Migrant lawyers claim Trump is deporting without ‘due process,’ but what does that mean?
Lawyers for Venezuelan men facing deportation told the Supreme Court on Monday that the Trump administration is defying its order by failing to give proper notice, violating their due process rights under the Constitution. The Supreme Court issued a ruling in a separate case on April 7, allowing the Trump administration to continue its deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA), proving a significant victory for President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. The justices noted that the deportations could continue so long as the AEA detainees received proper notice. “More specifically, in this context, AEA detainees must receive notice after the date of this order that they are subject to removal under the Act,” the opinion reads. “The notice must be afforded within a reasonable time and in such a manner as will allow them to actually seek habeas relief in the proper venue before such removal occurs.” Due process is a constitutional principle that ensures fairness in legal and administrative proceedings, which includes giving proper notice and an opportunity to be heard in a timely manner by an impartial tribunal. The Supreme Court pointed to Reno v. Flores, a 1993 Supreme Court case, in writing, ‘”It is well established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process of law’ in the context of removal proceedings.” GORSUCH, ROBERTS SIDE WITH LEFT-LEANING SUPREME COURT JUSTICES IN IMMIGRATION RULING “So, the detainees are entitled to notice and opportunity to be heard ‘appropriate to the nature of the case,’” the Court wrote, citing another Supreme Court precedent. Former Palm Beach County, Florida, state attorney Dave Aronberg told Fox News Digital the high court has purposefully avoided “precise language” when issuing such opinions, leaving the lower courts to concretely delineate what proper due process looks like in these cases. “Chief Justice [John] Roberts is trying to get unanimity within the Supreme Court,” Aronberg said. “He wants everyone on the same page. And he also wants to avoid a constitutional crisis with the executive branch. So with all these competing interests in mind, he’s trying to be more conciliatory than confrontational with the White House. But that can only go so far.” Aronberg said that “we may see stronger language going forward from the high court” as the legal challenges proceed. TWO FEDERAL JUDGES MAY HOLD TRUMP IN CONTEMPT AS HE DEFIES COURTS IN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN In its Monday filing, plaintiff attorneys argued the notice given to the detainees was “inadequate” in light of the high court’s order. The attorneys wrote that the notice provided was in English, “even though putative class members largely speak only Spanish,” and that it “did not inform” the individuals about how to contest their designation and removal under the AEA, or provide a timeline on how to do so. They argued the notice provided “comes nowhere near satisfying the Court’s directive” issued on April 7. “Whatever due process may require in this context, it does not allow removing a person to a possible life sentence without trial, in a prison known for torture and other abuse, a mere 24 hours after providing an English-only notice form (not provided to any attorney) that gives no information about the person’s right to seek judicial review, much less the process or timeline for doing so,” the filing reads. DETAINED MIGRANTS GIVEN AS FEW AS 12 HOURS TO CONTEST DEPORTATION UNDER ALIEN ENEMIES ACT, ICE DOCUMENT SAYS “The government cannot plausibly claim that 12 hours is sufficient notice, which could be the reason they tried to keep it from the public and other courts addressing the notice issue, including the U.S. Supreme Court,” ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt, lead counsel in the case, told Fox News Digital in a statement. Lora Ries, Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that she expects these deportation cases to “bounce up and down the court system” as litigants work within the confines the Supreme Court specified in its April 7 opinion. “For now, the Supreme Court is relying on, if there’s going to be a habeas suit, it’s going to be in the U.S. District Court and then that judge is going to have to rule,” Ries explained. “And I’m sure there will be appeals and some or all of it may end up back at the Supreme Court.” Aronberg noted that due process procedures may vary across the district courts as they juggle the various lawsuits. However, both he and Ries said the issue will likely end up in the high court’s hands once again. “It is possible that some courts require notice to be in writing and in the native language of the deportee, whereas others could possibly accept less stringent notice requirements,” Aronberg said. “Ultimately, it will lead back to the Supreme Court to dictate what is required.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Ries also said that proceedings will differ in non-AEA cases, saying individuals sought to be removed in those contexts would undergo different types of removals. “Immigration proceedings are civil proceedings. So you are not innocent until proven guilty,” Reis said. “It doesn’t apply here. You don’t have a right to a public defender. You can have a deportation immigration attorney, but you, the taxpayer, is not paying for it like a public defender.” Fox News’ Shannon Bream, Bill Mears and Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Is AOC Rehearsing for a White House Run?
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… -Ex-GOP congressman George Santos faces up to 87 months in prison in federal fraud case –Stacey Abrams considers 3rd run for Georgia governor despite back-to-back defeats –Luigi Mangione heads to federal court as DOJ debuts death penalty ‘shift’: ex-federal prosecutor Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has crisscrossed the United States with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, and Americans are speculating about whether the New York Democrat is launching a shadow campaign for president. Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign account posted a video on X this week that invigorated those rumors as the four-term Democrat from New York City and a progressive leader proclaimed, “We are one.” “I’m a girl from the Bronx,” Ocasio-Cortez said on a campaign-style stage in Idaho. “To be welcomed here in this state, all of us together, seeing our common cause, this is what this country is all about.” …READ MORE POLLING PROBLEM: Judge blocks Trump election order despite overwhelming American support for voter ID POISON IVY: Trump brands Harvard ‘antisemitic’ and a ‘threat to democracy’ amid funding battle DEAL OR DUEL: Trump says he’ll be ‘leading the pack’ to war with Iran if deal prospects whither away CROSSED WIRES: Trump says China’s Xi called him amid ongoing confusion over trade talks ‘IMPORTANT STEPS’: Trump admin cheers ‘important steps’ as Paraguay targets Iran and its terror proxies MOVING FORWARD: Russia ‘ready to make a deal’ on Ukraine war, Lavrov says ART OF DIPLOMACY: Putin gifted Trump portrait of the US president, Russian artist reveals mystery painting: report CAR BOMBING: Russian general killed in Moscow-area car bombing, investigators say MIXED LEGACY: Pope Francis held line on gender ideology, had welcoming posture to LGBT community THE OLD GUARD: 80-year-old Democrat senator says elderly lawmakers should leave ‘before they’re carried out’ ANTISEMITISM DEBATE: Schumer, Schiff accuse Trump of exploiting antisemitism to punish universities STICKING UP: ICE argues warrantless arrest of Mahmoud Khalil was legal NO OBJECTION: REAL ID sees nationwide state government compliance ahead of deadline, but it wasn’t always that way CLASS IN SESSION: California floats plan to allow homeless students to sleep in their cars amid housing crisis PARADISE LOST: Democrat-run Los Angeles failing wildfire victims’ rebuilding plans months after Trump visit: GOP rep ‘GOOD RIDDANCE’: New York City destroys more than 3,500 seize illegal firearms in gun chipper ‘REVOLT’: DeSantis excoriates Florida House leadership amid state GOP civil war ‘PROFESSIONALLY DONE’: DHS chief Kristi Noem reveals how her purse was stolen at restaurant Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Trump says he would ‘never defy’ SCOTUS, commits to complying with courts despite flurry of legal setbacks
President Donald Trump said in an interview this week that he would “never defy” the Supreme Court and reiterated his respect for the lower district courts, comments that come as his administration tangles with various federal judges and faces accusations of defying their orders. Trump made those statements in an interview with Time magazine, published Friday, as he nears his first 100 days in office. The wide-ranging interview hit on a number of topics, including the state of the U.S. economy and Trump’s plans to enact sweeping reciprocal tariffs, which are slated to take force this summer. One of the major themes, however, was the federal courts. Trump was pressed several times by Time’s political correspondent, Eric Cortellessa, on his view of the judiciary, and whether he still commits to complying with all Supreme Court orders. “Sure, I believe in the court system,” Trump responded, adding later: “I never defy the Supreme Court. I wouldn’t do that. I’m a big believer in the Supreme Court, and have a lot of respect for the justices.” TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE ORDERS ADMINISTRATION TO RETURN SECOND DEPORTED MIGRANT Trump also said he is committed to competing with the lower courts. “Sure. All courts,” he said. The fairly innocuous exchange conceals an otherwise heated debate playing out in courtrooms across the country, as Trump lawyers have gone to bat to defend his early executive orders and halt a wave of lawsuits and emergency restraining orders aimed at blocking or restricting them. The biggest fights have been centered on the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law, to deport certain migrants to El Salvador. Trump’s use of the law has been kicked up to the Supreme Court for emergency review, most recently in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 member living in Maryland who was deported to El Salvador last month. Trump officials have acknowledged his removal was an “administrative error.” Trump officials have resisted court orders to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S., in what a federal judge in Maryland described this week as a “willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations,” including daily updates on his whereabouts and efforts to return him to U.S. soil. “The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that you have to bring back [Abrego Garcia]. You haven’t done so,” Cortellessa said, referring to a unanimous decision from the high court this month that ordered Trump to facilitate his release. “Aren’t you disobeying the Supreme Court?” he asked. Trump said in response that he had left the matter to his lawyers, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA “They feel that the order said something very much different from what you’re saying,” Trump told him. “I give them no instructions… frankly, bringing him back and retrying him wouldn’t bother me, but I leave that up to my lawyer.” Notably, Trump also told the outlet that he has not asked El Salvador President Nayib Bukele to return Abrego Garcia. Bukele traveled to Washington earlier this month to meet with Trump and other Cabinet officials at the White House. They were asked directly about Abrego Garcia during a short press availability, to which Bondi told reporters it is “up to El Salvador” whether to return him. Her remarks touched off a wave of fresh concerns and prompted U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis to order an “intense” expedited discovery process for the court to determine whether the U.S. was making good-faith attempts to secure his return. Pressed by Time magazine on why he has not made efforts to facilitate the release, or ask Bukele to release him, Trump told the outlet, “Well, because I haven’t been asked to ask him by my attorneys.” “Nobody asked me to ask him that question, except you,” Trump told Cortellessa. “But I leave that decision to the lawyers. At this moment, they just don’t want to do that. They say we’re in total compliance with the Supreme Court.”
Trump administration demands crackdown on illegal immigrants potentially taking advantage of key benefit
The United States Department of Agriculture is demanding that states ensure illegal immigrants are not using food stamps. The department wants states to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order from February that seeks improved methods to check that those in the country illegally do not receive federal benefits, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The measure is meant to crack down on fraud and serve as a safeguard because illegal immigrants are already not allowed to use SNAP benefits. Only citizens and some legal noncitizens can do so. “We’ve already made arrests in Minnesota and New York and Colorado, and we’re just getting started,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Fox News Digital in an interview. AMERICAN FARMERS HAVE A VOICE IN WASHINGTON AGAIN “We’re going to be extremely, extremely aggressive. Now, hopefully it acts as a deterrent also.” The USDA is asking states to cross-check Social Security numbers with a death master file and to use the free Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system provided by the Department of Homeland Security for noncitizens applying for the benefits, among other steps to verify immigration status. Rollins said it’s “the president’s vision to ensure that we’re being the most efficient and effective with taxpayer dollars.” SNAP RECIPIENTS MAY BE BARRED FROM JUNK FOOD PURCHASES UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP BILL “So, we think we’ll be able to cut down on billions of fraud and save the taxpayers a lot of money,” she said. John Walk, acting deputy under secretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services, wrote in a letter Thursday to state SNAP agencies, explaining the existing law. “By law, only United States citizens and certain lawfully present aliens may receive SNAP benefits. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193) established that ‘aliens within the Nation’s borders not depend on public resources to meet their needs.’ SNAP is not and has never been available to illegal aliens,” Walk wrote. The crackdown comes as there is heightened scrutiny on the eligibility of illegal immigrants for benefits, such as California’s Medicaid program that allows people to enroll without their immigration status being considered, even though it’s funded by state and federal taxpayer dollars. California Republicans have said illegal immigrants’ eligibility in the program is responsible for its insolvency, whereas Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said it’s only a factor in a larger healthcare cost issue nationwide. MILLIONS MORE FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS REQUIRED TO WORK UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP PROPOSAL “The federal government is now paying attention a lot more closely than ever before on how the states are spending the money,” Rollins said. “I am from Texas. I actually have a lot of confidence in the Texas system. I think the red states, honestly, are probably a little more intentional and careful about this. Of course, it’s the blue states that tend to want to put everyone on the taxpayers’ back. And I think that we’ll find a lot more of that moving forward, but hopefully it’s a deterrence for everyone.” Outside of immigration, SNAP has also faced calls for reform in several states to no longer allow the purchase of “junk food.” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently asked the USDA to allow the state to prohibit the purchase of candy and soda with SNAP benefits, while adding rotisserie chicken to the list of available options. “President Trump and his administration have put a laser focus on solving America’s chronic disease epidemic, and reforming our food stamp program is a great place to start,” Sanders said in a news release April 15. “Banning soda and candy from food stamps will remove some of the least healthy, most processed foods from the program and encourage low-income Arkansans to eat better.”
Trump admin launches foreign funding investigation into UC Berkeley
The Trump administration is cracking down on colleges that don’t report big foreign donations, with UC Berkeley the latest target following a Department of Education review of the California university’s foreign funding disclosures found that it “may be incomplete or inaccurate.” Education Secretary Linda McMahon ordered the agency’s legal team on Friday to take back control of enforcing a law that requires schools to disclose foreign gifts or contracts worth $250,000 or more. “The Biden-Harris Administration turned a blind eye to colleges and universities’ legal obligations by deprioritizing oversight and allowing foreign gifts to pour onto American campuses. Despite widespread compliance failures, no new Section 117 investigations were initiated for four years, and ongoing investigations were closed prematurely,” McMahon said in a statement. “I have great confidence in my Office of General Counsel to investigate these matters fully, and they will begin by thoroughly examining UC Berkeley’s apparent failure to fully and accurately disclose significant funding received from foreign sources.” YALE DROPS ALLEGED HAMAS-TIED STUDENT GROUP’S STATUS AFTER ‘DISTURBING ANTISEMITIC CONDUCT’ The investigation comes amid Trump’s growing scrutiny over foreign influence in U.S. higher education. This week, Trump signed an executive order tightening rules on how colleges report foreign funding, directing the Education Department to undo past policies that let universities “obscure details regarding their foreign funding” and to make schools fully disclose where that money comes from and what it’s for. The Department of Education said this issue gained attention after reports surfaced in 2023 that Berkeley failed to report hundreds of millions of dollars it received from China. EVEN BEFORE TRUMP’S ENGAGEMENT, HARVARD UNDERSTOOD IT HAD A REAL PROBLEM ON THE ANTISEMITISM SIDE, EXPERT SAYS In response to a federal inquiry at the time, Berkeley admitted it didn’t report $220 million received and showed it had been building a long-term financial relationship with foreign government-controlled entities, while also “misunderstanding its legal duty to disclose that funding,” the department disclosed in a news release. An Education Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital they initiated a records request into Harvard for foreign funding last week. A White House fact sheet this week cited a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report showing nearly $60 billion in foreign gifts and contracts have flowed into universities over several decades, often with little oversight. Federal officials say only a fraction of the country’s roughly 6,000 institutions report such funding. “President Trump is ending secrecy surrounding foreign funding in higher education to protect students, research, and the marketplace of ideas,” the fact sheet reads.
DHS chief Kristi Noem reveals how her purse was stolen at restaurant: ‘Professionally done’
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem revealed in a podcast this week how her purse was snatched at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., describing it as “professionally done.” The purse was taken Sunday by a White man wearing a mask, and the bag contained $3,000 in cash as well as personal documents including her passport, keys, driver’s license and a DHS badge, an agency spokesperson confirmed. “It was kind of shocking, actually, because it was sitting right by my feet. I actually felt my purse, he hooked it with his foot and drug it a few steps away and dropped a coat over it and took it,” Noem said on the “VINCE Show.” “I felt it, but I thought it was my grandkids kicking me in the legs. But it was very professionally done, and it tells that this happens all the time to people and that they live in communities where this is a danger and it reaffirms why I am here,” she added. “My job is to make sure that I do everything, every day I can to make our communities safer and President Trump recognizes that families shouldn’t have to live with any kind of violence in their lives.” NOEM’S PURSE WAS STOLEN DAYS AFTER SIMILAR INCIDENT JUST BLOCKS AWAY: REPORT A Homeland Security spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that Noem’s “entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren — she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.” Noem said during the podcast interview that she isn’t sure why she was targeted, but an investigation is ongoing. NOEM’S PURSE STOLEN WITH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DC RESTAURANT: SOURCES “I think I was a busy grandma with four grandkids under the age of 4, and I was taking care of them and feeding them food and enjoying my family, but certainly had my purse even touching my feet and that is how vulnerable people can be,” she said. “So I think we need to be aware, but also be making sure there is consequences for people like that that make a living off of harming other people,” Noem added. A woman dining with her family recently had her purse stolen in downtown Washington, D.C., just a few blocks away from the restaurant where Noem’s handbag was swiped, NBC News also reported this week. Fox News’ Cameron Arcand contributed to this report.
New report exposes how government program with eye-popping budget is failing vulnerable students
FIRST ON FOX: A new transparency report looking at a popular multibillion-dollar program in the Department of Labor has found a meager success rate, setting the stage for possible cuts amid the Trump administration’s push to slash waste. The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has released a detailed report investigating the financial performance and efficiency of the Jobs Corps Program, a federally funded residential career training and education program popular with unions and designed for eligible low-income young adults aged 16-24. The report, which analyzed 124 job centers, looked into the definitions of what constitutes “graduating” from the program and found that the average graduation rate ranges from 32% to 38%, depending on which criteria are used for a program with a budget of $1.7 billion in PY2023. The report states that the average cost per student overall came out to $49,769.53 in PY2023, and the average cost per student per program year is $79,631.25. DOGE SLASHES ‘WASTEFUL’ ‘PROBLEM-SOLVING’ CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS The average total cost per graduate ranges from $155,600 to $187,653, the report states. Additionally, once those students move through the program, the study found that they are largely being hired in minimum wage positions, with participants earning $16,695 annually on average after they leave the program. “Taxpayers deserve to know the facts and outcomes of their multi-billion-dollar investment,” ETA Acting Assistant Secretary Lori Frazier Bearden said in a statement. “This report underscores the Department’s commitment to program transparency and accountability — both of which are essential for effective oversight, informed policymaking, and maintaining public trust,” she continued. EXPERT TURNS TABLES ON DEM CRITICS AFTER MUSK ACCUSES SOCIAL SECURITY OF BEING ‘PONZI SCHEME’ In a press release, the department said after looking through the highest center costs per graduate, it found that “the 10 least efficient programs average $512,800 per graduate” and “the top 50 least efficient programs average $319,085 per graduate.” Concerns about more than the efficiency of Job Corps have been raised in recent years, including a report from the Daily Wire outlining data that shows criminals and runaway teens were often housed in Job Corps dorms, which resulted in crimes like rape, drug dealing and assault. The Department of Labor has been active in recent weeks pushing for transparency under the backdrop of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Earlier this month, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced that her department will return over $1 billion in unused COVID-era funding back to the taxpayer. In February, Fox News Digital reported that the Department of Labor will cancel a $4 million contract for DEI consultation services and training in its Jobs Corps program.
Banks Holidays: Branches to be closed for 4 days In THESE states till April 30, check details
It’s essential to keep in mind that bank holidays vary across states, and branches will be closed based on the specific regional observances.
Requiring voters to prove citizenship spurs concern that eligible Texans won’t be able to cast ballots
Democrats and other critics say Texas legislation threatens to keep citizens who can’t easily access the right documents from voting.
Schumer, Schiff accuse Trump of exploiting antisemitism to punish universities
Five Jewish Democratic senators demanded answers from President Donald Trump on the calculus behind penalizing Harvard University, its medical school and other collegiate institutions across the country under what they called the pretext of antisemitism on campus. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Sens. Adam Schiff of California, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut lambasted the president, while saying they agree on the scourge of antisemitism over time. “Dear President Trump, we write regarding your administration’s assault on universities, including threats and actions to withhold funds or otherwise punish certain institutions of higher learning, in what you claim is an effort to eliminate the very real threat of anti-Semitism on college campuses,” the Thursday letter began. “We also write as Jewish senators who have spoken out strongly against rising antisemitism here in the United States, including on college campuses, and who have called on university leaders to do more to tackle antisemitism with accountability and action in the wake of the horrific October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.” WHIP WATCH: DICK DURBIN GIVES TEARFUL GOODBYE AS DEM POWER PLAY BEGINS FOR NO 2 SENATE SPOT The quintet called Trump’s decisions to freeze funding for Harvard and focus on other schools where antisemitic behavior and protests abounded last year “broad and extra-legal attacks” — adding they were “troubled and disturbed” by his decisions. The lawmakers said Trump’s actions “seem to go far beyond combating antisemitism” and into the range of “using what is a real crisis as a pretext to attack people and institutions who do not agree with you.” Speaking of Harvard specifically, the senators said threatening to revoke the Ivy League college’s tax-exempt status and demeaning faculty as “woke, radical left idiots” goes far beyond constructive efforts to support Jewish students. “They instead seem to be aimed broadly at changing the way the university functions, exacting huge penalties in ways wholly unrelated to combating anti-Semitism, and we fear are instead aimed at undermining or even destroying these vital institutions while hiding behind claims of tackling antisemitism as a guise,” the letter said. MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE They offered an olive branch in seeking to work with Republicans on combating antisemitism, but reiterated their belief Trump’s overtures are “simply a means to an end” for the mogul to trash his ideological opposition. They called on the president to respond by Wednesday of next week with data and details as to why specific colleges were targeted for a federal funding freeze, and what the calculus was for doing so. “In the case of Harvard specifically, what specific charges had the administration made against Harvard in regards to antisemitism? Please describe your charges in specific detail, including naming specific cases and why you believe the steps that Harvard has already taken to strengthen response to antisemitism are insufficient,” they wrote. They also said Trump has targeted Harvard Medical School, lauding its cancer research in questioning that particular decision. “What is your legal justification … when almost every legal scholar has ruled that you have no basis for doing this?” they concluded. Separately, Schiff said during a debate last year that he also received several antisemitic attacks, particularly online. DURBIN SAYS ELDERLY LAWMAKERS SHOULD CONSIDER LEAVING POLITICS BEFORE THEY’RE CARRIED OUT “I take this issue very personally,” he said. “What’s happening on college campuses, I think, is terrifying.” In February, Rosen joined Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., to introduce the Antisemitism Awareness Act. “Antisemitism is on the rise across the nation, particularly on college campuses, and Congress has a responsibility to do everything in its power to fight back against this hate,” Rosen said in a statement. Schatz, who is seen as a prime potential successor to Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as Democrats’ No. 2 caucus leader, tweeted in 2023 that he opposes antisemitism and Islamophobia. “Criticism of Israel is not antisemitism. Wanting to disable Hamas is not Islamophobia. Wanting to protect civilians is neither. I may delete this once my comments become a mess,” he wrote. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Earlier this year, Schumer published a book, “Antisemitism in America: A Warning,” about his own life experiences. In a tweet about the letter, Blumenthal called antisemitism “a real & horrific threat on campuses — & must be fought — but it should not be exploited as a pretext to target universities & silence dissent.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for a response to the joint letter.