Trump jolts immigration hawks with surprising defense of Chinese students in USA
President Donald Trump split with immigration hawks by defending Chinese students in the U.S. while also softening on Chinese-owned farmland — creating friction inside MAGA and unexpected overlap with moderate Democrats. Fox News’ Sean Hannity asked Trump in a recent interview from Beijing about concerns surrounding Chinese nationals attending school in the U.S. and China-linked entities purchasing farmland, including in sensitive areas like near a North Dakota military base that raised eyebrows earlier this decade. Republicans have long warned that Chinese student visa programs could expose U.S. research and state secrets to the Chinese Communist Party, while GOP officials like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer have pushed for tougher restrictions on Chinese ownership of American farmland. “It’s not that I love it. You want to see farm prices drop; you want to see farmers lose a lot of money just take that out of the market. But they’ve had a lot of land for a long time. Obama did nothing about it,” Trump said. SENATORS RICKETTS, FETTERMAN UNITE AGAINST CHINA’S QUIET INVASION OF US FARMLAND Trump also defended allowing Chinese students to study in the U.S., calling them “good students” and arguing that banning them would unnecessarily inflame tensions with Beijing. “I frankly think that it’s good that people come from other countries and they learn our culture and many of them want to stay here,” Trump said, while admitting that it “doesn’t sound like a very conservative position – and I’m a conservative… commonsense guy. I think MAGA is ‘common sense,’” he said. The comments triggered backlash from the right wing of the MAGA movement, with former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene disputing, “No — that’s not commonsense.” “Trump says it’s insulting to tell China their students can’t go to our universities, imagine being an American student and receiving a rejection letter while 500,000 Chinese students get in,” Greene said, according to the left-wing New Republic. “And no – it’s not OK for China to buy our farmland.” Some Democrats, however, appeared heartened by Trump’s more moderate stance on a major sticking point in the immigration field. Fox News Digital reached out to top Democrats on the moderate New Democrat Coalition’s Border Security Working Group. Chairman Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico told Fox News Digital that while he disagrees with Trump “on a lot” regarding immigration enforcement, he will continue to support efforts to bring new blood into the American economy. “I have long supported building America’s workforce by encouraging the best and brightest across the world to come study in the U.S. and build their careers and families here,” said Vasquez. “Congress should expand more legal pathways for students to stay here and start businesses, grow the American economy, and help our country fill critical needs in key industries like healthcare, manufacturing, quantum AI and engineering.” A Vasquez spokesperson added that the lawmaker, however, agrees with conservatives on one point where Trump differed — that Chinese nationals should not be permitted to purchase U.S. farmland. “Food security is national security,” the spokesperson said. Speaking to Hannity, Trump added: “I could tell [Xi], I don’t want any students, it’s a very insulting thing to say to a country. They would then immediately go out and start building universities all over China.” Trump argued that without the influx of Chinese students, middling and lower-tier universities would begin dying on the vine financially. Lora Ries, former counsel for the House Judiciary Committee’s immigration subcommittee and a 30-year policy expert now with the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that universities have grown too dependent on foreign students because they often pay “full freight” — and made the case for scrutinizing the education system rather than keeping it propped up with foreign tuition. TRUMP CLAIMS GOP ‘VERY OPEN’ TO KEEPING ‘DREAMERS’ IN US, TAKES SHOT AT ‘VERY DIFFICULT’ DEMS “It is no longer a level playing field for American students to get into these universities. We also know many of these universities are producing degrees that don’t have a great return on investment: gender studies, et cetera. So why on earth do we want to keep universities that depend on those sorts of degrees afloat?” Ries said. “We shouldn’t justify continuing to bring in high levels of foreign students to keep so many universities in business when the Big-Ed model is absolutely upside-down.” According to Ries, Chinese and other foreign student blocs exacerbate the difficulty American students face getting into colleges — while native students are also not finding meaningful jobs after graduation. Ries said the issue is “right up Trump’s alley,” but not in the way the president posited on “Hannity.” She said Trump could shake up “Big-Ed” by incentivizing quality degrees and disincentivizing ones that leave American graduates occupationally stranded. FOREIGN STUDENTS WHO HATE AMERICA DON’T DESERVE VISAS — AND WE HAVE TOOLS TO STOP THEM When it comes to the adage about jobs Americans supposedly won’t do, she pointed to the medical field, which has seen an influx of foreign students. “You can’t say medicine is a job that Americans won’t do, so what’s going on?” she said. She also noted that Chinese nationals cannot come to live in America without the knowledge of — and often information-sharing with — the CCP, which itself poses a risk. “Also, Chairman Xi can say, ‘Well, America is in decline,’ as he just did in this summit.” When asked for comment, a White House spokesperson directed Fox News Digital to the president’s remarks to Hannity. Trump’s comments set up a new potential divergence between presidential policy and conservative politics among some of his current and former most ardent supporters, including Greene. It also, however, potentially opens up a rare immigration dialogue with Democrats like Vasquez and his coalition of moderates, who have been trying to advance their own fixes to the broken system.
Dem candidate’s Zionist castration rant sparks firestorm as party leaders rewrite narrative to target GOP
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and other Democrats responded to a Democratic congressional candidate’s “antisemitic” rant about jailing and castrating “American Zionists” by attempting to shift the blame to Republicans. After progressive Democrat Maureen Galindo stirred up a firestorm of controversy for pledging to open a “prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers,” Jeffries and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said in a joint statement that “MAGA extremists should be ashamed of themselves.” Jeffries and the DCCC accused GOP leaders of backing Galindo, saying, “House Republican leadership must immediately cease propping up this antisemitic candidacy, pull spending in the race and forcefully condemn these comments.” “This vile language by her is disqualifying and has no place in American politics, and certainly not in the Democratic Party,” Jeffries and the DCCC said in the statement, adding, “To embrace and uplift a fringe candidate with antisemitic — and extremely dangerous — rhetoric and views in order to win an election is beyond the pale.” HAKEEM JEFFRIES SHREDDED OVER ‘DISGUSTINGLY VIOLENT’ CALL FOR DEMS TO BREAK SPIRIT OF MAGA “Texans will not be fooled and will reject her at the ballot box next week,” they added. Galindo, who is currently locked in a primary runoff for a Texas congressional seat, is under fire after pledging in a social media post to turn a local ICE center into a “prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers.” She also said in the post that the prison “will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles, which will probably be most of the Zionists.” Earlier this month, the DCCC accused “Washington Republicans” of secretly contributing to Galindo’s campaign through dark money spending. Galindo and her primary opponent, Johnny Garcia, who has been endorsed by the DCCC, are set to face off in a runoff election next week. In their first matchup, Galindo had a narrow lead over Garcia, 29 to 27 percent, though neither candidate came close to clearing the 50 percent threshold required to win the nomination. Jeffries and the DCCC were not the only ones attempting to point the finger at Republicans after Galindo’s comments. Ocasio-Cortez called Galindo’s comments “absolutely disgusting,” writing on X that her “bigoted garbage and antisemitism should be nowhere near our politics.” AOC ACCUSES ISRAEL OF GENOCIDE IN GERMANY WHERE HOLOCAUST WAS LAUNCHED, SPARKING OUTRAGE She urged Texans in the district to vote for Garcia, writing, “the donors behind the Republican super PAC funding her should be exposed.” On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., wrote, “I am rarely shocked. But this heinous antisemitic statement is truly shocking.” She emphasized that “Every elected Democrat needs to publicly condemn this immediately.” In the upper chamber of Congress, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., called it “beyond despicable” that “a Democrat candidate is openly calling for a Jewish concentration camp in the United States of America in 2026.” Despite this, more Democrats accused Republicans of backing the Texas progressive candidate. Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, wrote on X, “Republicans should stop propping up her sham candidacy.” Menefee added that he was “disgusted to see these antisemitic comments from a so-called Texas Democrat,” writing that Galindo “has no place in our party and no place in Congress.” DEMS UNDER FIRE FOR ‘MALIGN CHINESE INFLUENCE’ AS SHOCKING SPY MAYOR DONATIONS UNCOVERED: ‘HOW MANY MORE?’ Meanwhile, one of the top Democrats on the Texas ballot this November, state Rep. James Talarico, who is running for a critical Senate seat, responded to the controversy by saying, “We need leadership in both parties willing to stand up and call out hate wherever it rears its ugly head,” according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Talarico also said, “This antisemitic rhetoric has no place in our politics,” according to the agency. Fox News Digital reached out to Galindo for comment. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Brittany Miller contributed to this report.
Two newcomers gear up for fight in Alabama, but face uphill battle in race to replace Tuberville
Two Democrats running to replace Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., are set to duke it out for the Democratic nomination next month. Tuberville’s decision to vacate his seat in the upper chamber and pursue a gubernatorial bid in Alabama triggered a mad dash from both parties to find his replacement. While several Republicans with elected experience were jockeying for the job, the Democratic field was filled with fresh political blood. Everett Wess and Dakarai Lariett were the top vote getters in the race, and due to Alabama’s runoff rules, will again square off on June 16. TRUMP BACKS PAXTON IN TEXAS REPUBLICAN SENATE SHOWDOWN WITH CORNYN The duo, neither of whom have held elected office before, emerged from a four-way primary in deep red Alabama. And while the state has largely had Republican representation in the Senate for decades, save for former Sen. Doug Jones’s, D-Ala., stint in office after winning a special election in 2017, Democrats are still hopeful they can make headway there. But given the historical grip that the GOP has had on the state, it’ll be an uphill battle come November. Meanwhile, Republicans got a step closer to finding their anointed successor to Tuberville Tuesday night. ALABAMA AG MAKES SUPREME COURT PLAY THAT COULD DEAL DECISIVE BLOW IN REDISTRICTING WAR But determining which candidate will come out on top is still weeks away, given that several Republican hopefuls jumped into the race. And in Alabama, if a candidate doesn’t get a majority of votes, a runoff is triggered. Out of the field of seven candidates, Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall emerged from the clash. They will again square off on June 16. TRUMP’S EARLIEST SUPPORTER ANNOUNCES BID FOR ALABAMA SENATE SEAT It will also be another test of President Donald Trump’s endorsement power in Alabama, where his track record has not been 100%. Moore, who announced his candidacy to Fox News Digital last year, has Trump’s backing. It’s an endorsement he re-upped during a recent tele-rally urging support for the three-term member of the House. “He’s a true America First Patriot who’s been with me from the very beginning,” Trump said during the rally.
Unions that paralyzed New York commute over pay spent millions on luxury travel, filings show
Five unions involved in the Long Island Rail Road strike earlier this week reported more than $3.2 million in 2025 spending on hotels, resorts, restaurants and event venues, according to Labor Department disclosures reviewed by Fox News Digital. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Transportation Communications Union collectively spent upwards of $3.2 million on premium accommodations in 2025, according to union disclosures reviewed by Fox News Digital. Unions typically cut checks for high-end hotels to cover the costs of holding events, such as trainings or conferences. They also use luxury venues for lodging and work meals when traveling the country on union-related business. The disclosures offer a window into how the unions spent money on travel, conferences and event venues during the same year they argued workers were being squeezed by rising costs. The strike disrupted hundreds of thousands of daily riders and cost the region an estimated $61 million per day. NY GOVERNOR BLAMED FOR ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ AS RAILROAD STRIKE DISRUPTS MORE THAN 300,000 COMMUTERS LM-2 forms are annual financial disclosure reports that labor unions file with the Department of Labor, detailing receipts, disbursements, officer payments and other spending. Fox News Digital reviewed 2025 LM-2 forms filed with the Labor Department by the five unions involved in the LIRR strike, identifying payments to hotels that market themselves as premium, resorts, casinos and restaurants where menu prices sit above typical casual dining costs. The reported payments included Las Vegas casino hotels, upscale restaurants, beachfront resorts and golf-related venues. Union-backed rail workers went on strike on May 16, arguing that their wage growth had not kept pace with the rising cost of living, effectively shutting down the largest commuter rail line in the country. Unions have since reached an agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which owns the LIRR, though the details have not been made public. PAYROLL DATA EXPOSES SIX-FIGURE SALARIES BEHIND TRANSIT STRIKE GRINDING NYC TRAVEL TO A HALT Discussions between unions and the MTA had been ongoing since 2023. While negotiating with the MTA on the grounds that their workers were being underpaid, the unions reported large payments to hotels, resorts, casinos and restaurants. BLET and IAM collectively spent about half a million dollars at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2025, according to disclosures. The spending covered lodging and event expenses. TCU, meanwhile, spent $856,403 at Caesar’s Hotel in Reno, Nevada, which also offers gambling. These payments covered expenses related to hosting events at the venues. LAS VEGAS VISITORS SHOCKED AT ‘CRAZY’ COSTS, FROM $14 COFFEES TO $95 ATM FEES Caesars Palace is one of the most iconic hotels and casinos in Las Vegas. Its in-house casino boasts 185 table games, over 1,300 slot machines and sports betting. Guests at the palace have access to poolside bars, spa service, a private hair salon, a limo service, a nightclub, an in-room massage service and a sauna. While in Las Vegas, the unions ran up large tabs at upscale restaurants. RESTAURANT SURCHARGE STIRS UP CONTROVERSY: ‘BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED’ The IAM, for instance, spent $6,806 at the Strip House, where the cheapest steak on the menu, an 8-ounce filet, costs $67 and the most expensive, a porterhouse, runs $155. The TCU, meanwhile, spent over $20,000 at Peter Luger Steak House, where steaks range in price from $90 to $320, and famously claims to have around $1 million worth of dry-aged prime beef on hand at all times. Waterfront resorts also appeared in the disclosures in 2025. BLET spent $107,375 at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, the IBEW paid about $130,000 to TradeWinds Island Resort in Florida, plus an additional $130,000 for expenses at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, a popular vacation destination. Other major labor organizations have reported similar payments to hotels, resorts, restaurants and event venues in federal labor disclosures. Major labor organizations such as the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the International Longshoremen’s Association and the Service Employees International Union have all reported similar expenses. “To every LIRR passenger whose trip is disrupted, know that the MTA left us no choice but to strike,” Gil Lang, general chairman of the BLET’s LIRR General Committee, said of the strike. “We don’t want to be on the picket line. But after three years without raises, we cannot make any more compromises to cover for the MTA’s mismanagement.” The LIRR strike, which began on May 16 and concluded at noon on Tuesday, was expected to cost the New York region an estimated $61 million per day and disrupted travel plans for about 270,000 people each day it went on. Scores of New Yorkers told media outlets that they had to wake up in the early hours of the morning and embark on hours-long commutes just to make it into work without train service. While an agreement has been reached to end the strike involving the five unions, details of the underlying deal have not been publicly released as labor representatives still need to formally approve the contract. The five unions involved in the strike did not respond when reached for comment by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
Fmr Dem Rep Barney Frank, sharp-tongued liberal trailblazer and Dodd-Frank co-author, dies
Former Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., whose biting wit, liberal politics and mastery of financial policy made him one of the most recognizable members of Congress for more than three decades, has died at 86. Frank died late Tuesday, Jim Segel, Frank’s former campaign manager and close friend, confirmed to The Associated Press. “I have been trying to decide, by the way, personally, whether it’s better to be an icon or an emoji,” Frank, with his caustic wit, told CNN’s “State of the Union” in a May 3 interview while in hospice for congestive heart failure. He disclosed before his death that his condition had left him with little energy but not much pain. “Essentially, after 86 years, my heart’s just wearing out,” Frank, who appeared gaunt, told Jake Tapper. Frank represented Massachusetts in the House from 1981 to 2013, serving 16 terms and becoming chairman of the House Financial Services Committee during the 2008 financial crisis. His name became attached to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the sweeping 2010 law he co-authored with then-Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., after the collapse of the housing market and the near-failure of the U.S. financial system. FORMER NY DEMOCRATIC REP CHARLIE RANGEL DEAD AT 94 The law, signed by President Barack Obama on July 21, 2010, imposed new rules on major financial firms, derivatives, mortgage lending and consumer protection. For supporters, Dodd-Frank was the most consequential financial regulatory overhaul since the New Deal, an attempt to rein in Wall Street excess and prevent another taxpayer-backed rescue of large institutions. For Republican critics, including President Donald Trump, it became a symbol of regulatory overreach. It was partially repealed in 2018, providing regulatory relief to community and mid-sized banks. For Frank, it was the capstone of a career built on unapologetic liberalism, legislative detail and a willingness to fight in public. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DISCOVER THE BIG SECRET ABOUT CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION Frank was also a pioneer for gay rights in American politics. In 1987, while already serving in Congress, he publicly came out as gay, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to do so voluntarily. He later became the first sitting U.S. representative to enter into a same-sex marriage when he married his longtime partner Jim Ready in 2012. He then retired after more than 30 years in the House. Born Barnett Frank on March 31, 1940, in Bayonne, New Jersey, he graduated from Harvard University in 1962 and later earned a law degree from Harvard Law School. He worked for Boston Mayor Kevin White and Rep. Michael Harrington before winning a seat in the Massachusetts Legislature in 1972. He served there until his election to Congress in 1980. DEMOCRAT MASSACHUSETTS LAWMAKER ARRESTED FOR FRAUD, USED STOLEN FUNDS TO PURCHASE ‘PSYCHIC SERVICES’: FEDS Frank’s first bill as a Massachusetts lawmaker sought to bar discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation, an early marker of the civil rights work that would define much of his public life. The bill failed, but Frank later pointed to the gay rights movement’s incremental strategy as a model for other causes. While Frank says Democrats and the broader left made progress forcing inequality onto the national agenda, he warned about contentious cultural issues dividing and taking over the party. He wrote a book before his time in hospice, which is due to be released Sept. 15: “The Hard Path to Unity: Why We Must Reform the Left to Rescue Democracy.” America has, he postulated, “enabled people who wanted to use that as a platform for a wide range of social and cultural changes, some of which the public isn’t ready for.” KNIVES OUT FOR FETTERMAN: MAVERICK SENATOR JOINS LONG LINE OF DEMS PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FROM LEFT “Even when I agree with them on the end, I think they make a mistake by taking the most controversial parts of the agenda and turning them into litmus tests,” he added. Even in hospice, Frank remained politically engaged and characteristically unsparing, rejecting the biggest, newest voices in the Democratic Party for turning America away from the standard-bearers. “I am concerned that, among some in my party, there has been a flavor of the month tendency, so that someone who is new and hasn’t been able to do much is somehow preferred over people who understand the importance of hard work to get controversial things adopted,” he said. RESIGNATION IS THE NEW ESCAPE HATCH AS LAWMAKERS FACE EXPULSION Frank’s career was not without controversy. In 1990, the House reprimanded him for improper use of political influence involving parking tickets and probation officers for a personal friend. The reprimand did not end his career; he won re-election that year and continued to build influence, eventually rising to chair the Financial Services Committee. Frank was at the center of Congress’ response to the 2007-09 financial crisis, helping negotiate legislation aimed at tightening oversight of banks and nonbank financial firms, increasing transparency in derivatives markets, creating the Financial Stability Oversight Council and strengthening mortgage-lending standards. His papers, held by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, document a career that touched financial reform, gay rights, housing policy, immigration, military spending, environmental protection and local Massachusetts issues, including fishing regulation and commuter rail. Asked what he wanted people to remember about him, Frank deflected with the dry humor that made him a favorite of political reporters and a feared opponent in hearings. “Oh, that I was smart enough and learned enough about the reaction not to answer that question,” he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The red states charging ahead with America’s wealth as rivals watch billions slip away
Americans and their billions in income are streaming to Southern and Sun Belt states while several coastal counterparts suffer the losses of residents, wealth and, in turn, political influence, according to IRS migration data. The relocation patterns are increasingly reshaping population pockets in the U.S. and where economic and political power is concentrated ahead of the 2026 midterms. As residents and wealth continue flowing into fast-growing red states, the shifts influence housing markets, state economies, congressional clout and the balance of power. That shift is already playing out in many Republican-led states, and there are less than six months until the midterm elections. THE RED-STATE WINNERS IN THE CLIMB TO BECOME AMERICA’S NEXT ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE Texas and Florida led the nation in inbound migration between 2022 and 2023, gaining more than 56,000 residents and 55,000 income tax filers, according to the IRS data. The migration boom also attracted some of the nation’s largest income gains, with Florida bringing in roughly $20.6 billion in taxable income and Texas gaining another $5.5 billion. AMERICANS KEEP MOVING TO TEXAS AND FLORIDA — BUT ONE OTHER RED STATE IS GROWING EVEN FASTER North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Arizona — also red states — ranked among the top destinations for Americans relocating across state lines, underscoring the broader population boom across the South and Sun Belt. The migration trends looked even more dramatic when adjusted for population size. South Carolina posted the nation’s largest population gain from domestic interstate migration at 1.12%, fueled by more than 29,000 incoming households carrying roughly $4.1 billion in taxable income. Meanwhile, deep-blue California recorded the nation’s largest outbound migration losses, with more than 100,000 income tax filers and nearly $12 billion in taxable income leaving the state between 2022 and 2023. New York followed closely behind, losing roughly 72,000 households and nearly $10 billion in taxable income, while Illinois and New Jersey shed about $6 billion and $2.6 billion in taxable income, respectively. BLUE-STATE TAX BURDEN FUELS AMERICANS FLEEING TO REPUBLICAN-LED SOUTHERN STATES Experts say the migration boom reflects broader economic pressures reshaping where Americans choose to live, particularly as affordability concerns push more households toward lower-cost and lower tax states typically found in the southern quarter of the country. “While tax friendliness is not the sole determinant of where one chooses to live or start a business, states experiencing net in-migration tend to have more competitive tax structures and lower overall costs of living,” Nicole Fox, a policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, told Fox News Digital. The migration trends are also reshaping state economies, labor markets and housing demand as fast-growing Sun Belt states absorb new residents, businesses and taxable income. At the same time, states experiencing sustained outbound migration may face mounting challenges tied to shrinking tax bases, slower population growth and affordability concerns that continue pushing residents elsewhere.
Mace targets Squad Dem with proposed constitutional ban on foreign-born lawmakers
FIRST ON FOX: Under the U.S. Constitution, anyone who is not a “natural-born citizen” is barred from becoming president or vice president. Now, a House Republican wants to expand that requirement to much of the federal government. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., plans to introduce a joint resolution Wednesday proposing a constitutional amendment requiring members of Congress, federal judges and other Senate-confirmed appointees to be natural-born citizens. The proposal would affect more than a dozen naturalized citizens currently serving in Congress, including several Republicans. TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CRUSADE DRAWS BACKING FROM COHORT OF PROMINENT LEGAL SCHOLARS Mace, who is running to be South Carolina’s next governor, suggested that the country’s nearly 25 million naturalized citizens, who made the deliberate choice to become Americans, may have divided loyalties. “If you hold power in the American government, you should be a natural-born American citizen,” Mace told Fox News Digital in a statement. “For too long we have allowed foreign-born members to hold seats in this government, while making clear their loyalty is not here. We see it every day.” Mace specifically called out progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who was born in Somalia and became a naturalized citizen in 2000. “Ilhan Omar is just one of many foreign-born members of this government who have made clear, time and again, their loyalty is not here,” Mace said. “The American people deserve leaders who put America first. This amendment closes a gap in our Constitution long overdue for closing.” Omar’s path to U.S. citizenship has also faced heightened scrutiny from Republicans in recent months. Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that Omar is under investigation by the Department of Justice for possible immigration fraud. Some Republicans have called for her deportation over the alleged offense. A spokesperson for Omar did not immediately respond to a request for comment. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: OMAR’S LONG HISTORY OF CONTROVERSY KEEPS HER IN THE SPOTLIGHT Mace’s proposal faces steep odds of becoming part of the Constitution, requiring a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress before ratification by three-fourths of U.S. states. Amendments can also be proposed through a constitutional convention requested by two-thirds of state legislatures, though that method has never been used successfully. There are 19 foreign-born members of Congress, though some are natural-born citizens due to having at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen. Under Mace’s proposal, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, an ally of President Donald Trump who was born in Colombia and became a U.S. citizen at 18, could no longer serve in Congress. The same restriction would apply to Reps. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Young Kim, R-Calif., and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., who became naturalized citizens after immigrating to the United States from Mexico, South Korea and Ukraine, respectively. On the Democratic side, Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Ted Lieu and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., are among the lawmakers who would be affected. Former Trump Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Alejandro Mayorkas, former President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security secretary, also would have been ineligible to serve in Cabinet posts under the proposal.
WATCH: Omar silent when confronted on alleged ties to massive Minnesota fraud scandal
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., refused to engage when asked by Fox News Digital if she would cooperate with the investigation into Minnesota’s “Feeding Our Future” scheme. The progressive lawmaker is accused of having ties to those involved in the scandal that federal prosecutors say cost taxpayers roughly $250 million. But when asked about her connections, Omar stayed silent. “Did you ask Minnesota Democrats to block the subpoena for the investigation of Feeding Our Future on the state level?” Omar was asked when confronted in the halls of Congress on Monday, but did not respond. She then ignored a second question: “Would you cooperate with that subpoena and provide documents if they request it here in the House Oversight Committee?” OMAR CAMP BREAKS SILENCE ON FRAUD PROBE, BLAMES WALZ, TRUMP AS NEW CLAIMS CLASH WITH EARLIER STATEMENTS After publication, Omar provided a statement to Fox News Digital denying any wrongdoing. “Any claim that I had knowledge of this scheme is flat-out false,” Omar said. “The MEALS Act was signed into law by President Trump and passed with bipartisan support as part of a broader legislative package. Trump’s USDA Secretary set the regulatory framework during the rollout of the program. I have always championed feeding kids and will continue to ensure our children do not go hungry.” Omar continued, “The moment this fraud came to light, I immediately sent a letter to the USDA Secretary demanding answers and accountability. As I stated from the beginning, stealing millions of dollars under the guise of feeding hungry children to bankroll lavish lifestyles and extravagant expenses is reprehensible. I’m grateful that Aimee Bock and every individual involved in this abhorrent scheme are being held accountable for defrauding taxpayers and betraying vulnerable children.” It’s thought that Omar’s MEALS Act, a federal COVID-19 relief measure she sponsored in 2020, ties her to the massive scandal. Many Republicans argue her bill enabled the fraud by rapidly expanding USDA waiver authority at meal sites. Despite the concerns, the Minnesota Democrat has declined multiple opportunities in recent months to directly answer questions or provide information on her alleged ties to the fraud, including documented ties to some of the convicted fraudsters. The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee invited her to testify this month, requesting documents tied to the fraud scandal. Omar missed the response deadline, triggering a failed subpoena vote that received only five of the six votes required to pass after Democrats blocked the GOP-led effort. “She didn’t even respond, ghosted us,” state Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, told Fox News Digital in April when Omar did not respond to requests for information. The committee asked Omar to turn over communications showing how she promoted expanded access to federal child nutrition programs, including emails, texts and meeting records with the Minnesota Department of Education and constituents. The request also zeroed in on Omar’s public promotion of a Minneapolis restaurant that later became linked to the program. Robbins cited a Somali-language TV appearance in which Omar highlighted Safari Restaurant as a meal distribution site and asked for all communications related to the video and the restaurant’s participation. OMAR DUCKS QUESTIONS AS SCRUTINY GROWS OVER FILINGS THAT SLASHED HER REPORTED WEALTH BY MILLIONS The committee also asked for records of any contact between Omar and a long list of individuals charged or implicated in the Feeding Our Future case, including nonprofit founder Aimee Bock and dozens of alleged co-conspirators. Bock is currently facing a possible 50-year prison sentence for her role in the scheme, Fox 9 Minneapolis reported. “A lot of the sites were working directly with her, being that a lot of the operators were from the same Somali community,” Bock recently said about Omar in a jailhouse interview with the New York Post. “There were a lot of people that had been reaching out to her office and staff — and I presume her personally — to work through some of those gaps with the waivers.” Just last week, an 84-page report released by the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee accused Gov. Tim Walz’s administration of fostering a “culture of tolerance” that allowed fraudsters to steal billions in taxpayer dollars. The report comes after two dozen hearings and hundreds of whistleblower tips alleging oversight failures and ignored internal warnings. MILITARY VET SEES OPENING FOR GOP IN BLUE STATE AMID ‘EMBARRASSMENT’ OF ‘STOLEN VALOR WALZ’ An estimated $300 million in federal meal program fraud and up to $9 billion in Medicaid fraud were stolen from taxpayers, a cost significantly higher than initially believed, according to the committee. It also said Omar’s MEALS Act loosened anti-fraud safeguards in federal nutrition programs, making it harder to verify if children were actually being fed by the Feeding Our Future program. Fox News Digital reached out to Omar and Walz’s office for comment but did not hear back.
American ‘jihad’ fueled by ‘risky source’ inside US borders, warns national security expert
After the Justice Department announced charges against an Iraqi militia leader for directing terror attacks inside the U.S., a national security expert warned of a “risky source” contributing to “jihad”-type terrorist activity inside America’s borders. Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a senior member of the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hizballah terror group, is accused of orchestrating nearly 20 terrorist attacks across Europe and plotting attacks on Jewish institutions. Authorities also said al-Saadi publicly threatened President Donald Trump and his family. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, said that vetting failures of supposed Iraqi and Afghan allies and an all-too-generous social welfare system have left the United States vulnerable to terrorism. “It’s not just open borders. We offer so many pathways to immigrate here, either temporarily or permanently, and, unfortunately, every time you offer an immigration benefit, people will flock to it and often commit fraud to obtain it,” said Ries. FBI BRINGS IRAQI MAN ACCUSED OF COORDINATING NEARLY 20 TERROR ATTACKS IN EUROPE TO FACE TRIAL IN NEW YORK “When you combine these factors of a prior open border, millions of deportable aliens inside the U.S., common believers for jihad, then that leads to real terror threats inside the U.S.,” she said. “Al-Saadi calls on others to carry out jihad, and, unfortunately, there are many who are willing to do it.” Ries explained that the U.S. intelligence community’s threat assessments for this year and 2025 included “discussion of Iranian commitment to decades-long attacks against the U.S. using surrogate networks inside the U.S.” In the last year, Ries said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally present in the country, including a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member with Hezbollah ties, other IRGC members and operatives, a former Iranian army sniper and known terrorists. One of these, Asif Merchant, who prosecutors described as a trained IRGC operative, was convicted in April of murder for hire and attempting to commit an act of terror. From this, Ries said, “We have to assume there are more operatives inside the country.” Besides the open-border policies under the Biden administration, Ries said, “There’s so much fraud in the system, whether that’s asylum fraud, whether that is marriage fraud, H-1B fraud, a plethora of visa types.” “Also,” she continued, “We’ve had programs in place for decades to reward those who helped in some fashion the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it’s difficult to vet them thoroughly.” “If people truly assisted the U.S. military, not some attenuated contractor scenario, which is very common, and they deserve protection, then let’s protect them,” she granted. “But that doesn’t mean bring them all here, because that is a risky source of threats inside the U.S.” WATCH: EYE-POPPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION STAT PROMPTS SENATOR’S DEMAND TO ‘REDOUBLE’ DEPORTATIONS Further, she said America’s generous immigration benefits have created an “unwieldy, unmanageable” system that “just endangers the U.S. from a national security perspective and economic security perspective, public safety, etc.” “You need very thorough vetting for any immigration benefit that’s offered,” she explained, adding, “We need to be choosy, in particular, about the types of benefits we’re giving.” Ries called for the “narrowing” of immigration into the country, saying leaders need to “be very thorough and deliberate about who we are bringing to the U.S.” “We saw people come to the U.S. from at least 180 countries during the Biden administration. There’s only 192 other countries. So truly, most of the world came here,” she said, adding, “We as a nation can be and should be very choosy in particular about who we bring here and why.” PATEL SAYS FBI IS ‘MANHUNTING’ TERROR SUSPECTS AROUND THE GLOBE AFTER TWO HIGH-VALUE CAPTURES She said al-Saadi’s case highlights these dangers, explaining, “He doesn’t even have to have direct contact with those who have similar beliefs inside the U.S., but elsewhere in Europe, Canada, etc., who are perfectly willing to carry out jihad against those they view as the infidels, Americans, Jews, etc.” “So, ICE has a lot of work to do still to conduct mass deportations with terror threats at the top of the list,” Ries added.
FIRST ON FOX: Behind the scenes of Arlington’s Memorial Day tribute for America’s 250th birthday
FIRST ON FOX: In observance of Memorial Day, country stars, veterans and lawmakers will host a candlelight ceremony to mark America’s 250th birthday at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia Monday. “Memorial Day is a sacred reminder that freedom is never free. We honor the brave men and women who gave their lives defending America and its founding principles that we hold dear,” said the event’s master of ceremonies, Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, to Fox News Digital. “Their sacrifice is the foundation of American freedom, and we thank God for their courage.” Organizers shared event details and rendering with Fox News Digital for a national celebration honoring America’s heroes during a pivotal year bringing together country music stars and officials. “Set against the sacred grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, the evening will serve as a powerful national tribute to America’s fallen heroes through storytelling, music, remembrance, and reflection,” said Freedom250, the nonpartisan group helping coordinate the broader America250 effort, said in a press release. TRUMP LAUNCHES MASSIVE ‘FREEDOM 250’ PUSH TO IGNITE AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Grammy Award-winning country music artist Gretchen Wilson will take the stage to perform. “I am overwhelmed to have been asked to honor the fallen heroes and their families this Memorial Day. What a sacred place, I pray I do it justice,” said Wilson. A newly released rendering shared first with Fox News Digital showed an aerial view of the amphitheater where the event will take place. COUNTRY SINGER CRAIG MORGAN SAYS HE’S NOT DONE SERVING AFTER ARMY RESERVE PROMOTION AT 61 The program will honor Medal of Honor recipient, West Point graduate and Vietnam prisoner of war Capt. Humbert “Rocky” Versace, highlighting his faith, leadership and resilience during his time in captivity. The evening will also honor Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, a U.S. Army Special Forces officer, Green Beret and Citadel graduate who was killed in Afghanistan while serving alongside Afghan commandos in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Fox News Digital learned. Eggers was remembered for his humility, courage and unwavering commitment to his fellow soldiers, said Freedom250 in a press release. MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT REMEMBERS SERGEANT MAJOR KILLED IN IRAQ: ‘WE WERE GOING TO AVENGE THAT MAN’ Veteran and national security leader Jason Beardsley, Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. Patrick Henry Brady, noted historian Dr. Mark Moyar and members of the Eggers family are expected to share personal reflections on military service, sacrifice and the lasting human cost of freedom during the evening’s tribute. “Memorial Day is about more than remembrance,” said Beardsley, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Army Special Operations Forces, said in the press release. “It is about preserving the legacy of those who gave everything for this country and ensuring future generations understand the true cost of freedom.” There will also be a wreath-laying and National Memorial Day Observance both streamed live. The wreath-laying pre-program will additionally have a performance by veteran and country singer Craig Morgan. The candlelight tribute will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday and conclude at 10 p.m.