Supreme Court strikes down blue state’s ‘vampire rule’ in major win for gun rights
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the state of Hawaii, granting concealed carry holders a huge victory in the blue state in a 6-3 decision Thursday. The Supreme Court sided with the plaintiff in Wolford v. Lopez, who contested Hawaii’s state law requiring a property owner’s explicit permission to allow lawful gun owners to bring firearms into public businesses. “Hawaii’s law at issue here violates the constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote. “This regime hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self-defense as they go about their daily lives.” The ruling reverses a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which had upheld Hawaii’s restrictions after the state enacted them in response to the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision. After Bruen struck down New York’s “proper cause” licensing requirement and held that Americans have a constitutional right to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense, Hawaii overhauled its firearms laws. Among the new provisions was a requirement that concealed-carry permit holders could not bring firearms onto another person’s private property, including businesses open to the public, unless the owner provided express authorization through signage or verbal or written permission. Among Second Amendment rights advocacy circles, the law became known as the “vampire rule.” Alito wrote the law could subject lawful concealed-carry permit holders to criminal liability for doing routine things like stopping at a gas station, grocery store or pharmacy while carrying a firearm. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Johnson races to break House GOP blockade in high-stakes meeting with Trump
With just over four months until November’s midterm elections, the House of Representatives is consumed by GOP infighting as President Donald Trump continues to push for the SAVE America Act. A group of conservatives, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has vowed to effectively block all legislation on the House floor until the Senate passes the stalled Trump-backed elections bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is racing to unlock the House floor and is set to meet with Trump at the White House Thursday afternoon in an effort to break the impasse. At stake is whether House Republicans can advance government funding bills, a long-shot third party-line reconciliation package incorporating defense spending and fraud prevention safeguards, and the annual defense policy bill, among other priorities, before the chamber leaves for the August recess. ‘AS LONG AS IT TAKES’: TRUMP ALLIES FREEZE HOUSE FLOOR TO PRESSURE SENATE ON VOTER ID BILL Thursday’s meeting comes after House Republican leadership was forced to cancel a series of votes Wednesday after the conservative bloc declined to end its blockade. “We’re not giving up on it yet, but we’re having contingencies in place,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters. Luna indicated she is not planning to relent anytime soon, despite having no apparent leverage to force the Senate to weaken the legislative filibuster or pass the SAVE America Act. “The president’s been very clear,” Luna told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. “He’s not playing these games anymore, and I’m going to fully back him, and I have the votes to do it.” “There’s going to be no votes this week,” Luna added. For months, Trump has stated that passing the SAVE America Act is at the top of his legislative agenda. But progress has not materialized as the legislation has failed to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. The House has yet to pass a version of the SAVE America Act that includes Trump-backed provisions that restrict mail-in voting, bar men from women’s sports and ban child sex change procedures. Signaling his frustration with the bill’s stalled progress, Trump on Wednesday canceled a signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill the White House endorsed. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP WEIGHS ‘NUKING’ FILIBUSTER TO PASS TRUMP’S SAVE ACT Johnson, in a likely attempt to break the logjam, proposed incorporating a skinny version of the SAVE America Act into a third party-line package that House Republicans are currently negotiating. Johnson’s legislation would provide grant funding to states to encourage them to mandate federally verified REAL IDs when voting. But Luna warned against passing a watered-down version of the elections bill. “I want to warn the American people that you cannot get SAVE America Act on reconciliation,” Luna said, referring to another GOP-only megabill. “It’s not possible to be done, so we’re not drinking the Kool-Aid on that. Unless the Senate decides to fire the parliamentarian, nothing will change.” House GOP fiscal hawks have also warned their support for a third reconciliation bill is contingent on including “dollar-for-dollar and year-for-year spending cuts” to offset the package’s deficit impact. The Senate left Washington late Wednesday to begin a two-week recess, meaning the standoff is not expected to resolve anytime soon. No senators — including the SAVE America Act’s biggest proponents — objected to beginning the July 4 recess early. “I will not be voting to reopen the floor until the Senate gets back to Washington,” Luna wrote on social media. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Mamdani-backed socialist primary winner founded group whose goal is to ‘eradicate’ Western civilization
The socialist backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani who won Tuesday night’s primary election in New York’s 13th Congressional District founded a group in college that called for the total destruction of the West. Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32, a Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress who made career out of “community organizing,” wrote in her biography for an opinion piece in independent news outlet The Electronic Intifada that she “helped launch the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign Columbia University Apartheid Divest.” “We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization,” the group said in a now-deleted 2024 Instagram post. In May 2024, eight years after she graduated from Columbia, Chevalier was back on campus advocating alongside the group she founded, known as CUAD, wearing a keffiyeh and a t-shirt emblazoned with the group’s name. Avila Chevalier was interviewed by the Associated Press at the school’s infamous encampment against Israel that year, which was later broken up by police. MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST WITH HISTORY OF ANTI-AMERICAN RHETORIC WINS VICIOUS DEM PRIMARY RACE Only months after that, CUAD, caused a firestorm when it reportedly posted its goal of eradicating Western Civilization. “We stand in full solidarity with every movement for liberation in the Global South,” the post continued. “Our Intifada is an internationalist one — we are fighting for nothing less than the liberation of all people.” “We reject every genocidal, eugenicist regime that seeks to undermine the personhood of the colonized,” the group added. HASAN PIKER CELEBRATES AMERICA BEING ‘CLOSER THAN EVER’ TO SOCIALISM AS HE BACKS NYC CANDIDATES Columbia University has roundly denounced CUAD, and says it is not affiliated in any way with the school. Avila Chevalier was born in Florida to Dominican immigrants. She converted to Islam in recent years. ‘PARTY OF ZOHRAN’: MAMDANI EMERGES AS DEMOCRATIC KINGMAKER AFTER SOCIALIST ALLIES SWEEP NYC PRIMARIES The surfacing of her affiliation with the group has sparked intense online backlash, including from elected Democrats. “Anti-Israel. Anti-America. Anti-Western Civilization. Why am I the only Democrat in the U.S. Senate that refuses to excuse this or defend any of those self-identified communists?” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said on X Wednesday evening. Avila Chevalier also infamously expressed anti-white women and anti-American sentiments in deleted social media posts, one time calling her home country “a f—ing disgrace.” LETITIA JAMES FUMES AS MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK PRIMARIES “I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me,” she said in another deleted post. “This lady founded an organization with a stated goal of Eradicating Western civilization, & a bunch of rich white progressives who know she means them, said ‘please do,’” X personality Sean Fitzgerald said. “The real ‘country over party’ test isn’t going to be about Trump,” said RealClearInvestigations writer Mark Hemingway. “It’s going to be over communist Congress members who literally say they want to eradicate Western civilization.” In a deeply blue district, Avila Chevalier is likely to waltz her way into Congress in November. Fox News Digital reached out to Avila Chevalier’s campaign.
‘As long as it takes’: Trump allies freeze House floor to pressure Senate on voter ID bill
A group of conservatives is vowing to grind the House floor to a halt until Republicans pass the SAVE America Act. “There’s going to be no votes this week, and it’s going to be as long as it takes,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who is leading the effort, told Fox News Digital in an interview. The hardball tactics led House Republican leadership to pull a series of votes on Wednesday. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is expected to put legislation that had already been teed up for a vote Thursday, but it is unclear whether he will be able to convince Luna and other conservatives to end their blockade, effectively freezing the House floor. “The president’s been very clear,” Luna told Fox News Digital. “He’s not playing these games anymore, and I’m going to fully back him, and I have the votes to do it.” REPS. FINE, SELF, HARRIS, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WE’LL BLOCK THE SENATE UNTIL THE SAVE ACT PASSES President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted the SAVE America Act is his top legislative priority. The sprawling legislation, which would enact voter ID requirements, crack down on mail-in voting and ban sex change procedures for minors, has stalled in the Senate amid widespread opposition from Democrats. House conservatives are pressuring their Senate colleagues to fight for the bill, but a version that incorporates all the president’s priorities has yet to receive a vote in their chamber. Johnson is scheduled to meet with Trump later Thursday in a likely attempt to break the logjam. Given the speaker’s razor-thin majority, just a few dissenting Republicans can have an outsize impact on whether legislation can be advanced through the House. Johnson floated Wednesday incorporating a narrow version of the SAVE America Act into a third budget reconciliation package. The provision would create a grant program encouraging states to require federally verified REAL IDs at the ballot box. But Luna indicated to Fox News Digital that the speaker’s proposal was an inadequate fix. “I want to warn the American people that you cannot get SAVE America Act on reconciliation,” Luna said, referring to a potential third party-line package. “It’s not possible to be done, so we’re not drinking the Kool-Aid on that. Unless the Senate decides to fire the parliamentarian, nothing will change.” IRATE REPUBLICANS ACCUSE TRUMP OF HANDING DEMOCRATS A WIN AFTER BLOWING UP HOUSING PACKAGE The impasse is not expected to resolve soon, with the Senate leaving Wednesday to begin a two-week recess around the July 4 holiday. No senators objected to starting the planned break early. Luna also dismissed the significance of the bipartisan housing bill that passed the lower chamber this week. Republicans have pointed to the legislation — aimed at expanding the nation’s housing stock — as crucial to their affordability messaging ahead of November’s midterm elections. “They don’t get to go home and say that they’re getting wins for the American people when they’re not even able to deliver on that 80/20 issue,” Luna said, referring to the SAVE America Act. “And I really applaud the president for saying that he’s not going to sign it into law. I think that he reserves the right to veto,” the Florida lawmaker continued. Luna and the band of conservatives opposed the sweeping housing bill as part of their pledge to vote “no” on every piece of legislation that comes over from the Senate until the SAVE America Act passes. “In us shutting down the floor, it’s showing that … they’re not going to be able to get done what they want to get done,” Luna said.
NY socialist surge could push Dem voters to defect, GOP governor candidate predicts
FIRST ON FOX: Following a string of high-profile victories by socialist candidates, New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman warned the Democratic Party has veered too far left and predicted establishment Democrats will increasingly back Republicans. Speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital in the wake of Tuesday’s wins, Blakeman said the results underscored the growing influence of the party’s progressive wing and exposed a widening divide within the Democratic coalition. “The lunatic left has taken over the Democratic Party,” he said just hours after three socialists backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their primaries in New York districts. “They’ve lost control of their party.” The rise of socialist victories against traditional Democrats have intensified debate over the Party’s future and the growing influence of its far-left flank. Republicans have seized on those wins as evidence the party is moving away from moderate voters on issues such as taxes and public safety. MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST CANDIDATE STORMS OUT OF LIVE INTERVIEW WHEN CONFRONTED WITH OLD SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS Blakeman, who is running to unseat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, argued that socialists have effectively taken control of the Democratic Party, creating an opening for Republicans among moderate and working-class voters in the state. “They’ve offered everybody free stuff,” Blakeman told Fox News Digital, adding that progressive candidates are making unrealistic promises to voters. “They’re never going to do what they say they’re going to,” he continued, warning that such proposals would ultimately prove impossible to deliver. He argued voters are being sold an unrealistic vision in which “everything in New York could be free,” while longtime Democrats increasingly feel disconnected from the party’s recent direction. “The traditional Democrats are going to vote for Republicans this year,” Blakeman predicted. “They know their party has gone off the deep end.” The Republican hopeful pointed to Mamdani’s meteoric rise as evidence of what he described as the growing influence of socialists within the party. Blakeman acknowledges that proposals such as government-run grocery stores and other publicly funded programs may be politically popular but claims they would ultimately fail to deliver on their promises. “Free grocery stores, I mean, that’s complete nonsense,” Blakeman said. “Government should not be competing with the private sector.” FROM FREE BUSES TO CITY-OWNED GROCERY STORES, HERE ARE MAMDANI’S KEY ECONOMIC PROMISES Blakeman said many of the policies being championed by progressive candidates could harm small businesses and accelerate the outflow of residents and employers from New York. Instead, he argued, the state should focus on lowering taxes, reducing utility costs and creating a more business-friendly environment. During his interview with Fox News Digital the night after sweeping socialist victories in New York, Blakeman accused Hochul of being just as radical and failing to stand up to the Democratic Party’s left flank as progressive figures like Mamdani gain prominence. “They’re in league together,” Blakeman said of Hochul and Mamdani. “I now call her Comrade Kathy.” Though he ran uncontested, Blakeman’s campaign received a boost earlier this year when he secured President Donald Trump‘s endorsement as he seeks to unseat Hochul in deep blue New York, the president’s longtime home state. Asked about Trump’s support, Blakeman said it’s valuable but urged voters to focus on shared concerns such as affordability, public safety and lowering taxes. Blakeman argued that the Democratic Party’s growing embrace of socialist candidates could ultimately benefit Republicans, particularly among suburban and working-class voters who he believes feel increasingly disconnected from the party’s priorities. “Traditional Democrats see their party going off the deep end. They don’t like it,” Blakeman said. “They’re going to come on board with us because it’s the only way to stop their party from becoming an extinct party.” Responding to Blakeman’s remarks, Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said, “New Yorkers know Bruce Blakeman is too busy catering to the far-right, embracing January 6 architects, and caving to Donald Trump to fight for them and their families. From enabling ICE’s abuses, to raising costs, to fighting to gut Medicaid, Blakeman’s proud of being ‘MAGA all the way,’ just like Trump labeled him.” Mamdani’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Closed-door outburst turns into victory for Trump’s Iran negotiations
An explosive meeting in the Senate turned into a win for President Donald Trump and his administration as key Republicans flipped on another bid to handcuff the administration’s authorities in Iran. In its final act before leaving Washington, D.C., for an over two-week break, the Senate rejected Democrats’ attempt to rein in Trump’s war powers in Iran as talks continue between Iran and the U.S. to hammer out a long-term peace deal. It was the same war powers resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., that passed over a month ago and stunned Republicans in the upper chamber. ‘HE NAMED NAMES’: TRUMP’S SENATE MEETING EXPLODES INTO SHOUTING MATCH OVER IRAN What seemed like a predetermined outcome just hours after Trump and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., sparred over the Iran war, and the administration’s lack of forthcomingness with lawmakers, during a closed-door meeting to discuss the president’s marquee voter ID and citizenship verification legislation turned into a surprise late night win. Trump argued to the GOP that the previous war powers resolution, which passed on Tuesday thanks in part to a pair of Republicans being absent, hurt the administration’s negotiating position with the Iranians. Meetings with key holdouts at the White House with key holdouts helped change their minds, and provided the administration with a win as they work toward a deal beyond the 60-day memorandum of understanding with Iran. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
‘America is back’: Trump kicks off Great American State Fair with flyovers, patriotic National Mall speech
President Donald Trump kicked off the Great American State Fair Wednesday evening by touting America’s success under his leadership and likening his political movement to the American Revolution during remarks on the National Mall. “Just like those patriots of 1776, over the past 17 months, we have taken power back from the far off political class,” Trump told a crowd gathered in the nation’s capital for the opening ceremony. “They’re trying to gain it back, but it’s not going to happen. We have reclaimed our sovereignty, regained our liberty, restored our prosperity, and we have saved our country in all things. We are once again putting a thing called America first.” Trump walked out to Lee Greenwood performing “God Bless the U.S.A.” as part of the opening ceremony for celebrations surrounding the nation’s 250th anniversary. The president’s remarks were preceded by military flyovers, including B-2 bombers and F-35 stealth fighter jets, as well as comments from Trump Cabinet members and music from the U.S. Marine Band. TRUMP ADMIN UNVEILS 11-FOOT-TALL, AI-DESIGNED NUCLEAR TEST FLIGHT VEHICLE AT THE GREAT AMERICAN STATE FAIR “America is back,” Trump declared to a roaring crowd. “We’re the hottest country anywhere in the world. We’re respected by everybody. Nobody’s laughing at us anymore.” Trump used his remarks to tout improvements to the nation’s capital, saying homeless encampments and graffiti had been removed, more than 50 monuments and memorials had been repaired and beautified, and dozens of statues had been cleaned since he returned to office. Trump also pointed to repairs at Union Station, Meridian Hill Park, Lafayette Square and the Reflecting Pool, which he said had been “gruesomely vandalized by thugs.” “The vandals got to it,” Trump said of the Reflecting Pool. “They’ve largely been caught and are being prosecuted. We can’t let that happen to our country.” Trump previewed several anniversary-related projects as well, including what he described as a new White House ballroom, a “triumphal arc” near Arlington Cemetery, the National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park and a “Spirit of ’76” exhibition at Freedom Plaza honoring figures from the American Revolution. TRUMP’S DC BEAUTIFICATION PUSH WINS RARE DEM PRAISE AS PRESIDENT SNAPS LANDMARKS BACK TO LIFE Trump framed the nation’s 250th birthday as both a celebration of America’s founding and a launchpad for what he called a new “golden age of America.” “This anniversary is a time to be proud of our past,” Trump said. “But it is also a time to lift our sights, expand our ambitions, and raise our expectations of what America can be.” “With all of that being said, the best is yet to come,” he added. The president was joined at the event by House Speaker Mike Johnson, several Cabinet officials and administration figures, and what Trump described as “countless” members of Congress. Trump called the opening ceremony “a very special night.” VANILLA ICE DOUBLES DOWN ON FREEDOM 250 AFTER ARTIST EXODUS: ‘ONCE YOU COMMIT, YOU DON’T QUIT’ “It’s my honor to officially kick off the celebration with the Great American State Fair,” Trump said. “It’s going to be great. It’s going to be unbelievable.” Trump said the fair, which runs from Wednesday through July 10, will showcase all 50 states and six U.S. territories and include military flyovers, patriotic music, high-tech demonstrations, exhibitions, a FIFA fan zone and an “old fashioned rodeo.” “You get just a little, little tiny glimpse of it tonight,” Trump said after the flyovers. “How good is our Air Force?” Trump also previewed what he said would be a massive Fourth of July celebration on the National Mall, telling supporters he would return to speak as the country rings in its 250th year with “the largest fireworks display in world history.” He also pointed to additional anniversary events, including the Patriot Games, a competition featuring top high school athletes, and a Freedom 250 Grand Prix race around the Capitol and down Pennsylvania Avenue. Trump closed by casting the anniversary as a celebration of the generations of Americans who built and defended the country, invoking the Founding Fathers, Patrick Henry, the Revolutionary War, the settling of the West, the building of railroads and skyscrapers, two world wars and the space race. “This is our heritage. This is our history, and this is the destiny of America to be the greatest, most incredible country ever to grace the earth,” Trump said. “We are one people, one nation, marching into one magnificent future under our great American flag.” “Happy birthday, America,” he added.
Trump administration says federal authorities have arrested more than 10,000 suspected gang members
The Trump administration marked a major immigration enforcement milestone Wednesday, announcing that federal authorities have arrested more than 10,000 suspected gang members since President Donald Trump began his second term. The arrests are part of the administration’s broader immigration enforcement campaign, which officials say is aimed at removing violent criminals from U.S. communities. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), those arrested have been accused of crimes including murder, assault with a deadly weapon, drug trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, robbery and extortion. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has delivered on the administration’s goal of making the country’s communities safer. TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT PUSH RESULTS IN SKYROCKETING ARRESTS OF CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS “Under President Trump’s leadership, ICE has arrested more than 10,000 gang members,” Mullin said in a statement. “Many of these gang members were released into our country by Joe Biden,” he continued. “These vicious criminals murdered, assaulted, robbed, and terrorized innocent Americans for sport.” “Thanks to the Secure America Act, ICE is turbocharged to arrest even more gang members and criminals from American neighborhoods,” Mullin added. DHS PREPS DEPORTATION OF ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER WANTED FOR PASTOR’S MURDER IN EL SALVADOR DHS said the 10,000th suspected gang member arrested was Javier Hernandez Rosas, whom the agency identified as an alleged MS-13 member and an illegal immigrant from Mexico. According to DHS, Rosas has prior convictions for cocaine possession and was previously arrested on charges including abduction and weapons possession. The announcement came as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it reached a record staffing level this spring, with 21,471 agents — the highest in the agency’s 102-year history. The administration has made border security a central priority during Trump’s second term. Officials say illegal immigration has declined by more than 87% compared with October 2024 levels. Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.
DHS puts ‘sanctuary politicians’ on notice after alleged park predator was released under Biden
An illegal immigrant who allegedly exposed himself to one woman before trying to drag another woman into the woods at a Virginia park was arrested last year on felony drug trafficking charges but was released after sanctuary jurisdiction officials refused to cooperate with federal immigration officials, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Moises Domingo Rico Rosales, a Nicaraguan national who DHS says illegally entered the U.S. in Arizona in 2022 before being released under the Biden administration, was arrested Tuesday after Fairfax County police said he was linked to two separate incidents at Wakefield Park in Annandale, Virginia. He is now charged with abduction of a person with intent to defile and indecent exposure, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer asking Fairfax County officials not to release him, DHS said. DHS said Rico Rosales had previously been arrested in Fairfax County in 2024 on felony drug trafficking charges, but was later released after local officials refused to honor an ICE detainer. According to local reporting, court records show the 2024 drug charges were dropped by the office of George Soros-backed Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, paving the way for his release from criminal custody. “This criminal illegal alien exposed himself to one woman in a park and then attempted to abduct another woman the same day,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of DHS Lauren Bis. “He was previously arrested for drug trafficking in 2024, but Fairfax County sanctuary politicians refused to cooperate with ICE law enforcement and released him from jail.” SOROS-BACKED DA’S LAX ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION POLICIES LED TO ‘PREVENTABLE’ BUS STOP STABBING MURDER: COMPLAINT “This predator was RELEASED by the Biden Administration into our country in 2022. DHS is calling on Governor Abigail Spanberger and her fellow sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal and instead turn him over to ICE custody. Open border and sanctuary policies have real consequences, and they are the creation of more innocent victims.” The case is drawing renewed scrutiny to Northern Virginia’s fight over ICE detainers and sanctuary-style policies, coming months after Abdul Jalloh, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone with more than 30 prior arrests, was charged with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of 41-year-old Stephanie Minter at a Virginia bus stop. That case helped fuel a recent House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Fairfax County’s sanctuary policies, where Descano and Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid faced questions from congressional Republicans over their handling of criminal illegal immigrants and ICE detainers. Fairfax officials have previously defended their policy by saying they do not hold inmates on ICE detainers alone without a judicial warrant. ICE detainers ask local jails to notify federal immigration authorities before an inmate’s release and hold the person briefly, so ICE can assume custody. ICE has argued that at-large arrests are more unpredictable and potentially dangerous than jail transfers. The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office pushed back on DHS’s characterization of the Rico Rosales case, telling Fox News Digital that he was booked into the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center in 2024 and that ICE filed an “informal request,” but “failed to act upon” it after a court ordered Rico Rosales released. JORDAN GRILLS SOROS-BACKED DA DESCANO IN HEATED SPAT OVER SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICY: ‘THIS IS ALMOST LAUGHABLE’ “There was no judicial warrant filed by ICE,” a spokesperson for Sheriff Stacey Kincaid’s office said. The sheriff’s office also said it does not currently have an ICE detainer on file for Rico Rosales in connection with his latest charges, despite DHS saying ICE had lodged one. The office said ICE would be able to take him into custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center if federal immigration officials file a detainer and respond when he is ordered released. “The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office does not obstruct or prevent ICE from acting on their civil detainers,” the spokesperson said. Kincaid’s office said its policy is not to hold inmates past their release date unless ICE presents a judicial warrant or court-issued criminal detainer. A portion of the sheriff’s office standard operating procedures provided to Fox News Digital states that, “to hold a prisoner for” Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), ICE or another immigration enforcement official, “a criminal judicial order” is required. When asked about Rico Rosales’ charges being dropped in 2024, Laura Birnbaum, chief of staff and public information officer for Descano’s office, said there are “many reasons” why the outcome of a criminal case may differ from the initial charges, including insufficient evidence, victims not wanting to continue with prosecution, key witnesses not being present in court, defendants cooperating with police or prosecutors, defendants taking behavioral steps such as restitution or treatment, coordination with other agencies or the initial charge not reflecting what actually occurred. VIRGINIA GOV. SPANBERGER CUTS TIES WITH ICE IN FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION “Our office will share additional specifics about cases where possible, but we cannot jeopardize ongoing prosecutions or investigations; disclose personal information about victims or witnesses; or share non-public case information,” Birnbaum told Fox News Digital. Birnbaum also pushed back on criticism of the office, saying, “Some right-wing activists may attempt to retrofit political motives onto certain case outcomes or claim that prosecutors have the perfect ability to predict and avert future crimes.” Governor Spanberger has moved to limit Virginia law enforcement’s role in federal civil immigration enforcement, including rescinding Youngkin-era directives, ending state-level 287(g) agreements and signing legislation that restricts state and local law-enforcement assistance in civil immigration operations absent a judicial warrant or subpoena. However, her office argues local jail custody decisions, including in Fairfax County, are made by local officials rather than the governor. “Governor Spanberger strongly believes violent criminals who are in the United States illegally should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and deported. Under Governor Spanberger’s leadership, the Virginia Department of Corrections continues the long-standing practice of notifying ICE when individuals born outside of the United States are in state custody. Virginia state law enforcement agencies also continue to participate in task forces and inter-agency cooperation with federal agencies,” a statement from Spanberger’s
New York congressional primary becomes second most expensive House race ever amid AI fight
The primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District has emerged as the second-most expensive House primary race on record after becoming a high-stakes proxy battle over artificial intelligence (AI) regulation. The race — which covers Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Upper West Side and Midtown — saw a staggering $26.3 million in ad spending, according to AdImpact Politics. Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District between Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein, held this year, reportedly ranked first with $33.2 million in ad spending. Election results showed Micah Lasher, a strong advocate for stricter AI regulations, defeating state Rep. Alex Bores, a tech expert who campaigned heavily on safety concerns. DEM LAWMAKERS CRY FOUL AS HOCHUL GUTS AI SAFETY BILL AMID BIG TECH PRESSURE The contest was decided by a narrow margin, with Lasher securing 39% of the vote and Bores receiving 35% as they competed to replace longtime Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler. Bores, a former data scientist at Palantir who holds a master’s degree in computer science, became a key target in the broader fight between competing factions of the AI industry. AI-BACKED SUPER PAC EXPANDS INTO MULTIPLE GOP PRIMARIES AFTER CLAIMING EARLY WINS According to AdImpact Politics, $9.3 million was spent supporting Bores, who also faced the largest share of attack ad spending, with $3.6 million in negative ads targeting him. Beyond ad spending, the Silicon Valley-backed super PAC Leading the Future spent more than $8 million opposing Bores’ nomination in an effort to keep tech-skeptical lawmakers out of Washington, according to the Hill. The group is funded by major tech figures including OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. Meanwhile, multiple AI safety groups spent more than $20 million backing Bores, the Hill reported, highlighting the deep divide within the tech community over how aggressively the government should regulate artificial intelligence. Lasher received $8.6 million in support spending, while $1.6 million was spent on attack ads targeting him, according to AdImpact Politics. Beyond the AI policy battle, billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg poured millions of his own money to support Lasher’s campaign, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) documents.