Anti-Israel Ivy League student in US on visa being urged by ICE to surrender: court docs
President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking to have Momodou Taal, an anti-Israel student protester attending Cornell University who is in the U.S. on a visa, surrender to immigration authorities, according to court documents. Taal holds dual citizenship in the United Kingdom and Gambia. Eric Lee, an attorney for Taal, stated in court filings that he was notified via email by a Department of Justice attorney, marking the first time he learned the government planned to issue him a notice to appear to begin deportation proceedings alongside an invitation to turn himself in to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday. Lee, who called Trump’s orders an “urgent threat of dictatorship,” wrote in court documents that “undersigned counsel contacted counsel for Taal to share that ICE invites Taal and his counsel to appear in-person at the HSI Office in Syracuse at a mutually agreeable time for personal service of the NTA and for Taal to surrender to ICE custody.” ICE NEARING HISTORIC DEAL WITH IRS TO AID IN DEPORTATIONS: REPORT Taal, who has been an anti-Israel student activist since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, has praised the “resistance” against Israel several times on his X account. Despite being accepted on a student visa in 2022, Taal has also posted about his “hatred” for the U.S. and called for “the end of the US empire.” Hundreds of Cornell University students, alumni and faculty held a rally in support of Taal – who was not present for the demonstration – last week. “I’m safe. I’m well. And I await my time to be heard in court,” Taal wrote in a X post on Sunday. A document titled “Jewish Cornellians Stand with Momodou Taal” is also being circulated among students and staff at the university and has under 50 signatures. When reached for comment, a Trump administration official said, the DOJ “has already been fighting in court to vigorously defend President Trump’s agenda and will continue to do so, especially when it comes to protecting Jewish Americans.” COURT ORDER HALTING DEPORTATION FLIGHTS ‘UNCONSTITUTIONALLY IMPEDES’ EXECUTIVE BRANCH, TRUMP ALLIES ARGUE The motion comes after Taal, alongside two other students, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration earlier this month for the president’s executive orders vowing to “combat antisemitism,” which they say violates their First Amendment rights to protest against Israel. “Immediate action will be taken by the Department of Justice to protect law and order, quell pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation, and investigate and punish anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities,” the order states. Another order listed in Taal’s lawsuit includes the “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” which seeks to strengthen the vetting and screening processes for individuals seeking entry into the U.S. Ivy league schools and universities were the center of anti-Israel protests last year, with several instances of harassment of Jewish students, violent altercations and vandalism reported on campuses. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TELLS FEDERAL JUDGE IT MIGHT INVOKE STATE SECRETS ACT ON HIGH-PROFILE DEPORTATION CASE CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Taal’s case comes after the Trump administration targeted Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and outspoken anti-Israel activist, for deportation this month. Khalil, who arrived in the U.S. on a student visa, is accused by the DOJ of failing to disclose key details on his green card application, including his work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and a position at the British Embassy in Lebanon. Fox News Digital has reached out to Cornell University for comment.
Youngkin dodges anti-DOGE protesters outside Virginia church
Patrick Henry delivered the revolutionary rally cry heard around the world: “Give me liberty or give me death!” Protesters sang their own rallying cry on Sunday, at the very site where the Founding Father urged Virginia colonists to join the American Revolution 250 years ago. After delivering remarks at the annual enactment of Henry’s iconic speech, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., was met by loud boos, “shame” chants and protest cries while exiting St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia. Protesters held up signs like “deport Musk” and “Youngkin is a Trumpkin” as the governor was escorted through the raucous crowd by law enforcement. The “250 Years of No Kings in America” protest in Patrick Henry Park was organized by Indivisible Richmond, a group focused on “local opposition to the MAGA agenda.” While Youngkin didn’t stop to debate the protesters shouting at him, he addressed them during his speech inside. “There are Virginians and there are Americans who are standing up for freedom and liberty, and I just want to once again thank all of you who care so deeply about our commonwealth and our country’s future. Now, you might have noticed that there are some enthusiastic friends outside. Don’t worry about them because I am happy to do whatever it takes to get someone to church on Sunday,” Youngkin said. GINGRICH WARNS OF ‘VERY DANGEROUS’ CONSEQUENCES AS DEMOCRATS RAMP UP RESISTANCE TO TRUMP, MUSK Youngkin – a Trump ally who rose to political fame for defending parental rights – invoked Henry’s fight for freedom and liberty during his speech, as protesters danced to the tune of their own definition of democracy outside. Democratic state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, with a megaphone from the bed of a truck, shouted about President Abraham Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War as protesters flooded the sidewalks around the church. She spoke in front of an upside-down American flag, which under U.S. Flag Code, should only be used “as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” MEET THE FAR-LEFT GROUPS FUNDING ANTI-DOGE PROTESTS AT GOP OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY “We resisted King George. We will resist Trump,” the flier for Sunday’s protest said, comparing the resistance of President Donald Trump to the American Revolution. The Reddit user who organized the protest said: “Trump continuously violated the Constitution, declared himself the sole legal authority in the land, and called himself ‘KING.’ Trump must be removed from office!” While anti-Trump protesters used the anniversary of Henry’s speech to resist Trump, Trump celebrated the 250th anniversary of Henry’s address to the Second Virginia Convention with a proclamation. “I signed a proclamation a few minutes ago honoring the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s famous speech to the Second Virginia Convention in which he declared the very well-known, very famous words, ‘Give me liberty or give me death.’ Has anyone heard the phrase? I think most of you have,” Trump said. “Give me liberty or give me death!” has been a rallying cry for protesters during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, by Malcom X during the Civil Rights movement and by those who opposed COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in 2020. The phrase was first used by Henry in the run-up to the American Revolution to persuade Virginia colonists to prepare for war against Great Britain. Trump evoked Henry’s notorious line during his criminal trial last year. “Give me liberty or give me death,” he wrote in all caps on Truth Social, after Judge Juan Merchan said he would consider jail time for Trump if he continued to violate his gag order. Protests resisting Trump’s executive authority and Elon Musk‘s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have been staged in the two months since he returned to office. Progressive groups also hosted “Not My Presidents Day” or “No Kings Day” demonstrations on Presidents Day across the country. Democrats have increasingly accused the Trump administration of “oligarchy” and “authoritarianism.” ‘NOT MY PRESIDENTS DAY’ PROTESTS ERUPT ACROSS THE COUNTRY Last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., during “A Better Way Forward” conversation at the Center for American Progress, urged Democrats to fight and defend America’s constitutional republic from the “incompetence” and “treachery” of President Donald Trump. The Democratic governor, who compared the current political climate to Nazi Germany during his State of the State address in February, warned of Trump’s “authoritarian rule” last Tuesday. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has drawn thousands of supporters to his “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies across the country, with record-setting West Coast stops alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., over the weekend. The events are billed as an opportunity to “discuss how we take on the greed of the billionaire class and create a government that works for all and not just the few.” Indivisible Richmond, Youngkin and the White House did reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Republican, Dem lawmakers join forces to reform ‘inefficient’ FEMA, detach agency from DHS
A bipartisan pair of Florida lawmakers is teaming up to establish the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a separate Cabinet-level agency in an effort to “cut red tape, improve government efficiency, and save lives.” Reps. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., introduced the FEMA Independence Act on Monday, which aims to detach the agency from the “bureaucratic labyrinth” of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and return it to its core mission of providing emergency aid. “As the first Emergency Management Director ever elected to Congress, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disaster events. As these emergencies continue to grow larger and more widespread, the American people deserve a federal response that is efficient and fast,” Moskowitz said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “To achieve that, FEMA should be reformed.” The bill would also require that a director be appointed to lead the agency upon confirmation by the Senate. TRUMP’S FEMA FACES RECKONING AS MORE STAFF FIRED IN ‘POLITICAL BIAS’ SCANDAL: GOP LAWMAKER The director would be required to have “a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security” and no less than five years of executive leadership and management experience in the public and private sectors, according to the bill text. Moskowitz highlighted how FEMA sits under the “umbrella” of DHS with about 20 other agencies, saying, “The set-up simply doesn’t work.” “By removing FEMA from the Department of Homeland Security and restoring its status as an independent, cabinet-level agency, my bipartisan bill will help cut red tape, improve government efficiency, and save lives,” Moskowitz said. “It will also help refocus FEMA on its original mission: as an agency tasked with responding before, during, and after disaster events.” NEW YORK CITY DENIED REQUEST FEMA RETURN $80M IN MIGRANT FUNDS Donalds, in a statement shared with Fox, said, “FEMA has become overly bureaucratic, overly politicized, overly inefficient, and substantial change is needed to best serve the American people.” “When disaster strikes, quick and effective action must be the standard – not the exception,” the Republican congressman wrote. “It is imperative that FEMA is removed from the bureaucratic labyrinth of DHS and instead is designated to report directly to the President of the United States.” The bill comes two months after President Donald Trump launched a review council as part of an initiative to begin “fundamentally reforming and overhauling” the agency. “Despite obligating nearly $30 billion in disaster aid each of the past three years, FEMA has managed to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources or support they need when they need it most,” Trump’s order reads. “There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA. Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President.” FEMA’s use of resources has also come under scrutiny in the past few weeks after the Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, revealed that the agency, under former President Joe Biden, allocated $59 million to New York City to pay for “luxury hotels” for illegal immigrants. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Moskowitz said FEMA should be reworked rather than abolished. Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Maine Dems push for tampons in boys’ bathrooms amid ongoing debate over trans sports participation
Democrats in Maine are pushing a bill that would require all public schools to provide tampons in boys’ bathrooms starting in middle school, a move that comes as state leaders continue to face backlash over their stance on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. LD 155, introduced by state Rep. Kristen Cloutier, D-Lewiston, seeks to “require” all public schools in the state that serve grades 6–12 to make tampons and sanitary pads available in all student bathrooms, including those designated specifically for males. The bill is being pushed during an ongoing debate over whether transgender athletes should be allowed to compete on female sports teams, particularly in high school. MAINE GOP URGES DEMS TO REPEAL TRANSGENDER ATHLETE POLICY FOLLOWING FEDERAL TITLE IX VIOLATION FINDING “This is really quite clearly a pattern that reveals where the legislative Democrats’ priorities are,” said state Rep. Rachel Henderson, R-Rumford. Henderson likened the move to an ongoing budget battle in the legislature, which saw Democrats usurp Republican authority in order to get their priorities across by passing a bill without a two-thirds majority. The move has delayed critical funds needed for the states’ Medicaid program, according to Henderson. “It just kind of shows how out of touch the legislative Democrats here in Maine are when their priorities are paying for tampons in boys’ bathrooms rather than ensuring that we have any type of balanced budget,” she said. Meanwhile, Assistant House Minority Leader Katrina Smith, R–Palermo, said Democrats in the state legislature think “they can push through anything they want,” even at the expense of taxpayers, because they have control over both chambers and the governor’s office. CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICT INFORMS PARENTS PERIOD PRODUCTS ARE IN BATHROOMS FOR ‘ANY STUDENT WHO MENSTRUATES’ “Maine is ground zero for these types of policies,” Smith told Fox News Digital. “They think that, because they have the majority in every body, that they can push through anything they want and anything they want usually costs taxpayers money as well, which this would.” Earlier this year, Democrats in the state legislature voted to censure GOP state Rep. Laurel Libby, who has been an outspoken advocate against state leaders choosing to defy President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women’s athletics. The censure vote followed Libby’s opposition to state leaders’ decision that Maine’s Human Rights Law – which mandates athletic eligibility be based on gender identity – takes precedence over the president’s executive order banning that practice. Maine’s Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has supported the move to defy Trump’s executive order on trans sports participation as well, telling the president at the White House last month, “We’ll see you in court,” in reference to the matter. Fox News Digital reached out to Cloutier for comment on her bill that would require schools to provide tampons in boys’ bathrooms, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
From ‘food justice’ to ‘useless surveys,’ Trump’s Cabinet reveals ‘nonsensical’ contracts it has canceled
President Donald Trump’s Cabinet outlined billions of dollars in contracts it says it has canceled since he took office, including a “$300,000 contract educating on food justice for queer and transgender farmers in San Francisco” and $830 million on surveys described as looking like “anyone’s child in junior high could have put together.” The contracts, which Trump said represented “fraud,” are being canceled as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are trying to eliminate wasteful spending by the federal government. “Even at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we canceled a $300,000 contract educating on food justice for queer and transgender farmers in San Francisco. A similar contract we canceled in New York, again educating transgender and queer farmers on food justice and food equality. I’m not even sure what that means, but apparently the last administration wanted to put out taxpayer dollars towards that,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Trump. “We canceled a $600,000 contract out of Louisiana that was studying the menstrual cycles of transgender men. We canceled another contract out of a university in the middle of the country that focused on getting more diversity, equity and inclusion into our pest management industry,” she continued. “Again, these are nonsensical, it makes zero sense to use taxpayer dollars to fund these. I know these are just a few examples of the hundreds and hundreds we have found.” FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BLOCKS DOGE FROM PERSONAL DATA, IN ANOTHER INJUNCTION AGAINST TRUMP Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Trump that “There is a federal consulting group which was a group inside of Interior, but it was managing contracts for many different agencies that flowed through here” and “one of those contracts was to do surveys of individuals, $830 million for surveys.” “And so part of the question was ‘hey could we actually see the surveys?’ and then the surveys came back and it was, the survey was like 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper with ten questions that anyone’s child in junior high could have put together, or AI could have done for free,” Burgum said during the Cabinet meeting. “$830 million, so that is one that we stopped and that contract was going out after you were inaugurated, sir.” “It’s fraud,” Trump responded. “But we’ve had many fraudulent contracts that were caught by the work that Elon and his people are doing and working with our people. It’s been brought to light. The fraud, not just waste and abuse. The fraud has been incredible.” REPUBLICAN SENATORS URGED TO ‘GO ON OFFENSE’ ON DOGE GOALS, HIGHLIGHT WORK WITH TRUMP, MUSK An X account linked to the White House said Burgum announced $830 million in savings by “cutting contracts for useless surveys.” “The EPA has now canceled over $22 billion worth of contracts – $2 billion going to this NGO that Stacey Abrams was tied to. They received only $100 in 2023 and then the Biden administration gave them $2 billion,” Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin also said. “The director of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund saw his former employer get $5 billion dollars. So $20 billion went to just eight NGOs.” “The partnership with DOGE and Elon Musk has been incredible at EPA. Their team is very talented, we wouldn’t have been able to do it without them and of course this mandate from President Trump to make sure that we identify every last penny, whether we are saving $50,000, five million dollars or $22 billion dollars we will not rest until every last penny is saved. Thank you, Mr. President for the opportunity to do this for the American public,” Zeldin added.
Battle of the chambers: House and Senate tensions boil over as Trump budget hangs in limbo
Republicans in the Senate aren’t necessarily being swayed by a new push from House GOP leaders to take up their preferred budget bill for President Donald Trump. House Republicans have reportedly been concerned by the Senate’s lack of action on their budget bill passed weeks ago, addressing key Trump priorities such as the border and tax cuts. In response to suggestions that the Senate isn’t moving fast enough to get Trump’s budget bill done, a Senate GOP aide pointed Fox News Digital to the fact that the upper chamber just ended what was the longest work period in over 15 years. The Senate aide noted that members and their staff have been “actively engaged in substantive discussions” regarding the key budget reconciliation process for months. Even over the week-long recess, staff engagement has been “virtually non-stop,” they said. BIDEN ADMIN’S ‘VAST CENSORSHIP ENTERPRISE’ WITH HELP OF NGOS SLATED FOR KEY HEARING, LAWMAKER SAYS The budget reconciliation process lowers the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to 51 out of 100, allowing the party in power to skirt its opposition to advance its agenda, so long as the included provisions relate to budgetary and other fiscal matters. The House of Representatives already has a simple majority threshold. The process is crucial for Republicans, who have a trifecta in Washington, to get certain Trump agenda items accomplished. CONGRESS EXPANDED THE EXECUTIVE—ONLY FOR TRUMP TO QUASH MUCH OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE The Senate GOP aide noted that the Senate managed to pass its preferred reconciliation bill as part of a two-track plan – before the House passed an alternate version. Early Monday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., released a joint statement alongside 12 chairs of committees with jurisdiction in the budget reconciliation process. “We took the first step to accomplish that by passing a budget resolution weeks ago, and we look forward to the Senate joining us in this commitment to ensure we enact President Trump’s full agenda as quickly as possible,” they said. “The American people gave us a mandate, and we must act on it. We encourage our Senate colleagues to take up the House budget resolution when they return to Washington.” The Senate aide reiterated that Senate Republicans have zeroed in on certain “consequential issues” in the budget reconciliation process, of which the details have to be exact before moving forward. The tax portion, which has been the area of contention between House and Senate Republicans, is expected to get consideration during the new work period, the aide said. GOP SENATOR SAYS HE’S WORKING WITH TRUMP ON BILL TO ABOLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who has been generally opposed to the House’s one-bill reconciliation approach, also pushed back on their statement. “Until we seriously address out-of-control spending and create an effective process to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic level, I will not support another budget resolution,” he told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Unfortunately, the House Budget Resolution does not do that.” Just before the brief legislative recess, Senate Finance Committee Republicans met with Trump at the White House to discuss the at-issue tax portion of his agenda and its reconciliation hopes. Trump has in recent weeks backed off from taking explicit sides in the reconciliation fight between the GOP chambers, despite initially supporting the House’s plan. ‘EDUCATORS WILL BE FIRED’: REPUBLICANS CHEER TRUMP ORDER DISMANTLING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AS DEMS SEETHE At the center of the tax-cut controversy are Senate Republicans’ claims that the House’s bill would not make Trump’s tax policies from 2017 permanent, and House GOP complaints that multiple reconciliation bills would be difficult to pass, given tight party margins. Senate Republicans did not include an extension of the tax cuts in their passed bill, preferring to do a separate reconciliation bill in the fall. Their bill instead focused on Trump’s border priorities. The House’s measure tackled both in one bill. The House-passed bill has yet to be brought up in the Senate.
US moves to extradite 3 alleged Tren de Aragua members to Chile
The U.S. declared that three alleged members of the violent transnational gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) are “alien enemies” and plans to extradite them to Chile, where they are wanted for numerous violent crimes, officials said Monday. The Justice Department said the three gang members were Adrian Rafael Gamez Finol, 38, Miguel Oyola Jimenez and Edgar Javier Benitez Rubio, both aged 37. All three men entered the U.S. illegally after committing “brutal” crimes, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, human and drug trafficking and other offenses, in Chile. “The Justice Department will work expeditiously to return these Alien Enemies to Chile to face justice,” the department said. Gamez Finol is a dual Venezuelan and Colombian citizen who was deported from the U.S. to Venezuela in August 2023 and later allegedly re-entered the U.S. illegally. He is currently in Texas county prison serving a sentence for human smuggling. EXCLUSIVE: GOP MOVES TO AUTHORIZE TRUMP TO WAGE WAR ON CARTELS THROUGH MILITARY FORCE Oyola Jimenez, a dual Venezuelan and Ecuadorian citizen, is in custody in Washington after Chilean authorities requested his arrest and return to Chile to stand trial on kidnapping charges. Benitez Rubio, a Venezuelan citizen, is in immigration custody in Indiana. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a written statement that the men would have already been removed if not for an injunction against the Alien Enemies Act. “In fact, we would have already removed these violent gang members to Chile to face justice were it not for the nationwide injunction imposed by a single judge in Washington, D.C., which we are challenging today in the D.C. Circuit,” Blanche said. “We hope common sense and justice will prevail.” HIGH-RANKING TREN DE ARAGUA GANGSTER MURDERED TWO AMERICAN WOMEN, CAPTURED ACROSS COUNTRY: FEDS The Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows deportation of natives and citizens of an enemy nation without a hearing, has been invoked three times, during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the D.C. Circuit granted a temporary restraining order preventing the deportations under the act. The Trump administration has appealed the order. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is scheduled to hear arguments on the matter on Monday afternoon. TdA is a narco-terrorism enterprise based in Venezuela. It was designated a foreign terrorist organization on Feb. 20 by the Department of State.
Homan blasts blue state as report shows it releasing illegals charged with ‘horrific’ crimes on low bails
Following a Massachusetts law barring law enforcement cooperation with ICE, illegal child rapists and other serious criminal illegals charged with “horrific crimes” are being released on to the streets on bail as low as $500 and, in some cases, no bail at all. Responding to these releases, Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, said that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, both Democrats, “should be ashamed” and that despite their actions, deporting criminal illegals “will be done.” Healey has previously said that Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state. However, a 2017 ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Lunn vs. Commonwealth, bars local and state law enforcement from coordinating with ICE to assist with deportation operations. The ruling stipulates that law enforcement cannot comply with ICE detainers, forcing agencies to release criminal migrants onto the streets. Last week, Wu renewed her pledge to resist Trump’s deportation efforts, saying, “We stand with immigrants,” and “No one tells Boston how to take care of our own, not kings, and not presidents who think they are kings.” BLUE CITY MAYOR RIPPED BY LOCAL LEADERS FOR PRIORITIZING POLITICS OVER SAFETY: ‘UNDERMINING PUBLIC TRUST’ However, at least seven illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes, including child rape and fentanyl trafficking, were released by local law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts in recent months, according to CBS. The outlet reported that in one instance, a 39-year-old Honduran national named Juan Alberto Rodezno-Marin, who was charged with indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, masked armed robbery and assault to rape, was released on his own recognizance without having to pay bail. According to an ICE statement, immigration officials had previously arrested and removed Rodezno-Marin twice for illegally re-entering the U.S., in 2008 and 2009. Despite these crimes and an ICE detainer being filed against him, the Middlesex Superior Court released Rodezno-Marin in December. He was not arrested by ICE until a month later. He is currently in ICE custody. DEMOCRAT MAYOR BLASTED FOR VOWING TO MAKE MAJOR CITY ‘SAFE HAVEN’ FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Meanwhile, ABC reported the Worcester County Jail released two illegal immigrant inmates charged with child rape on bail of just $500. Another illegal immigrant, Jose Fernando-Perez, a 49-year-old Guatemalan national charged with three counts of forcible rape of a child and three counts of aggravated rape of a child, was released in 2022 on a $7,500 bail with just an order to “stay in his home.” Fernando-Perez was finally arrested by ICE on Feb. 2 of this year. At the time, Patricia Hyde, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting field office director, said Fernando-Perez’s “horrific crimes against a minor in our commonwealth” made him “exactly the type of alien we are targeting with our ‘worst first’ policy.” In northeastern Massachusetts, the Lawrence District Court released another Honduran national, 19-year-old Stivenson Omar Perez-Ajtzalan, on $7,500 bail despite pending charges of aggravated rape of a child with a 10-year age difference. BLUE SANCTUARY STATE OPERATING AS ‘CONTROL’ CENTER FOR VICIOUS MIGRANT GANG: ACTING DEA CHIEF CBS reported that two other inmates charged with cocaine and fentanyl trafficking were released with bail amounts of $500 and $4,000. While speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, Homan issued a stark warning to Boston and Massachusetts leaders, saying, “You said you doubled down on not helping the law enforcement officers of ICE. I’m coming to Boston, and I’m bringing hell with me.” Today, Homan renewed his criticism of Massachusetts and Boston’s anti-ICE policies and announced ICE arrested a total of 370 illegal immigrants in the Boston area during a five-day joint federal agency operation last week. “I made a promise at CPAC that I was going to Boston after reading about numerous illegal alien child rapists walking the streets of Boston and Massachusetts,” he wrote on X. “Mayor Chu [sic] later testified that I was lying. Well, I traveled to Boston last Tuesday, as promised, and we kicked off a five day operation with ICE, FBI, ATF, DEA, US Marshals and DSS. These incredible men and women arrested a total of 370 Illegal aliens in Boston and surrounding areas.” PRESIDENT TRUMP COMFORTS MOTHER WHOSE SON DIED OF FENTANYL POISONING: ‘UP THERE WATCHING YOU’ Homan said that a majority of the 370 illegals were “significant criminals,” including four wanted for murder as well as drug traffickers, child sex predators and “numerous other violent public safety threats.” “ICE had to find and arrest these illegal alien rapists because Massachusetts and Boston are sanctuaries that refuse to cooperate with ICE. They would rather release these animals back into the community rather than honor ICE detainers or notify ICE when they are scheduled to be released,” he said. “These officers and agents made the neighborhoods of Boston and Massachusetts much safer. They risked their own safety by arresting these criminals on the street, rather than a jail.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “Releasing public safety threats back into the public, rather than working with ICE at the jails, puts the public at great risk,” he continued. “President Trump’s ‘all of government effort’ to arrest and remove the WORST FIRST is making our communities safer every day. President Trump is a Game Changer who is keeping his promises to the American people. Much more to do, but it will be done!” EXCLUSIVE: GOP MOVES TO AUTHORIZE TRUMP TO WAGE WAR ON CARTELS THROUGH MILITARY FORCE Speaking with Fox News Digital, Logan Trupiano, a representative for the Massachusetts Republican Party, said that while both Healey and Wu “utilize emotion and try to make this an issue of empathy … they’re not utilizing any empathy when they’re allowing illegal immigrants who were arrested for heinous crimes, particularly crimes against children, and released back in the community to re-offend.” “It’s absolutely egregious, absolutely ridiculous, and there’s no decent argument against [deporting criminal illegals],” said Trupiano. “All they’re really doing is just attacking the Trump administration and mischaracterizing the
Top GOP governor makes key endorsement in border state gubernatorial race: ‘Deeply honored’
EXCLUSIVE: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is endorsing Karrin Taylor Robson in the Arizona 2026 gubernatorial Republican primary. Robson is seeking to unseat Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in what’s expected to be one of the most competitive races in the country. “I am proud to join President Trump in endorsing Karrin Taylor Robson for Governor. Karrin is the conservative outsider and business leader Arizona needs. I know she will join me in partnering with the Trump Administration to secure our borders, create a strong economy, and say NO to the Woke Agenda. Join me in supporting Karrin today!” Sanders said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CAN’T WAIT FOR TRUMP TO UNLEASH PROSPERITY IN THE STATES Sanders was a press secretary for President Donald Trump during his first term, and then followed in her father Mike Huckabee’s footsteps and became governor in 2023, succeeding Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “I am deeply honored to have Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ support. Her leadership in Arkansas and her dedication to President Trump’s America First agenda is an example for every Governor in the country to follow. I’m thrilled she’s joining President Trump in supporting my campaign to deliver results for Arizona by defeating radical Katie Hobbs, locking down our border, and building a stronger, safer state,” Robson said in response to the endorsement. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS ON TARIFF THREAT: TRUMP IS TIRED OF AMERICA GETTING RIPPED OFF At Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in December, Trump said he planned on backing her campaign if she jumped in. “Are you running for governor? I think so, Karrin, ’cause if you do you’re gonna have my support, OK?” Trump said during his speech. In 2022, she mounted a primary bid for the governor’s office and narrowly lost to Republican Kari Lake, who serves as a senior advisor to the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Lake and Robson had a bitter primary battle in 2022, but Robson ultimately endorsed both Trump and Lake in their 2024 general election bids. ‘I WILL NOT REST’: BORDER STATE GUBERNATORIAL HOPEFUL LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN WEEKS AFTER TRUMP BACKED HER Rep. Andy Biggs, who also supports Trump, threw his hat into the ring, and he’s racked up the endorsements of fellow Republican Arizona Reps. Eli Crane and Paul Gosar, as well as Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert. Critics of Robson believe that Biggs will have a better shot of winning over the Republican base and hope that the president will have a change of heart. Meanwhile, there’s a long way until the primary, which is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026. It’s unclear if any other major contenders will enter the race on either side. Cook Political Report ranks the general election race as a toss-up. Other statewide offices, including secretary of state and attorney general, will be up for grabs as well in the battleground state that Trump won in 2024.
Youngkin efforts lead slew of VA colleges to nix DEI, as Hokie alums reportedly push back
FIRST ON FOX: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Monday praised the domino effect of Virginia colleges nixing their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) departments and initiatives, just weeks after President Donald Trump issued a nationwide order to that effect. “Discriminatory DEI policies are being dismantled across Virginia’s colleges and universities,” Youngkin told Fox News Digital. “This is a win for common sense, for civil rights, and for students and faculty at some of the world’s most premier institutions of higher learning we proudly have in Virginia. I am pleased our college and university boards continue to prioritize merit-based opportunity over race-based discrimination.” Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, along with Virginia’s community college system, Longwood University in Farmville, and Radford University in Radford, all announced or passed resolutions Friday to end such policies. DEI CHARGED CLAIMS FLY OVER CONTRACT FOR MILITARY SCHOOL’S LEADER AS LAWMAKER DEMANDS ETHICS PROBE Those announcements follow the Old Dominion’s “flagship” university, UVA – founded by President Thomas Jefferson himself – which made its move on March 7 along with its satellite institution, UVA-Wise, near the Kentucky border. Youngkin has been one of few governors publicly leading such efforts to bring an end to DEI practices at educational institutions. Sources familiar with Youngkin’s work said Virginia – where the governor is uniquely limited to one consecutive term by law – will see the effects of the Republican’s board of visitors appointments at colleges across the commonwealth for many years after he leaves office in January. Youngkin added in a recent interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that Virginia is leading the way on “ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity.” The governor made education a priority issue in his administration, telling the Ronald Reagan Foundation last year that proper schooling is the “bedrock to attaining the American dream.” As for the newest DEI departures, Virginia Tech in Blacksburg is also primed to end DEI by midweek – with its board expected to vote Tuesday on the matter. Virginia Tech is considered the commonwealth’s flagship land-grant university and the collegiate anchor of Southside Virginia. VCU’s resolution read that the college will continue to be an “open-admission institution” for every learner, and that its mission seeks to “give everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills so lives and communities are strengthened.” It shuttered all systems, programs, procedures and initiatives that failed to comply with federal civil rights protections, across its 23 institutions. UVA ENDS DEI Longwood did the same, as well as blocking out any use of third-parties to try to circumvent the new prohibitions, according to an appendix in the college’s resolution. The VCU Board of Visitors’ vote favored ending its Division of Inclusive Excellence, but it was not unanimous. Two former Gov. Terry McAuliffe appointees – Edward McCoy and the Rev. Tyrone Nelson – joined two Youngkin appointees – Dr. Clifton Peay and Gurpreet “P2” Sandhu – in voting “nay.” Virginia Tech’s quarterly board meeting was listed for 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday at an inn in Montgomery County, as some critics said it should be made more public. “Permissible programs” affected by the potential end to its DEI department will be moved to “a new organizational home,” according a copy of the resolution published by the Augusta Free Press paper of the Staunton-Waynesboro area. The paper separately reported that an alumni group is warning against adopting the resolution, warning future students would not have the same opportunities as past graduates. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Hokie alums are also demanding a town hall-style meeting to address the issue and be able to speak with administrators. Dr. Tekisha Dwan Everette, vice president of the Trust for America’s Health policy organization in Washington, D.C., and a Hokie alum, told the paper she and others are “deeply disappointed and concerned about the tactics used to challenge Virginia Tech’s commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive learning environment.” The petition itself will be delivered to Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands, and reads in part that “DEIAB programs are not only valuable—they are essential to ensuring that Virginia Tech remains a place where all students, regardless of their background, have a chance to succeed and make meaningful contributions to society.” Christopher Newport University in Newport News, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, James Madison University in Harrisonburg and George Mason University in Fairfax are all set to hold board meetings in April. Fox News Digital reached out to Virginia Tech for comment.