EXCLUSIVE: As Afghan Christians face deportation, faith leaders urge Trump administration to reconsider
EXCLUSIVE: Christian leaders say President Donald Trump has a chance to fix a Biden-era mistake by halting deportations of believers facing torture or death. As thousands of Christians rallied during Holy Week, faith leaders across the U.S. urged Trump to intervene and stop the deportation of Afghan Christians who face near-certain persecution under the Taliban. On April 10, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it would terminate humanitarian parole for Afghan nationals, effectively ordering thousands to leave the U.S. within days. Though early reporting referred to the change as ending temporary protected status (TPS), internal DHS notifications confirm the affected Afghans were in fact under humanitarian parole. The mislabeling was repeated by media outlets and DHS but has since been corrected in official memos from advocacy groups. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDS TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR THOUSANDS OF AFGHANS AMID DEPORTATION PUSH The policy shift affects about 9,000 Afghans living legally in the U.S. while awaiting special immigrant visa (SIV) or asylum adjudication. Among them, according to documents obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, are hundreds of Christians, many of whom converted after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and now face life-threatening danger under Taliban rule. “We believe all 9,000 could face persecution upon return to the Taliban, but we are particularly concerned about a group of hundreds of Christians who we believe will face an immediate threat of torture or death,” a coalition memo states. The document sent to Trump and copied to Vice President JD Vance; DHS Secretary Kristi Noem; House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., asks for a 90-day pause on deportations to allow time for legal pathways or protections. HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN Their proposal includes a “vetted and qualified exemptions list,” identifying Christians most at risk to help DHS reinstate humanitarian protections or expedite asylum or SIV review. One individual on that list, using the pseudonym “Nashinas,” is an Afghan Christian who was tortured by the Taliban in 2021, later resettled in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is now active in his local church. Despite having filed for asylum, he received a formal DHS notice ordering his departure. The timing of the parole termination during Holy Week has energized Christian leaders in the U.S. and around the world. “This isn’t just a legal issue; it’s a moral one,” according to the Enduring Hope Alliance (EHA). “As Christians across the globe reflect on the sacrifice of Christ, we’re being asked to turn away fellow believers facing real persecution.” The EHA, a coalition of churches, veterans, nonprofits and volunteers formed in the aftermath of the Biden administration’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, helped rescue and resettle over a thousand Christian converts and allies of the U.S. military. It reports spending millions in private donations and thousands of volunteer hours to bring persecuted individuals to safety. “This is a moment for the administration to show compassion and leadership,” a source close to the EHA told Fox News Digital. “We’re not asking for open borders. We’re asking for a narrow, temporary solution to protect lives that are clearly at risk.” The Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Kabul’s Abbey Gate that killed 13 U.S. service members remains a defining failure of the U.S. withdrawal. Faith leaders argue this is a chance for the Trump administration to fix one of the most painful consequences of that Biden-era decision — abandoning persecuted Christians. “The Afghanistan withdrawal was one of the darkest chapters in American foreign policy,” said Mike Mannina, a former Bush White House official who helped lead the rescue alliance. He had never spoken publicly about it until now. “What followed, though, was one of our finest hours — thousands of everyday Americans stepping up to save lives. I’d hate to see that work undone.” In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Rev. Franklin Graham, the president of Samaritan’s Purse, said he believes there may now be more time to resolve the crisis. “No, it did not come up at the White House,” Graham said. “But I understand from Kristi Noem — she said that I think it’s July, that the Afghans have till July, or the government will work with them till July to get this work solved. So, it looked like they’re going to be deported maybe as of today. That’s what I heard. But … now [it’s] July. So, they’ve got more time to work out this visa issue.” DHS has not publicly confirmed any extension. Multiple Afghan Christians received notices giving them seven days to leave the country. Independent groups, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Human Rights Watch, confirm that Afghan Christians are specifically targeted under Taliban rule. Conversion from Islam is considered apostasy and is punishable by death. “Afghan Christians are in a more vulnerable position today under the Taliban than even Christians were under ISIS,” an assessment from Help The Persecuted says. Advocates say deporting these individuals would violate both U.S. values and international law, which prohibits returning people to countries where they face likely torture or death. Josh Youssef, founder of Help The Persecuted, said Trump has a clear opportunity to right a grave wrong left by the Biden administration’s chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We know Christians were beaten, imprisoned and even killed by the Taliban,” Youssef told Fox News Digital. “Now, as some of those same people face deportation, President Trump can take a scalpel — not a hammer — and protect those at real risk of death for their faith. “This is Good Friday,” he added. “It’s unthinkable to send Christians back to a country where they could face their own crucifixion. We’re asking the president to fix this.” DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump says career gov employees working on policy will be fired if they don’t adhere to his agenda
President Trump on Friday said that career government employees working on policy matters for the administration will be reclassified “Schedule Policy/Career,” – or at will employees – and will be fired if they don’t adhere to his agenda. “Following my Day One Executive Order, the Office of Personnel Management will be issuing new Civil Service Regulations for career government employees,” the president wrote on Truth Social Friday afternoon. He added, “Moving forward, career government employees, working on policy matters, will be classified as ‘Schedule Policy/Career,’ and will be held to the highest standards of conduct and performance.” This comes as the Trump administration continues to fire federal employees in an effort to shrink the government. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN’S CFPB TERMINATIONS The administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimated the rule change in Trump’s executive order “Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce” would affect around 50,000 employees or 2% of the federal workforce, the White House said in a Friday memo. The regulations for civil service employees “with important policy-determining, policy-making, policy-advocating, or confidential duties” will now be considered “at-will” employees, “without access to cumbersome adverse action procedures or appeals, overturning Biden Administration regulations that protected poor performing employees.” Trump added in his post: “If these government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the President, or are engaging in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job. This is common sense, and will allow the federal government to finally be ‘run like a business.’ We must root out corruption and implement accountability in our Federal Workforce!” SUPREME COURT RULES ON STATUS OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FIRED PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES The White House said the “rule empowers federal agencies to swiftly remove employees in policy-influencing roles for poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or subversion of Presidential directives, without lengthy procedural hurdles.” The employees aren’t required to personally support the president, but “must faithfully implement the law and the administration’s policies.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The proposed rule won’t change the status of affected employees’ jobs until another executive order is issued, the White House said.
Anti-Israel Harvard students conspire to smear law firms critical of campus antisemitism: report
Anti-Israel law students at Harvard conspired to smear numerous law firms that have stood opposed to anti-Israel efforts on college campuses, an investigation by the conservative Washington Free Beacon found. Harvard’s student-led chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, a left-wing legal advocacy group with chapters around the country, held a “Big Law, Big Secrets: Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon” earlier this month on campus. The event, led by a student with a reported history of anti-Israel activity, was meant to “gather data to edit the Wikipedia pages of Big Law firms to reflect cases they have recently argued.” Two days later, over a dozen law firms that have been critical of antisemitism at Harvard and other college campuses, including some that rescinded job offers from Harvard law students over it, saw their Wikipedia pages amended. The changes were done by a Wikipedia account linked to another Harvard law student with a history of anti-Israel advocacy, the Free Beacon found, and the changes effectively sought to make the law firms look bad in the eyes of liberals. Some changes also sought to soften language critical of campus antisemitism. 5 CONTROVERSIES EMBROILING HARVARD UNIVERSITY AS TRUMP SEEKS TO CUT FUNDING For instance, a section on the Wikipedia page for the firm Davis Polk, which describes cases it has worked on, was changed from “Race Relations” to “Defense of Segregation.” The firm’s page also saw the addition of a lengthy section about its “Representation of Purdue Pharma,” a pharmaceutical company blamed by Democrats for playing a part in the opioid crisis. In 2023, Davis Polk rescinded a job offer it gave to a Harvard student over the student’s leadership in organizing anti-Israel protests on campus. It was also among 100 law firms that sent a November 2023 letter to Harvard urging it to clamp down on campus antisemitism after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks against innocent Israelis. Jones Day, which also signed the letter, had its Wikipedia page changed to include additions about it defending Walmart against allegations of overprescribing opioids, Second Amendment rights and “racial gerrymandering.” TRUMP SAYS HARVARD HAS ‘LOST ITS WAY,’ DOESN’T DESERVE FEDERAL FUNDING Latham & Watkins, another signer, saw a section about its work on a case related to the Chevron deference principle changed to say the firm “eroded agencies’ abilities to protect civil rights, human health and the environment, and other critical public functions.” Jenner & Block, another signer of the November letter, saw a criticism about its representation of Uber in a suit over whether its drivers should be considered full-time employees or contractors added to its page. Meanwhile, the edit history for some of the firms that signed on to the letter, such as Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, showed efforts to dull language about what occurred on college campuses after Hamas’ attacks. For instance, the Harvard law student-linked account changed “amid a wave of antisemitism in the United States,” to “amid a wave of Gaza war protests in the United States” on the firm’s page. Additionally, “antisemitic incidents at elite U.S. law schools” was changed to “pro-Palestine protests at elite U.S. law schools.” Overall, 14 law firms saw changes such as these, according to the Free Beacon’s investigation. When reached for comment, Harvard University spokesperson Jeff Neal said the Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon was organized by a student-run organization “and does not represent the views of Harvard Law School.” HARVARD SLAMMED FOR REFUSING TO COMPLY WITH TRUMP ADMIN DEMANDS AMID ANTISEMITISM FIGHT Fox News Digital reached out to the National Lawyers Guild’s Harvard chapter and its national organization but did not receive a response. Earlier this month, the Trump administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism froze over $2.2 billion in federal funding for Harvard. The administration has indicated it could take away as much as $9 billion if Harvard does not meet its requirements on antisemitism and other federal directives from Trump. The Trump administration is also looking at ways to strip Harvard’s tax-exempt status after the school said it would not comply with a number of the president’s demands related to campus antisemitism, DEI and other policy priorities the president has laid out during his first 100 days in office.
Trump dishes on Abrego-Garcia’s ‘unbelievably bad’ record and Democrat’s ‘fake’ El Salvador trip
President Donald Trump said that Kilmar Abrego-Garcia holds an “unbelievably bad” record, following Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s Thursday visit to El Salvador to meet with the Maryland resident the Trump administration deported there. When asked if Trump encouraged other Democrats to visit Kilmar Abrego-Garcia in El Salvador, Trump proceeded to blast the “fake” Democrats for not actually caring about Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally from El Salvador in 2011 and that the Trump administration has asserted is a member of the MS-13 gang. “They’re all fake, and they have no interest in that prisoner,” Trump told reporters Friday at the White House following a swearing-in ceremony for Dr. Mehmet Oz to oversee Medicare and Medicaid services. “That prisoner’s record is unbelievably bad.” KILMAR ABREGO-GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS The Trump administration deported Garcia, 29, to El Salvador in what it described in court filings as an “administrative error,” and has since said that it is up to El Salvador whether Garcia returns to the U.S. Meanwhile, a federal court and the Supreme Court have instructed the Trump administration to coordinate Garcia’s return so proper deportation hearings can occur. The remarks come after the Justice Department unveiled documents Wednesday detailing domestic violence allegations that Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. Vasquez alleged in the filing that Garcia beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her. “At this point, I am afraid to be close to him,” she said, according to the filing. “I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he (has) left me.” TRUMP CALLS SEN. VAN HOLLEN A ‘FOOL’ AFTER MEETING WITH DEPORTED MS-13 SUSPECT IN EL SALVADOR Additionally, a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report obtained by Fox News claims that Garcia was suspected of partaking in labor and human trafficking. The report said that a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper pulled Garcia over in 2022 after swerving. The patrol officer found eight other individuals in the car with Garcia, who had just begun driving three days prior. The officer originally believed the incident qualified as a human trafficking case because no luggage was found in the car, but the officer ultimately only wrote up Garcia for driving with an expired license. The report also identified Garcia as a member of MS-13, a designated terrorist organization under the Trump administration. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Abrego Garcia is a MS-13 gang member, illegal alien from El Salvador, and suspected human trafficker,” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News. “The facts reveal he was pulled over with eight individuals in a car on an admitted three-day journey from Texas to Maryland with no luggage.” “The facts speak for themselves, and they reek of human trafficking,” McLaughlin said. Meanwhile, Trump also has condemned Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, for even conducting the visit to El Salvador. “Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account Friday. Fox News’ David Spunt, Rachel Wolf and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Federal judge orders halt to Trump admin’s CFPB terminations
A Washington, D.C.-based federal judge on Friday temporarily halted the Trump administration’s planned mass layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protections Bureau (CFPB), shortly after an appeals court narrowed her earlier injunction. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s order temporarily blocks the terminations, which would have slashed the bureau’s workforce by roughly 90%, as she weighs whether the planned layoffs violate her earlier injunction. Her order comes after plaintiffs in the case, which include the CFPB Employee Association and other labor entities, accused the government of violating her earlier injunction. The plaintiffs alleged these layoffs would take place on Friday evening. SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS SWOOPS IN TO SAVE TRUMP FIRING DECISION Jackson noted on Friday that the agency was slated to carry out a reduction in force, or RIF, of roughly 1,400 employees — which would have left just several hundred in place. Jackson said that within several days of an appeals order narrowing her initial injunction, CFPB employees were told the agency would do “exactly what it was told not to do,” which was to carry out a RIF. “I’m willing to resolve it quickly, but I’m not going to let this RIF go forward until I have,” she said during the Friday hearing, noting that she is “deeply concerned, given the scope and scope of action.” Justice Department lawyers had sought to appeal Jackson’s order earlier this year, arguing in a filing that the injunction “improperly intrudes on the executive [branch’s] authority” and goes “far beyond what is lawful.” SUPREME COURT RULES ON STATUS OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FIRED PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES Jackson blocked the administration from moving forward with any layoffs or from cutting off employees’ access to computers at the bureau until she has time to hear from the officials in question later this month. “We’re not going to disperse” more than 1,400 employees “into the universe… until we have determined that is lawful or not,” Jackson said. She proceeded to then set an April 28 hearing date to hear testimony from officials slated to carry out the RIF procedures. The plaintiffs in the suit filed their legal challenge in D.C. district court in early February seeking a temporary restraining order after the Trump administration moved to severely downsize the bureau. The court issued a preliminary injunction in late March, finding that the plaintiffs would likely succeed on the merits. The order directed the government to “rehire all terminated employees, reinstate all terminated contracts, and refrain from engaging in reductions-in-force or attempting to stop work through any means.” The Trump administration appealed the order shortly thereafter. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit stayed Jackson’s order only in part, staying the provision dictating that the government must rehire the terminated employees. The appeals court also stayed the provision of the order prohibiting the government from “terminating or issuing a notice of reduction” to employees the administration deemed “to be unnecessary to the performance of defendant’s statutory duties.”
ICE dispels rumors about viral video showing agents smashing window to arrest illegal
After a video showing federal agents smashing a car window to arrest an illegal immigrant went viral online, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is dispelling rumors about both the agent involved and the detainee. The arrest was carried out by Boston ICE officials and took place in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on Monday. The footage, which the detainee’s wife took from the inside of a car, shows two federal agents attempting to speak with two individuals who have locked themselves in the vehicle, claiming they are waiting for their lawyer. After unsuccessfully trying to access the vehicle, the agents use a large hammer to smash the backseat car window. BOSTON POLICE COMMISSIONER DOUBLES DOWN ON ICE RESISTANCE: ‘WE DON’T ENFORCE’ DETAINERS Eventually, the agents arrested one of the car’s occupants, a 29-year-old Guatemalan man named Juan Francisco-Mendez. According to local outlet The New Bedford Light, Francisco-Mendez’s lawyer, Ondine Gálvez, claims he has no criminal history in Massachusetts and is seeking asylum status. Francisco-Mendez’s wife, who is identified by the outlet as “Marilú,” said the agents “pulled us out violently” and “treated us very harshly.” The video has since gone viral and sparked significant controversy. Some people online have even claimed that the agent who smashed the window is a far-right militia member named Lewis Arthur. A spokesperson for ICE told Fox News Digital that Francisco-Mendez “refused to comply with officers’ instructions and resisted apprehension” and that the agent’s actions were in line with training on applying the minimum amount of force needed. ICE ARRESTS OVER 200 ILLEGAL ALIENS IN NEW YORK CITY’S ‘MOST CRIME-INFESTED NEIGHBORHOODS’ “ICE concurs with the actions deemed appropriate by the officers on the scene who are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve the situation in a manner that ensures the success of the operation and prioritizes the safety of our officers,” the spokesperson said. The representative categorically denied that the agent involved in the arrest was Arthur, saying rather that he is a legitimate federal agent working with ICE. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The spokesperson declined to release the name of the officer publicly but confirmed to Fox News Digital that “he is a federal law enforcement officer who has worked with ICE to help keep New England communities safe for years.” “The officer recorded making an arrest in New Bedford, Mass., is not militia leader Lewis Arthur,” the spokesperson said, adding that “the rumors circulating on social media that ICE Boston employed a militia leader from Arizona to make arrests in New England are not only false, but they are also inflammatory and place the safety of federal officers in jeopardy.” WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS ICE, SAYS DEMS, MEDIA WANT ‘SICK’ CRIMINAL MIGRANTS LEFT ON STREETS “ICE vehemently denies the lies that are being spread on social media,” the spokesperson said, noting that “our ICE officers are facing a 300% increase in assaults while carrying out enforcement operations.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Regarding the detained migrant, ICE said Francisco-Mendez is in the country illegally despite reporting that he is a legal asylum seeker. Francisco-Mendez has now been served with a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.
Top Ivy League university in the hot seat as Congress ramps up investigation: ‘Almost all woke’
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating how Harvard University uses taxpayer money as the school faces scrutiny on civil rights issues like antisemitism. Committee Chairman James Comer and House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik sent a letter to the university president, Dr. Alan M. Garber, Thursday afternoon, after the Trump administration halted $2.2 billion in funding to the school. The Department of Homeland Security is also scrapping $2.7 million in grants, and the IRS is weighing an end to the university’s tax-exempt status. The goal is to ultimately decide “whether legislation is necessary to ensure that institutions of higher education receiving federal financial assistance are no longer able to violate the law while lucratively benefiting from the generosity of the American people.” JOHN YOO SAYS HARVARD DOES NOT HAVE ‘RIGHT TO FEDERAL GRANTS’ AMID BATTLE WITH TRUMP ADMIN The committee is asking for “documents and communications” to investigate the issue. “On April 11, 2025, officials from the General Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Education wrote to you with a proposed settlement agreement seeking to return Harvard into compliance with civil rights laws,” the letter states. “Instead of working with the government, you wrote to the Harvard community claiming that efforts to comply with basic civil rights law obligations would ‘surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” it continues. “Even as Harvard is apparently preparing to reject all federal financial assistance so it can avoid complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Harvard has received enormous sums from foreign sources, including from authoritarian governments,” the letter added. HARVARD WON’T COMPLY WITH TRUMP ADMIN’S DEMANDS AMID THREATS OF CUTTING FEDERAL FUNDING On the possibility of the federal government ending the university’s tax-exempt status, the university told Fox News Thursday it has “no legal basis” to do so. “The government has long exempted universities from taxes in order to support their educational mission. The tax exemption means that more of every dollar can go toward scholarships for students, lifesaving and life-enhancing medical research and technological advancements that drive economic growth,” a spokesperson said. President Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of Harvard, saying its hires have been “almost all woke.” TRUMP ADMIN PAUSES $1B FROM CORNELL, $790M FROM NORTHWESTERN AMID CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION: REPORT CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds,” Trump posted recently. Antisemitism on American college campuses has become a major focus after anti-Israel protests hit a breaking point in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Harvard University said it’s reviewing the letter about the oversight investigation. “Harvard is reviewing the committee’s inquiry, which — like the sdministration’s announcement of the freeze of $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts, scrutiny of foreign student visas, and consideration of revoking Harvard’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status — appears to be a direct response to the university’s commitment to uphold its independence and constitutional rights,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Harvard continues to comply with the law, and we have made significant strides in combating antisemitism on our campus, strengthening our policies, disciplining those who violate our policies, encouraging civil discourse and promoting open, respectful dialogue. “However, complying with the federal government’s demands, which are largely unrelated to combating antisemitism, would undermine our rights under the First Amendment and due process under Title VI and erode academic freedom. Such demands include changing Harvard’s governance structure, ‘reducing the power held by students and untenured faculty’ and submitting to external audits for viewpoint diversity. These demands go well beyond the requirements of federal law.”
Pentagon’s week of power struggles: leak fallout and shouting matches hit Hegseth’s inner circle
FIRST ON FOX: Bitter internal feuds at the Pentagon spilled out into the public this week after members of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s inner circle were relieved of their duties — and now accusations are flying as careers hang in the balance. Three top aides to Hegseth were placed on leave and escorted out of the building this week as the Pentagon probes unauthorized leaks: senior adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg. Another press aide, John Ullyot, parted ways with the Pentagon because he did not want to be second-in-command of the communications shop. But Fox News Digital has learned from multiple defense officials that the three employees were never told what they were accused of leaking, were not read their rights and were given no guidance on who they could or couldn’t speak to. They were also not asked to turn over their cellphones as part of the leak probe. PENTAGON FIRES GREENLAND US BASE COMMANDER WHO ‘UNDERMINED’ JD VANCE AFTER PITUFFIK VISIT At least one of the former employees is consulting with legal counsel, but none have been fired and all are awaiting the outcome of the investigation. “Being placed on paid leave is not considered a disciplinary decision. It’s considered a preliminary step to conduct an investigation, so if they think they’re being railroaded or hosed, they’ll have some due process opportunity to respond when there’s a formal decision,” said Sean Timmons, a legal expert in military and employment law. “They’ve been humiliated in the media to some extent. However, this happens every day in the federal government. Generally speaking, what’s happened so far is not necessarily considered discipline. It’s just considered a security protocol step to suspend their authorization, suspend their access to their emails, and a full, thorough independent investigation can be conducted.” Officials denied that the three men were placed on leave because of their foreign policy views and said they saw no connection to their positions on Iran and Israel — even as reports surfaced that President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Pentagon would not intervene if Israel attacked Iran. Selnick was focused on operations, administration and personnel matters; Carroll was focused largely on acquisitions; and Caldwell advised mostly on the Europe portfolio. But the trio were united, according to one defense official with knowledge of the situation, in the fact that Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, had a “deep vendetta” against them. Kasper issued a memo in late March directing the Pentagon to investigate unauthorized disclosures to reporters and to go so far as using lie detector tests if necessary. The three had raised concerns to Hegseth about Kasper’s leadership, and Kasper believed they were trying to get him fired, according to one official. Those tensions had boiled into “shouting matches in the front office,” the official said. Another Pentagon official insisted that any accusation the firings had to do with anything other than the unauthorized leak investigation was “false.” “This is not about interpersonal conflict,” that official said. “There is evidence of leaking. This is about unauthorized disclosures, up to and including classified information.” TRUMP, HEGSETH REVEAL WHOPPING FIGURE THEY WANT FOR THE NEXT PENTAGON BUDGET The three aides are civilian political appointees, meaning they could be fired at-will regardless of the investigation. But if they are found to have engaged in unauthorized leaking, they could have their security clearances yanked away. “There are very few protections when it comes to political appointees versus career civilian staff,” said Libby Jamison, an attorney who specializes in military law. “For appointees, there is very broad discretion to be placed on administrative leave or reassigned.” If employees are accused of leaking, a report is sent to the Defense Information System for Security, and then there is an independent review of their eligibility for access to sensitive information. “They’ll get a chance, potentially, to try to keep their clearance and show that they didn’t violate any security clearance protocols when it comes to handling sensitive information,” said Timmons. “If it is found they were leaking information in violation of the rules, and then there’s a guideline violation for personal misconduct and for breaching of sensitive information. So they could be possibly criminally prosecuted and certainly terminated from their employment and have their clearance stripped and revoked.” Or, if the independent officer does not find sufficient evidence to tie them to the leaks, they could return to their positions and maintain clearances. Ullyot, meanwhile, said that he had made clear to Hegseth from the beginning that he was “not interested in being number two to anyone in public affairs.” Ullyot ran the public affairs office on an acting basis at the start of the administration, leading a memo that yanked back workspaces for legacy media outlets and reassigned them to conservative networks. Ullyot also took a jab at former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, saying his “corpulence” set a bad example for Pentagon fitness standards. But as his temporary chief role came to a close and Sean Parnell took the Pentagon chief spokesperson job, Ullyot said he and Hegseth “could not come to an agreement on another good fit for me at DOD. So I informed him today that I will be leaving at the end of this week.” Ullyot said he remains one of Hegseth’s “strongest supporters.” The office of the secretary of defense and the three aides who were placed on leave this week either declined to comment or could not be reached for this story.
Despite Trump’s order, a surprising number of DEI programs remain ‘active’ at colleges and universities
A new investigation tracking the current state of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at colleges and universities from conservative nonprofit Defending Education found that there are still 383 “currently active” DEI offices and programs, with 243 universities maintaining institution-wide DEI offices or programming. Defending Education, formerly known as Parents Defending Education, is a nationwide grassroots organization that works to “fight indoctrination in classrooms and on campus to promote the reestablishment of a quality, non-political education for all students.” In addition to tracking those DEI offices and programs that are still active, the group’s investigation also highlighted that Defending Education uncovered dozens of schools that have taken steps to rebrand or reorganize their DEI efforts, as opposed to shutting them down like others have done. MAJOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER ACCUSED OF HIDING DEI PROGRAMS, INFLUENTIAL SENATOR CALLS THEM OUT At least 27 universities, colleges or schools within such institutions have taken steps to do this, according to the investigation. Meanwhile, in “a few cases,” schools have moved their online DEI resources behind password-protected web pages, Defending Education also pointed out. “DEI evangelists at federally funded institutions are hiding race discrimination in an effort to violate federal law and think they won’t be found out. But our latest report demonstrates they already have been,” said Sarah Parshall Perry, Defending Education Vice President and Legal Fellow, who has extensive legal experience in the higher education realm. “Despite a very clear directive from the White House to end ‘DEI’ practices, too many institutions of higher education have simply sent their discrimination underground by renaming or reorganizing race-based initiatives and DEI offices.” Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is an example of one of the universities that has been accused of attempting to hide their DEI resources. In response to the accusations, a VUMC spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time that it was undergoing “a thorough review” of its programs to figure out “where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms.” However, today, offices such as the Office of Health Equity, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office for Diversity Affairs are seemingly still active, according to Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. WATCHDOG GROUP EXPOSES RED STATE COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR EXPLAINING ‘LOOPHOLE’ AROUND ANTI-DEI LAW The White House blasted some of the nation’s premier universities for “egregious illegal behavior,” after Harvard refused to comply with Trump administration demands related to ending their DEI programs. Amid Harvard’s refusal to comply, the administration revealed this week that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funding for the institution. During a press briefing this week, when asked why federal funding was so available to premier Ivy League institutions like Harvard, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was a question President Donald Trump frequently ponders himself. “It’s a question the president has obviously raised in his discussions,” Leavitt said. “I think a lot of Americans are wondering why their tax dollars are going to these universities when they are not only indoctrinating our nation’s students, but also allowing such egregious illegal behavior to occur.” Perry told Fox News Digital that Defending Education will not stop looking for “discrimination” in higher education, in an effort to make the guarantee of a “colorblind education” for every American student a reality “once and for all.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back by time of publication.
Mullin shares update on son from Mayo Clinic amid family health challenges
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., shared a health update regarding his son, Andrew, who has been at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., as doctors try to determine the cause of a possible mystery illness. Mullin, whose eyes were bruised — presumably from surgery — announced on Friday that Andrew was set to undergo two procedures. Andrew said in the video that he wanted to be fully sedated, but the Mayo Clinic was allegedly unable to fulfill the request. MAYO CLINIC FINDS NEW TYPE OF MEMORY LOSS THAT’S OFTEN MISTAKEN FOR ALZHEIMER’S On Tuesday, the senator shared that several members of his family, including himself, were facing health issues. The senator underwent eye surgery on April 11 and his wife, Christie, had “major knee reconstructive surgery” on April 8, and his mother had a stroke on the same day as his procedure. He said on April 17 that his wife and mother were doing better, as was he. Mullin’s son, Andrew, however, was facing a different health challenge — one that the senator said in a video on Tuesday that he had been dealing with since January. “Andrew has been dealing with something a little different since January,” the senator said while standing next to his son in a video posted on Tuesday. “He was at practice at OU and um —” “[I] had a severe side pain and had to go to the E.R. and get checked out,” Andrew said. The University of Oklahoma wrestler explained that he had fluid in his lungs and some “growth spots” that kept getting worse. MAYO CLINIC SEES AI AS ‘TRANSFORMATIVE FORCE’ IN HEALTH CARE, APPOINTS DR. BHAVIK PATEL AS CHIEF AI OFFICER Since the video on Tuesday, Mullin has shared updates on his social media almost daily, if not more often. The day after sharing the health statuses of himself, his wife, his mother and his son, Mullin shared that the Mayo Clinic had ruled out cancer as a possible reason for the growth spots in Andrew’s lungs. “Senator Mullin is at the Mayo Clinic this week supporting his son, Andrew, as he undergoes rigorous testing. The senator’s priorities are clear: God, Family, and everybody else,” a spokesperson for Mullin told Fox News Digital. Mullin has thanked the public for their prayers in multiple posts about his family’s health challenges.