Mamdani-backed socialist arrested at anti-Netanyahu protest outside UN
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a socialist House candidate in New York, was arrested Thursday while protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to New York City during the United Nation’s General Assembly meeting, according to photos shared on social media by her campaign and public media reports. Avila Chevalier, the Democratic nominee for New York’s 13th Congressional District, was among dozens of demonstrators taken into custody after protesters blocked a roadway near the United Nations General Assembly meeting Thursday ahead of Netanyahu’s address at the event. “Darializa was just arrested while peacefully protesting Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations,” a Thursday afternoon post from the candidate’s social media account said. “Our government has unlimited funds to arm a genocide against Palestinians but tells us there’s nothing left to feed and house our own people. Stop arming Israel!” ISRAEL’S AMBASSADOR SAYS NYC’S MAMDANI IS ‘SOWING CHAOS’ AHEAD OF NETANYAHU’S UN APPEARANCE The demonstration Avila Chevalier was reportedly arrested at drew around 250 protesters to the corner of 1st Avenue and 39th Street in Manhattan, according to City & State New York. Police began making arrests after protesters sitting in the roadway refused to move. Avila Chevalier defended her participation following the arrest. “Netanyahu belongs at the Hague, not in the streets of New York City, and certainly not addressing the United Nations General Assembly,” she said in a statement reported by Bloomberg. Avila Chevalier was not the only New York political figure taken into custody. City Council members Chi Ossé and Alexa Avilés were also arrested during the demonstration, according to City & State, while the Daily Mail reported actress Susan Sarandon was among those detained at the protest. Outlets reported that roughly 80 to 100 protesters who refused orders and remained at the demonstration were arrested. RISING SOCIALIST STARS ON TRACK TO CONGRESS: WHO ARE DARIALIZA AVILA CHEVALIER, BRAD LANDER AND CLAIRE VALDEZ? Avila Chevalier, 32, pulled off a major Democratic primary upset in June when she defeated five-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the heavily Democratic 13th District, which covers Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx. Fox News Digital previously reported that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Avila Chevalier in late May during an appearance on MS NOW, praising her commitment to working-class New Yorkers and saying he looked forward to fighting alongside her for their shared affordability agenda. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and received backing from the group’s New York City chapter during her congressional campaign. Avila Chevalier has been a prominent pro-Palestinian activist as well, with Fox News Digital previously reporting on how she led anti-Israel protests at Columbia University and said she helped launch Columbia University Apartheid Divest’s (CUAD) boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign. CUAD later drew scrutiny for social media posts, including “Death to America” and a call for the “eradication of Western civilization.” Fox News Digital reached out to Avila Chevalier’s campaign for additional information about the arrest but did not immediately receive a response. The NYPD directed Fox News Digital to its public information phone line but declined to provide additional information when reached by phone.
Xi can’t escape protesters’ cries at deafening dinner demonstration
Audible protests blared over President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s welcome to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House Thursday night, at times drowning out the state dinner event. “Free Hong Kong,” “Xi Jinping, you’re not welcome” and “Freedom for political prisoners” were among the chants shouted. Protesters gathered across the Northern portico in Lafeyette Park to stand against the communist leader’s visit, during which the two leaders are expected to discuss artificial intelligence and intellectual property theft, trade practices and rare-earth minerals. TRUMP-XI REUNION COMES WITH UNFINISHED BUSINESS — AND A BIGGER BATTLE LOOMING The chants could be heard clearly before the Marine Corps band began playing and remained audible, though less prominently, throughout the performance. Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Kong democracy, Chinese pro-democracy and Falun Gong groups gathered in Washington this week to call attention to the Chinese government’s alleged human rights abuses. President Trump has previously referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as “Pooh Bear,” a nickname rooted in an online meme comparing Xi to Winnie-the-Pooh. Protesters leaned into the comparison Thursday, dressing as the cartoon bear during a demonstration outside the White House. The dinner welcomed 134 guests, including the two leaders and prominent tech CEOs, such as Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Lisa Su of AMD, Tim Cook of Apple, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Sundar Pichai of Google and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. TRUMP SHOULD PRESS XI ON CHINA’S PERSECUTION OF BELIEVERS AT HOME AND ABROAD Many demonstrators have called for the release of political prisoners. So has House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has called for the release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas. Abbas is a retired Uyghur doctor who disappeared from her home in China Sept. 10, 2018. Chinese officials later sentenced her to 20 years in prison on terrorism-related charges that her family calls fabricated. XI PREPARES CHINA ‘FOR BATTLE’ AS EXPERT WARNS OF GRAVE DANGER FACING US AHEAD OF DC SUMMIT Fox News Digital reached out to the White House to see if her release, or others, are on the negotiating table during this visit. Famous American tenor Christopher Macchio, who was featured at the Republican National Convention in Dallas a few weeks ago, will entertain for the evening along with military musicians from the Army and the Marine Corps. After the dinner, both presidents are expected to retire for the evening ahead of their visit to the National Archives Friday.
Unearthed clip exposes clash between El-Sayed and ex-GOP rival: ‘Muslims definitely hate you’
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, once fired back at accusations he might have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that advocates implementing Muslim code, known as Sharia law, as a legal framework. “Now, you may not hate Muslims. But I’ll tell you, Muslims definitely hate you,” El-Sayed said at a 2018 Michigan gubernatorial forum. The statement, made in response to a question from Michigan lawmaker Patrick Colbeck about his religious affiliations, demonstrates El-Sayed’s resentment toward efforts to use his Muslim faith as a link to Islamic groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. It also shows efforts to address fears that, as a Muslim, he would try to implement Sharia law as the law of the land. VANCE UNLOADS ON EL-SAYED OVER SHARIA REMARKS: ‘THAT’S NOT MY GRANDPA’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY’ Colbeck was also running for governor at the time. During the panel, Colbeck focused his criticisms on the Muslim Brotherhood, claiming El-Sayed had ties to the Muslim Students Association (MSA), a group listed as part of a strategy memorandum for North America written by one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s members, Mohamed Akram. El-Sayed served as the vice president of the MSA chapter at the University of Michigan during his time there as a senior in 2007, according to College Fix. “This is very serious stuff, guys. This is about civilization jihad,” Colbeck said. Fox News Digital has not discovered any ties between El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood. Notably, the memorandum lists a wide range of organizations, stretching from the Islamic Book Service to the Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers, groups that, for their own part, don’t maintain a formal relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. Colbeck’s comments prompted the moderator at the 2018 panel to direct a question to El-Sayed directly. “Is Sharia Law instituted here in the state of Michigan a real concern?” the moderator asked. El-Sayed took the moment to rebuff Colbeck, stating that he would, if elected, swear an oath to uphold the law of the land and not look to subvert it. EL-SAYED’S DEFENSE OF SHARIA LAW STANCE SPARKS ONLINE ERUPTION FROM CHRISTIANS, CONSERVATIVES: ‘HE’S DONE’ “I solemnly swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this state — that’s the oath that if any one of us is elected, we will swear. I take that oath particularly seriously because it guarantees me the right to pray as I choose to pray,” El-Sayed said at the time. “Sharia law is not in question in this state.” While the United States doesn’t list the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, other countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Russia all have, citing the group’s history of armed activity. The Muslim Brotherhood renounced violence in the 1970s but has continued to advocate for ways to codify Muslim religious beliefs in countries around the world since then. In a 2012 document, the group issued a statement on Islamic law and national identity. “That is an integral part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s concept of Islamic law or Sharia, which is the most important issue that preoccupies us and which we seek to establish in society, and for which we have offered our dear brothers for martyrdom, imprisonment and persecution over long decades,” the group wrote. The idea of Muslims using the American election process to implement the Muslim code as the law of the land has raised concerns from lawmakers like Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and others who believe Sharia’s many tenets are incompatible with American culture. “America is facing a threat that directly attacks our Constitution and our Western values: the spread of Sharia law,” Roy said in a 2025 press release. “From Texas to every state in this constitutional republic, instances of Sharia adherents masquerading as ‘refugees’ — and in many cases, sleeper cells connected to terrorist organizations — are threatening the American way of life. Those who succumb to this political ideology seek to replace our legal system and Constitution. Under Sharia law, there is no freedom of speech, religion or women’s rights.” Elsewhere, an increasing number of Muslim representatives and populations in places like Dearborn, Michigan, have led some critics to argue that a kind of preference or leniency toward Muslim individuals is its own version of implementation. “America, we have lost this city. This is a city that is no longer up under American laws; we are up under Sharia law. We will not have it anymore,” Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, the pastor of 180 Church, said during a town council meeting in Dearborn, calling for the town’s councilmembers to denounce the Muslim code. According to the 2020 U.S. census, a majority of Dearborn residents reported Middle Eastern or North African ancestry at roughly 54.5%. EL-SAYED’S AGENDA PUTS ‘PERMANENTLY’ CHANGED AMERICA ON THE LINE IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE, GOP FIREBRAND WARNS Fox News Digital is not aware of any proposals from El-Sayed to implement facets of Sharia law. When asked about Sharia law and its implementation in the U.S., a spokesperson for El-Sayed said that would not be his mission as a lawmaker. “Abdul believes in the separation of church and state. While he personally lives by the rules of his faith, as many Americans of various faiths do, Abdul opposes any effort by any religious community to write their faith laws into the laws of our country,” the El-Sayed campaign told the Washington Free Beacon earlier this year.
What’s on the menu for Trump’s state dinner with China’s Xi? One American staple is notably missing
President Donald Trump, despite his wealth, isn’t exactly known for his refined palette. But Thursday’s state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping will be an elegant affair, and a far cry from the 47th president’s notorious McDonald’s order of two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and a large chocolate shake. The swanky event will be quite the opposite. Conspicuously missing from the menu, however, is an American dining staple — red meat. In fact, no meat will be served at all. Instead, the dinner is exclusively a pescatarian affair. TRUMP-XI SUMMIT COULD HOLD KEY TO LOWER GAS PRICES, GOP CHAIRMAN SAYS The menu for the event, provided to Fox News Digital by First Lady Melania Trump’s office, says the first course consists of yellow squash velouté, wild mushroom fricassée, crispy pancetta and scallion oil. “The first course offers a refined and silky-smooth velouté made of sweet yellow squash,” the menu states. “This course is gently blended to highlight its delicate seasonal flavors of earthy wild mushrooms, sautéed with fresh herbs. Together, these ingredients create a rich fricassee, complemented by crispy pancetta for a savory and smoky contrast. A finishing drizzle of scallion oil adds vibrance and a subtle allium brightness to the dish.” TRUMP HOSTS KING CHARLES, QUEEN CAMILLA AT WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER: FASHION, FOOD AND A STANDOUT GIFT Served next is a sesame crusted sea bass with braised bok choy, roasted garden eggplant and a French green herb sauce. “The second course is prepared delicately with fresh seabass and coated in toasted sesame seeds,” according to the menu. “This combination creates a fragrant nutty crust while keeping the fish tender. The fish is served with crisp baby bok choy and roasted garden eggplant, creating lightly caramelized flavors. The dish is finished with a vibrant sauce verte of fresh herbs, which add brightness, acidity, and a garden character.” The two heads of state and their guests will enjoy vanilla crémeux and White House honey iced cream, walnut frangipane and sour cherry confit for their final course. DAUGHTER OF CHINESE UYGHUR PRISONER MAKES EMOTIONAL PLEA TO TRUMP DURING SPOTLIGHT XI SUMMIT “The dessert course is a smooth vanilla crémeux with a vibrant sour cherry confit center, set a top a rich walnut frangipane,” the menu says. “The dessert’s fruit shaped form is complimented by a delicate ice cream made with harvested White House honey.” The First Lady unveiled a beehive on the White House South Lawn earlier this year. Famous American tenor Christopher Macchio, who was featured at the Republican National Convention in Dallas a few weeks ago, will entertain for the evening, along with military musicians from the Army and the Marine Corps. “The décor for the evening is an expression of warmth and celebration and draws on the color red’s longstanding cultural significance throughout Chinese history,” the First Lady’s memo says, and will feature “urns overflowing with red blossoms and tables covered by red linen with dahlias and ranunculus.” After the dinner, both presidents are expected to retire for the evening. Friday, Trump will take Xi on an expedition to the National Archives before the communist leader departs the United States mid-afternoon.
WATCH: Mass walkout before Netanyahu speech prompts fiery response from Israeli prime minister
A mass walkout of delegates before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly prompted a fiery response from the Israeli leader. As Netanyahu took the stage, dozens of delegates from across the globe could be seen streaming out of the chamber in New York City. Chants of protest could also be heard in the hall as the U.N. president called the assembly to order. After taking the stage, Netanyahu said, “Before I begin, just a quick announcement, if there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” as cheers erupted from the remaining delegates in the chamber. THE TOP MOMENTS FROM IRAN PRESIDENT’S TENSE VISIT TO US SOIL AS WAR RAGES The Israeli leader did not let up for the rest of his address. He began by laying out what he described as the stakes of the conflict in Iran. He proclaimed that “devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard, it was very hard to do, but for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as prime minister. Because if we hadn’t done it, we’d all be dead.” “Now, you want to hear the ultimate irony?” he continued. “In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall. In fact, I want you to know that many of the leaders even thanked us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes.” “It’s hard to imagine more mind blowing hypocrisy, but that’s exactly what it is,” said Netanyahu. MELANIA TRUMP’S HOME-COUNTRY LEADER RIPS UN ‘DOUBLE STANDARDS’ AS TRUMP PROMISE IS REVEALED The protests came as conflict in the Middle East continued and Israel faced criticism over its actions in the region. Netanyahu’s address drew protests from delegates inside the U.N. chamber and demonstrators outside the building, including Hollywood celebrities Elliot Page and Susan Sarandon. Despite the protests, the prime minister delivered a defiant message, telling critics, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He cast Israel’s fight as one for its own survival and the survival of all the world’s nations against “barbarians.” “For the past three years, our heroic soldiers have fought day in an day out in a seven front war. Do you know any other country the size of New Jersey capable of fighting a seven front war? And for three years, seven fronts Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran, militias in Iraq, militias in Syria, Palestinian terrorists in Judea, Samaria, they all ganged up on us to wipe us off the face of the earth, they failed. Because instead of collapsing, we delivered crippling blows to all of them, with our great American friends.” “To the protesters outside, to the hypocritical delegates who left this hall. I ask, ‘Where were you when the Iranian tyrants butchered and maimed tens of thousands of unarmed Iranian civilians? When they butchered and maimed thousands of their own people? Where were you? Did you organize mass rallies, hunger strikes? Did you protest outside the Iranian mission to the UN? Did you speak out for that matter, for Christians persecuted in Iran and throughout the Middle East?’ No, no, you didn’t, because you’re phony human rights protesters,” he said. He also thanked President Donald Trump for ordering U.S. action against Iran. “In this battle against the barbarians, we’ve had no greater partner than President Trump,” said Netanyahu. “I thank him. I thank him for his bold leadership. He boldly confronted an enormous danger to America, Israel and the world.” “He understood that if left unchallenged, the fanatic ayatollahs who chant, ‘Death to America, death to Israel,’ would eventually carry out their mad fantasies. So, Israel and America acted together not only to protect ourselves, but to save civilization,” he said. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Netanyahu also criticized detractors in what he called “the eigth front in this war,” which he said is “the war for truth.” He said that this “war” is “waged in the world’s media and most perniciously, in social media.” Turning to criticism from U.S. figures, Netanyahu called out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a socialist, whom he called “anti-semitic,” as well as influencer Hasan Piker. Addressing Mamdani directly, Netanyahu said, “Mr. Mamdani, you try to stop me from coming here. You tried to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth.”
Trump FDA pick repeatedly sidesteps Sanders’ universal healthcare demands in heated clash
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., repeatedly pressed President Donald Trump‘s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to endorse universal healthcare as a “human right” Thursday, growing frustrated as the nominee declined to give him the yes-or-no answer he sought. Dr. Heidi Overton, a physician who completed her residency at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore before joining the America First Policy Institute, faced off with the Vermont independent as she seeks to replace Dr. Marty Makary, who resigned earlier this year amid disagreement with the Trump administration over flavored vapes. “Do you happen to believe that healthcare is a human right that should be available to every man, woman and child in our country?” Sanders pressed, arguing that the U.S. is the only major country not to guarantee healthcare and that thousands die because of a lack of access and affordability. TRUMP TO NOMINATE DR HEIDI OVERTON AS NEXT FDA COMMISSIONER Overton replied that access to healthcare is important and said she looks forward to carrying out policies and responsibilities “vested from Congress” to the FDA. Sanders said Overton was not answering his question and tried again. “I live 50 miles away from the Canadian border,” said Sanders, who hails from Burlington. “Somehow, everybody in that country can go to a doctor.” Overton said she understands the importance of access to care and believes in getting patients the “best care possible.” Sanders then moved on, saying he was running out of time. He then pressed Overton on whether President Donald Trump was truthful when he said the U.S. had gone from paying the world’s highest prescription drug prices to the lowest. IF TRUMP WANTS TO LOWER DRUG PRICES, HIS OBVIOUS FREE-RIDING TARGETS ARE OUTSIDE THE US The nominee replied that 89% of branded drugs are covered by agreements to lower prices for U.S. consumers. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “The most-favored nation policies have dropped prices and, right now, CPI says that for the first time in 60 years, prescription drug prices have gone down by 3%,” Overton said, citing a framework championed by Trump. Sanders disputed what led to the decline. “Yeah, which may have something to do with the legislation that we passed several years ago,” he said. The broader debate over Medicare-for-all and other government-run healthcare proposals is also playing out ahead of November’s midterm elections.
EXCLUSIVE: DHS Secretary Mullin slams sanctuary politicians as attacks on ICE officers skyrocket
FIRST ON FOX: Assaults against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have steadily increased in recent months by 1,649% with many incidents fueled by opposition to the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. There were 647 assaults against ICE personnel from Jan. 20, 2025, through Sept. 20, 2026, compared to just 37 under the Biden administration from Jan. 20, 2021, to Sept. 20, 2022, according to the Department of Homeland Security. “The brave men and women of ICE, who are simply enforcing the laws mandated by Congress and protecting the American people, are under attack every single day. Since President Trump unleashed ICE to do their jobs, assaults against them have risen by more than 1,600% in the first year and a half of the administration,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. HEROIC ICE OFFICERS, STAFF MEMBER OPEN UP ON GROWING DANGERS: ‘AM I GOING TO DIE?’ Mullin blamed the backlash against ICE on “vicious lies” being spread by “sanctuary politicians and their foot soldiers who are involved in anti-ICE riots and other acts of violence.” “DHS is calling on these sanctuary politicians to stop attacking federal law enforcement, stop putting the needs of illegal aliens ahead of the safety of American citizens, and to start working with us to make America safe again,” he added. DEMOCRAT COMPARES ICE TO ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISTS’ AS 111 HOUSE DEMS DEMAND TEXAS DETENTION CENTER CLOSE DHS cited examples of mainly Democratic elected officials accusing ICE of terrorizing communities and threatening public safety despite the agency arresting many individuals with criminal records that include convictions for murder, child sex crimes, terrorism and drug trafficking, among others. Some congressional lawmakers have called for the abolition of the agency, while others have compared ICE to “the SS” and “the Gestapo,” the two primary and most feared instruments of terror, surveillance and control in Nazi Germany. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, likened the agency to “slave patrols” that were “disappearing people based on their skin color.” In addition, some anti-ICE protesters have brandished weapons at officers, made threats, thrown objects and impeded law enforcement operations, DHS said. In October 2025, Eduardo Aguilar, an illegal immigrant from Mexico living in Dallas, Texas, was arrested after allegedly posting a video on TikTok in Spanish soliciting the murder of ICE personnel. DEM RHODE ISLAND LAWMAKER THREATENS ICE: ‘YOUR DAY OF RECKONING WILL COME M—– F——‘ In July 2025, a group of anti-ICE protesters opened fire on ICE officers at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, wounding a law enforcement officer. Eight suspects tied to that case were sentenced in June to prison terms ranging from 30 to 100 years. In June 2025, Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco, a member of the Tren de Aragua gang in Bellevue, Nebraska, was accused of throwing an ICE agent to the ground, slamming her head into the pavement, ripping off her body armor and making repeated physical violent contact during an attempted arrest, authorities said. The agent sustained serious injuries to her head and arm and was taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for treatment. Hurtado-Cariaco was charged with attempted murder. PORTLAND MAN SENTENCED TO 30 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR THROWING ROCK AT ICE OFFICER DURING PROTEST Others have allegedly attacked ICE officers with rocks, Molotov cocktails and various other objects, officials said. The backlash against ICE has intensified amid the Trump administration’s targeting of illegal immigrants with criminal records and those with final removal orders. DHS BOSS REVEALS OVAL OFFICE PLAN TO ‘WITHHOLD FUNDING’ FROM SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER AGGRESSIVE NEW YORK BUST Many Democratic-run jurisdictions have beefed up their sanctuary policies to prevent cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
Dems shamed as DHS brings ICE shooting receipts after politician called ICE officers ‘liars with masks’
The Department of Homeland Security called out dozens of Democrats and members of the media for “spreading lies” about a recent ICE officer-involved shooting in Austin, while a former agency director suggested the political response may be by design. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national whom DHS says is an illegal immigrant in the U.S., was shot by an ICE agent during a chase Sunday. Perez was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was treated and listed in stable condition. The shooting has prompted protests in Austin and criticism from Democrats. On Tuesday, more than 100 Democratic members of Congress signed a letter demanding Perez’s release and saying he “is not receiving the care he needs in detention” and “still has the bullet lodged in his body.” In a separate statement, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said “despite losing movement on his left side and having a bullet lodged next to his spine, ICE has forced Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez out of the hospital and back to the South Texas ICE Processing Center.” Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, called ICE “liars with masks” and demanded the agency leave Austin. DEM REACTIONS WITHIN MOMENTS OF AUSTIN ICE SHOOTING SPARK VIRAL OUTRAGE LOCALLY, ONLINE: ‘DISQUALIFYING’ In response, DHS posted on X that “sanctuary politicians and the media wasted no time in spreading lies” and that “no amount of smears and false narratives will slow down ICE from doing its job to arrest illegal aliens from our communities.” DHS called the claim that ICE refused to remove the bullet from Perez’s body “false.” The agency said ICE “does not and would not advise, nor be the authority on, a medical procedure for an illegal alien at a hospital.” Addressing reports that Perez was denied pain medication and made to sleep on the floor, DHS said Perez is “receiving medical care around the clock, including pain medication,” and that after being released from the hospital, he slept on a bed a few hours after arriving at ICE’s detention facility. The agency also disputed statements from Perez’s lawyer that Perez entered the country legally and has a work permit. DHS said he “entered the country illegally under the Biden Administration” and “had no valid work permit, had no protective status, and had a final order of removal from a Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigration Judge.” FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS DEPORTATION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SHOT BY ICE OFFICER IN AUSTIN, ATTORNEY SAYS DHS said ICE “will not be slowing down nor leaving Austin.” “DHS is tasked with enforcing the laws passed by Congress. We do not pick and choose which laws to enforce or where to enforce them. We will continue to enforce our nation’s laws,” the agency said. Former acting ICE Director Jonathan Fahey, who served toward the end of President Donald Trump’s first term, suggested some of the political pushback was by design. “The irony of it all is, with these ICE incidents, it’s not just coincidental that the Democrats are against ICE performing their function of enforcing immigration laws… they don’t want them actually doing their jobs,” Fahey said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “They try to build these situations up to try to get negative attention toward ICE and more political pressure on them and advance their political agenda.” Fahey suggested the Democratic Party’s “whole goal” is an open Mexican border and mass amnesty. He argued that Democrats’ response to the Austin incident shows they do not want what he considers responsible enforcement, but no enforcement. “They seem to have doubled down on [the ‘mass amnesty’ agenda] after the 2024 election, which in some respects is surprising,” he said. “My opinion is their motive is… for the people here open the border because they think that will help them electorally currently and in the future – and all the other stuff is just noise to help achieve that.” BRANDON GILL UNLOADS ON DEMOCRATS OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPING TEEN: ‘COLLATERAL DAMAGE’ Asked about Casar’s demands that DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin “preserve every piece of evidence,” suspend the agent in question and brief Congress, Fahey said it would be irresponsible for DHS to brief Congress before the investigation is complete. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “That’s mostly going to be a distraction,” he said. “Congress wants to exercise oversight over this particular instance. I think the more appropriate thing would be after DHS has concluded their investigation [for] all of that [to be] done. I don’t think the secretary would have any issue preserving evidence. I think they’ll be doing that anyway.” “I don’t think that’s a concern. But turning stuff over for hearing this early seems premature at the least,” he said.
Susan Collins defies blue-state headwinds in crucial Senate battle as new poll reveals striking split
A new poll indicates longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins is ahead of her Democratic challenger in a crucial Senate showdown in blue-leaning Maine. Collins, who is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate, stands at 49% support among likely voters, with former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee, at 46%, with 5% undecided in the New York Times/Siena poll. Collins’ three-point edge is within the survey’s margin of error. Democrats are heavily targeting Collins as they work to flip the seat, which is key to their efforts to win back the Senate majority from the Republicans in the midterm elections. The survey, which was conducted Sept. 15–22, is one of the first to indicate Collins ahead of Jackson since he replaced former Senate nominee Graham Platner in late July. SIX FORCES THAT COULD HELP REPUBLICANS DEFY HISTORY IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS Platner, a combat veteran and oyster farmer, won the June Democratic Senate primary in a landslide. But a month later he dropped out following an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the report but stepped aside. Collins slightly trailed Platner in most polling at the time he ended his campaign. Jackson, who campaigned alongside Platner earlier this year as he unsuccessfully ran for governor, won a special nominating convention to fill the party’s vacant Senate nomination. The poll release came as Collins pushed back against a report by ProPublica that the FBI sought to launch a pay-to-play investigation examining Collins and others. The investigation was later dropped and no one working for Collins was charged. Collins ripped the report as “offensive” and a “partisan hit job” orchestrated by Democrats. Jackson took to social media to claim that “Susan Collins is blatantly corrupt.” Collins’ advantage over Jackson in the new survey comes even as 55% of those questioned said they prefer Democrats to control the Senate next year, with 43% saying they’d like the GOP to retain the majority. COLLINS TEARS INTO NEW REPORT ALLEDGING PAY-TO PLAY SCHEME Likely boosting Collins are her favorable ratings, which are in positive territory, at 51%-48%. Meanwhile, Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago and who is now running on a progressive platform, is underwater with 41% of those questioned viewing him favorably and 49% holding an unfavorable view. As he quickly became the frontrunner in the abbreviated race to replace Platner, Jackson faced a slew of media reports over his alleged temper and workplace conduct, as well as reported claims of mortgage improprieties and other potential liabilities, including his past strict anti-abortion stance. In August, a resurfaced 1988 police record which detailed accusations that Jackson assaulted a man and pushed his longtime partner during a late-night confrontation in Fort Kent, Maine, grabbed headlines. Jackson, in a statement, said, “I took responsibility for it then, and I take responsibility for it now. But let me be clear: I have never been violent with my partner Lana, or any other woman.” WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION POLLING Lana Pelletier, who, according to records, is Jackson’s second cousin, shares two adult children with him. Collins, the only GOP senator seeking re-election in a state President Donald Trump lost in the 2024 election, is facing a rough political climate, amid Trump’s underwater approval ratings, persistent inflation, soaring fuel prices and what polls indicate is an unpopular war with Iran. The senator, known as a moderate Republican who at times has voted against Trump, this summer received bipartisan praise after reaching a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote. But Democrats are taking aim at Collins over her comments that she didn’t regret her 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, despite his crucial vote four years later to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling. And following the fatal shooting in Maine this summer involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Democrats heavily criticized the Senate Appropriations Committee chair for her support for ICE funding. But Collins has broken with Trump numerous times in recent months, criticizing his tariff war with neighboring Canada and voting against Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation. The senator has a history of surviving Democratic efforts to unseat her. Six years ago, she trailed Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, the then-Maine House speaker, but the senator ended up winning re-election by nearly nine points while former President Joe Biden carried the state by a similar margin. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The New York Times/Siena poll, in collaboration with The Portland Press Herald and sponsored in part by the Maine Trust for Local News, questioned 619 likely voters. Fox News Digital reached out to both the Collins and Jackson campaigns for comment on the new survey, but didn’t receive a response at the time this story was published. The New York Times and Siena on Thursday also released polls on two other crucial Senate showdowns that are must-holds for the Democrats. In neighboring New Hampshire, the survey indicates Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas with a 50%-45% advantage over former Republican Sen. John E. Sununu, in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Meanwhile, in Michigan, the poll indicates Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed ahead of former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers 49%-44% in the showdown to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
Biden-appointed judge hands Letitia James setback in latest Trump legal clash
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ legal battle against President Donald Trump over DOGE-linked access to sensitive Treasury systems ended Wednesday with a federal judge dismissing the lawsuit she spearheaded with 18 other states. The case stems from Trump’s January 2025 executive order establishing DOGE, which directed executive agencies to create DOGE teams and set July 4, 2026, as the termination date for the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization. James led a coalition – which included New York and 18 other states – that sued the following month after Treasury gave DOGE-affiliated employees access to Bureau of the Fiscal Service systems, which process federal payments and contain sensitive financial information. JUDGE SAYS ISSUES IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANTI-WEAPONIZATION CASE ‘ALIVE AND KICKING’ DESPITE DOJ PUSH Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that the “plaintiffs’ claims related to access by DOGE-affiliated employees to sensitive Treasury information are dismissed as moot,” according to Wednesday’s order. Vargas said the Treasury DOGE team had been disbanded, and no DOGE employees remained at Treasury, leaving no access practice for the court to enjoin. She separately dismissed the states’ claims over an automated payment-review system, finding they had not alleged that the process froze or canceled any specific federal payment due to them. The states argued the Trump administration unlawfully opened sensitive Treasury systems to DOGE, putting state financial information and federal payments at risk and exceeding the administration’s legal authority. EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE THE SECRETIVE MINE DOGE HELPED DRAG OUT OF A DECADES-OLD BUREAUCRATIC BLACK HOLE In February 2025, Vargas granted the states a preliminary injunction barring Treasury’s DOGE team from the covered payment systems, then modified the order over the following months to permit access for personnel who complied with specified vetting, training, hiring, reporting and mitigation procedures. The Executive Order established DOGE and called for each department to assemble its own DOGE team to find fraud, waste and abuse before their termination date of July 4. TRUMP’S LAWYERS PUT DEM AG ON NOTICE FOR TARGETING HIS FAMILY IN NY FRAUD FIGHT: ‘CANNOT STAND’ James has been a longtime critic and legal adversary of Trump, launching a civil fraud lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization in 2022 after campaigning on investigating his business practices. The case initially resulted in more than $450 million in penalties, though an appeals court later upheld Trump’s liability while voiding the financial penalty. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the office of the New York attorney general for comment.