Pulido noted during the interview, “I do not want to demonize law enforcement.” However, he expressed that when it comes to immigration enforcement, “a lot of the people that are joining, not all of them, okay, there’s a lot of White nationalists that want to join because they want to go hunt down people, right, they’re yahoos.” “It’s a shame,” he went on, “because then you start branding all ICE agents.” A spokesperson for De La Cruz’s campaign decried Pulido’s comments as insulting Border Patrol agents. Notably, just over 50% of Border Patrol personnel are Hispanic. The Rio Grande Valley Sector of the southern border, along which De La Cruz’s district sits, is home to roughly 3,100 Border Patrol agents and personnel, according to Texas Monthly. The spokesperson said that “Monica is proud to be raising her kids in South Texas,” emphasizing that “the Border Patrol agents our opponent insults are the same people she spends Friday nights with at a carne asada, sees at her kids’ schools, and prays with at church on Sunday.” “That’s why she has their back in Congress, and that’s why she’s fighting every day to lower costs for families, protect Social Security and Medicare for our abuelitos, and keep our communities safe,” said the spokesperson. SUPREME COURT RULES ON KEY VOTING RIGHTS ACT RULE AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WAGE REDISTRICTING WAR In response, a Pulido campaign spokesperson dismissed the accusations, telling Fox News Digital in an emailed statement, “These desperate attacks prove one thing, the GOP establishment is in full panic mode because Mentirosa [Spanish for ‘liar’] Monica De La Cruz is running a dumpster fire of a campaign and they know they’re going to lose.” “Bobby Pulido has family and friends who serve in Border Patrol and he has been a lifelong supporter of our law enforcement — South Texas knows that and they’re going to make it loud and clear in November,” the spokesperson added. Since launching his congressional campaign, he has faced scrutiny for an array of matters, including a resurfaced music video depicting him engaging in lewd acts as well as his long-time prior association with a bandmate convicted as a child sex offender. He has firmly denied knowing the bandmate’s conviction and said he immediately cut off ties when he found out. He has also faced criticism for sharing the stage with Julión Álvarez, a cartel operative sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department, according to the Daily Wire. A spokesperson for Pulido’s campaign told the outlet that despite the singer-turned-politician calling him “amigo” in a Facebook post, “Bobby and Álvarez are not friends.” The spokesperson said, “This is just another case of Republicans not understanding our culture – ‘amigo’ is a common expression.” Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that “there’s a clear pattern” with Pulido. “He sides with criminals over law enforcement and families, every time,” said Kraft, adding, “He smears Border Patrol agents after spending decades bringing a convicted child predator, who raped an eight-year-old girl, to local parks and festivals. South Texans know he has no business being anywhere near Congress, and they will reject him in November.” DNC CHAIR GRILLED BY LIBERAL PODCAST HOST FOR NOT RELEASING 2024 POLITICAL AUTOPSY REPORT Meanwhile, Paul Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Fox News Digital that “Bobby Pulido insults the Border Patrol agents protecting our community, but he had no problem spending decades knowingly bringing a convicted child sex predator into our neighborhoods or palling around with a sanctioned cartel operative.” “The agents who patrol this border, most of them Hispanic, know exactly whose side Bobby Pulido is on. It isn’t ours,” said Perez. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee for comment.
Top school district put on notice as watchdog group threatens legal action over gender policy
FIRST ON FOX: A major Virginia school district outside Washington, D.C., is facing a demand to rescind one of its policies that is alleged to be keeping parents in the dark if their child begins showing signs of transitioning genders at school. America First Legal (AFL), a Trump-aligned lawfare group, is threatening litigation against the Fairfax City Public Schools (FCPS) system unless it rescinds Regulation 2603 and its accompanying policies, arguing it creates “a dual-track system in which FCPS actively supports and documents a student’s social transition at school while presenting parents with an incomplete — and materially misleading — account.” In particular, AFL is taking issue with some of the district’s guidance that tells educators to refrain from “out[ing]” a student to their parents in district-wide information systems that they have access to, while requiring name and pronoun changes that students request to be made in the district’s information systems that are faculty-facing only. The policy also includes guidance notifying educators they do not need to obtain parental permission to affirm a student’s new gender identity, and permits students to choose the locker or bathroom of their choice without parental permission or even notifying them. The legal demand, on behalf of a client with students in the district, follows a Supreme Court decision in March that America First Legal says has proven withholding a student’s desire to transition genders from their parents is against the law. “There can be no serious dispute that FCPS’s policies mandate the very conduct the Supreme Court has now condemned,” AFL’s letter to FCPS Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid, states. SCHOOL DISTRICT’S TRANS POLICY BLASTED FOR FOSTERING ‘DECEPTION’ UNDER SHADOW OF SCOTUS RULING AFL is referring to Mirabelli v. Bonta, during which the Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that rejected pleas from parents of students in California schools to cease hiding their children’s gender transitions. AFL also argues in its letter to FCPS that Mirabelli v. Bonta “built directly on” Mahmoud v. Taylor, another case that invalidated school policy related to giving parents the right to opt their children out of educational programming. A school district blocked the opt-out policy, but parents demanded it was their right to know what their kids were being taught and, if they wish, excuse them from certain programming that may violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. “The Court also made clear that the constitutional violation is not confined to the Free Exercise Clause. The policies independently implicate the fundamental Due Process right of parents — religious and nonreligious alike — to direct the upbringing and education of their children, including decisions bearing on a child’s mental health,” AFL adds in its letter. “Because gender dysphoria ‘has an important bearing on a child’s mental health,’ policies that both conceal relevant information from parents and affirmatively facilitate a child’s social transition at school likely infringe these constitutional protections.” DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INVESTIGATES MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER TRANSGENDER BATHROOM POLICY Meanwhile, the AFL says that FCPS’s policies also violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, which guarantees parents the right to view their child’s educational records while they are under 18. The guidance on gender identity from FCPS appears to be aware of potential FERPA violations, with the policy warning educators that if a parent or guardian requests access to see their child’s records, they will have access to both the child’s chosen and given name. “If a student transitioning at school is not ready to share with their family about their transgender status, this should be respected,” the guidance instructs. “In this scenario, school staff should make a change socially, calling the student by the chosen name, while their official [school database] information remains the same.” FCPS told Fox News Digital it is reviewing the letter from the AFL. In January, the AFL also filed a federal civil rights complaint over this same matter. In response to that, the district told Fox News Digital in a statement that “FCPS remains committed to fostering a safe, supportive, welcoming, and inclusive school environment for all students and staff.” “FCPS policies and regulations will continue to stay aligned with Virginia and federal law,” the district added in a separate statement in response to this article. “We continue to partner with all families to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive school environment for all students and staff members, including our transgender and gender-expansive community.” Last year, the Trump administration put FCPS and a handful of other Northern Virginia school districts on a “high risk” status due to their policies on intimate spaces for females and transgender students, threatening their federal funding and putting it in a “reimbursement only” payment status. “The Department of Education has already placed FCPS on a restricted status related to Title IX noncompliance, with related proceedings pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit,” AFL’s civil rights complaint points out. “This complaint independently establishes that FCPS’s current practices also risk federal education funding for violations of FERPA. I invite the Department of Education to take official notice of the existing Title IX enforcement posture as relevant context for federal oversight and remedial measures.”