Hundreds of DoD civilians accept call of duty in southern border mission under Trump’s order
Defense Department civilians are volunteering by the hundreds for temporary details with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), joining efforts to bolster operations at the troubled southern border under President Donald Trump’s priority to secure it. In under 48 hours, nearly 500 volunteers answered the president’s call of duty, as assignments became available via USAJOBS.com. Recruiting agencies include Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “This is a national security problem, and our civilians have the critical skill sets to support DHS in their mission,” Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for Civilian Personnel Policy Michael A. Cogar said. “We’re proud that our civilians are already willing to sign up.” Assignments last up to 180 days, providing skills ranging from intelligence analysis to detention support. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RECRUITING CIVILIAN VOLUNTEERS FOR TRUMP ADMIN’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN OPERATIONS A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital the initiative reflects Trump’s “whole-of-government approach” to removing national security threats, including gang members and terrorists. “ICE, CBP, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense are embracing President Trump’s whole-of-government approach to protecting the American people,” a DoD spokesperson said to Fox News Digital. “DOD civilians — who have already undergone rigorous vetting and demonstrated their commitment to serving this nation — are invited to volunteer for temporary ICE assignments to help make America safe again and remove national security threats—including gang members and terrorists from our country.” PENTAGON UNVEILS NEW MEDAL FOR TROOPS DEPLOYED IN TRUMP’S SOUTHERN BORDER CRACKDOWN Civilian employees were notified via email earlier this week, and can apply through USAJOBS, after which DHS will coordinate with their respective agencies for ultimate approval. If approved, candidates can be deployed within 96 hours. All DoD civilian employees in good standing with at least 90 days at their current agency can apply. Assignments last up to six months and roles currently run through Sept. 30, 2026. Volunteers will provide logistical and technical support including data entry, planning, case processing, linguistics and human resources. Civilian DoD employees maintain their pay and benefits while on assignment with eligibility for overtime, while gaining cross-agency experience and professional development. “This mission is truly critical, not just for DHS, not just for DOD, but for the entire country,” Cogar said in a DoD memo released Friday. “Any individual, any one person, can have a force-multiplying effect for those DHS agents, allowing them to focus on what they do best, while we can provide that technical support that they need to be on target, on mission and out there every day focused on the safety of our nation.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The program follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s June directive that also opened DHS placements for retiring service members through the SkillBridge program. The DoD SkillBridge program allows retiring service members to obtain ‘real-world training and work experience in in-demand fields of work.’ Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
10 key takeaways from DOJ’s release of Ghislaine Maxwell’s Epstein interviews
Hours of interviews between Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and a federal prosecutor were released by the Department of Justice on Friday afternoon. During the recorded sessions in which the convicted sex offender, who was found guilty for her role in Epstein’s crimes, was granted immunity, she made several interesting claims. Here are 10 top takeaways. EPSTEIN’S FORMER LAWYER: GHISLAINE MAXWELL SHOULD GET IMMUNITY IN EXCHANGE FOR SECRETS Maxwell denied the existence of a black book with Epstein’s clients on it – and least to her knowledge. “There is no list,” she told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Maxwell said she believed the origin of rumors that there was a list came in 2009 after Epstein had finished a 13-month sex trafficking sentence in Florida, and a lawyer at Rothstein Adler involved in a civil suit against him called the FBI to say he had a “piece of evidence” that belongs to Epstein. That was “the list,” she claimed, adding that she believes he became a confidential informant to the FBI. She said he obtained the list through a sting operation involving Epstein’s former butler, who said in a deposition he had “handwritten notes, or a journal, whatever.” GHISLAINE MAXWELL TELLS DOJ SHE DOESN’T BELIEVE JEFFREY EPSTEIN DIED BY SUICIDE IN FEDERAL PRISON Maxwell said she doesn’t believe Epstein killed himself when he was found hanging in his New York jail cell in 2019. “I do not believe he died by suicide, no,” she told Blanche when asked. She added that she didn’t have any speculation about who could have killed him, but claimed the U.S. Bureau of Prisons is rife with mismanagement. “If it is indeed murder, I believe it was an internal situation,” she said, adding she didn’t believe his death was a way to silence him. “I do not have any reason to believe that,” she told Blanche. “And I also think it’s ludicrous because if that – I also happen to think if that is what they wanted, they would’ve had plenty of opportunity when he wasn’t in jail. And if they were worried about blackmail or anything from him, he would’ve been a very easy target.” Maxwell said while she believes President Trump (before he was president) and Epstein were friendly, she didn’t think they were “close.” “I think they were friendly, like people are in social settings. I don’t — I don’t think they were close friends or I certainly never witnessed the president in any of — I don’t recall ever seeing him in his house, for instance.” she said. “I actually never saw the president in any type of massage setting.” She added, “I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.” Maxwell claimed that former President Bill Clinton, whose name has previously been linked to Epstein, “absolutely never went” to Epstein’s Caribbean island where sex trafficking of young girls took place. She added, “I can be sure of that because there’s no way he would’ve gone – I don’t believe there’s any way that he would’ve gone to the island, had I not been there. Because I don’t believe he had 16 an independent friendship, if you will, with Epstein.” She also said that Clinton was her friend, not Epstein’s, and that she knew him through the Clinton Global Initiative and was part of the inception of the organization. TRUMP DOJ TO BEGIN HANDING OVER EPSTEIN FILES TO HOUSE OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATORS Maxwell called Epstein “disgusting” in the interview but said she doesn’t believe he was guilty of all the accusations. “I do believe that Epstein did a lot of, not all, but some of what he’s accused of, and I’m not here to defend him in any respect whatsoever,” Maxwell told Blanche. “I don’t want to, and I don’t think he requires, nor deserves any type of protection or – from me in any way, to sugarcoat what he did or didn’t do.” She added, “This is one man. He’s not some – they’ve made him into this – he’s not that interesting. He’s a disgusting guy who did terrible things to young kids.” Maxwell told Blanche that she also never saw Prince Andrew do anything inappropriate while she was with him, adding that she believes the infamous photo of the prince with his hand around accuser Virginia Giuffre when she was 17 isn’t real. “I believe it’s literally a fake photo,” she said of the picture, purported to have been taken at her former London townhouse. “I do not know that they met.” Giuffre died of suicide earlier this year. She had accused the royal of forcing her into sex inside Maxwell’s home in London’s ritzy Belgravia neighborhood. The prince was relieved of his royal duties amid fallout from the scandal but has always denied allegations of wrongdoing. He agreed to pay Giuffre an undisclosed settlement in 2022 and to donate to her charity for crime victims. BILL BARR TESTIFIES HE DIDN’T SEE INFO TO WOULD ‘IMPLICATE’ TRUMP IN EPSTEIN CASE, COMER SAYS Maxwell claimed to Blanche her “memory’s not as good as it was” because she was kept on suicide watch at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after her arrest for nearly two years, and she was woken up every 15 minutes. She said because of her memory lapses she had taken notes before the interviews, and throughout the interview still struggled to recall many details. Maxwell said that when she traveled with Epstein, they slept in the same bed, but he told her he had a heart condition and couldn’t have sex frequently. “Which meant that he didn’t have intercourse a lot, which suited me fine, because I actually do have a medical condition, which precludes me having a lot of intercourse,” she told Blanche. She added that she didn’t know the exact nature of the condition, but he liked “other forms of sexual
National Guard mobilizing in 19 states amid immigration, crime crackdown
Up to 1,700 National Guardsmen are set to mobilize in 19 states in the coming weeks to assist the Department of Homeland Security with President Trump’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and crime, Pentagon officials confirmed to FOX News. Documents obtained by FOX News show planning for activations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming – with status effective from August through mid-November. Texas is projected to host the most significant Guard presence. The National Guard soldiers being mobilized will effectively serve as a support pillar to a sweeping federal interagency effort, while also serving as a visible deterrent force, a U.S. Defense official said. The service members supporting ICE will be preforming case management, transportation, logistical support, and clerical functions associated with the processing of illegal migrants at the facilities. “The in-and-out processing may include personal data collection, fingerprinting, DNA swabbing and photographing of personnel in ICE custody,” the official said. TRUMP JOINS POLICE AND MILITARY FORCES IN WASHINGTON STREETS President Trump has indicated in recent days his administration aims to broaden the DC operation to other states, telling a group of federal agents and National Guard troops at a DC patrol center Thursday, “We’re going to make it safe, and we’re going to then go on to other places.” On Friday in the Oval Office, Trump said, “I think Chicago will be our next. And then we’ll help with New York,” Trump said. A U.S. Defense official told FOX, “We won’t speculate on further operations, but can tell you that the department is a planning organization and continues to work and plan with other agency partners to protect federal assets and personnel.” Fewer than 2% of the authorized forces have mobilized so far, but missions coordinated under state governors are projected to expand in the coming weeks – including in Virginia, where approximately 60 soldiers and airmen will begin training August 25th to begin duty by early September, the Virginia National Guard confirmed. “VNG personnel will not conduct law enforcement functions, and VNG support will not include making arrests,” a spokesperson for the Virginia National Guard tells FOX. “VNG Soldiers and Airmen will report directly to ICE leadership at their assigned duty locations but remain under the control and direction of the Virginia Governor and Adjutant General of Virginia.” The deployment of National Guard troops — a state-controlled reserve force — will allow the U.S. military to provide a more direct role in supporting federal immigration enforcement amid as the Trump administration pushes forward with mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASSIGNS MILITARY ATTORNEYS TO PROSECUTE DC CRIMES AMID FEDERAL CRACKDOWN Under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, use of the military for civilian law enforcement is limited – but the National Guardsmen will be mobilizing under Title 32 Section 502F authority, to which Posse Comitatus does not apply. At the request of DHS, in July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved hundreds of additional forces for DHS-ICE Interior Enforcement support, and switched existing approvals from Title 10 to Title 32 status. “We understood ICE’s needs at that time to be more administrative in nature…as planning continued, working with our partners, it became clear more that ICE needed something different,” a U.S. defense official told FOX. Service members supporting ICE will be performing case management, transportation, clerical functions, and logistical support – which may include data collection, fingerprinting, DNA swapping, and photographing of personnel in ICE custody. “As you can imagine and appreciate, some of those start to get close to that law enforcement line. So it’s best that these people are in a Title 32 status so that we are absolutely staying within the law of what we’re doing and providing the appropriate support,” the official said. Most deployments remain in the planning and coordination stage with DHS and governors, but documents show operations beginning in Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada during the first week of September. “Under Title 32, the guardsmen are under the command and control of their governors. So, it’s up to the governors when they’ll bring those forces …as the governors and the states coordinate with DHS, that timeline will differ state by state,” the defense official said. Vermont declined to activate its National Guardsmen, despite the authorization from the Pentagon to assist the DHS-ICE Interior Enforcement Mission. HUNDREDS ARRESTED AS TRUMP’S WASHINGTON, DC, CRIME CRACKDOWN HITS FULL STRIDE The news comes as almost 2,000 National Guard soldiers from Washington DC and six states have been deployed to support law enforcement in Washington DC. Under direct presidential authority, Guard members were assigned to posts at monuments, checkpoints, and traffic stops in all eight wards, with a mission focused on deterring crime and keeping a visible security presence around the city. At the authorization of Secretary Hegseth, those National Guard members can now carry weapons if needed for their individual tasks. But DC is different under Title 32. For the states it would be up to the individual governors who act as command and control. A U.S. Defense official said while the mobilizations in 19 states and activation of DC National Guard both fall under President Trump’s larger directive protecting territorial integrity and immigration policies, the missions are distinct and separate. “The big question is how long do we stay? Because if we stay, we want to make sure it doesn’t come back. So we have to take care of these criminals and get them out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. Officials have tied the effort in Washington DC to beautification ahead of next year’s 250th Independence Day celebration. But President Trump has hinted he may request the Guard stay in DC for an extended period of time, and then take the operation to other parts of the country. “We’re not playing games. We’re going to make it safe, and we’re going to then go on to other places,” Trump said to a crowd of National Guardsmen
Hegseth fires Defense Intelligence Agency chief, other senior Pentagon officials
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired the head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which issued an assessment on U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, as well as other senior military officials. Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse will no longer serve as head of the DIA, a senior defense official told Fox News Digital on Friday. The firing came months after DIA details of the preliminary assessment of Operation Midnight Hammer were leaked to the news media. The assessment questioned the effectiveness of the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TAKES ON NEW BATTLE SHUTTING DOWN INITIAL IRAN STRIKE ASSESSMENTS After the June strikes, President Donald Trump said Iran’s nuclear program had been “completely and fully obliterated.” However, the DIA found that the strikes only set Tehran back a few months. In a news conference after the strikes, Hegseth tore into the media and accused the press of misrepresenting the facts. “You, the press, specifically you, the press corps, because you cheer against Trump so hard,” he said. “It’s like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump because you want him not to be successful so bad. You have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. You have to hope maybe they weren’t effective.” ‘THE MISSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED’: SENATE REPUBLICANS PUSH BACK AGAINST LEAKED REPORT ON IRAN STRIKES “You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated — choose your word. This was an historically successful attack,” he added. In addition to Kruse, Hegseth removed Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, the chief of the Navy Reserve, and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, a Navy SEAL officer who oversees Naval Special Warfare Command. “Effective immediately, Rear Admiral Milton ‘Jamie’ Sands III will no longer serve as Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command,” a Navy official said. “Effective immediately, Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore will no longer serve as the Chief of Navy Reserve.” Lacore led around 59,000 reserve component personnel in the Navy and the Marine Corps. As a Naval aviator, she has 1,300 flight hours in military aircraft and was commanding officer of the U.S. base in Djibouti before becoming Chief of the Navy Reserve. The reason she was fired is unknown. Sands was a Navy SEAL who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was the Chief of Staff for U.S. Special Operations Command, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, and Commander of Naval Service Training Command. The reason he was fired is unknown. Trump has fired other military officials in recent months, including Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the Navy’s top officer, the Air Force’s second highest-ranking officer, and the top lawyers for three military service branches.
Chicago mayor calls Trump’s National Guard deployment plan ‘uncoordinated, uncalled-for and unsound’
Mayor Brandon Johnson blasted President Donald Trump over what he described as “threats” to deploy the National Guard in Chicago to crack down on crime. Johnson’s comments came hours after the president on Friday said Chicago would be the next city to see federal intervention after the mission to decrease crime in Washington, D.C. concluded. “After we do this, we’ll go to another location, and we’ll make it safe, also,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “We’re going to make our country very safe. … Chicago’s a mess.” Johnson released a statement noting the city had not received any formal communication about additional federal law enforcement or military deployments to Chicago, adding he has “grave concerns” about the impact of any “unlawful deployment.” TRUMP VOWED DC TAKEOVER MULTIPLE TIMES ON 2024 CAMPAIGN TRAIL: ‘HE’S KEEPING HIS PROMISE’ Johnson called the Trump administration’s efforts “uncoordinated, uncalled-for and unsound,” seemingly snapping back at the president, who called him “grossly incompetent” earlier in the day. He added the city has reduced homicides by 30%, robberies by 35% and shootings by almost 40% in the last year, suggesting federal action would deteriorate trust. “Unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust between police and residents is foundational to building safer communities,” Johnson wrote. “An unlawful deployment would be unsustainable and would threaten to undermine the historic progress we have made.” BLUE CITIES IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS AFTER DC POLICE TAKEOVER The city, which struggles with poverty and gang activity, has a crime rate higher than the national average. However, 2023 crime data shows other Illinois cities, including Chicago Heights, Danville, Peoria, Rockford, and Harvey, had substantially higher violent crime rates than Chicago. ‘RADICAL’ DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS ‘LIKE CRAP,’ POLICE LEADER SAYS – 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER “The National Guard will not alleviate the housing crisis,” Johnson wrote. “It will not put food in the stomachs of the 1 in 4 children that go to bed hungry every night in Chicago. The National Guard will not fully-fund our public schools or provide mental healthcare or substance abuse treatment to Chicagoans in need. “The National Guard is no substitute for dedicated local law enforcement and community violence interrupters who know and serve our communities every day. There are many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago, but sending in the military is not one of them.” Trump federalized D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department on Aug. 11 under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to take emergency control of the police force for 30 days. Just over a week later, six red states pledged to send 2,000 guardsmen to the nation’s capital to help with the efforts, alongside agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). An official confirmed to Fox News on Friday Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized soldiers and airmen to be armed in D.C., if their mission requires it. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Maxwell denies Trump misconduct, DOJ docs reveal
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Republicans rally around GOP senator after ousted Dem jumps into high-profile Ohio race -Top Trump agency slashes billions in government waste with move to expose ‘abuse’ of US tax dollars -John Bolton’s home raided by federal agents Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell told the Department of Justice earlier in 2025 that she never saw President Donald Trump act inappropriately, according to DOJ documents released Friday of her interview. “I think they were friendly like people are in social settings. I don’t — I don’t think they were close friends or I certainly never witnessed the President in any of — I don’t recall ever seeing him in his house, for instance.” she told the DOJ. “I actually never saw the President in any type of massage setting. I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Epstein associate Maxwell at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida, in July, where she has been serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking…READ MORE. BOLTON STONED: John Bolton blasted by Trump ally Roger Stone, who faced Biden FBI raid: ‘Karma is a b—-‘ JUDICIAL CLASH: Jackson scathing dissent levels partisan charge at colleagues after high-profile ruling ‘WORKING BACKWARDS’: ‘Leftist’ taxpayer-funded academy sparks backlash after moving against Trump’s rollback of key regulation ‘UNFOCUSED’: Trump–Bolton feud back in focus after FBI raid: ‘Never had a clue … what a dope!’ ‘WONDERFUL JOB’: Longtime Trump ally formally succeeds Whatley as Republican Party chair SECURITY SPOTLIGHT: Bolton tweet shows focus was elsewhere as FBI searched his house TESTING TRUTH: Jillian Michaels accuses CNN of ‘lying,’ ‘smearing’ her after viral slavery debate ON DUTY: Hegseth authorizes 2,000 National Guard troops to carry weapons in DC if necessary TRAITOR FOR CASH: US Navy sailor convicted of selling military secrets to China for a year and a half BLOOD FOR MOSCOW: Kim Jong Un acknowledges deaths of 100 North Korean soldiers he sent to fight for Vladimir Putin ‘CRITICAL RESOURCES’: GOP senator reveals which ‘essential’ measure will help crackdown on child trafficking SWAMP STRIKE: James Comer praises Kash Patel for ‘holding deep state accountable’ as FBI raids John Bolton’s home TRUCKER BRO NABBED: ICE arrests brother of illegal immigrant trucker in deadly Florida Turnpike wreck CULTURE WAR: DeSantis fires back after Dem decries Florida’s move to ditch LGBT rainbow colors from crosswalk in Orlando FREE MAN: Abrego Garcia released from jail, will return to Maryland to await trial IT’S A ‘MESS’: Trump hints at federal crackdown in Chicago amid DC anti-crime push Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Noem torches ‘activist liberal judges’ after Abrego Garcia’s release from jail: ‘New low’
Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release from custody is making waves on social media amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement being told they are not allowed to arrest him due to an order from a federal judge in Maryland. “Activist liberal judges have attempted to obstruct our law enforcement every step of the way in removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our country,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X. Today, we reached a new low with this publicity hungry Maryland judge mandating this illegal alien who is a MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator be allowed free.” “By ordering this monster loose on America’s streets, this judge has shown a complete disregard for the safety of the American people. We will not stop fighting till this Salvadoran man faces justice and is OUT of our country,” she continued. Abrego Garcia is on his way back to Maryland from Tennessee, and a U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered that if he is taken into ICE custody that he will have “access to his attorneys” in order to “prepare for trial in this case.” ‘LAWLESS AND INSANE’: TRUMP ADMIN READIES FOR FIGHT AFTER JUDGES BLOCK ABREGO GARCIA REMOVAL FOR NOW Abrego Garica was first deported to El Salvador for being a suspected gang member, which caused a nationwide controversy that sparked visits to the Central American country, including by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland. However, he ended up later facing charges in the U.S. for alleged human smuggling after a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop resurfaced. “Abrego is reminded, as stated in the conditions of release appended hereto, that he must comply with any conditions of release, bond, or bail imposed by any other governmental agency, including, without limitation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) or Department of Homeland Security,” Judge Barbara Holmes wrote on Friday. “Abrego is further reminded that, if he is taken into ICE custody, he is required by the conditions of his release to consent to being transported back to this district for further proceedings in this case.” Those who disagreed with the order expressed their frustrations on social media. “Abrego Garcia is a criminal illegal alien, wife-beater, and an MS-13 gang member facing serious charges of human smuggling,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. “He will face justice for his crimes. It’s an insult to his victims that this left-wing magistrate intervened to put him back on the streets. Garcia will be subject to ankle monitoring to ensure the safety of the American public until further action can be taken.” “THIS IS INSANE! Our justice system needs an OVERHAUL!” conservative podcaster Nick Sortor posted to X. “This is why we can’t have nice things,” Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk replied. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS TELL JUDGE THEY WILL DEPORT KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA TO A THIRD COUNTRY AFTER DETENTION “This is UNACCEPTABLE!” a political commentator under the name of “Gunther Eagleman” posted. “These federal judges are trying their best to fill our streets with dangerous illegal criminals. They are a disaster for our nation, and know nothing about justice,” one user posted. While there was frustration on the right, some on the left cheered his release. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “Finally!!! Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia has been released from TN custody and is on his way to reunite with his family in Maryland,” one user posted to X. ABREGO GARCIA LAWYERS ASK US JUDGE TO ORDER RETURN TO MARYLAND AMID ONGOING CRIMINAL CASE “Abrego Garcia has landed in the United States to face justice,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in June. “A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee returned a sealed indictment charging him with alien smuggling and conspiracy.” His lawyers have maintained that the case is politically motivated. “A group of the most senior officials in the United States sought vengeance: they began a public campaign to punish Mr. Abrego for daring to fight back, culminating in the criminal investigation that led to the charges in this case,” his lawyers said in a filing on Tuesday. “Rather than fix its mistake and return Mr. Abrego to the United States, the government fought back at every level of the federal court system. And at every level, Mr. Abrego won,” they added. “This case results from the government’s concerted effort to punish him for having the audacity to fight back, rather than accept a brutal injustice.”
America’s original sanctuary state rebukes Bondi’s warning, denies ‘obstruction’ of ICE
Attorney General Pam Bondi received a response this week from the governor of the first state to pass “sanctuary” legislation, after she had warned it was engaged in “policies and procedures that hinder federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States.” Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, confirmed receipt of Bondi’s original letter from the prior week, writing back that she “respectfully disagree[s]” with Bondi’s assertion. “The State of Oregon, its public officials, and its law enforcement officers do not engage in conduct that thwarts federal immigration enforcement,” Kotek said, noting the Beaver State passed America’s first sanctuary state law in 1987. State Rep. Rocky Barilla, D-Eugene, introduced the bill which was then signed by Gov. Neil Goldschmidt amid concerns police were wrongly profiling Latinos about their immigration status. BOSTON’S WU FIRES BACK AT BONDI, CITING REVOLUTION, AS OTHER CITIES SLAM FEDS OVER ‘SANCTUARY’ WARNINGS In her response to Bondi, Kotek said in the nearly 40 years since, Oregon officials and law enforcement have not violated federal immigration law while abiding by the state policy. “A 2018 ballot measure to repeal portions of Oregon’s federal immigration enforcement law failed when 63% of Oregon voters opposed repealing the existing law,” she said, adding that the 1987 law was revisited and “strengthened” by Salem lawmakers in 2021. Kotek cited Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s statement after the 2021 actions: “Oregon stands for the safety, dignity, and human rights of all Oregonians,” the state prosecutor said at the time, as Kotek also echoed the contention the state is acting within the law due to legal precedent from contemporary Tenth Amendment called the Anticommandeering Rule. That rule, borne out of cases like New York v. U.S. in 1992 – which focused on requests for states to dispose of nuclear waste — prescribes that the federal government cannot force them to administer federal programs. TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS ACLU FOR COMPARING ICE CENTER TO JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMP: DERANGED AND LAZY Kotek said in her letter to Bondi that she is aware of warnings that the Trump administration may pursue civil actions against public officials on grounds they are obstructing federal immigration efforts or facilitating lawbreaking. “The state does not take on the additional expense or burden to perform federal immigration enforcement as it is the job of the federal government,” Kotek went on, citing the Anticommandeering Rule. “The state of Oregon is in compliance with federal law and will continue to follow state law. Therefore, no ‘immediate initiatives’ are necessary to eliminate laws that impede immigration enforcement,” she concluded, noting that her letter was delivered to the Justice Department via Federal Express. The back and forth comes as an Oregon federal judge is poised to decide on a notable immigration case in the state, and rule on whether a twice-deported Guatemalan asylum-seeking farmworker can be released from federal custody despite prior deportations. Identified only as L.J.P.L., the foreign national had been deported during the Obama administration, and litigants argued whether he could be released so long as he makes regular check-ins at a Eugene immigration office. Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee whom Chief Justice John Roberts also named to the FISA Court, will decide whether ICE can move forward and immediately deport “L.J.P.L.,” according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Federal judge blocks Florida from further expansion of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration detention facility
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday blocking Florida from further expanding the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center built in the middle of the Florida Everglades. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams’ injunction formalized the temporary halt she had ordered two weeks ago. Witnesses continued to testify over multiple days in a hearing to determine whether construction of the facility should stop until the case is decided. Advocates have argued that the expansion of the facility violated environmental laws. LAWSUITS THREATEN TO UPEND ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ OPERATIONS Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe said that further construction and operations at the facility should be stopped until state and federal officials complied with environmental laws. Their lawsuit argued that the detention center threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that have protected plants and animals and that it would reverse billions of dollars in environmental restoration. Attorneys for the state and federal governments claimed that the construction and operation of the facility was under the state of Florida despite its use for holding federal detainees, meaning the federal environmental law would not apply. The judge found that the detention center was at least a joint partnership between the state and federal government. Williams said she expected the number of detainees in the facility to dip within 60 days through transfers to other facilities, and that fencing, lighting and generators should be removed. She said the state and federal defendants cannot bring anyone other than current detainees at the facility onto the property. The order does not halt modifications or repairs to existing facilities, which the judge said are “solely for the purpose of increasing safety or mitigating environmental or other risks at the site.” FLORIDA TO OPEN ‘DEPORTATION DEPOT’ AT SHUTTERED PRISON WEEKS AFTER LAUNCHING ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ FACILITY The preliminary injunction includes “those who are in active concert or participation with” the state of Florida or federal defendants or their officers, agents or employees, she wrote. State officials failed to sufficiently explain why the facility needed to be in the middle of the Florida Everglades. “What is apparent, however, is that in their haste to construct the detention camp, the State did not consider alternative locations,” Williams said. Florida officials criticized the ruling on Thursday. “Just this week, a judge in the same district as Judge Williams refused to hear a case because the Southern District of Florida was the improper venue for suits about Alligator Alcatraz,” Jeremy Redfern, a spokesperson for the Florida attorney general’s office, said in a statement to Fox News. “Once again, she oversteps her authority, and we will appeal this unlawful decision.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the “fix was in” and “we knew this judge was not giving us a fair shake.” “We totally expected an adverse ruling,” he told Fox News. “And we also knew we were going to immediately appeal and get that decision stayed. So we will ultimately be successful in this. It’s not going to stop our resolve. We’re going to continue to do what we need to do to help the Trump administration remove illegal aliens from our country. You know, that’s the mandate that they have. So we anticipated this, but I don’t think it’s going to be insurmountable in the end.” President Donald Trump toured the facility last month and suggested it could be used as a model for future facilities across the country to support his efforts to detain and deport migrants. The detention center was quickly built about two months ago at a single-runway training airport in the middle of the Everglades. It now holds nearly 500 detainees but was designed to eventually hold up to 3,000 in temporary tents. The facility’s large white tents feature rows of bunkbeds surrounded by chain-link cages. Detainees complained of worms in the food, toilets not flushing, floors flooded with fecal waste and insects everywhere. The air conditioners also sometimes abruptly shut off in the sweltering heat. Detainees also reportedly go days without showers or receiving their prescription medicine, and they are only permitted to speak to lawyers and loved ones by phone. Fox News’ Danamarie McNicholl-Carter and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump administration wins Supreme Court fight to slash NIH medical research grants tied to DEI, LGBTQ studies
The Trump administration scored a major victory in the Supreme Court Thursday as the justices, in a 5-4 order, cleared his administration to slash more than $783 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants tied to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, LGBTQ issues and other hot-button topics. The unsigned majority order said NIH “may proceed with terminating existing grants” while leaving in place a partial block on issuing new directives. The move delivers a political win for Trump’s broader push to roll back DEI programs across the federal government. TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE STRIKES DOWN ANTI-DEI MEASURES FROM EDUCATION DEPARTMENT The decision overturns rulings by lower courts that had blocked the cuts. In June, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley of Massachusetts called the administration’s actions “arbitrary and capricious” and said NIH had “failed to provide a reasoned explanation” for cutting grants midstream. The 1st Circuit upheld her injunction in July, setting up Trump’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court. The Justice Department argued in its July 24 filing that leaving the injunction in place “forces NIH to continue funding projects inconsistent with agency priorities” and warned the order “intrudes on NIH’s core discretion to decide how best to allocate limited research funds.” Opponents framed the cuts as ideological. The American Public Health Association warned that “halting these grants would devastate biomedical research across the country, disrupting clinical trials and delaying urgently needed discoveries” and said “the administration has offered no scientific basis for these cancellations — only ideology.” FEDERAL JUDGE SLAPS TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER ON MISSISSIPPI DEI BAN A coalition of Democrat-led states led by Massachusetts argued that “patients should not be collateral damage in a political fight.” News outlets stressed the stakes of Thursday’s decision. The Associated Press described the ruling as the court letting Trump cut $783 million in research funding “in an anti-DEI push.” Reuters reported that “the Supreme Court in a 5–4 order cleared the way for the Trump administration to cut diversity-related NIH grants, though it left in place part of the ruling blocking new restrictions.” Research groups warned of the cuts’ fallout. The Association of American Universities said the cuts “risk chilling scientific inquiry by discouraging researchers from pursuing politically sensitive topics.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Scientists cautioned the decision could derail progress on diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, even as the broader legal fight continues in the 1st Circuit and may return to the Supreme Court. The Associated Press contributed to this report.