Trump says immigrants can return legally but they must self-deport now, floats potential 60-day deadline
During President Donald Trump‘s second public meeting with his Cabinet at the White House on Thursday, he said there will soon be a deadline by which illegal immigrants must be gone from the U.S., or they will not be allowed to try to reenter legally. The president’s comments came as he expressed a willingness to work with undocumented immigrants “right from the beginning” to help them return to the country legally — that is, if they leave “in a nice way,” the president added. “We’re going to work with people, so that if they go out in a nice way, and go back to their country, we’re going to work with them right from the beginning on trying to get them back in legally,” Trump said following comments from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. TRUMP ADMIN UNVEILS PLAN COSTING MIGRANTS MASSIVE FINE FOR EVERY DAY THEY DON’T SELF-DEPORT “So it gives you real incentive, otherwise they’ll never come back — they’ll never be allowed once a certain period of time goes by, which is probably going to be 60 days.” The Trump administration is currently undergoing a massive voluntary removal effort, with federal officials encouraging immigrants residing illegally in the U.S. to self-deport through the administration’s CBP Home app. More than 5,000 immigrants self-deported over the last month, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data. “It’s a very big self-deport operation that we’re starting,” Noem said during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting. FLASHBACK: MITT ROMNEY MOCKED IN 2012 FOR SELF-DEPORTATION CONCEPT THAT HAS NOW BECOME A REALITY Noem pointed out that currently, under the Alien Registration Act and the president’s Executive Orders, if undocumented immigrants still have not registered their status with the federal government, they can be criminally charged, face fines of up to $1,000 per day “and they’ll never get the chance to come back to America.” She also added that the agency is working on securing the funding and resources to ensure deported immigrants land on their feet when they return to their home country, pointing to programs in places like Mexico, El Salvador and Colombia that are offering food and housing assistance. “[We are] making sure that these folks have the opportunity to go home, so that they can get the chance to come back to America is important,” Noem told Trump and his Cabinet. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: DOGE Dividends
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… –Trump tariff spike fuels new House bill to lock China out of US government tech -Dems fight bill to stop illegal immigrant voting despite polls showing voter support -Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ tax agenda scores major victory in House despite GOP rebellion threats DOGE Chief Elon Musk says the organization is set to save the U.S. government more than $150 billion in cuts to waste and fraud in FY 2026. Musk made the comment during a public Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday. “We anticipate savings in FY 26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion. And, I mean, and some of it is just absurd. Like people getting unemployment insurance who haven’t been born yet,” Musk said…Read more TRUMP CRACKDOWN: Trump admin warns states to comply with housing prisoners by their biological sex or face funding cutoff ‘VERY GOOD PERSON’: Trump praises Dem Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after slamming her last year: ‘Very good person’ ‘99.9’ PERCENT: Hegseth quips ‘99.9%’ of DEI initiatives are gone from the military under Trump’s watch ‘SAFEST IT GETS’: State Dept upgrades travel advisory for El Salvador, considered safer than France, other European countries SEALED THE DEAL: Russian-American ballerina released after being wrongfully detained in Moscow for over a year ‘WORSE THINGS’: China targets Hollywood films in retaliation of tariffs; Trump responds TAKING SIDES: This Texas Republican congressman endorses Paxton over Cornyn in Senate primary brawl ‘WOMEN AS BAIT’: Conservative firebrand flips script on House Dem’s ‘gotcha’ response to noncitizen voting crackdown ACCOUNTABILITY: American victims of terrorism could soon sue international orgs if Cruz’s bill passes CLOCK BLOCKERS: GOP, Dems come together to end Daylight Saving over health, economic risks ADAM BOMB: WH slams Dems’ ‘partisan games’ after Trump-foe Schiff calls for insider trading investigation over tariffs MAHA AGENDA: Dr. Marty Makary advances out of key committee in bid for FDA confirmation REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: House scrambles to align with Senate on framework for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ CALLING FOR ANSWERS: Hawley demands Zuckerberg testify on alleged ties between Meta, China ‘OBSTRUCTIONIST POLICIES’: Sanctuary Governors Tim Walz, JB Pritzker, Kathy Hochul called to testify before Congress FIRST ON FOX: 3 senators lead effort to ban Chinese-owned GNC from military installations over spying concerns ‘WIN-WIN’: FDA phasing out some animal testing in ‘win-win’ for ethics and public health: commissioner ‘COWARD!’: Tim Walz heckled by veterans for stolen valor claims, China connections BOMBSHELL LINK: Newly surfaced report provides more clues on COVID outbreak source and timeline ‘NEXT FEW DAYS’: Gabbard says RFK, MLK Jr records ‘ready to release’ in days, has ‘hunters’ looking at FBI, CIA for more files MIDTERM MOMENTUM: GOP voters pick a favorite to challenge Dem governor in early battleground straw poll ‘HAD TO READ IT SEVERAL TIMES’: DOGE reveals bizarre findings of unemployment insurance claims survey Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Lawyers for Columbia anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil blast Rubio evidence letter: ‘Two pages, that’s it’
Attorneys for anti-Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil criticized a two-page letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying the entire case against their client rests on shaky allegations. The letter, which was filed in an immigration court this week and published Thursday, said the Trump administration has the authority to expel noncitizens whose presence in the country damages U.S. foreign policy interests. The memo alleges that Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and Columbia University graduate student who served as spokesperson for anti-Israel protesters during large demonstrations, participated in “antisemitic protests and disruptive activities.” His presence in the U.S. would have “potentially serious adverse foreign consequences, and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” MAHMOUD KHALIL BLAMES ‘ANTI-PALESTINIAN RACISM’ FOR ARREST IN FIRST STATEMENT SINCE ICE DETAINMENT “Two pages, that’s it,” Marc Van Der Hout, one of Khalil’s lawyers, told reporters during a virtual news conference Thursday. “Yet this administration wants to silence Mahmoud, wants to silence people speaking out against the government of Israel or the government of the United States.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. The Trump administration is attempting to deport Khalil over his activities at the Ivy League university last year. Federal Judge Jamee Comans said she will rule Friday on whether Khalil can be deported or if he must be freed. “I think the bigger picture here that we all need to keep focus on is that tomorrow’s hearing has momentous implications, whether the government can act in violation of the Constitution, to deport someone, is front and center, and our position is that it cannot,” said Johnny Sinodis, another one of Khalil’s lawyers. TRUMP VOWS ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST MAHMOUD KHALIL WAS ‘FIRST ARREST OF MANY TO COME’ The attorneys also accused the Trump administration of forum “shopping” in an effort to argue their case against Khalil in a friendly court. “Just as the government was trying to manipulate jurisdictional rules to keep Mahmood out of federal courts in New York and New Jersey and into the federal circuit in Louisiana where the law is very favorable to the government,” said Baher Azmy, the legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. Azmy said government lawyers are trying to argue the case in immigration court, which “has to largely accept what the secretary of state has said about Mahmood and largely defer to the executive’s conclusions about the fact that he is a threat to foreign policy simply because the secretary of state says without analysis or evidence.” Khalil was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on March 8. The Trump administration has targeted noncitizen, anti-Israel protesters for deportation. After his arrest, Khalil was taken to Louisiana and Rubio revoked his green card. Khalil has characterized his arrest as “indicative of anti-Palestinian racism.”
Marine vet takes aim at Trump, Musk in video launch for key swing House seat
A former Marine Corps officer who deployed in the Iraq War and later served at the Pentagon and the Veterans Administration under former President Barack Obama is the first major candidate to jump into the high-profile campaign for an open congressional seat in swing state New Hampshire. Democrat Maura Sullivan, in an interview with Fox News, said “our country clearly needs a new generation of leadership, period. And the Democratic Party needs new leadership, and I’m running to be one of those leaders.” Sullivan said in a statement announcing her candidacy in the race to succeed four-term Democrat Rep. Chris Pappas, “I am stepping up to serve because the issues we are facing aren’t Democrat or Republican issues, they’re American issues.” Pappas last week launched a campaign to succeed longtime Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who recently said she would retire at the end of next year rather than bid for a fourth six-year term representing New Hampshire in the Senate. POPULAR REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR WHO TRUMP URGED TO RUN FOR SENATE IN KEY SWING STATE MAKES HIS DECISION His seat, New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, covers the eastern half of the northern New England state, and Republicans are aiming to flip it from blue to red in next year’s midterm elections. The race is expected to be expensive and competitive. This is Sullivan’s second bid for Congress in the district. She came in second to Pappas in a crowded 11-candidate Democrat primary in 2018, when the congressman first won the office. Sullivan, a New Hampshire Democratic Party vice chair, took aim at President Donald Trump and his most visible White House adviser in a campaign launch video she posted on social media. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN TAKES AIM AT TRUMP, MUSK IN SENATE CAMPAIGN LAUNCH “I saw too many of my fellow Marines give their lives for this country to just sit by and watch Donald Trump and Elon Musk tear it down,” Sullivan said in a video shared on X. “They’re driving up costs for New Hampshire families, making it even more difficult to own a home and pay the bills. And that’s why I’m running for Congress, to protect the promise of America and ensure a better future for our kids.” Sullivan, in her Fox News Digital interview, said that “I’m hearing from folks all around New Hampshire that they’re worried, they’re scared, they’re frustrated, and I am too.” HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS WHAT HE’S MOST CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO DEFENDING THE MAJORITY While Sullivan is the first major candidate to enter the race, she likely won’t be the last. Former state Sen. Tom Sherman, a physician and the 2022 Democrat gubernatorial nominee in New Hampshire, told Fox News he’s “definitely interested” in a potential bid for Congress and said he is “keeping my options open.” DEM CONGRESSMAN LASHES MUSK IN OPENING SALVO OF POPULIST BID IN 2026 SWING-STATE SENATE RACE Also mulling a run is former state Sen. John Morgan, a cybersecurity executive who told Fox News he’s “kicking the tires” on a possible congressional campaign. “New Hampshire is part of my heart and soul,” Morgan said, adding that “it’s really a time that calls for bold leadership.” Democrat state Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka is also thought to be a possible contender for the nomination. In the race for the Republican nomination, former state senator and former executive councilor Russell Prescott, the 2024 nominee who lost to Pappas, is mulling another run for Congress. So are Hollie Noveletsky, Joe Kelly Levasseur and Chris Bright, who came in second, third and fourth, respectively, behind Prescott in the 2024 GOP primary in the district. State Attorney General John Formella is also thought to be a possible contender for the GOP nomination.
ICE reveals sanctuary jurisdictions that have released the most criminal aliens
New U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency records show that more than 25,000 of the agency’s detainer requests were declined by sanctuary jurisdictions throughout the country over the last few years, resulting in the release of dozens of illegal immigrants convicted of homicide. A total of 72 criminal aliens with homicide convictions or charges were released from U.S. jails despite having ICE detainers between Oct. 1, 2022, and Feb. 6, 2025, according to ICE data provided to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which tracks the immigration laws of states and local municipalities. Seventeen of those releases came from just three detention centers: the Illinois River Corrections Center and Santa Clara County jails, which released six, and the Stateville Correctional Center in Illinois, which released five. THOUSANDS LEAVE COUNTRY VOLUNTARILY AMID TRUMP SELF-DEPORT PUSH, DHS SAYS The data comes as debate over “sanctuary” jurisdictions, those that limit or ban local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, has intensified as President Donald Trump has doubled down on his campaign promise of mass deportations. Trump has hinted at federal action against the jurisdictions in recent weeks, including a Truth Social post Thursday in which the president threatened to withhold federal funding. “No more Sanctuary Cities! They protect the Criminals, not the Victims,” Trump wrote in the post. “They are disgracing our Country, and are being mocked all over the World. Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!” Meanwhile, the ICE data provided insight into which jurisdictions were the least compliant with the agency’s detainer requests. Those numbers show that more than half (52%) of the declined detainer requests were from jails in California, which is considered a sanctuary state by CIS. IMMIGRATION THINK TANK COOKS UP SCHEME TO USE ‘SNITCHES’ TO FORCE MIGRANTS TO SELF-DEPORT Other states with a large share of declined detainers were Illinois, Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Illinois, Massachusetts and Connecticut are all sanctuary states, according to CIS, while Virginia does not have a statewide sanctuary policy but is home to dozens of jurisdictions with their own such policies. “It’s shocking that over half of the declined detainers were refused by jails and prisons in California,” Alfonso Aguilar, the director of Hispanic engagement at the American Principles Project, told Fox News Digital. “Gov. [Gavin] Newsom and mayors in the state have a lot of explaining to do to their constituents.” Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. The main jail in Santa Clara County was responsible for the highest number of declined detainers, the ICE data showed, with nearly 3,000 criminal aliens being released during the 2022-2025 period. Cook County Jail in Illinois and Fairfax County Adult Detention Center in Virginia were also responsible for a large share of released criminal aliens, with both declining more than 1,000 ICE detainers during the same period. “What’s happening in these jurisdictions is unconscionable,” Aguilar said. “Their leaders evidently don’t believe that illegal immigrants that have been charged or convicted with crimes should be removed from their communities. And by ignoring ICE detainers and releasing them into the community, they’re putting in danger the lives and property of their citizens.”
Freshman GOP lawmaker reflects on first 90 days in Congress and previews what’s next: ‘Really rewarding’
EXCLUSIVE: Freshman GOP Congressman Gabe Evans revealed during an interview with Fox News Digital how Republicans have fared, and what’s next, after 90 days of the new session of Congress have now passed. “Obviously, the Republican conference has come together three times to do things that all the pundits said weren’t going to happen,” Evans told Fox News Digital this week. “We had a speaker on the first ballot and people said we weren’t gonna be able to do that. We passed the reconciliation resolution out of the House. Folks said that that was gonna be a long shot. And we kept the government funded by passing a clean CR. And so three different times we’ve seen the conference pull together to do things many folks were doubtful that we could get done.” Evans said he believes that success will continue to “breed success.” “I think that is going to lay just some absolutely fantastic foundational groundwork for being able to actually deliver the big things that we need to deliver, particularly around cost of living and affordability,” Evans said. ‘FULL COURT PRESS’: FRESHMAN GOP LAWMAKER REVEALS BLUEPRINT TO FLIP SCRIPT ON GREEN ENERGY MANDATES Evans, a former captain in the National Guard and former police officer, was elected to Congress in November, defeating incumbent Democrat Yadira Caraveo in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. Evans told Fox News Digital he has been very “excited” over the past three months to work on issues he campaigned on, including securing the border, ending the “scourge of fentanyl” and working to lower crime rates. “It’s been really, really rewarding to be able to do things like pass the the Halt Fentanyl Act out of the U.S. House, introduce my bill, the Uplift Act, unhandcuffing police to locate and interdict foreign transgressors so that we can empower state and local law enforcements and sanctuary states like Colorado to work with their federal counterparts to get violent criminals and cartel members who are illegally present in the country and committing other crimes out of the community. For me that’s been the flavor of the first three months.” TRUMP SAYS HE’LL ‘TAKE A LOOK’ AT EXEMPTING SOME LARGER US COMPANIES HIT ESPECIALLY HARD BY TARIFFS Evans, who has introduced six bills since becoming a member of Congress, said he is looking forward to continuing moving legislation forward, including the bipartisan Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act and the Uplift Act. Over the next few months, Evans told Fox News Digital that his constituents in Colorado want Congress to focus on issues like cost of living. “We actually just did a town hall earlier this week. We had over 8,500 people dial in and stay on the line for that town hall and we did some just unofficial polling with all of the people who were on the line and the number one issue, no surprise, that came up was cost of living,” Evans said. “So being able to deliver relief in that cost of Living space by being able to work on cutting through just some of the absolute punitive red tape that’s out there that particularly impacts my district around things like energy production, like agricultural production, like air quality permitting.” Evans told Fox News Digital that Republicans will also continue to address crime and illegal immigration, which he says the president has already made important strides on. “In the crime space, what we’re really seeing now is a push-pull between the priorities of the new administration and Congress and blue sanctuary cities and states like Colorado and like Denver,” Evans explained. “So here’s the fact, Denver’s homicide rate in 2024 was double San Francisco’s homicide rates. Colorado is number one in the nation again, three of the last five years running, for our auto theft rate. We’re number two in the nation for teenagers overdosing and dying on fentanyl. We’re the third most dangerous state in the country and so that fixing that problem requires a partnership between the federal state and local government.” “Under the new administration in this Congress, the federal government has suddenly gotten back to business and is doing their part. The border is secured. Border crossings are at historic lows and we have federal law enforcement agencies. who are going out into communities like mine and getting violent criminals and gangs and drug traffickers out of the community.”
Trump admin wants to put Columbia under federal oversight to ensure compliance with antisemitism policies
After Columbia University took steps to align itself with President Donald Trump’s demands regarding antisemitism on its campus, the Trump administration now reportedly wants to take additional steps to ensure Columbia does not falter. Sources in the administration leaked to the Wall Street Journal that it is pursuing a legal arrangement, known as a consent decree, that would create a court-enforced compliance agreement to make certain that Columbia continues to align its policies and practices with executive directives on antisemitism laid down by Trump. After facing the threat of losing $400 million in federal funding over its response to alleged antisemitism on its campus, Columbia took steps to revise its policies and practices. These included changes to its protesting policies, an expansion of the school’s Jewish studies program, placing the school’s Middle Eastern studies program under new supervision, alterations to student disciplinary procedures and more. IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL DENIES ALLEGATIONS AS JUDGE AWAITS DEPORTATION EVIDENCE To ensure those changes last, the Trump administration is reportedly moving to usher in a consent decree, which could place Columbia in contempt of court if a judge determines that the school is not in compliance with the administration’s directives. Such violations could lead to further monetary penalties for Columbia. While the Trump administration has said Columbia is on the “right track” to restore its $400 million in federal funding, no formal announcement has been made indicating it has been. The consent decree must be voluntary, so Columbia must be a willing partner in the arrangement, or it can fight the matter in court. “The University remains in active dialogue with the Federal Government to restore its critical research funding,” a spokesperson for the University told Fox News Digital. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT QUESTIONED FORMER COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT OVER CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM Consent decrees are not an unusual tool for an administration to use to ensure its policy priorities are being implemented. Under former President Joe Biden, the government entered into consent decree arrangements with police departments to ensure they were implementing the president’s desired criminal justice reforms. Biden also pursued these legal arrangements with various universities, including Brown and Rutgers, over antisemitism concerns after the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israeli, according to the Wall Street Journal. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP According to the sources who leaked the information about the consent decree arrangement, the Trump administration is pursuing the matter because it has doubts about Columbia’s desire to follow the president’s federal directives on antisemitism in good faith, despite its public actions to do so. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
Red states get in line with Trump’s DEI ban in schools as compliance deadline nears
President Donald Trump has extended the deadline to April 24 for states and school districts to certify compliance with his executive order banning DEI policies, a Department of Education spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital. “Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right. When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal anti-discrimination requirements,” acting Assistant Secretary Craig Trainor said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI.” So far, several states have either certified their compliance or signaled their intent to do so, while blue states like New York, Minnesota and Illinois signaled defiance this week in the face of the administration’s funding threat. Education Secretary Linda McMahon commended Puerto Rico in a post on X “for being the first to certify that discrimination or harmful race-preferencing is not allowed in your classrooms.” TRUMP ADMIN WARNS STATES TO COMPLY WITH HOUSING PRISONERS BY THEIR BIOLOGICAL SEX OR FACE FUNDING CUTOFF “Every state that wants to continue receiving federal funds should follow suit,” McMahon said Tuesday. On Monday, Willie Jett, Minnesota’s education commissioner, said DEI-related funding threats “without backing in law or established requirements put key programs at risk that students and schools depend on every day.” Illinois’ education board also issued a scathing response to the threats, saying the administration “is once again threatening funding for Illinois’ children and attempting to exert power over every district in the country — even as it claims it’s returning education to the states.” DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DOLED OUT OVER $200M TO UNIVERSITIES TO INJECT DEI INTO COUNSELING COURSES: REPORT “Illinois will never waver in its commitment to helping every child from every community, background, socioeconomic status, gender, and race — which is consistent with federal and state laws and our values,” the board said in a statement. Federal funding accounts for 16% of the Chicago Public Schools budget — over $1 billion — and $6.4 billion statewide, according to a report from Axios Thursday. Wisconsin is also bucking Trump’s demands, and the state’s Department of Public Instruction published a letter raising “several concerns” with the president’s certification requirements Wednesday. Benjamin Jones, an attorney representing Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction, wrote in a letter that Wisconsin had already “certified assurances of compliance with federal law,” including “federal statutes related to nondiscrimination.” He called Trump’s order “unauthorized, unlawful and unconstitutionally vague.” NEW YORK PREPARES TO BATTLE TRUMP’S DEI FUNDING THREATS IN FIGHT OVER SCHOOLS “We are deeply concerned that the [certification requirement] allows the federal bureaucracy to threaten the loss of crucial education funding in order to dictate local education agency policies and decisions on what is best for kids,” the letter states. But Trump is gaining support from other Republican-led states, and several are already pushing for stricter bans on DEI initiatives at public colleges. States like West Virginia, Iowa, Indiana, Texas and Ohio have considered or put forth measures to restrict DEI programs, training and scholarships. In Ohio, the state Senate passed a bill to eliminate DEI-related activities, while Indiana’s Senate proposed legislation that would prohibit faculty members from endorsing DEI with penalties for noncompliance. New Hampshire’s Department of Education has advised school leaders to evaluate their DEI programs for compliance with the new federal directives, and the Indiana Department of Education also announced it will collect signatures from districts and schools verifying their compliance. The certification document cites Title IX, stating no one “shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The certification comes after a Dear Colleague letter from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights was sent in February telling K-12 school districts and universities to end all “admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life” on the basis of race. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In January, Trump issued the “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” executive order, which prohibits K-12 schools from teaching materials considered anti-American or promoting “gender ideology” and critical race theory. The order mandates that law enforcement investigate educational institutions suspected of promoting such content and criminally prosecute educators who assist in the social transition of minors.
‘Bogus claims’: Blue city mayor under fire for trying to halt reopening of ICE facility
The City of Newark and its Democratic mayor are facing pushback after filing a legal complaint against Immigration and Customs Enforcement for reopening a building to prep illegal immigrants for deportation without “following proper building safety protocols.” Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement that using the building, Delaney Hall, for processing people in the country illegally goes against state and local law, leading the city to file a lawsuit in the Essex County Superior Court at the end of March. “The City was informed that construction work is taking place in the building without required permits,” the mayor stated. “The Department of Engineering imposed a stop work order to halt any and all construction on the site today. Two ICE officials and the GEO Group facility director on site were made aware of the violations.” “In addition, ICE has failed to apply for construction permits, continued certificates of occupancy, and requests to change the building’s use,” he added. Delaney Hall has just under 1,200 beds, according to USA Today. TEXAS MAN WHO VOWED TO SHOOT, KILL ICE AGENTS, SAID NOEM SHOULD BE IN ‘GULAG,’ CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT: DOJ “The agreement between ICE and the GEO Group to use Delaney Hall with the intention of incarcerating and holding immigrants slated for deportation does not supersede the ordinances and procedures legislated by the City of Newark and the State of New Jersey.” the Democrat continued. “As I have stated in the past, without compliance with requirements, Delaney Hall cannot lawfully open. We will not tolerate federal attempts to ignore or evade our laws and statutes, which apply to everyone.” The contractor who runs Delaney Hall, the GEO Group, said this is a political tactic and could put jobs and community safety “in jeopardy.” “The attempt by local and state officials to stop the opening of a lawful federal immigration processing center at the Delaney Hall facility in Newark is another unfortunate example of a politicized campaign by sanctuary city and open borders politicians in New Jersey to interfere with the federal government’s efforts to arrest, detain, and deport dangerous criminal illegal aliens in accordance with established federal law,” a spokesperson for the group told Fox News Digital. NEW JERSEY WOMAN ACCUSED OF HIRING TINDER DATE TO KILL HER EX AND HIS TEEN DAUGHTER: COURT DOCS “These politically motivated tactics threaten both public safety and the local economy and are based on bogus claims about the Delaney Hall facility, which previously operated as a federal immigration processing center for six years under President Obama’s administration, without opposition from local political leaders,” the statement continued. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond in time for publication. Baraka, who’s running for governor, criticized an ICE raid in the city in January, which led to the arrest of eight individuals. “The problem with this is that none of these people were rapists, or murderers or criminals,” Baraka said at the time. “The problem with it is that ICE went in there without a warrant.” “We don’t want an ICE detention in Newark. What we are concerned about is the erosion of the Constitution,” he added. GOP CANDIDATE RIPS BLUE STATE DIRECTIVE MEDDLING IN POLICE FORCE’S COOPERATION WITH ICE: ‘HANDCUFFED’ New Jersey state laws on illegal immigrants have continued to spark pushback among Republicans, as state police were directed not to pay attention to warrants requested by the federal government for immigration enforcement purposes, according to an email obtained by Jack Ciattarelli’s gubernatorial campaign and reviewed by Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The fact that my campaign received this email is evidence that brave and courageous law enforcement officers throughout New Jersey are angry about being handcuffed by liberal Democrat policies in Trenton, making our communities less safe,” Ciattarelli, a Republican, said in a statement. Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
Hegseth quips ‘99.9%’ of DEI initiatives are gone from the military under Trump’s watch
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth quipped that the Trump administration has wiped out “99.9%” of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI) from the military during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. President Donald Trump questioned Hegseth about whether the military had eradicated 100% of DEI efforts under his leadership, as Cabinet members shared updates on their own agencies’ attempts to purge such policies. “99.9, sir – I’m going to get that last point,” Hegseth said. The Trump administration has unveiled multiple initiatives to curb DEI initiatives within the military, including signing an executive order in January barring transgender people from enlisting and serving openly in the military. However, two federal judges issued nationwide injunctions in March blocking the Trump administration from enforcing the ban while the lawsuit is pending. In a judgment rendered on March 19, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes of Washington, D.C., said the Trump administration’s order was “soaked in animus,” and discriminated based on a person’s transgender status. A SECOND FEDERAL JUDGE RULES AGAINST TRUMP’S REMOVAL OF TRANSGENDER TROOPS “Indeed, the cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed – some risking their lives – to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them,” Reyes wrote in the decision. Trump signed another executive order in January banning DEI content in K–12 schools that receive federal funds. While military service academies were originally exempt since they are not classified as K–12 institutions, the Pentagon issued instructions to the Naval Academy to remove DEI-related books from its library in March. Included in the list of nearly 400 books purged are “How to be Anti-Racist” and “Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Ibram X. Kendi, as well as “Our Time is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America,” by former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams. HERE’S THE LIST OF BOOKS THE NAVAL ACADEMY REMOVED FROM ITS LIBRARY DURING DEI PURGE Kendi is the founding director emeritus of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. He rose to national prominence following the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Hegseth has made clear that the Pentagon will not tolerate any DEI initiatives under his watch. “The President’s guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI at @DeptofDefense,” Hegseth said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in January. “The Pentagon will comply, immediately. No exceptions, name-changes, or delays.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.