Fox News Politics Newsletter: Fed Funding Plan Faltering?
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… –Newsom’s ties to CCP under microscope in new book exposing alleged corruption: ‘Fleeced American citizens’ -Trump’s eighth week in office set to continue breakneck level of actions, rallying GOP to avoid shutdown -How ‘judge shopping’ is shaping the legal fights against President Trump’s agenda in federal court As the deadline to avert a partial government shutdown approaches and President Donald Trump urges Republicans to support passage of a funding measure, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has declared that he will oppose the proposal. “Unless I get a lobotomy Monday that causes me to forget what I’ve witnessed the past 12 years, I’ll be a NO on the CR this week. It amazes me that my colleagues and many of the public fall for the lie that we will fight another day,” Massie declared in a Sunday post on X. President Donald Trump has urged Republicans to pass the measure…Read more ‘NO CREDIBLE ACTION’: Trump admin makes ‘backlog of complaints’ of antisemitism from Biden administration an ‘immediate priority’ ‘LEAVE NOW’: Trump admin rolls out new app to replace CBP One, encourage self-deportations ‘FINANCIAL BURDEN’: New study reveals ‘staggering’ scope of how much DEI was infused into government under Biden DISASTER SHIFT: Trump to sign disaster relief order putting states, localities in the driver’s seat of catastrophe response ‘FIRED’ UP: WH lambasts ‘head-in-the-sand’ liberal prosecutors after 20 AGs sue to halt DOGE cuts MAXIMUM PRESSURE: Trump admin ends waiver allowing Iraq to buy Iranian electricity as part of ‘maximum pressure’ campaign ‘PURE EVIL’: Social media explodes at Sanders for hosting trans musician who sang ‘pure evil’ song at anti-Trump rally TRUMP CARD: Dems weaponize Medicaid anxiety in bid to take down Trump-backed federal funding plan GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LOOMS: Days from partial government shutdown deadline, here’s where things stand EMOTIONAL RETURN: Sole Cuban-born congressman talks emotional return to island as part of congressional GITMO CODEL DISSING DOGE: ‘Hurting people to help themselves’: Dem senator disses DOGE’s CFPB cuts ‘GOING ON THE OFFENSE’: AOC ‘going on the offense’ to rally red-district voters against Trump: report PECULIAR PAIRING: Freedom Caucus member Anna Paulina Luna joins AOC to push 10% credit card interest rate cap proposal MAIL FAIL: DOGE lawmakers look to defund Biden’s anemic-paced $3B EV postal truck ‘boondoggle’ ‘KICK IN THE PANTS’: Pentagon losing cutting edge on weapons innovation, needs ‘massive kick in the pants,’ say defense leaders ‘HISTORIC REFORM’: Sec Rubio says purge of USAID programs complete with 83% gone, remainder now falling under State Dept LIFE AND TAXES: New Missouri bill would let residents donate to pregnancy centers instead of paying any taxes ‘CAUSE A CONFRONTATION’: CA sheriff blasts media ‘fearmongering’ and warns activists they will get people ‘hurt’ by defying ICE 2028 SPECULATION: Democrat governor to headline top party fundraiser in key presidential primary state stoking 2028 speculation SCHOOL SAFETY: Arkansas public school students will soon be required to take gun safety courses SPACE FOR SAVINGS: NASA shutters DEI office as Trump admin downsizes federal agencies KASH ON DELIVERY: FBI Director Patel working ‘aggressively’ to comply with congressional record requests ahead of deadlines STAMP OF APPROVAL: Conservative intellectual, National Review founder Bill Buckley honored on new U.S. Postal Service stamps POLITICAL BAGGAGE: Scandal-scarred former Gov Andrew Cuomo is the frontrunner in NYC mayoral race Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Judge blocks anti-Israel Columbia agitator Mahmoud Khalil from deportation as politicians come to his defense
A federal judge in Manhattan ruled that anti-Israel agitator Mahmoud Khalil is not to be deported “unless and until the Court orders otherwise,” on Monday. Khalil, who led anti-Israel protests and encampments on Columbia University’s campus, was taken into custody on the Upper West Side in New York City on Saturday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that he was a former Columbia graduate student who “led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.” The judge ordered a hearing for Wednesday. This after Khalil’s lawyer argued their client had been detained illegally and should be released. Politicians have also spoken out in defense of Khalil. “Squad” member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., criticized his arrest, calling the incident an “egregious violation of constitutional rights.” ICE AGENTS ARREST ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST WHO LED PROTESTS ON COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CAMPUS FOR MONTHS In a post published to Instagram on Sunday, Tlaib wrote that it was “dangerous to allow our government to target people based on political speech,” and warned that “more targeting of students like this will happen.” “Everyone should be concerned about this,” Tlaib said in the Instagram video. The Michigan congresswoman also addressed the reports about Khalil having a student visa revoked after his lawyer said he was a legal permanent resident. “They were revoking his student visa, well, guess what? He doesn’t have a student visa,” Tlaib claimed. “He’s a green card holder. Legal permanent resident.” “Now, again, they proceed to engage the attorney… he or she asked for a warrant, they hung up on them,” she continued. “If you believe in constitutional rights, you understand that they’re targeting this person. And everyone knows he has been very vocal against the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and they’re targeting him and refusing him constitutional rights. Who’s next?” In an X post on Monday, New York State Attorney General Letitia James echoed Tlaib’s concerns. COLUMBIA’S ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS SAY TRUMP PULLING $400M IN GRANTS FROM UNIVERSITY IS A ‘SCARE TACTIC’ “I am extremely concerned about the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, an advocate and legal permanent resident of Palestinian descent,” James’s post read. “My office is monitoring the situation, and we are in contact with his attorney.” Khalil’s attorney, Amy E. Greer, released a statement claiming that her client was “wrongfully arrested.” “Last night ICE agents wrongfully arrested Mahmoud Khalil, claiming his student visa was revoked – even though Mahmoud is legal permanent resident (green card) and not in the U.S. on a student visa,” Greer’s Sunday statement read. “Confronted with that fact, the ICE agents detained him anyway.” President Donald Trump, however, said that Khalil’s apprehension was “the first arrest of many to come” in a recent social media post. “We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Many are not students, they are paid agitators,” he added. “We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again.” Fox News Digital reached out to Tlaib’s office for additional comment. According to ICE, Khalil is being held at the Lasalle Detention facility in Louisiana. Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
Texas Senate panel sends message to Trump: Get our water from Mexico
Farmers and elected officials told a Senate committee Monday that the lack of water is becoming dire, with little relief in sight.
GOP lawmaker takes victory lap after Dem mayor reportedly agrees to donate ‘secret’ gifts to charities
A Republican lawmaker is taking a victory lap after the mayor of Chicago reportedly agreed to donate the contents of a “secret gift room” to charity, days after he was grilled about it at a House hearing. “Just days after I forced corrupt @ChicagosMayor to answer for his secret gift room, he’s making the gifts public. They are now being donated to charity,” Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, said on X. “Chicago is a Sanctuary City that harbors criminal illegal aliens who are terrorizing the American people. Mayor Brandon Johnson has been a major proponent and defender of Sanctuary cities,” Gill continued. “At the same time, he was accepting luxurious gifts from undisclosed sources.” Gill had quizzed Mayor Brandon Johnson about gifts he received, including Hugo Boss cuff links and a personalized Montblanc pen, at a House Oversight Committee hearing on sanctuary cities last week. CHICAGO ALDERMAN SAYS MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON CAN’T DEFEND SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES: ‘LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER’ “I did not receive those personally, the city of Chicago received those,” Johnson said. “Those are not my personal gifts, those are the gifts of the city of Chicago, and that’s why you’re aware they exist.” After that hearing, ABC7 Chicago reported on what it described as “the mayor’s gift room.” Gifts included a Kate Spade woman’s handbag, T-shirts and coffee mugs, some of which predate Johnson taking office. Others included a signed Chicago Bulls jersey and a NASCAR race suit. The outlet reported that all the items are now categorized on a city website that lists when they were given and by whom. The gifts will be donated to charities on a rotating basis and the mayor’s office is opening the gift room to the public one day per quarter by appointment, the outlet reported. ICE ARREST OF MIGRANT SPARKS ANGER PROTEST BEFORE VIOLENT GANG TIES EXPOSED The questioning came after a critical Chicago inspector general report, which criticized a lack of transparency and reported that 70% of gifts had no record of the identity of who provided the gifts. The room contained more than 300 gifts. “When gifts are changing hands—perhaps literally—in a windowless room in City Hall, there is no opportunity for oversight and public scrutiny of the propriety of such gifts, the identities and intentions of the gift-givers, or what it means for gifts like whiskey, jewelry, handbags, and size 14 men’s shoes to be accepted ‘on behalf of the City,’” the report said. The city didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Gill linked the room to the ongoing controversy surrounding “sanctuary” cities, which limit the ability of state and local enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “While this new-found transparency is welcome, it isn’t enough. Sanctuary city policies must end now. Our elected officials have a duty to American citizens, not illegal aliens,” he said.
Senators launch bipartisan effort to allow benefits for families of fallen retired police officers
FIRST ON FOX: A bipartisan pair of senators are teaming up to pass “commonsense legislation” that ensures the families of former law enforcement officers who are killed in retirement are protected by benefits. Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., introduced the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act, shared first with Fox News Digital, on Monday to amend the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program and make families of former law enforcement officers eligible to receive benefits if the former officer is killed or permanently disabled after retirement. The legislation is named after Chief Herbert D. Proffitt, a retired officer who was shot and killed in his driveway by someone he had arrested decades prior. GOP SENATOR REVEALS STRATEGY TO PUSH TRUMP’S POLICIES THROUGH CONGRESS: ‘I BELIEVE IN THE AGENDA’ Despite serving in law enforcement for 55 years, Proffitt’s family members were denied benefits since he had retired prior to the attack. “When a law enforcement officer is killed because of the work they did to keep our communities safe, it’s our responsibility to make sure their family is cared for,” Cortez Masto, a former law enforcement official, said in a statement. “I’m proud to introduce this critical piece of commonsense legislation to right the wrong Chief Proffitt’s family experienced and make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.” The amendment would also apply to claims by former law enforcement officers who retired on or after Jan. 1, 2012. EX-DEM SENATOR JON TESTER LINKS HIS 2024 LOSS TO KAMALA HARRIS’ POOR PERFORMANCE IN HIS STATE “The loss of Chief Herbert D. Proffitt is a tragic reminder of the risk that follows our finest every day of their lives,” McConnell said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “This legislation plugs an important hole, ensuring the Proffitt family – and others like them – are supported and assured that the service and sacrifice of their loved ones are never forgotten,” the senator said. The bill is endorsed by several police advocacy groups, including the Fraternal Order of Police, the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers, the Kentucky Sheriffs’ Association, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation and Supporting Heroes. A mirrored version of the bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House last month by Reps. Andy Barr, R-Ky., and Dan Goldman, D-N.Y.
Walz reveals the missteps he saw with Harris campaign amid postmortem media blitz
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the failed 2024 vice presidential candidate, conducted a postmortem on his 2024 campaign with former Vice President Kamala Harris, determining the Democrats played it too safe during the cycle. “We shouldn’t have been playing this thing so safe,” Walz told Politico in an interview published Saturday. He added: “I think we probably should have just rolled the dice and done the town halls, where (voters) may say, ‘You’re full of s—, I don’t believe in you.’ I think there could have been more of that.” Walz joined Harris on the Democratic ticket in August 2024, just days after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July amid mounting concerns over the commander in chief’s mental acuity and as Harris moved to pick up the mantle at the top of the ticket. The Harris campaign had just more than 100 days between Biden dropping out and rallying support for the Harris-Walz ticket on Nov. 5. FAILED VP CANDIDATE TIM WALZ SKEWERED AFTER HINTING AT POTENTIAL 2028 PRESIDENTIAL RUN The Trump-Vance ticket swept the battleground states on election night, catapulting them to victory with 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226. Walz has been on a media blitz in recent days, including speaking with the New Yorker, joining MSNBC ahead of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress, speaking at the South By Southwest film festival on Saturday and teeing up an interview on California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast. TIM WALZ SAYS LOSING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS ‘PURE HELL,’ ADMITS DEMS ARE ‘FATIGUED’ IN MSNBC INTERVIEW Walz argued that Democrats “are more cautious” in engaging with the media than Republicans, while adding that he felt as if the campaign was never ahead, comparing it to a “prevent defense” strategy during a football game. “In football parlance, we were in a prevent defense to not lose when we never had anything to lose because I don’t think we were ever ahead,” he said, which bolsters reporting following the election that internal Democratic polling showed Harris lagging behind Trump in the lead-up to Nov. 5. Walz took ownership for the party’s loss in 2024, telling the outlet that “when you’re on the ticket and you don’t win, that’s your responsibility.” TIM WALZ ADMITS HE WAS SURPRISED BY ELECTION DEFEAT: ‘THOUGHT THE COUNTRY WAS READY’ A handful of former presidential campaign staffers who spoke to the outlet under the condition of anonymity relayed that Walz wasn’t presented to voters in an effective manner, and was instead kept in a “box,” which they said compounded the Harris–Walz loss to the Trump–Vance ticket. “He was underutilized and that was the symptom of the larger campaign of decision paralysis and decision logjam at the top,” one former senior Harris aide told the outlet. “Could he have changed a percent in Wisconsin? Maybe. We still lose even if we win Wisconsin.” Walz was put “in a box,” and “we didn’t use him the way we could’ve,” the aide added. “The world seemed to want more Tim Walz, and there were times when I wish they could’ve gotten more Tim Walz,” Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said, adding that he “wished they would’ve put [Walz] out there more.” TIM WALZ THOUGHT HIS LACK OF WEALTH WAS ‘REAL FLEX’ AGAINST TRUMP: ‘HOW… DID WE LOSE TO A BILLIONAIRE?’ “By the time they finally let him do anything at all, it’s like 20 days left, and he’s doing four states a day, and there’s only so much you could do,” another former staffer said of Walz. “It was too short.” The aides argued that Walz faced a steep battle ahead of his debate against then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance, remarking that he was “super nervous” and “in his own head” while preparing to face the Trump running mate on the stage. “It looked as if Vance was the conductor and Walz was following the script,” longtime Democrtic strategist David Axelrod told Politico of the VP debate. “I don’t think that was the reason they lost, but that was not helpful either.” ‘DOOMED’: EXPERTS SAY THIS CRUCIAL CAMPAIGN DECISION LED TO VP HARRIS’ ‘DISASTROUS’ DEFEAT Walz reportedly carried campaign flubs heavily on his mind, while some aides argued that the Harris campaign “didn’t do enough to punch back” against criticisms and defend Walz, such as when he falsely claimed he carried guns while in war. Walz joined the Army National Guard in 1981 and retired in 2005, but never saw combat. “This was a guy who definitely was embarrassed by his flubs, didn’t handle them well, and seemed like there was a never-ending supply of them, so that was part of the issue of getting him out there everywhere,” a former Harris staffer told Politico. “I don’t look back on that campaign and think that the way we used Walz was a critical error.” Walz revealed in an interview with the New Yorker, published March 2, that he is open to a potential presidential run in 2028, which was met with mockery by conservatives on social media earlier in March. Walz reiterated in his Politico interview that he is “not saying no” to a potential 2028 presidential run if the opportunity should present itself. “I’m staying on the playing field to try and help because we have to win,” Walz said. “And I will always say this, I will do everything in my power [to help], and as I said, with the vice presidency, if that was me, then I’ll do the job.” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for additional comment on his remarks and did not immediately receive a reply.
Scoop: Trump presses GOP rebels ahead of critical government shutdown vote
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump is making calls on Monday to potential holdouts on a plan to avoid a government shutdown at the end of this week, a White House official confirmed to Fox News digital. Three sources have said Trump world is making calls to Capitol Hill ahead of the late Tuesday afternoon vote. Two senior House Republicans said they expected Trump to speak directly with critics of the bill sometime before the vote on Tuesday. DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY REBUKE PARTY MEMBERS WHO JEERED TRUMP DURING SPEECH TO CONGRESS: REPORT The House and Senate must pass a bill and get it to Trump’s desk before the end of Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown. Two sources said Trump aides have been in contact with lawmakers who could vote against the bill, while the third source said the White House has also phoned reliable “yes” votes to ensure Republicans will “show a unified front” during the vote. “I’m sure the president is making calls,” one senior House Republican told Fox News Digital. But as of late afternoon Monday, the pressure campaign has not reached every House GOP lawmaker with doubts. One GOP lawmaker who said they were undecided about the bill said they had not heard from the White House, nor House leadership. The legislation is a rough extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding levels known as a “continuing resolution” (CR). Republicans have traditionally rejected CRs in droves, frequently advocating for “regular order” involving 12 annual appropriations bills crafted by Congress. But unlike with previous CR votes, House Democratic leaders have signaled that the left will not vote against shutting down the government en masse as usual over the last two years. Democratic leaders have accused Republicans of using the CR to pave the way for Trump and Elon Musk to carry out their Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts — something conservatives are using as an argument to their own colleagues in favor of the bill. It’s possible at least several moderate Democrats running in competitive races next year will vote to avoid a shutdown, but Republicans are expected to largely shoulder the burden on their own. At least one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is already opposed. He wrote on X, “Unless I get a lobotomy Monday that causes me to forget what I’ve witnessed the past 12 years, I’ll be a NO on the CR this week.” It’s not immediately clear if the White House has made any private overtures to Massie for his vote, and his spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment. GOLDMAN SACHS HIGHLIGHTS TARIFF WARS WINNERS AND LOSERS Former Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita, however, responded to him with a pointed message on X, “Tick tock Tommie.” Meanwhile, a third House Republican, who said it “wouldn’t surprise” them if Trump was making calls, was frustrated at what they saw as repetitive political theater by dissenters. “You’ve got these handful of members that see themselves as the ‘purists,’ and if we all just shared their vision, all of the problems we faced would magically disappear. This act is getting old!” the House Republican said. “Can you imagine if we just shut down the government during a unified government because we can’t get an agreement out of the House?” Fox News Digital reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson’s office and the White House for comment but did not hear back by press time. House Republicans released the text of their 99-page continuing resolution on Saturday. Trump was previously credited with helping get House Republicans’ framework for a massive conservative budget overhaul over the line after lengthy phone calls with two holdouts, Reps. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., and Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.
Randi Weingarten says quiet part out loud: Fears Ed Dept closure will boost school choice funds
Teachers’ union boss Randi Weingarten said during a recent podcast appearance that she is fearful President Donald Trump’s plans to terminate the Department of Education will mean more funding for school choice vouchers, which she decried as a “tax credit” for wealthy families already sending their kids to private school. Weingarten’s comments came during a podcast interview with Molly Jong-Fast, who spoke with her about the implications of Trump’s spending reforms, particularly his plan to terminate the Department of Education. Weingarten stated that cutting the department’s roughly $100 billion in funding will primarily benefit tax cuts for the wealthy or – “equally pernicious” – be redirected to states as “block grants.” “We know, for example, what Texas would do,” Weingarten told Jong-Fast. “They’ll use it for vouchers. So they won’t give [federal funding] to the kids who have it now, they’ll just give it for vouchers.” THREE MORE STATES JOIN TREND OF PASSING UNIVERSAL SCHOOL CHOICE “And frankly, what we are seeing in all the programs now – in terms of vouchers – they don’t work for kids,” Weingarten continued. “They basically go right now – it becomes a tax credit for people who already are sending their kids to private schools. So it’s income redistribution.” Trump has not taken any formal action to dismantle the the department, but media reports have signaled he is close to signing an executive order directing his education secretary, Linda McMahon, to begin the process. Last month, the president mused during a press conference from the Oval Office that the Education Department was “a big con job” that needed to be shut down “immediately.” Alongside his anticipated executive action to dismantle the department Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 29 to expand “educational freedom” for families through various school choice programs, including vouchers. “We’re fighting to protect our kids and protect that funding and not let Donald Trump or Elon Musk glom it off for tax cuts for billionaires or for block grants for vouchers,” Weingarten responded after Jong-Fast asked what she and her union, the American Federation of Teachers, was doing to combat Trump. Weingarten added that regardless of whether you are a Republican or Democrat, ensuring American families have the economic and educational opportunities to achieve the American Dream, should be a priority. TRUMP CUTS MORE THAN $400 MILLION IN GRANTS TO COLUMBIA OVER ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS, POTENTIALLY MORE TO COME “We all have to do a lot more to help make sure that families in America have what they need for a quality of life, for entry into the middle class,” Weingarten said. However, while Weingarten may be of the belief that school choice funding, in particular for vouchers, does not benefit the economic and educational opportunities of Americans, others disagree with that notion. Rachel Langan, a senior education policy analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation, a public policy think-tank based in Pennsylvania, said “simply spending more money” is not an answer to the deficiencies within the U.S. education system. “Pennsylvania already dedicates more than $37 billion to public schools, more than $22,000 per student. Yet, the latest U.S. Department of Education data shows that 69% of Pennsylvania eighth-grade students aren’t proficient at math, and an equal 69% cannot read at grade level – despite a $4.1 billion increase in state education spending in the last four years,” Langan said in a statement following Trump’s executive order directing the federal government to prioritize school choice funding. TRUMP ADMIN TACKLING BIDEN ‘BACKLOG’ OF CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM COMPLAINTS: ‘IMMEDIATE PRIORITY’ “Parents need more educational options, as evidenced by the continued waiting lists for charter schools and for the state’s tax credit scholarship programs, which serve large numbers of low-income families zoned to attend low-achieving public schools.” “The time is now for school choice in every state,” the American Federation for Children, a nonprofit that advocates for school choice, added following Trump’s order. “For a generation, our nation’s education system has been held hostage by bureaucrats and schooling unions who care only about preserving their own power, not the needs of American students.” Since Trump’s executive order boosting school choice funding, a handful of states have introduced legislation to make these programs more widely available. In total, 14 states have passed universal school choice bills. Fox News Digital reached out to the American Federation of Teachers and Weingarten for comment, but did not hear back prior to publication.
Former Iraqi refugee living in Texas pleads guilty to conspiring to support ISIS
A former Iraqi refugee pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State group, according to the Justice Department. Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi, 28, pleaded guilty to creating and developing logos for ISIS’ media wing, known as the Kalachnikov team, and sending hacking videos and instructions to ISIS members between 2015 and 2020, the Justice Department announced Friday. He also pleaded guilty to providing stolen credit card information and creating fraudulent identity documents for the designated terrorist group. Alqaysi, currently a legal permanent resident in Richmond, Texas, will remain in custody until his June 5 sentencing. He faces up to 20 years behind bars and up to $250,000 in fines. JD VANCE CLASHES WITH CBS ANCHOR OVER UNVETTED REFUGEES: ‘I DON’T WANT THAT PERSON IN MY COUNTRY’ The guilty plea comes after the Trump administration has moved to crack down on the vetting of refugees. For example, President Donald Trump signed executive orders in January suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and ramping up vetting of refugees “to the maximum degree possible,” particularly those “from regions or nations with identified security risks.” One of the orders, known as the Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program, instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to admit refugees to the U.S. on a “case by case basis” if the alien does not pose a national security threat to the U.S. Additionally, Vice President JD Vance voiced concerns about the vetting process for refugees in January, and said in an interview with CBS anchor Margaret Brennan that the U.S. shouldn’t “unleash thousands of unvetted people into our country.” Specifically, Vance pointed to an Afghan national arrested in October 2024 on charges of conspiring to conduct a terrorist attack on Election Day on behalf of ISIS, according to the Justice Department. NEW SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO PAUSES REFUGEE OPERATIONS, RAMPS UP VISA VETTING “I don’t agree that all these immigrants, or all these refugees have been properly vetted,” Vance told Brennan. “In fact, we know that there are cases of people who allegedly were properly vetted and then were literally planning terrorist attacks in our country. That happened during the campaign, if you may remember. So, clearly, not all of these foreign nationals have been properly vetted.” A spokesperson for Vance did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about Alqaysi’s guilty plea. Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
Republican who backed bipartisan border bill warns of ‘loopholes’ despite record-low border encounters
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital he still believes the bipartisan border bill was necessary to secure the border, despite President Donald Trump achieving record-low border encounters through executive action. In February, U.S. Border Patrol recorded the lowest monthly total of migrant apprehensions on the U.S. southern border in at least 25 years. There were 8,326 southern border encounters in February 2025, down from 189,913 in February 2024. “Same law, same opportunities. Obviously, very different applications of the law,” Lankford said. “We had one day last week, there were less than 200 people [who] even tried to illegally cross the border. You go back to a year and a half ago, that number was 12,000 a day. So dramatic difference in application.” Lankford said the combination of Trump’s rhetoric and policies has led to the stark drop in illegal border crossings. But the Oklahoma senator said Trump wouldn’t need to play so much “catch-up ball” if the bipartisan border bill was passed under President Joe Biden’s administration. NEW REPORT REVEALS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT POPULATION HIT NEW HIGH DURING BIDEN-ERA CRISIS “We had a million additional people that came into the country in 2024 that would not have been in the country, if we would have passed that bill,” Lankford said. Lankford, who led the Republican charge to pass the bipartisan border bill, said it would have required the Biden administration to exercise their “legal authority” and create new authorities to secure the border. And even with the record-low number of border crossings, Lankford told Fox News Digital that border security requires legislative action to make a lasting impact. ‘LEAVE NOW’: TRUMP ADMIN REPURPOSES CONTROVERSIAL CBP ONE APP TO ENCOURAGE SELF-DEPORTATIONS “It’ll be the challenge in the days ahead. There are still gaps in the law. There are still loopholes there. And I would anticipate within two or three years the cartels will test it, test it, test it, test it. See if they can find a way to make a breakthrough. We saw this in the first Trump administration. The first two years, the numbers were down. But in 2019, there were almost a million people that illegally crossed that year under the Trump administration in the third year, because the cartels were testing, testing, testing, trying to find loopholes in the law… that challenge will come again,” Lankford said. Lankford said the first step was Trump applying the law by enforcing border security, and next is closing legislative “loopholes.” “When we see the loopholes, close those because President Trump’s going to be president for four years. We don’t know who’s to be president five years from now. We’re going to have the same issue again. If we don’t fix those gaps in the law, then we’re going to have this issue come up again. So if you want to fix it, it’s not just elect somebody for four years. It’s fix the law, so we never have to deal with this again. That’s what I was trying to do, was to be able to stop the chaos that was already happening in 2014, and then to say no matter who is president in the future, we’re going to enforce this law,” Lankford said. Lankford has supported border security legislation since he was a representative for Oklahoma’s fifth congressional district. He supported the Secure the Southwest Border Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2014, which was designed to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enhance resources for unaccompanied minors on the southern border. As senator, Lankford was the lead Republican negotiator on the Border Act of 2024, more commonly known as the bipartisan border bill. Lankford collaborated with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., to introduce the legislation early last year. The bill sought to deter illegal border crossings through a quota system, tighten asylum application processes, increase border patrol agents on the ground, create work visas for migrant spouses of U.S. citizens and develop pathways to citizenship for “documented dreamers.” Lankford’s Republican colleagues blocked the bipartisan border bill from passing in the Senate. Trump reportedly opposed the bill for not going far enough to secure the border and for the political victory it would have granted President Joe Biden and the Democrats on border security. Lankford has continued to defend the legislation, despite the Oklahoma Republican Party censuring him for aligning too closely with the Democrat’s agenda in championing the bill. The bill became a political fixture of the 2024 presidential campaign, as Democrats up and down the ballot blamed Trump and Republicans for blocking legislation that would have increased border security. Meanwhile, Republicans blamed President Joe Biden’s policies for the illegal immigration surge. A new report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) found there were more than 18 million illegal immigrants in the United States following the Biden administration. The population of illegal immigrants in the United States grew by 4.1 million or 18.2% since December 2020, the report found. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to secure the border on day one of his administration. He signed a series of border security executive actions on the first day of his second term, including declaring a national emergency on the southern border. Fox News Voter Analysis found that the economy and immigration were the top issues for voters in 2024. Nearly half (47%) of voters in 2024 said immigrants living in the U.S. illegally should be deported rather than given a chance to apply for legal status, and 68% favored reducing the number of immigrants allowed to seek asylum at the border.