Trump demands definitive answer amid ongoing debate over COVID-19 vaccines
President Donald Trump is now demanding a definitive answer on the controversy surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. “It is very important that the Drug Companies justify the success of their various Covid Drugs. Many people think they are a miracle that saved Millions of lives. Others disagree! With CDC being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it NOW,” he declared in a Monday Truth Social post. CVS, WALGREENS PULL BACK COVID VACCINES IN MORE THAN A DOZEN STATES FOLLOWING NEW GUIDELINES “I have been shown information from Pfizer, and others, that is extraordinary, but they never seem to show those results to the public. Why not??? They go off to the next ‘hunt’ and let everyone rip themselves apart, including Bobby Kennedy Jr. and CDC, trying to figure out the success or failure of the Drug Companies Covid work. They show me GREAT numbers and results, but they don’t seem to be showing them to many others. I want them to show them NOW, to CDC and the public, and clear up this MESS, one way or the other!!!” he continued. After COVID-19 pandemic erupted during Trump’s first term in office, he presided over Operation Warp Speed, an effort to help accelerate the development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. “I hope OPERATION WARP SPEED was as ‘BRILLIANT’ as many say it was. If not, we all want to know about it, and why???” he wrote in the post on Monday. “Thank you for your attention to this very important matter!” PREVIOUS CDC DIRECTORS ACCUSE RFK JR. OF ENDANGERING ALL AMERICANS IN NY TIMES ESSAY In a post on X, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. thanked the president for his “commitment to Gold Standard Science.” Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to Trump’s comments by suggesting that Operation Warp Speed was a success. CDC OFFICIAL INCLUDES ‘PREGNANT PEOPLE’ TERMINOLOGY AND PRONOUNS IN RESIGNATION LETTER “Mr. Trump: You were right about the success of Operation Warp Speed & the COVID vaccine when you said that it saved ‘tens of millions of lives.’ Vaccines have also helped eliminate polio, measles & smallpox. Don’t backtrack. Stick with the scientists, not conspiracy theorists,” Sanders wrote on X.
Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler will not seek reelection
U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., will not seek re-election next year, according to media reports. The move will mark the end of Nadler’s 34 years in Congress where he has been a leading liberal voice on a range of issues. “Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” Nadler told the New York Times. REP. NADLER CONDEMNS TRUMP ADMIN AFTER STAFF MEMBER HANDCUFFED DURING CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE SECURITY SWEEP That was evident when Nadler, 78, was forced to give up his House Judiciary Committee leadership at the beginning of the term when it became clear a younger, more energetic colleague would beat him. Nadler has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, warning fellow Democrats about Trump’s leadership style. The two have sparred dating back to the 1980s over Manhattan development projects. “I’m not saying we should change over the entire party,” he said. “But I think a certain amount of change is very helpful, especially when we face the challenge of Trump and his incipient fascism.” DEM REP. NADLER PICTURED WITH HEAD DOWN, EYES CLOSED DURING TESTIMONY FROM OTHERS OF MIGRANT CRIME VICTIMS He ultimately succeeded in steering articles of impeachment through his committee in 2019. Nadler didn’t discuss who could potentially succeed him, saying multiple candidates could run to replace him. But a person familiar with his thinking told the Times that Nadler planned to support Micah Lasher, who represents parts of the Upper West Side in the New York State Assembly, should he run. In speaking with the Times, Nadler said he was confident of the Democrats‘ chances of taking back control of the House next year. “Then you can cut the reign of terror in half,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Nadler’s office. In a post on X, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani praised Nadler as a champion of progressivism. “For more than 30 years, when New Yorkers needed a champion, we have turned to Jerry Nadler – and he has delivered for us time and again,” the post states. “Few leaders can claim to have made such an impact on the fabric of our city.” “Congress will be worse off without his leadership, but our democracy will be better for the selflessness that has defined a legendary career,” he added. In a statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called Nadler a “relentless fighter for justice, civil rights and liberties and the fundamental promise of equality for all.” “After the attacks of September 11, 2001, he spent years fighting for the care and support that New York City and his constituents needed to begin to rebuild and heal,” said Jeffries. “As Dean of the New York delegation, Congressman Nadler has been a dear friend and valued mentor to myself and so many others throughout the People’s House.” “Jerry’s years of leadership have earned him a spot among our nation’s greatest public servants,” he added. “He will be deeply missed by the House Democratic Caucus next term and we wish him and his family the very best in this new chapter.”
Trump to award Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom: ‘Great American Patriot’
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will award former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “As President of the United States of America, I am pleased to announce that Rudy Giuliani, the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, and an equally great American Patriot, will receive THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, our Country’s highest civilian honor,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Details as to time and place to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” TRUMP BACKS NYPD AFTER GUNMAN KILLS OFF-DUTY OFFICER IN MANHATTAN OFFICE TOWER SHOOTING The announcement comes a day after Giuliani was seriously injured in a car crash in New Hampshire. Although rumors circulated that the former mayor was hurt in a targeted attack, his spokesman said Giuliani had pulled over after being flagged down by a woman who was fleeing domestic violence and needed help calling 911. After officers arrived, Giuliani left in his rental car, which was later struck from behind at high speed on the highway. JUDGE TELLS CUOMO TO STOP USING TAXPAYER MONEY TO ‘RESURRECT HIS PUBLIC IMAGE’ IN LEGAL CASE Giuliani was hospitalized with multiple injuries, including “a fractured thoracic vertebrae,” multiple lacerations and contusions and injuries to his left arm and lower leg, Michael Ragusa, spokesman and head of security for Giuliani, said in a statement on Sunday. Ragusa gave an update on Giuliani’s condition to Fox News Digital on Monday. “Mayor Giuliani’s condition continues to improve, and he is expected to be discharged from the hospital within the next few days,” Ragusa said in a statement. “This is a man who survived 9/11—so a little car accident won’t be slowing him down. He is eager to return to business and continue fighting for this country, as he has proudly done for the past 50 years.” Giuliani joined Trump’s legal team in 2018, representing the president during the Robert Mueller inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Trump praises Democratic DC mayor for working with his administration on crime crackdown
President Donald Trump praised Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser for cooperating with his administration amid a deployment of National Guard troops to the city to help combat crime. “Wow! Mayor Muriel Bowser of D.C. has become very popular because she worked with me and my great people in bringing crime down to virtually nothing in D.C.,” Trump posted on his Truth Social Monday. “Her statements and actions were positive, instead of others like [Illinois Gov. J.B.] Pritzker, [Maryland Gov.] Wes Moore, [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, and the 5% approval-rated mayor of Chicago, who spend all of their time trying to justify violent crime instead of working with us to completely eliminate it, which we have done in Washington, D.C., now a crime-free zone,” he added. DC MAYOR BOWSER REVERSES COURSE, ADMITS TRUMP’S FEDERAL CRIME CRACKDOWN IS WORKING Trump further claimed that Bowser’s approval rating has gone up. “In a short period of time, 25%, and the people of D.C. are thanking her for stopping crime wherever she goes,” he wrote. “It’s not a miracle, it’s hard work, courage, and being smart. The top law enforcement officer in L.A. said, during the riots and when I sent the troops in early, that they couldn’t have done it without us.” “They were completely overwhelmed! If we hadn’t gone in early, on top of the Palisades fires, L.A. would have lost the Olympics. Congratulations to Mayor Muriel Bowser, but don’t go woke on us,” he added. “D.C. is a giant victory that never has to end!!!” Last week, Bowser said crime numbers in the city were down. BLUE CITIES IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS AFTER DC POLICE TAKEOVER “Carjackings are down 87% since the federal surge started, violent crime is down 45%, arrests are up 20%, and illegal gun recoveries are up 12%,” Fox DC reported. “The most significant thing that we are highlighting today is the area of crime that was most troubling for us in 2023, and we have driven it down over the last year,” Bowser said at a Wednesday news conference. “We know that when carjackings go down, when the use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer,” she added. On Monday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said 1,599 arrests have been made and 165 illegal guns have been seized in the days since Trump’s crime crackdown. Trump has threatened to deploy Guard troops to other Democratic-run cities to combat crime.
Bernie Sanders calls for RFK Jr. to resign as HHS secretary over vaccine policies: ‘Rally the American people’
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont says if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doesn’t step down as Health and Human Services secretary in President Donald Trump’s administration, Americans will need to speak out. “We’ve got to rally the American people. This is a huge issue,” Sanders told Fox News Digital on Monday. Sanders, the ranking member of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said, “I’m not a scientist, I’m not a doctor, but I do talk to scientists, and I do talk to doctors, and the evidence is overwhelming. It’s not contestable. Vaccines work. They save millions and millions of lives.” WHY BERNIE SANDERS IS CALLING ON RFK JR. TO RESIGN And the progressive champion and 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential nomination runner-up warned that “if Kennedy and his friends are able to make people think that vaccines are not safe, it will be a real public health crisis for America.” Sanders is among a growing list of politicians and officials who warn that Kennedy, the longtime environmental activist and vaccine skeptic who Trump picked late last year as his health secretary in his second administration, is jeopardizing the health of Americans with his controversial moves. BIPARTISAN FURY AT CDC: SENATORS DEMAND PROBE, REJECT VACCINE GUIDANCE AS ILLEGITIMATE “Mr Kennedy and the rest of the Trump administration tell us, over and over, that they want to Make America Healthy Again. That’s a great slogan. I agree with it. The problem is that since coming into office, President Trump and Mr Kennedy have done exactly the opposite,” Sanders wrote this past weekend in an opinion piece in the New York Times. And Sanders said that “despite the overwhelming opposition of the medical community, Secretary Kennedy has continued his longstanding crusade against vaccines and his advocacy of conspiracy theories that have been rejected repeatedly by scientific experts.” Sanders’ call for Kennedy to resign came after last week’s firing of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Susan Monarez, less than a month after she was confirmed. The firing of Monarez came after she refused Kennedy’s directives to adopt new limitations on the availability of some vaccines, including approvals for COVID-19 vaccines. Four other top CDC officials resigned in protest hours later, accusing the Trump administration and Kennedy of weaponizing public health. CDC DIRECTOR SUSAN MONAREZ REFUSES TO BE FIRED AS OTHER OFFICIALS CALL IT QUITS Sanders, who was interviewed Monday after headlining the New Hampshire AFL-CIO’s annual Labor Day breakfast, charged in his statement over the weekend that Kennedy “has absurdly claimed that ‘there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective’.” “Who supports Secretary Kennedy’s views?” Sanders asked. “Not credible scientists and doctors. One of his leading ‘experts’ that he cites to back up his bogus claims on autism and vaccines had his medical license revoked and his study retracted from the medical journal that published it.” The incident received rare bipartisan pushback by some members of Congress. But the White House defended the firing of Monarez, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters on Thursday that the president has the “authority to fire those who are not aligned with his mission.” “The president and Secretary Kennedy are committed to restoring trust and transparency and credibility to the CDC by ensuring their leadership and their decisions are more public-facing, more accountable, strengthening our public health system and restoring it to its core mission of protecting Americans from communicable diseases, investing in innovation to prevent, detect and respond to future threats,” Leavitt argued. Fox News Bonny Chu and Landon Mion contributed to this story
Khanna, Massie to hold news conference with Epstein victims: ‘People are going to be outraged’
MANCHESTER, N.H. – With Congress back in session this week, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky are reigniting their push for the Justice Department to release files in the Jeffrey Epstein case. Khanna says that “people are going to be outraged” after seeing a news conference he and Massie are holding on Wednesday with 10 victims of the late convicted sex offender. The news conference is part of the effort by Khanna and Massie to pass through the House a bill requiring the Justice Department to release its files on the Epstein case. “These victims haven’t spoken for decades. When Epstein got that lenient plea deal, no one talked to the victims or their lawyers,” Khanna said Monday in a Fox News Digital interview. A NEXT STEP IN THE JEFFREY EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION INVOLVES HIS ‘BIRTHDAY BOOK’ “My belief is, when the American people actually hear the victims for the first time, they are going to sympathize, their hearts are going to be broken, and all the victims are saying is for closure,” he predicted. EPSTEIN ESTATE HIT WITH NEW HOUSE SUBPOENA FOR ‘CLIENT LIST,’ CALL LOGS Khanna argued that “there are a lot of other rich, powerful men, politicians, business leaders, who have committed abuse and who have not been held accountable. That’s what we’re going to hear on Sept. 3, and people are going to be outraged, and I don’t see how, after that, the House can’t vote for the release of these files.” The White House’s handling of the Epstein case sparked outcry earlier this summer, after the Justice Department and the FBI appeared to close the book on their investigation after announcing they had uncovered no evidence of an Epstein client list. The move infuriated many of President Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters and allies – who had anticipated blockbuster revelations – with some calling for Attorney General Pam Bondi to be fired. And the president aggravated some in MAGA world a month ago by calling the Epstein case a Democratic hoax and arguing that “PAST supporters” had “bought into this bullsh–.” TRUMP DOJ HANDING EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS TO HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON FRIDAY AS SUBPOENA DEADLINE LOOMS Khanna and Massie are optimistic they have the votes. “I’m confident we’re going to get the 218 votes for the discharge petition,” Khanna told Fox News Digital, as he was interviewed ahead of addressing the New Hampshire AFL-CIO’s annual Labor Day breakfast. “We’ve got 212 Democrats and 12 Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert. Look, this is not about Donald Trump, and it’s not partisan. This is about justice for the victims of rich and powerful men who abused underage girls.” And he emphasized that “in this country, people want transparency. They want accountability. I’m confident we’re going to get the 218 votes for the discharge petition.” Epstein died by suicide in a New York federal prison in 2019 while awaiting federal charges related to sex trafficking, In the ensuing years, there has been intense speculation and theories on who else may have been involved in the sex ring the financier allegedly operated.
New NGA chair says America is ‘exceptional’ in push to revive a fading Dream
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the bipartisan National Governors Association (NGA) is focused on reigniting the American Dream, NGA Chair Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I’ve lived the American Dream,” the Oklahoma governor said, explaining that Democratic and Republican governors “can all agree that we want to teach the next generation that America is exceptional, and that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.” During the NGA’s summer meeting in Colorado Springs, Stitt announced his marquee initiative as the incoming chair, focusing on the economy, education and investing in artificial intelligence. “There’s no such thing as equal outcomes, but we want equal opportunities to go chase your dreams through hard work, through entrepreneurship and free markets,” Stitt explained. DEMOCRATIC PARTY TENSIONS SEEP INTO BIPARTISAN GROUP AS GOVERNORS RESISTING TRUMP’S AGENDA RECONSIDER DUES The NGA hosted Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this summer in Colorado Springs. INCOMING NGA CHAIR ‘DISAPPOINTED’ IN DEM GOVERNORS ‘PLAYING POLITICS’ IN BIPARTISAN GROUP Stitt said he hopes to feature more speakers at NGA events who embody the American Dream, mentioning Vice President JD Vance, former President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as potential guests. NGA Vice Chair Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., shared his own American Dream story during the NGA’s summer meeting, telling the crowd that the “American Dream is never a singular dream.” “It’s a continuation,” Moore said. “It’s a dream that was born generations ago. It’s a dream that was borne by people who, even if they did not know us, they fought for the hope of us. The United States is the most unique experiment in the history of the world. Period. Full stop.” Stitt said his own story reflects the American Dream, telling Fox News Digital that he grew his nationwide company from just “$1,000 and a computer” before being elected governor in 2018. The Oklahoma governor is term-limited this year. When asked about his legacy, Stitt said he is proud to have accomplished “education freedom” and becoming a top-10 state where people are moving. “We were having teacher walkouts, we were having billion-dollar budget deficits, we had no money in savings, and we had this kind of second-class feel as a state,” Stitt said of his home state before he took office. “I’m a fourth-generation Oklahoman, and we weren’t doing as well as we could have, and I wanted to bring this bravado.” Looking ahead to next year, Stitt said he is monitoring the gubernatorial race closely as several candidates have already declared their candidacies. “Behind the scenes, I’m certainly going to let Oklahomans know who I think is the best one to replace me, but if we can get a couple of good businessman governors and people that are focused on the next generation, not the next election, we can absolutely keep this momentum in Oklahoma going, and we can continue to be a top-10 state,” Stitt said. As for his own political future, Stitt said he plans to return to his company as “our Founding Fathers envisioned,” adding that “politics shouldn’t necessarily be a profession where to climb the ladder.” “When I told Oklahomans, I came from the business world and I said, I’m always going to focus on the next generation, not the next election,” Stitt concluded. “That’s why Oklahomans are starting to thrive, because we’re not making political decisions, we’re making the right decisions for the citizens of Oklahoma.”
Trump faces multiple legal setbacks as federal courts question broad presidential powers
After the long holiday weekend, President Donald Trump will begin contending with significant legal disputes unfolding on multiple fronts. From the Federal Reserve to trade policy to deportations of illegal immigrants, here’s a look at the high-stakes legal showdowns shaping Trump’s week. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, a Biden appointee, signaled on Friday she will seek to rule quickly on whether Trump acted unlawfully in moving to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations. She didn’t make a ruling during the two-hour hearing but told both sides to submit more filings by Sept 2. Only then will she decide whether to issue an order that temporarily protects Cook’s job while the case continues. TRUMP SAYS HE’S ‘ALWAYS’ READY FOR LEGAL FIGHT AS OUSTED FED GOVERNOR PLANS LAWSUIT Trump’s unprecedented attempt to oust Cook sets the stage for a high-stakes legal battle likely bound for the Supreme Court. Trump fired Cook on Aug. 25, which prompted her to sue him in federal court three days later. Her lawsuit names as defendants Trump, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. It is not clear if Cook has attempted to enter the Federal Reserve’s main headquarters in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood in D.C. since Trump’s letter terminating her. The Federal Reserve declined to say whether Cook has tried to work from her office, is working remotely, or retains access to the email and other resources she needs for her job. Before Cook filed her suit, a Fed spokesperson acknowledged the potential legal feud and wrote in an Aug. 26 statement that the Fed will “abide by any court decision.” COOK’S POTENTIAL EXIT HANDS TRUMP GREATER SWAY OVER FED BOARD SHAPING US MONETARY POLICY In a different legal case, Judge Cobb issued a temporary order preventing the Trump administration from carrying out expedited deportations of illegal immigrants. The policy would have allowed some to be deported without first going before an immigration judge. In an Aug. 29 opinion, Cobb ruled that the Trump administration’s plan to quickly deport illegal immigrants who had lived in the U.S. less than two years violated their right to due process. “In defending this skimpy process, the government makes a truly startling argument: that those who entered the country illegally are entitled to no process under the Fifth Amendment,” Cobb wrote, adding that the government could accuse “not only noncitizens, but everyone.” “The government could accuse you of entering unlawfully, relegate you to a bare-bones proceeding where it would ‘prove’ your unlawful entry, and then immediately remove you,” Cobb added. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S EXPANDED DEPORTATION PLAN OVER DUE PROCESS CONCERNS Meanwhile, on the trade front, a federal appeals court said on Friday that Trump overstepped his authority by using emergency powers to impose new tariffs on imported goods. The court said that power lies squarely with Congress or within existing trade policy frameworks. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the court allowed the tariffs to remain in effect until mid-October. TRUMP CALLS TARIFF WINDFALL ‘SO BEAUTIFUL TO SEE’ AS CASH SAILS IN The setback chips away at Trump’s trade policy, long a centerpiece of his economic agenda, which leans heavily on tariffs to raise revenue and exert pressure on foreign trading partners. Trump has previously said that tariff revenue could offset the cost of his “One Big Beautiful Bill” and add hundreds of billions to the U.S. economy. Tariff revenues rose steadily from approximately $17.4 billion in April to $23.9 billion in May, before climbing to $28 billion in June and peaking at $29.6 billion in July. According to the Treasury Department’s latest “Customs and Certain Excise Taxes” data, released on Aug. 28, total tariff revenues have reached $183.1 billion for the fiscal year. At the current pace, the U.S. could collect as much tariff revenue in just four to five months as it did over the entire previous year.
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has Parkinson’s disease: report
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, his family revealed to the New York Times. Mueller is the former special counsel who led the Russia investigation into President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. Mueller, 81, was diagnosed in 2021 and retired from public life the following year after briefly teaching law, according to a family statement provided to The Times. “Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the summer of 2021. He retired from the practice of law at the end of that year. He taught at his law school alma mater during the fall of both 2021 and 2022, and he retired at the end of 2022,” the statement said. HOUSE INVESTIGATORS NIX MUELLER TESTIMONY IN EPSTEIN PROBE OVER HEALTH CONCERNS “His family asks that his privacy be respected,” they added. House Oversight Committee investigators had subpoenaed Mueller to testify as part of their probe into Jeffrey Epstein, but lawmakers withdrew the request after learning of his health struggles. A source familiar told Fox News Digital the panel “learned that Mr. Mueller has health issues that preclude him from being able to testify.” This happened before The New York Times reported on Mueller’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. Recently, Mueller has struggled with speech and mobility, leaving him unable to comply with a congressional subpoena regarding the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. TRUMP ORDER TARGETING LAW FIRM WILMERHALE BLOCKED AS ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL,’ FEDERAL JUDGE RULES As FBI director from 2001 to 2013, Mueller oversaw the bureau during its 2007 investigation of Epstein. Mueller was one of many notable figures, including the Clintons, who House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., subpoenaed to testify before the panel. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Comer has argued that period is central to his inquiry, citing prosecutors’ draft 60-count indictment that was later set aside in favor of a widely criticized non-prosecution agreement. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Alex Miller contributed to this report.
Biden judge halts ‘surprising’ illegal alien minor repatriation plan after advocacy groups sue
A Biden-appointed federal judge abruptly blocked the Trump administration from flying out hundreds of illegal alien children over Labor Day weekend after immigrant advocacy groups rushed to court, claiming Trump was carrying out a mass deportation in the dead of night. The emergency order by U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan froze a pilot program the administration said would reunite nearly 700 kids with parents or guardians in Guatemala. By the time the judge intervened, charter buses had already rolled up to planes in Harlingen and El Paso and, in some cases, children were seated on board awaiting departure. Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign told the court, “These are not removals under the statute. These are repatriations. All of these children have parents or guardians in Guatemala who have requested their return.” ‘LAWLESS AND INSANE’: TRUMP ADMIN READIES FOR FIGHT AFTER JUDGES BLOCK ABREGO GARCIA REMOVAL FOR NOW Advocacy groups rejected that explanation, with the National Immigration Law Center’s (NILC) Efrén Olivares firing back that “it is a dark and dangerous moment when our government chooses to target orphaned 10-year-olds.” The lawsuit, LGML v. Noem, was filed just after 1 a.m. Sunday, accusing the Trump administration of skirting a 2008 law that immigrant-rights groups often cite to shield minors from removal. Named as defendants were Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. FEDERAL JUDGE HALTS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTATION OF EIGHT MIGRANTS TO SOUTH SUDAN The lead plaintiff was a 10-year-old girl identified only by her initials whose mother had died in Guatemala. Judge Sooknanan scolded the Trump administration over the timing, saying during the emergency hearing: “I have the government attempting to remove minor children from the country in the wee hours of the morning on a holiday weekend, which is surprising, but here we are.” The Trump administration insists the flights were lawful reunifications negotiated with Guatemala’s government, while advocacy groups argue the kids are being rushed out without hearings or the chance to pursue asylum. Guatemala’s foreign minister confirmed the country is ready to take the children, with President Bernardo Arévalo calling it a “moral and legal obligation.” Unaccompanied children who arrive illegally in the United States are often handed over to the HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) while their immigration cases are prepared. Those from Guatemala often request asylum to stay in America. For now, hundreds of Guatemalan minors remain in the U.S. while the legal battle plays out. According to reporting from The Associated Press, family members of many of the migrants had gathered at airports across the Central American nation in anticipation of their arrival. The entire emergency motion can be read here. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The DOJ, HHS, ICE, the State Department, NILC, and the Guatemalan Embassy did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.