Jeffries: SCOTUS should hold Trump admin in contempt over deported Salvadoran migrant
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. on Tuesday said that the Supreme Court should consider holding the Trump administration in contempt over its deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, an El Salvadorian illegal migrant and former Maryland resident. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court’s decision to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison where federal officials sent hundreds of suspected criminals and gang members last month. “The Supreme Court has made clear that Mr. Abrego Garcia should not have been deported,” Jeffries said at a Tuesday press conference on Democrats’ upcoming “Save Social Security Day of Action” to oppose what he claims will be cuts to social security. ‘UP TO EL SALVADOR’: TRUMP ADMIN PUNTS ON RETURN OF WRONGFULLY DEPORTED MARYLAND RESIDENT “In fact, the Trump administration has acknowledged that fact and so they need to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive or the Supreme Court needs to enforce its order aggressively, which should include contempt.” The Supreme Court acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was “therefore illegal.” The Court stressed that the government must facilitate his release from custody in El Salvador and treat his case as if he were never deported. One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang, this is called a withholding order. The Trump administration has faced criticism from Democrats, left-wing media and human rights advocates for sending Abrego Garcia back to his home country. Trump officials initially acknowledged his removal was due to an “administrative error.” FEDERAL JUDGE HAMMERS DOJ ON WHEREABOUTS OF ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER FOLLOWING SCOTUS ORDER White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on Monday said that two courts found Abrego Garcia to be an MS-13 gang member, and he was deported after Trump declared the violent gang a terrorist organization. Miller said that when Trump declared MS-13 a terrorist organization, Abrego Garcia was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief in the United States. Miller said that Abrego Garcia had an outstanding deportation order, meaning he wasn’t even allowed to be present in the U.S. and had to be removed because of the foreign terrorist designation. Abrego Garcia is married to a U.S. citizen, and they are raising three children. Jeffries, meanwhile, added that he was supporting the efforts of Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who is trying to meet with El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele while he is here in the country. Van Hollen is trying to get Abrego Garcia sent back to the U.S. Bukele met with Trump at the White House on Monday for a bilateral summit focused largely on immigration. “I support the efforts and leadership of Senator Chris Van Hollen,” Jeffries said. “The president should accept that meeting request and have a real discussion as to when Mr. Abrego Garcia is going to be returned to his family in the United States of America.” Van Hollen said he also wants to see the Trump administration held in contempt. “It’s absolutely unjust and illegal to have this Marylander detained one more day in a notorious prison in El Salvador,” Van Hollen said, per WBAL-TV. “I saw that the families, the lawyers, have asked that the administration lawyers be held in contempt, and I think that’s an absolutely appropriate move to take right now. They’re absolutely snubbing their nose at the courts right now, including the Supreme Court.” Fox News’ Kerri Urbahn contributed to this report.
Schumer calls on Leland Dudek, acting commissioner of SSA, to resign
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. called on the head of President Donald Trump’s Social Security Administration to resign on Tuesday. Schumer declared a “Social Security Day of Action” during a press conference in New York on Tuesday, accusing Trump, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of cutting Americans’ social security. Schumer called on acting SSA Administrator Leland Dudek to resign. “Dudek is bad medicine for our seniors,” Schumer said from the podium. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk have a hatchet man in Leland Dudek, an acting Commissioner with an emphasis on the ‘acting,’ because his real role is to dismantle the very office he is supposed to lead, make better, and protect,” he continued. “We have seen his audition and his work on the stage, and it is clear: Dudek is incapable of doing this job in the way it needs to be done. He won’t protect seniors. He will hurt them. Leland Dudek should resign.” ELON MUSK DUNKS ON SEN CHUCK SCHUMER, DECLARING ‘HYSTERICAL REACTIONS’ DEMONSTRATE DOGE’S IMPORTANCE “Republicans are trying to kill Social Security from the inside – it is a cut by another name – and we won’t let that happen,” Schumer said in another statement. The press conference comes after Schumer feuded with Musk on social media. The Tesla founder reacted to Schumer’s criticism of DOGE by suggesting the lawmaker was “getting a piece of the action with the government fraud.” MUSK SPARS WITH WHITE HOUSE TRADE ADVISOR PETER NAVARRO: ‘DUMBER THAN A SACK OF BRICKS’ “Another Elon lie. He wants you to think anyone who dares to stand up to him is committing fraud, meanwhile he’s taking tens of billions from the government,” Schumer declared in a post last week. Musk also fired off a response to a post in which Schumer suggested that Musk is slashing Social Security benefits. “Make no mistake: What Elon Musk is doing at Social Security is cutting benefits,” Schumer said. “The intern running Schumer’s social media account is lying,” Musk shot back. During a Senate speech, Schumer claimed that “Elon Musk is cutting Social Security benefits.” “When offices close down, when websites crash, when phone lines shut off, that’s no different than cutting benefits,” Schumer said.
Shapiro leads lawsuit against Trump admin for pulling COVID-era school funding
Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., joined 15 states and Washington, D.C., to challenge President Donald Trump’s Department of Education for revoking millions in pandemic-era education funding for their states. Shapiro and the group of attorneys general from across the country filed a complaint to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the Education Department, challenging the federal government’s rescission of funding allocated to “combat the devastating and ongoing effects” of the COVID-19 pandemic. The complaint alleges the funding was allocated through March 2026, and states were informed on March 28 “with no advance notice or warning” that the Department of Education had “rescinded extensions of time to liquidate grant funds previously approved by ED.” The complaint says the funds in question were allocated by Congress using a pandemic-era law. “Every Pennsylvania student deserves the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. I’m taking action to preserve that freedom and ensure no Pennsylvania student is harmed by the federal government’s decision to go back on its word,” Shapiro said. ‘DULY OWED TO US’: BLUE STATE GOVERNOR SAYS $2.1B IN FEDERAL FUNDING RESTORED AFTER SUING TRUMP ADMIN Shapiro said the $185 million in federal funding “owed to Pennsylvania” supports academic and mental health programs, implements and modernizes new technology and provides infrastructure improvements in schools. SENATORS FORMALLY INTRODUCE BILL TO ELIMINATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION The Pennsylvania governor argued that school districts and education agencies have already spent the allocated money, so canceling $185 million forces Pennsylvania taxpayers to pick up the tab on projects already underway. The complaint is co-signed by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, D.C. The state leaders claim the Department of Education could not rescind their federal funding due to the “end of the pandemic,” because the pandemic had already ended when the funding extension was granted, and they argue they were not limited to COVID-19 specific programs. Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the Education Department, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “COVID is over. States and school districts can no longer claim they are spending their emergency pandemic funds on ‘COVID relief’ when there are numerous documented examples of abuse and misuse.” “The Department established a process to consider funding extension requests on a project-specific basis where it can be demonstrated that funds are being used directly mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on student learning. If the states suing were using these funds to remediate learning loss and support students, there would be no need for this lawsuit.” The recession in pandemic-related federal education funding follows Trump’s fulfillment of a key 2024 campaign promise to dismantle the Department of Education. Trump signed an executive order last month directing McMahon to close the department and return educational authority to the states – a Republican idea often floated by presidential hopefuls but implemented for the first time during Trump’s second term. Shapiro has relied on the judicial system during Trump’s second term to unlock federal funding for Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania governor joined 22 states and Washington, D.C., in a lawsuit against Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Department of Health and Human Services for canceling public health grants that prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Shapiro also sued the Trump administration on Feb. 13, challenging Trump’s allegedly “illegal” federal funding freeze. Soon after, Shapiro celebrated that $2.1 billion in federal funds had been unfrozen and restored to Pennsylvania following his lawsuit and direct confrontation with the Trump administration.
Trump admin defies court over Maryland deportation, ignites legal showdown
Trump administration officials are slated to appear in federal court this afternoon for what’s expected to be a fiery hearing over the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident removed to El Salvador last month in what officials have acknowledged was an “administrative error.” U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the hearing after government lawyers failed to comply with multiple court directives regarding Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. – with the Supreme Court most recently ordering the administration to “facilitate” his release from Salvadorian custody and resume his immigration proceedings as if he were never removed. The administration’s apparent refusal to act – or even clarify Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts – has pushed the case to a boiling point, raising the prospect that Xinis could hold the Trump administration in contempt. In addition to filing incomplete status updates and refusing to answer questions about Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts or efforts to secure his return, Trump officials suggested at the White House on Monday that the U.S. lacks the authority to bring him back. ‘UP TO EL SALVADOR’: TRUMP ADMIN PUNTS ON RETURN OF WRONGFULLY DEPORTED MARYLAND RESIDENT Xinis will weigh these developments as the court considers next steps in the case, including whether to pursue civil contempt proceedings against the administration. Last night, the Trump administration failed to include in its daily status update to the court answers to any of the three questions sought by the judge. These included the location and custodial status of Garcia; what steps the government has taken to facilitate his return, and what steps the government is planning in order to make that happen. Xinis previously called the government’s refusal to answer these questions “extremely troubling.” Tensions soared Monday during a White House visit from Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele, whose government is receiving $6 million from the U.S. to detain migrants at its sprawling maximum-security prison, CECOT – including alleged members of MS-13 and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. While Trump allies and immigration hawks have praised the removals, critics warn these rapid deportations may violate due process protections under the U.S. Constitution, and they cite concerns that the individuals deported may not have had a chance to challenge their removals in court. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT Abrego Garcia, for his part, was deported from the U.S. to El Salvador last month without a hearing. The Trump administration, including U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer, has acknowledged in court documents his removal was an “administrative error.” Asked Monday about progress in returning Abrego Garcia to U.S. soil, Trump officials said his return was “up to El Salvador” and that the U.S. would “provide a plane” – appearing to ignore a court order to facilitate his return. “That’s up to El Salvador if they want to return him,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters. “That’s not up to us.” This contention was backed by other Cabinet officials, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, and by Salvadorian President Bukele himself. “How can I return him to the United States? Like if I smuggle him into the United States?” Bukele told reporters Monday during a sit-down with President Donald Trump and other senior administration officials. “Of course I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous,” he said. JUDGE BOASBERG POISED TO HOLD TRUMP ADMIN IN CONTEMPT, TAKES DOWN NAMES OF DHS OFFICIALS: ‘PRETTY SKETCHY’ Hours later, Trump administration lawyers breezed past a 5 p.m. court-ordered deadline set by Xinis to file a daily status update on their efforts to return Abrego Garcia to U.S. soil. Justice Department lawyers said in a weekend filing they are not required to comply with a judge’s order to “facilitate” his return, arguing the courts, in their view, “have no authority to direct the Executive Branch to conduct foreign relations in a particular way, or engage with a foreign sovereign in a given manner.” Trump officials continue to publicly rail against so-called “activist judges,” whom they have argued are attempting to stymie Trump’s agenda and his priorities on immigration enforcement. As of this writing, the Trump administration has not returned any of the individuals who have been sent to El Salvador’s sprawling, high-security prison, including any Venezuelan nationals who may have been mistakenly identified as members of the Tren de Aragua gang, as well as Abrego Garcia.
CDC eyes narrower COVID-19 vaccine guidance ahead of 2025–2026 season
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) vaccine advisory committee will meet on Tuesday for a two-day session to lay out new recommendations, including a proposal to scale back current COVID-19 vaccine guidelines. Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos of the CDC is expected to present guidance on COVID-19 vaccine use for 2025–2026 and suggest the department adopt a “narrow” recommendation for it, “and only maintain this series for certain populations within these groups who we determine should be vaccinated.” When polled on April 3, a majority of advisors – 76% – expressed support for a risk-based, rather than universal, COVID-19 vaccination recommendation for the 2025–2026 schedule, up 10% higher from February polling. UTAH BANS FLUORIDE FROM PUBLIC DRINKING WATER, ALIGNING WITH MAHA MOVEMENT The 70-page presentation outlines three possible policy options for COVID-19 vaccines, including a shift away from recommending annual shots for everyone over 6 months old. Currently, annual COVID-19 shots are recommended for ages 6 months and older. One proposed policy option would continue the current universal policy, while another would recommend vaccines only for people at higher risk of severe illness, such as older adults, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and healthcare workers. A third option would blend the two, keeping universal recommendations for people 65 and older but limiting shots for younger groups to those at higher risk. “When initially presented with 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine policy options in November 2024, the Work Group appreciated pros and cons of both risk-based and universal vaccine recommendations,” Panagiotakopoulos wrote. “At that time, there was not yet a consensus on what the recommendation for the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine should be. The Work Group requested additional information to help inform the decision-making process on risk-factors for severe COVID-19, transmission and immunity, vaccine implementation and access, and cost-effectiveness.” HOSPITALS WARNED THEY MUST PROTECT CHILDREN FROM CHEMICAL AND SURGICAL MUTILATION: HHS AGENCY MEMO The presentation will also propose how to define “increased risk,” looking at both health factors and increased exposure, like living in long-term care facilities or working in high-contact jobs. The two-day meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will examine information for members to vote on as official recommendations, which will then be passed on to the CDC for consideration in June. The end of the presentation will include discussion questions about the pros and cons of a universal vs. risk-based COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for 2025 to 2026. Key discussion points include whether any groups should be excluded from vaccination, what data is still needed to guide decisions, and whether a risk-based approach makes sense if most people are already considered “at risk.” HHS DOWNSIZING BEGINS AMID RFK JR. ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ PUSH: ‘WIN-WIN FOR TAXPAYERS’ According to the CDC, the vaccine committee’s agenda will also include a session about the measles outbreak and an update “on literature related to reduced number of doses for HPV vaccine.” Members of the committee will vote on Wednesday on recommendations for the Meningococcal Vaccines, Meningococcal Vaccines VFC, RSV Adult and the Chikungunya Vaccines. The meeting comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is overseeing a major reorganization of the CDC. Plans include transferring non-infectious disease-related divisions to the Administration for a Healthy America to focus on chronic disease management. This move follows significant downsizing under President Donald Trump’s directive, which has already reduced the CDC workforce by roughly 4,000 people.
Marjorie Taylor Greene brings town hall to Harris-won Georgia county, shrugs off possible ‘outbursts’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is facing her constituents in a critical swing county for an in-person town hall on Tuesday, despite House GOP leaders’ warnings earlier this year to step back from such events amid progressive groups’ coordinated efforts to derail them. Greene said she organized her event months before House Republican leaders’ guidance but that it did not dissuade her from hosting them. “This has been on my calendar for a long time. And yes, we have seen Republican town halls targeted by Democrat protesters, and it’s well-organized by the Democrat Party,” Greene told Fox News Digital in a brief interview. “We even had leadership recommend to do tele-town halls. And for me that that is absolutely unacceptable. There’s no way I’m going to sit on a telephone and talk to the people in my district… I’ve done town halls ever since I was elected, starting back in 2021. So I love to do them.” Known as a conservative bomb-thrower and close ally of President Donald Trump, Greene is hosting her event in Cobb County – an area encompassing the Atlanta suburbs that former Vice President Kamala Harris won by roughly 15% last November. SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES It’s a more moderate spot in Greene’s otherwise deep red district – but the congresswoman said its politics did not factor into her decision. “The reason why we picked that part of the district is it’s the newest part of the district for me, because of redistricting. And so this is a new part of Cobb County that I’ve gained in my district, and I think they’re great, and I want to go down there and speak with them,” Greene said. “They just voted for me for the first time in November. I like to pay attention to my district. And so I want to do my first town hall there.” “It has nothing to do with population or anything. Actually, I can tell you right now, I can get in much deeper red parts of my district and draw much bigger crowds. So this was about paying attention to the newest part of my district,” Greene added. She’s one of few Republican lawmakers holding an in-person town hall during Congress’ two-week Easter break away from Washington. It comes after progressive groups like Indivisible and MoveOn staged a series of coordinated protests at GOP lawmakers’ town halls and other events. Even town halls held by Greene’s fellow Georgia delegation members have been derailed by activists – who in some cases have traveled from other districts – jeering and booing GOP policies. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE But Greene’s town hall will see additional security measures aimed at ensuring disruptions are at a minimum. The address is only provided to registered attendees, who must be living in Greene’s district to gain entry. “I’m not sure how other members do it, but we only allow people that actually live in the district to come to the town hall. This isn’t a place for political grandstanding, protesting and outbursts,” Greene said. “We take their sign-up information. They have to show their ID when they come in the door and match up the sign-up list. And then we told them well ahead of time, if they want to stand up and interrupt and scream and yell, and have big outbursts, and use this as a protest, they’re going to get thrown out.” She added that she welcomed all of her constituents, Republicans and Democrats. “We expect them to behave well. And we expect them to be, you know, respectful. And we’re going to have a great town hall, and I cannot wait for it,” Greene said. The majority of coordinated protests have centered on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk – one of Indivisible’s specific protest campaigns was labeled “Musk or Us,” and one of its most recent off-shoots targeted a town hall held by Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., in his red Midwestern district. Greene, who chairs the House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee on DOGE, said she anticipated the topic would come up, albeit under calmer circumstances. “DOGE, I think, is going to be a big topic. And being the chairwoman of the DOJ’s subcommittee on Oversight, I cannot wait to inform my constituents about what’s happening there, as well as reconciliation, which is what Congress will be working on over the next few weeks and even further until we get that done,” she said. Another topic Greene anticipated was Trump’s tariffs, and “how that’s helping America.” “And I think there’ll be questions about immigration enforcement deportations. And I can’t wait to talk about that, because I think President Trump and his entire administration is literally saving our country by deporting murderers and rapists and cartels,” Greene said. “When I come back home to my district, I grocery shop by myself, I go to Home Depot, I go to restaurants. I literally live in my community. So I really know people here. I know what they care about. So I feel very confident to be able to answer their questions.”
Trump says Harvard should lose its tax exempt status, be treated as ‘political entity’ amid funding dispute
President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that Harvard University should lose its tax-exempt status and be considered a “political entity,” a day after his administration pulled $2.2 billion in funding from the Ivy League school. “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. “Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!” the president added. TRUMP ADMIN SLASHES OVER $2.2B IN FUNDING TO HARVARD AFTER SCHOOL DEFIES DEMANDS The Trump administration on Monday said it was freezing more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University after the institution refused to comply with a set of terms set forth by the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services and the General Services Administration last week. Framed as “an expanding list of demands” by Harvard’s leadership, the administration asked the university to make changes to adhere to “merit-based” hiring and admissions practices and reform its recruitment of international students to “prevent admitting students hostile to the American values and institutions inscribed in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, including students supportive of terrorism or anti-Semitism.” Other requested reforms included ensuring “viewpoint diversity in admissions and hiring,” changing programs with “egregious records of antisemitism or other bias,” and discontinuing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and initiatives. In an April 11 letter to Harvard leadership, Trump administration officials said that U.S. government “investment is not entitlement” and “depends on Harvard upholding federal civil rights laws, and it only makes sense if Harvard fosters the kind of environment that produces intellectual creativity and scholarly rigor, both of which are antithetical to ideological capture.” In a statement on Monday, Harvard University President Alan Garber said the terms of agreement make “clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner.” HARVARD WON’T COMPLY WITH TRUMP ADMIN’S DEMANDS AMID THREATS OF CUTTING FEDERAL FUNDING “Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the intellectual conditions at Harvard,” Garber wrote. He argued the terms required an “audit” of the student body, faculty and staff “viewpoints” and to reduce the power of certain students, faculty, and administrators “targeted because of their ideological views.” “No government – regardless of which party is in power – should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote. Harvard’s response was praised by Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, while conservatives mocked the Ivy League school’s outrage given its $53.2 billion endowment. “There is another way: Refuse taxpayer money,” Hillsdale College, a private Christian institution in Michigan, posted on X. “Time to defund,” Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, wrote on X. “And tax that $50 billion endowment.” Richard Grenell, a longtime Trump ally who served in multiple administration roles, had a message to Harvard: “Don’t ask for taxpayer money if you don’t want taxpayer strings.” “You’ve ruined my degree with your far left activism,” Grenell wrote. “As a Harvard graduate, I support the Federal government enforcing laws that you violate.”
Top Republican warns families of ‘largest tax hike in history’ next year if Trump budget fails
EXCLUSIVE: The chairman of the largest House GOP caucus is using Tax Day to send a warning about the financial strain American families could face next year if Republicans fail in their plans for a massive conservative policy overhaul. Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that millions of Americans could see their taxes increase by as much as one-fifth if Congress does not pass a budget reconciliation bill extending President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). “If Democrats get their way and let these tax cuts expire, Americans will be crushed by the largest tax hike in history – a 22% increase hitting 40 million families and 26 million small businesses,” Pfluger said. “It’s time to lock in these historic tax cuts permanently to boost job creation, fuel America’s economic engine, and protect family budgets from the Left’s tax-and-spend agenda.” MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE The RSC acts as the House GOP’s de facto conservative think tank and has more than 175 members. Pfluger reiterated that the group is “fighting to make President Trump’s historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, so families can keep more of their hard-earned money instead of sending it to the IRS.” Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, chair of the RSC budget task force, said extending the TCJA and enacting Trump’s other tax policy initiatives would help the U.S. become “the most advantageous country in which to invest, relocate, or expand a business” as well as helping families and businesses domestically. “These vital, pro-growth tax reforms will work alongside our efforts to slash federal regulations and bureaucracy to empower economic expansion and financial security for the American people and our job creators,” she said. Tax reform is a cornerstone of Republicans’ efforts on reconciliation, a mechanism that allows the party controlling the major levers of government to enact sweeping fiscal and budgetary changes. It does so by lowering the Senate’s threshold for advancing legislation from 60 votes to 51, provided the matters in the bill deal with taxes, spending and the national debt. SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES In addition to extending the TCJA tax cuts, Trump also wants Republicans to eliminate taxes on tipped and overtime wages, as well as on Social Security benefits for retirees. House Republicans passed a framework last week to sync up with the Senate on its budget reconciliation bill, which now allows the relevant congressional committees to begin work filling out that framework with policy. But congressional Republicans have a long road ahead to get a bill passed in both the House and Senate, where their majorities are currently three seats each. The House version calls for at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, while the Senate’s baseline is $4 billion – though Republicans there vowed to strive for more. Extending TCJA alone would decrease federal revenues by $4.5 trillion, according to the Tax Foundation, and House conservatives are leading the charge in demanding steep government funding cuts to offset that. The RSC steering group, the group’s leadership arm, released an official position earlier this year calling for reconciliation legislation to be deficit-neutral. At the same time, however, failing to extend Trump’s tax cuts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections could have politically devastating consequences, while stoking fears of an economic downturn when compounded with the added cost of Trump’s sweeping tariffs. “If the tax cuts expire, the median family would lose about $1,000,” Kimberly Clausing, nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Fox News Digital earlier this month, citing a model from the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. And if the recently unveiled tariffs continued unabated at the time, “that would generate an average per household consumer loss of $3,800,” she added, pointing to the Yale Budget Lab’s estimate. Trump has since walked back much of his reciprocal tariff policy. The House Ways and Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, released a memo late last year with a similar warning to Pfluger’s on a potential tax hike if TCJA is not extended. “Congress needs to act swiftly to take this threat of a tax hike off the table and give the American people assurances that the relief they have been demanding has arrived,” the December memo said.
Trump admin’s DOT announces deal for high-tech border checkpoint in crucial California sector
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation is set to announce on Tuesday a $150 million federal grant to construct a new road and Port of Entry near the existing Otay Mesa facility in the San Diego-Baja, California region. “These investments will enhance border security by providing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with state-of-the-art inspection facilities,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said in a release provided to Fox News Digital. “The new agreement also removed previous Green New Deal requirements, including a zero-emission vehicle charging provision, which was a waste of taxpayer funds and irrelevant to CBP’s national security mission.” FLORIDA’S LARGEST VENEZUELAN STRONGHOLD POISED TO JOIN FORCES WITH ICE: REPORT The new project will aim to build a “21st century border crossing” just east of the existing Otay Mesa facility, with the new facility featuring intelligent technologies to collect tolls, facilitate trade and increase inspection efficiency, the release notes. In addition to being a more secure checkpoint, the new facility is also projected to reduce traffic congestion and lead to economic benefits throughout Southern California, moving freight from thousands of trucks that will pass through the facility to warehouses and distribution centers throughout the region. BLUE STATE SHERIFFS COMBINE FORCES TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST SANCTUARY LAWS The release notes that the Trump administration has inherited over 3,000 grants promoted during the previous administration that were never filled, leading to an “unprecedented backlog of unobligated grants delayed critical investments in communities across the country.” “Thanks to the prior administration’s lack of focus, this critical project sat in limbo for two years. No more. We moved to finalize this deal so we can help protect our Southern border and crack down on drug trafficking while preventing tax dollars subsidizing pointless Green New Deal priorities,” Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy told Fox News Digital. “This department will continue to clear the previous administration’s unprecedented grant backlog and deliver results.”
Judge greenlights DOJ’s motion to drop gun case against Salvadoran, accused MS-13 leader
A Virginia-based judge has granted the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss its illegal firearm case against a Virginia-based Salvadoran national accused of being an MS-13 leader. The FBI announced the arrest of Henrry Jose Villatoro Santos on March 27 in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C., with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel describing him as the top MS-13 leader on the East Coast. Villatoro Santos was charged with an illegal firearm charge at the time of his arrest. DOJ ASKS TO DISMISS VIRGINIA CASE AGAINST SALVADORAN ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER SET TO BE DEPORTED Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick said he will stay his decision until Friday morning to allow for Villatoro Santos’ counsel to explore other avenues, including appealing the decision. The DOJ initially moved to drop the case on April 9, shortly after his arrest. Counsel for Villatoro Santos, Muhammad Elsayed, said during the April 15 hearing that the government had not clarified what would happen to his client once the case was dismissed, suggesting Villatoro Santos will likely be “summarily deported” without any due process. His counsel noted a similar case out of Maryland where Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and Maryland resident, was erroneously deported to El Salvador last month for being an alleged MS-13 gang member. ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER NABBED BY PATEL’S FBI TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY FOR NOW, JUDGE RULES Elsayed also claimed during the hearing that the decision to dismiss the case came from high up in the Trump administration. “They have already determined the outcome, that he’ll go to the worst prison in the western hemisphere,” Elsayed said. Fitzpatrick said he has been cautious of not overstepping into the executive branch’s purview, saying, “It wouldn’t be appropriate [for me] to inquire about the deliberative process of prosecutors.” The judge noted Elsayed has been a good advocate for Villatoro Santos but said the case is straight-forward and the government has the authority to drop the case. Fitzpatrick proceeded to suggest the defense might want to bring a separate case with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a party, “where you can inquire what kind of treatment your client will get.” Villatoro Santos’ counsel responded in a court filing shortly after the DOJ filed to dismiss the case earlier this month that he understands “the Government now intends to pursue the deportation of Mr. Villatoro Santos in lieu of prosecution.” “The above is a fairly straightforward procedural history,” the filing read. “But in the background of this routine legal process, the United States government, at its highest levels, has been publicly and loudly propagating allegations that Mr. Villatoro Santos ‘is one of the top leaders of MS-13’ and ‘one of the leaders for the East Coast, one of the top in the entire country,’ claims made by Attorney General Pam Bondi at a high-level press conference on March 27, 2025.” “As a terrorist, he will now face the removal process,” Bondi told Fox News at the time. U.S. Magistrate Judge William Porter of the Eastern District of Virginia made an April 1 ruling to keep Villatoro Santos in custody. The defense was not seeking release at the time of the hearing. Fox News’ David Spunt and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.