WATCH: Senators answer questions about ‘due process’ as Trump cracks down on illegal immigration
While Republicans have celebrated President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, Democrats have accused the Trump administration’s deportations of violating due process. “We need judges that are not going to be demanding a trial for every single illegal immigrant. We have millions of people who have come in here illegally, and we can’t have a trial for every single person. That would be millions of trials,” Trump recently told reporters on Air Force One. Fox News Digital asked lawmakers on Capitol Hill to respond to Trump’s argument that illegal immigrants are not entitled to due process. “People come here and get a legal process called parole and have a right to due process,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. “We are a country of laws, and we shouldn’t be kicking people out of the country without having that due process.” FOX NEWS RIDES ALONG AS FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL BEGINS ENFORCING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS ON STATE ROADS According to the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, all “persons” are entitled to due process. While the extent of due process for deporting illegal immigrants has played out in the courts, Kelly made his position clear when pressed by Fox News Digital. DEM CONGRESS MEMBERS STORM NEW JERSEY ICE PRISON TO CONDUCT ‘OVERSIGHT VISIT’: ‘PEOPLE DESERVE DIGNITY’ “I’ll also say, throwing out little kids who are U.S. citizens, it’s wrong, it’s dangerous. It is certainly not fair to them or their parents, but it really does affect everybody. I mean, tossing out a 2-year-old who’s a U.S. citizen is crazy,” Kelly said. But Republicans who spoke to Fox News Digital weren’t so sympathetic, as they doubled down on their support of the Trump administration deporting illegal immigrants. “Nobody should be coming into the country illegally,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said. “[Former President Joe] Biden has ruined all this. He’s ruined the whole immigration process. He has tainted immigration. Now we have [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro’s criminals that are coming in, that he sent here. We have all the drug traffickers here. We have terrorists here. These people need to get out of the country. They’re here illegally. I want this country safe.” Scott’s comments mimic Trump’s accusations on the 2024 presidential campaign trail of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro intentionally sending criminals to the U.S., and blaming former President Joe Biden for the surge in illegal immigration. “The law does not require someone to actually have a jury trial,” Sen. James Lankford, D-Okla., countered to Fox News Digital. “A hearing can be done. It’s not a trial. It’s not a jury trial. That’s not the right of someone that’s not legally present in the country.” Lankford said illegal immigrants are only entitled to a hearing, not a trial before a jury before deportation, which is supported by the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment. “No, it’s not necessary,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., agreeing with Trump. “These people are illegal.” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., explained to Fox News Digital that while illegal immigrants are entitled to prior notice before deportation under habeas corpus, the judicial system has not clearly defined how long that window is. “Basically, the courts have said under a habeas proceeding, there needs to be notice,” said Schmitt. “But the question is, what does that notice mean? Is it an hour, is it a day or is it a week? I think what you’re ultimately going to see, not under the Alien Enemies Act, but under the habeas cases, is that there’s going to be a relatively short window, and [Trump’s] going to be able to proceed with these deportations.” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told reporters on Friday that the White House is considering suspending habeas corpus, which he said the Trump administration has the authority to do during “a time of invasion.” “A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not,” Miller said.
Judge puts temporary pause on Trump’s mass layoffs at government agencies
A federal judge on Friday issued a temporary pause on the Trump administration’s plans to restructure various government agencies and cut tens of thousands of federal workers because the government overhaul was not authorized by Congress. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston put a 14-day pause on the mass layoffs, siding with a group of unions, non-profits and local governments after they filed a lawsuit on April 28. Illston said Trump may broadly restructure federal agencies, but only in “lawful ways” with approval from Congress. “The President has the authority to seek changes to executive branch agencies, but he must do so in lawful ways and, in the case of large-scale reorganizations, with the cooperation of the legislative branch,” Illston said. “Many presidents have sought this cooperation before; many iterations of Congress have provided it.” FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM DISMANTLING 3 AGENCIES “Nothing prevents the President from requesting this cooperation—as he did in his prior term of office,” the judge continued. “Indeed, the Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime.” Illston’s ruling was the broadest of its kind against administration efforts to overhaul the federal government, which have been led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. In February, Trump directed agencies to work with DOGE to identify targets for mass layoffs as part of the administration’s plans to restructure the government. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN’S CFPB TERMINATIONS The president instructed agencies to eliminate duplicate roles, unnecessary management layers and non-critical jobs, as well as to automate routine tasks, close regional field offices and reduce the use of outside contractors. The group of plaintiffs said the administration’s “unlawful attempt to reorganize the federal government has thrown agencies into chaos, disrupting critical services provided across our nation.” “Each of us represents communities deeply invested in the efficiency of the federal government – laying off federal employees and reorganizing government functions haphazardly does not achieve that,” the groups said in a statement. Illston scheduled a hearing for May 22 for a potential longer preliminary injunction. She said plaintiffs are likely to suffer irreparable harm without the temporary restraining order, which she said preserves the status quo. The judge said the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of some of their claims. They accuse Trump of exceeding his authority and say that DOGE, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management exceeded their authority and violated administrative law. “The Court here is not considering the potential loss of income of one individual employee, but the widespread termination of salaries and benefits for individuals, families, and communities,” Illston wrote. Reuters contributed to this report.
Mexico sues Google for changing ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’ after Trump’s order
Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google after it changed the label for the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its maps platform to match U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order to amend the name of the body of water, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Friday. Sheinbaum said at a press briefing that the lawsuit had been filed against the tech giant, without providing additional details. The lawsuit comes after Sheinbaum threatened in February to sue Google for the name change. MEXICAN PRESIDENT SIGNALS POSSIBLE LAWSUIT AGAINST GOOGLE OVER GULF OF AMERICA NAME CHANGE “We are going to wait. We are already seeing, observing what this would mean from the perspective of legal advice, but we hope that they will make a revision,” Sheinbaum said at the time. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry has also previously sent letters to Google urging it not to relabel the oceanic basin as the Gulf of America. Trump signed an order on his first day back in the White House in January to rename the northern part of the gulf to the Gulf of America. The body of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico, and Trump’s order only carries authority within the U.S. Mexico has argued that the Gulf of America label should only apply to the part over the U.S. continental shelf. The U.S. has control over about 46% of the gulf, Mexico controls about 49% and Cuba controls about 5%, according to Sovereign Limits, a database of international boundaries. “What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree, which applied only to the U.S. continental shelf,” Sheinbaum said in February. The gulf appears in Google Maps as the Gulf of America within the U.S., as the Gulf of Mexico within Mexico and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) everywhere else. It had been called the Gulf of Mexico for more than 400 years. GOOGLE MAPS, FAA OFFICIALY ACKNOWLEDGE GULF OF AMERICA AFTER TRUMP DECLARATION: ‘ISN’T IT BEAUTIFUL?’ Google Maps began using Gulf of America for users in the U.S. shortly after Trump’s order, citing its “longstanding practice” of following the U.S. government’s lead on these matters. In cases where official names vary between countries, Google’s policy says users will see their official local names. In February, the Mexican president shared a response from Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, Cris Turner, who said the company would not change its policy after Trump’s order. Sheinbaum’s announcement of the lawsuit comes after House Republicans passed the Gulf of America Act in a 211-206 vote, marking the first step in codifying Trump’s order. The legislation now heads to the Senate. Fox News Digital has reached out to Google for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Texas pushes back against foreign land grab with ‘strongest bill in the nation’ against China, Iran, Russia
Texas lawmakers are charging ahead with what they call the nation’s strongest legislative effort yet to block hostile foreign powers from purchasing land in the Lone Star State. Championed by Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner and state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, Senate Bill 17 (SB17) is designed to stop governments and entities tied to countries like China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from gaining a foothold on Texas soil. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Hefner described SB17 as “model legislation” aimed at shutting down land purchases that pose a national security threat. “This bill is about actions and affiliations, not race, not nationality,” Hefner said. “If you’re acting on behalf of a hostile foreign adversary, we’re going to take that land back.” TEXAS LAW GETS TOUGH ON PUBLIC, PRIVATE DRONE USE The bill is in direct response to real-world events. Hefner cited the 2021 case of a retired Chinese general acquiring over 140,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base. “We’ve [also] seen the attempt of foreign actors or hostile foreign adversaries to buy land close to food processing plants,” Hefner said. “And it’s just something that we have found the more we dig into it, the more we find that there’s a lot of things we don’t know and a lot of vulnerabilities that are out there.” The bill prohibits entities and individuals affiliated with governments designated as national security threats, based on the U.S. Director of National Intelligence’s annual assessments, from purchasing real estate if those purchases pose risks to public health or safety. The law empowers the state’s attorney general to investigate, block and even reverse such land deals through court-ordered receivership. TEXAS LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING BILL TO BAN GENDER CHANGES ON BIRTH CERTIFICATES Under SB17, “real property” includes agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential land as well as mines, minerals, and timber. The law includes key exemptions for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and property intended as a personal homestead. “The strong points of our bill is that it can apply to anyone if we can prove they’re acting as an agent,” said Hefner. “So even if they’re from a friendly country, but they’re actually on behalf of a foreign adversary, then they will be subject to the bill.” The bill gives the attorney general investigative powers, and authority to appoint receivers to manage or sell properties acquired in violation of the law. Hefner pushed back hard on critics who claim the bill is xenophobic. “This has nothing to do with skin color or ethnicity,” he said. “It’s about protecting Texans and Americans from foreign espionage and influence.” He also stressed that SB17 should not be seen as a partisan move. “It shouldn’t be a partisan issue. This is about national security. This is about keeping our citizens safe,” said Hefner. “It’s not about Republican or Democrat, it’s not liberal or conservative. It is just taking care of our people. “And I believe that’s the, you know, the number one responsibility of the government is to make sure that people can live free and safe in their state.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP SB17 is set to take effect Sept. 1. Hefner said he hopes the legislation sparks a nationwide effort. “We need to wake up,” he said. “This is about securing the homeland, not playing politics.” Fox News Digital’s Nick Butler contributed to this report.
Massachusetts suspect charged with attempting to assassinate a Cabinet nominee
A Massachusetts suspect was charged this week with attempting to assassinate a cabinet nominee, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Ryan Michael English, 24, was arrested in January after allegedly attempting to bring a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails into the U.S. Capitol to assassinate then-Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent during his nomination. On Thursday, English was charged with the attempted assassination of a cabinet member nominee and carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building. English had an initial court appearance on Thursday afternoon. PHOTOGRAPHER WINS PULITZER FOR ICONIC PHOTO OF BULLET SPEEDING BY TRUMP’S HEAD DURING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Prosecutors said that English had also originally plotted to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and was inspired by United HealthCare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione. English walked up to a U.S. Capitol Police officer on Jan. 27 and allegedly stated, “I’d like to turn myself in,” according to initial charging documents. English claimed to have two Molotov cocktails and two knives and expressed being there “to kill Scott Bessent,” according to court documents. Federal prosecutors said English left home in Massachusetts and traveled to Washington with the intent of killing Hegseth, whom the suspect referred to as a “Nazi,” and Johnson, and burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank near the White House. Capitol Police officers found a folding knife and two improvised incendiary devices made of vodka bottles with a grey cloth affixed to the top inside English’s jacket during a search. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP They found a green lighter in another pocket. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Pete Hegseth directs military academies that all future admissions will be based solely on merit
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday sent a memo to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, saying that all future admissions will be based solely on merit. “The Department owes it to our nation, our Service Members, and our young Americans applying to the MSAs to ensure admissions to these prestigious institutions are based exclusively on merit,” Hegseth wrote in a memo to the academies. He added that this would ensure that only the “most qualified candidates” would be admitted. PETE HEGSETH SAYS WEST POINT PROFESSOR WHO RESIGNED OVER TRUMP ADMIN EDUCATION OVERHAUL ‘WILL NOT BE MISSED’ “Selecting anyone but the best erodes lethality, our warfighting readiness, and undercuts the culture of excellence in our Armed Forces,” he wrote. He said the secretaries of the military departments would have 30 days to certify that there will be no consideration of race, ethnicity or sex in applications and that they will be based on merit only. HEGSETH ORDERS DEADLINE FOR TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS TO LEAVE MILITARY: ‘OUT AT THE DOD’ He said merit can be weighted by athletic talent, prior military service, performance at an MSA preparatory school, or other similar experience. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Department must remain steadfast in its pursuit of excellence and never compromise the high standards at our MSAs,” he concluded. “A strong officer corps is essential to ensuring the United States military remains the most lethal the world has ever known.”
Pope Leo XIV’s name gives clue to how he’ll handle social, political divides, bishop says
American author, speaker and theologian Bishop Robert Barron was at the Vatican this week to witness the election of a new pope, and he shared his thoughts with Fox News Digital about Cardinal Robert Prevost’s “intriguing” new papal name. Papal names are often very symbolic with regard to how a Pope will serve as the leader of the Catholic Church. Typically, Pope’s select the names of predecessors they admire or want to emulate. Prevost ultimately went with Leo XIV in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903. “He could have been Francis II, and we would have said, ‘Oh, there he is clearly in the line of Francis.’ He could have been John Paul III, then we would have thought, ‘Oh, he’s very much in that more conservative line.’ He could have been John XXIV, and we say ‘Oh, now he’s a real revolutionary liberal, et cetera,’” Barron said. “The fact that he went back, well over 100 years, to this very interesting and pivotal figure … our new pope was saying, I too, want a critical engagement with the modern world, not simply a ‘no,’ but also not simply a ‘yes,’ not simply an acquiescence to it.” CARDINAL DOLAN DESCRIBES POPE XIV AS ‘CITIZEN OF THE WORLD,’ WILL BUILD BRIDGES WITH TRUMP Barron pointed out that Leo XIII was a pivotal figure due to the timing of his reign, which came during a moment when the Church was contending with the tremendous political and philosophical upheavals of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the French and American Revolutions, and the introduction of philosophies such as Marxism. “The church’s first reaction [to these changes] was very negative. It was a great ‘no’ to modernity. By the end of the 19th century, I think, with a certain distance and a certain critical intelligence, the church was willing to enter into a more, call it, creative engagement with modernity. And I think Pope Leo the 13th represents precisely that,” Barron said. The bishop pointed to the Rerum Novarum to further his point, an encyclical letter issued by Pope Leo XII in 1891. BEARS STAR CALEB WILLIAMS ISSUES TWO-WORDED REACTION TO POPE LEO XIV’S ELECTION “In that document, [Leo XII] is a fierce opponent of Marxism, a fierce opponent of socialism and communism, a great defender of private property and of the market economy,” Barron said. “So you say, ‘Okay, there’s that great ‘no’ to the left-wing economic revolutions.’ At the same time, in that same letter, [Leo XII] comes out strongly in favor of the right to form unions. He comes out very strongly in favor of what we call the universal destination of goods.” “In fact, Pope Leo says in that letter, once the requirements of necessity and propriety have been met in your life, the rest of what you own belongs to the poor,” Barron continued. “That’s not a just a standard, boring, mainstream point of view. That’s a pretty revolutionary statement. But notice the lovely balance in that letter between ‘yes’ to private property, the great ‘no’ to socialism and Marxism, but the great ‘yes’ to the universal destination of goods. Leo sets the tone thereby for the rest of Catholic social teaching that followed him.” In conclusion, Barron said he thinks Prevost’s selection of Leo XIV makes the new pope “a very interesting player” in terms of the debate between the Right and the Left in politics. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “[Leo XVI] doesn’t fit – and I’ve said this 1,000 times – he and other great representatives of Catholic social teaching don’t fit into our categories of left and right,” Barron said. “They don’t fit into Democrat-Republican, they’re in a space beyond those distinctions. So, I think that’s what’s perhaps most interesting about him.”
Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene says she won’t run for Senate while blasting Dems and fellow Republicans
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a top House ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA firebrand with a national following, is passing on a 2026 Senate run. The three-term conservative lawmaker who represents a solidly red district in northwest Georgia, in a lengthy statement posted to social media on Friday night, took aim at Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, a top GOP target that Republicans view as extremely vulnerable in next year’s midterm elections. But Greene saved much of her venom for fellow Republicans, many of whom feared a polarizing campaign if Taylor Greene became the party’s 2026 nominee in Georgia, and for the institution of the Senate itself. “Someone once said, ‘The Senate is where good ideas go to die.’ They were right. That’s why I’m not running,” Greene wrote as she announced her decision. THIS POPULAR CONSERVATIVEGOVERNOR PASSES ON A 2026 SENATE RUN And Greene argued, “Here’s the hard truth: the Senate doesn’t work. It’s designed to obstruct the will of the people and protect the Uniparty’s grip on power. Nearly everything requires 60 votes to pass, and even when we have a majority, a pack of Republican Senators always votes “no” on the bills that matter most.” FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN LAUNCHES SECOND STRAIGHT BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND Greene’s announcement came four days after two-term Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s top recruit in battleground Georgia, revealed that he would also pass on a Senate bid. The popular conservative governor, who is term-limited and prevented from seeking re-election in 2026, was the GOP’s dream candidate to take on Ossoff, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority in next year’s elections. ONLY ON FOX NEWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE’S AIMING FOR IN 2026 Greene, in her statement, claimed, “Beating Jon Ossoff? That would be easy. He’s a silver-spoon progressive who’s never held a real job or worried about putting a roof over his family’s head.” “So, Jon Ossoff, you can stop with the fundraising emails and campaign ads claiming I’m your opponent. I’m not running,” she added. While criticizing Ossoff, Greene turned up the volume on her own party, including “the same elites who scoffed at me when I first ran for Congress in 2020.” “Most elected Republicans, propped up by consultants and rich donors, fail to deliver on their campaign promises. Why? Because their donors and handlers don’t want change. They want to protect their own interests, not yours,” Greene charged. She took aim at “the Republicans who see Trump as a speed bump,” and argued that “polling has become so dishonest that most people barely pay attention to it anymore. Voters are sick of the consultants who keep getting rich whether we win or lose.” Greene described herself as “effective, fearless, and relentless, not because I serve the Republican Party, but because I serve the American people.” But she added that “I won’t fight for a team that refuses to win, that protects its weakest players, and that undermines the very people it’s supposed to serve… To the elite retreaters, the consultants, and the establishment: consider this your warning.” In the wake of Kemp’s announcement, GOP Rep.Buddy Carter, who represents coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign this week. Other Georgia Republicans expressing interest in running are Reps. Mike Collins and Rich McCormick, and state Insurance Commissioner John King.
Vance says he won’t play ‘politicization of the pope game’ over whether Leo XIV is conservative or liberal
Vice President JD Vance refused to talk politics about the newly elected pope on Friday, calling his election a “great thing.” “So many people my entire lifetime have said you’re never going to have an American pope,” Vance told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt after being asked for his reaction to his election. “Obviously, now we do, so I think that’s a great thing.” Vance added that “We don’t know a whole lot about him, but I just wish him the best, right? I’m a Catholic. He’s now the head of the Catholic Church, and we’ll pray for his wisdom, for his good decisions, and his good health, and hope that he has a long and successful papacy.” The vice president told Hewitt that something like the election of a new pope can often become “discolored” by politics. INCLUSIVE TONE OF NEW POPE ISN’T SITTING WELL WITH SOME IN TEH ‘AMERICA FIRST’ MOVEMENT “People are asking is he a conservative or is he a liberal,” Vance continued. “Will he attack President Trump and J.D. Vance on certain things, and hasn’t attacked Democrats on other things.” He said his thoughts on that were that it’s hard to “fit a 2,000-year-old institution into the politics of 2025 America.” Vance added that as a Catholic convert, he tries “not to play the politicization of the Pope game. I’m sure he’s going to say a lot of things that I love. I’m sure he’ll say some things that I disagree with, but I’ll continue to pray for him and the Church despite it all and through it all, and that’ll be the way that I handle it.” Vance’s remarks came after news spread of an X account linked to Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, that reposted articles earlier this year criticizing the Trump administration on its deportation push. He also agreed with Hewitt that it was “disappointing” that reporters asked cardinals in a press conference about Leo’s election about Trump. FIRST AMERICAN-BORN POPE INSPIRES FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE NATION “The Church is so much bigger than politics,” he said, adding that most of the millions of Catholics in the U.S. aren’t worried about whether the pope is liberal or conservative. He continued, “There are a lot of views the Catholic leadership holds that are, you know, you might consider on the right side of the spectrum. There are a lot of views they’re going to hold that might be more traditionally on the left side of the spectrum. And then there are a lot of views that don’t map easily onto politics at all.” Vance said that although the church touches on public policy from time to time, “that’s not really what it’s about.” “I think it would be better for all of us if we allowed the Church to be about the saving of souls and didn’t try to fit it into a pre-ordained political box,” he concluded. Pope Leo XIV was elected to succeed Pope Francis on Thursday after the former’s death last month after a health battle. President Trump quickly congratulated Leo on his selection on Thursday. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope,” he wrote in Truth Social Post. “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” However, other conservatives like Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in Trump’s first administration and a Catholic, called Leo the “worst pick ever.” Pro-Trump conservative commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to charge that “the new Pope has recently attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open the borders like Biden had them. This guy is worse than Francis.” Conservative radio host Charlie Kirk said in a video on X, “Let’s just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. We’ll see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that I’m not too crazy about.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Kirk added that “overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty.”
White House blasts Dems ‘crossing the line’ by storming ICE facility
FIRST ON FOX: The White House is blasting Democrats for “prioritizing the welfare of illegal aliens over American citizens,” after “outright breaking the law” and storming an ICE facility in New Jersey. On Friday, Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver, all New Jersey Democrats, entered ICE’s Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, N.J. and were held up inside the first checkpoint, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News. The three lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, DHS said. The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, Ras Baraka, was arrested at the ICE detention facility where the three members of Congress also stormed the gate, demanding they be allowed to conduct an “oversight visit.” IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDER Baraka, a top Democratic gubernatorial candidate, was arrested at the scene for trespassing, authorities said. The White House is blasting the Democrats, telling Fox News Digital they are “crossing the line.” “As always, Democrats are prioritizing the welfare of illegal aliens over American citizens – except now they’re crossing the line between meaningless political street theatre and outright breaking the law,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital. BLUE CITY MAYOR SAYS ICE ARRESTS OF DANGEROUS CRIMINALS ARE NOT ‘FOCUSED ON MAKING US SAFER’ Activists have demanded entry into the facility in recent days, saying the GEO Group, the building’s new owner, is unlawfully preventing it from being inspected. A lawsuit filed on behalf of the City of Newark on April 1 alleges that GEO Group failed to permit entry to safety inspectors and violated city construction code, including by conducting electrical and plumbing renovations without proper oversight. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Department of Homeland Security said the allegations by Newark politicians that Delaney does not have the proper permitting is false. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.