Immigration think tank cooks up scheme to use ‘snitches’ to force migrants to self-deport
An immigration think tank has proposed a unique method of aiding President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts, supplementing typical enforcement efforts by relying on “snitches” to limit the employment opportunities of illegal immigrants. The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) released a report detailing a plan to force “self-deportations” of illegal immigrants. The proposal suggests a minor amendment to the tax code aimed at punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants by allowing private citizens to sue businesses that do this, forcing them to comply with the E-Verify system and limiting the employment opportunities for migrants. The proposal, authored by Ajay Gupta, acknowledges Trump’s enforcement efforts but argues the president will be “limited in scope” when it comes to traditional deportation methods, which could be supplemented by forcing many illegal migrants to leave the country voluntarily. “Notwithstanding its ‘shock and awe,’ a forcible deportation drive is unlikely to make a dent in that vast population,” the report argues. “For this, the law against hiring these aliens would have to be strictly enforced.” TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR MASSIVE NUMBER OF VENEZUELANS AMID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN The report cites Britain’s 19th century plan to eradicate child labor as an example of the concept’s success, noting that the country was able to force compliance with labor laws even though it was limited by resources and budgetary constraints. Britain’s effort relied on private enforcement of the law, the report notes, something the U.S. proposal would also do by allowing private citizens to sue employers of illegal immigrants. “The proposal would impose a punitive tax on all who pay for the personal services or labor of unauthorized aliens and let private citizens sue to collect this tax,” the report argues. “The ubiquity of snitches, as compared to the distant possibility of government action, is likely to put the fear of God in employers. Most, if not all, would then willingly embrace E-Verify, a free online tool for verifying a prospective hire’s work-authorization status.” According to the report, the result would make it much more difficult for illegal immigrants to obtain employment, which “should induce large numbers of unauthorized aliens to return home.” The CIS proposal is not the first time such an idea has been floated in the U.S. Former Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, advocated for a similar measure during his 2012 bid for president. COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT URGES ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN US TO RETURN HOME DAYS AFTER DIPLOMATIC SPAT “The answer is self-deportation, which is people decide they can do better by going home because they can’t find work here because they don’t have legal documentation to allow them to work here,” Romney said during a Republican primary debate in 2012. Romney’s proposal was widely mocked at the time, including by Trump, who called the idea “maniacal” and “crazy,” according to a 2012 NewsMax report. But Romney’s idea also had high-profile defenders, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who now serves in Trump’s administration as secretary of state. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “I’ve never understood self-deportation, in what the governor has presented, as a policy. It’s not a policy,” Rubio said a few months after Romney’s initial proposal, according to an ABC News Report. “I think it’s an observation of what people will do in a country that’s enforcing its immigration laws.” According to the CIS report, a renewed push for self-deportation could be accomplished by amending current tax law through budget reconciliation, which would only require a simple majority vote in the Senate and potentially bypass Democratic efforts to block the legislation. “Republicans today have the legislative and executive authority to fully implement the proposal presented here. This implementation would require adding little more than some 650 words to a budget reconciliation bill. And its consequence would force all employers nationwide to comply with E-Verify,” the CIS report concluded. “If GOP lawmakers in control of both chambers of Congress refrain from even this undemanding legislative task, their electorate would be justified in concluding that they accord a higher priority to not placing even the slightest added burden on employers than they do on removing illegal aliens.”
‘Extraordinary’: Trump secures rapid-fire victories on border cooperation amid tariff push
President Donald Trump has scored a number of rapid-fire wins in his efforts to get other countries to assist the U.S. on border security, as a combination of tariff threats and diplomatic outreach appears to be pushing allies to act. On Monday, both Canada and Mexico announced new measures to assist the U.S. at their respective borders, which in turn led to the U.S. pausing the implementation of planned tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his country will be implementing a $1.3 billion border plan and will be appointing a “fentanyl czar.” He also announced new helicopters, technology and enhanced coordination with U.S. authorities. TRUMP AGREES TO PAUSE TARIFFS ON CANADA IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE BORDER ENFORCEMENT “We will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering,” Trudeau wrote. “I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million.” That came just hours before additional 25% tariffs were to take effect on Canadian goods coming into the U.S. and after a phone call between the two leaders. Hours before that call, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexico is deploying 10,000 troops to the U.S. border in exchange for a pause on similar tariffs that were going to impact Mexican goods entering the U.S. “These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country,” Trump said on Truth Social. A VICTORY FOR TRUMP’S ‘FAFO’: HOW THE WHITE HOUSE STRONG-ARMED ONE-TIME CLOSE ALLY COLOMBIA OVER IMMIGRATION Trump used tariffs in his first term to secure border agreements. The Remain-in-Mexico policy was expanded in 2019 with the agreement of Mexico after a similar threat of tariffs. A similar threat secured cooperation from Colombia last week. President Gustavo Petro had refused to accept military flights accepting Colombian nationals being deported from the U.S. Trump responded with the threat of a 25% tariffs on all goods from Colombia, a travel ban on Colombian government officials and other steep financial sanctions. He said the tariffs would reach as high as 50% by next week and insisted the migrants being sent back were “illegal criminals.” Colombia backed down the same day, and two days later accepted the first deportation flights from the U.S. Not all wins for the administration have required the threat of tariffs, however. On Saturday, Trump announced that Venezuela has agreed to accept back its nationals being deported from the U.S., something it has largely been unwilling to do. The announcement came after Trump’s envoy for special missions Ric Grenell met with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas to discuss his country accepting violent criminals deported from the United States. EL SALVADOR AGREES TO ACCEPT US DEPORTEES OF ANY NATIONALITY FOLLOWING MEETING WITH RUBIO On Tuesday, after a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele announced a safe third country that would allow for illegal immigrants facing deportation to be booked into his country’s prison system. “We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system,” Bukele wrote on X Monday night. “We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee. The fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Rubio said the Salvadoran president “has agreed to the most unprecedented, extraordinary, extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world.” “We can send them, and he will put them in his jails,” Rubio told reporters, referring to illegal immigrants behind bars in U.S. prisons. “And, he’s also offered to do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentences in the United States, even though they’re U.S. citizens or legal residents.” Bukele also said he would take back all Salvadoran MS-13 gang members in the U.S. illegally, and promised to accept and incarcerate criminal illegal aliens from any country, especially those affiliated with Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. Rubio is on his five-nation Central American tour until Thursday and is expected to make stops in Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. Fox News’ Landon Mion, Anders Hagstrom and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
If Iran attempts assassination, ‘they get obliterated’: President Trump
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday if Iran carries out his assassination, advisers will ensure that country is “obliterated.” While signing an executive order imposing maximum pressure on Tehran, the president said he left instructions if something were to happen to him. “That would be a terrible thing for them to do,” Trump said. “If they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. … There won’t be anything left.” IRAN ‘TERRIFIED’ OF TRUMP PRESIDENCY AS IRANIAN CURRENCY FALLS TO AN ALL-TIME LOW The president said former President Joe Biden “should have said that,” but did not, due to a “lack of intelligence.” The Justice Department confirmed in November it thwarted an Iranian plot to kill Trump in the weeks leading up to the presidential election. A criminal complaint filed in September noted an official in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps asked Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran, to “focus on surveilling, and, ultimately, assassinating” Trump. Shakeri immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported about 17 years ago after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction, according to the DOJ. INTELLIGENCE REPORT SAYS IRAN WILL KEEP TRYING TO KILL TRUMP REGARDLESS OF ELECTION OUTCOME He was allegedly tasked on Oct. 7, 2024 with providing a plan to kill Trump, according to authorities. Shakeri has not yet been apprehended and is believed to be living in Iran, according to the DOJ. “I’m signing this, and it’s a very powerful document, but hopefully we’re not going to have to use it,” Trump said on Tuesday. Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this story.
Lawmakers from state with most federal workers per capita warn against Trump buyout bid
Maryland lawmakers largely criticized or warned against their constituents accepting President Donald Trump’s offer to buy-out their positions or risk being part of the administration’s plans to slash the bureaucracy. Last week, the administration offered “deferred resignation” until September with full pay and benefits, while the Washington Post reported Tuesday that layoffs will be “likely” if not enough bureaucrats take the offer. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a freshman Democrat representing the Old Line State — which has the largest number of federal workers per capita — told the Baltimore Sun she is advising Marylanders against accepting the buyout deal. In a statement to AFRO News, Alsobrooks described the Trump administration’s targeting of federal workers as a “witch hunt.” “This buyout won’t just impact hardworking federal employees, it will hurt tens of millions of Americans who rely on Social Security,” said Alsobrooks, who was previously the head of government in Prince Georges County — abutting Washington, D.C. and home to much of the affected workforce. TRUMP ADMIN OFFERS BUYOUTS TO REMOTE EMPLOYEES WHO DON’T RETURN TO OFFICE Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md. — who represents a line of bedroom communities including Columbia, Elkridge and Glen Burnie — said her constituents have been coming to her expressing worry about the situation. Elfreth told Fox News Digital the buyout appears legally ambiguous and could have “dangerous implications… especially since Congress has not yet appropriated the funding necessary to carry out the president’s unsanctioned offer.” “Pushing out career federal employees will only cripple agencies and undermine essential government services — it does nothing to make government more efficient,” she said. Elfreth — who notably took over the newly un-gerrymandered Third District a judge described as a “broken-winged pterodactyl” — said she will meet with civil service groups and the government employees’ union (AFGE) in coming days. She also urged concerned federal employees to consult AFGE’s “FAQ” report on the matter. Meanwhile, Alsobrooks’ counterpart, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, urged federal workers to proceed cautiously, in remarks to the Sun. SCHUMER MOCKED FOR CORONA-AVOCADO CLIP WARNING TRUMP TARIFFS WILL HURT SUPERBOWL PARTIES Van Hollen, D-Md., said affected Marylanders have to quickly make a decision but also understand questions about whether the Trump administration has the authority to do so, or “whether they have any real plans to make good on this bargain.” Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore could not immediately be reached, and was hosting a major update on the FSK Bridge reconstruction Tuesday afternoon. But, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown slammed the buyouts in a statement, saying the terms of the “vague, so-called ‘deferred resignation’ puts federal employees in an ambiguous position and risks straining essential government resources that people across the state and country rely on to live full, healthy lives.” He called the situation the “latest attack on the government’s ability to provide vital support for Americans.” “Federal employees are hardworking and dedicated civil servants who provide critical services to the people of the United States and Maryland,” Brown said. Fox News Digital also reached out to Maryland Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and Glenn Ivey for their takes, as well. Ivey represents Prince Georges County in what is the most heavily-Democratic seat in the Maryland delegation, while Raskin — a frequent Trump foil — represents Takoma Park, Silver Spring and many of Washington, D.C.’s immediate northern suburbs. Both areas have a high concentration of federal workers. Raskin’s district is notably the one D.C. collar district to most recently host a Republican lawmaker, Rep. Connie Morella, until 2002. Ivey could not be reached while at a retreat, while Raskin’s office did not respond. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On the other side of the Potomac, House Oversight Committee ranking member Gerald Connolly, D-Va., demanded documents relating to Trump’s “deferred resignation” offer. Connolly, who, along with Rep. Donald Beyer, D-Va., represents the lion’s share of Virginia’s federal employees in Fairfax and Arlington respectively, said the buyout would “precipitate a mass exodus of the most experienced and capable federal employees, leaving our agencies severely understaffed and incapable of fulfilling their responsibilities.” Connolly warned of a “brain drain” to be felt by every American if the plan proceeds. Beyer did not respond to a request for comment. Requests for comment to Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones, D-Catonsville, and Senate President Bill Ferguson IV, D-Baltimore, also went unanswered.
Largest LAPD union slams anti-Trump protest directives, says arrests ‘should be a no-brainer’ in altercations
FIRST ON FOX: After several Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers were injured by rioters during anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles on Sunday and Monday, the department’s largest union representing most rank-and-file officers hopes the “communication break-down” will be investigated. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Los Angeles Police Protective League said “the arrest of individuals that are attacking police officers should be a no-brainer for any competent incident commander.” “Apparently, that did not happen yesterday,” they said. “When those committing violence against anyone, let alone police officers, are allowed to masquerade as peaceful protesters, it sends the wrong message and crushes officer morale,” the board said. “We hope this incident is investigated with the same vigor as past crowd control incidents were investigated and those that allowed officers to be attacked are held accountable.” BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SENDS MESSAGE TO FAR-LEFT OFFICIALS PUSHING BACK AGAINST MASS DEPORTATIONS: ‘GAME ON’ Thousands of demonstrators protesting Trump’s mass deportation program descended upon the streets of L.A. on Sunday and Monday, including clogging the 101 Freeway – one of the city’s busiest roadways – as hundreds were detained amid scuffles, but later released. Several altercations between officers and protesters took place, as some hurled objects at police who were equipped with non-lethal weapons and riot gear. While no arrests were made on Monday, LAPD Chief of Police Jim McDonnell said no stand-down order was given. “The LAPD closely monitored the situation and the Incident Commander made decisions that prioritized public and officer safety,” McDonnell said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, the incident commander on sight on Monday, Lillian Carranza, told Fox News Digital that “the minute officers were attacked it became an unlawful assembly.” Carranza did not clarify whether she gave an order for officers to not make arrests. LA FREEWAY BLOCKED BY ANTI-DEPORTATION PROTESTERS IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION “We are all for supporting the peaceful exercise of freedom of speech and assembly not when it turns violent,” she said. Part of the LAPD’s “control objectives,” as shared by Carranza, includes establishing “a visible, crowd-friendly law enforcement posture” and a “safe and secure arrival, and departure of participants when able.” Protecting life, property and facilities, as well as taking action “regarding law violators,” were also on the list. “We don’t dispute that the Chief didn’t give a stand down order, it was the misguided incident commander that did, and we believe it put officers in danger,” the LAPPL board’s statement read in part. “The investigation of this incident should focus on where the communication break-down occurred and what needs to happen going forward to keep peaceful protesters and officers safe while also holding violent individuals accountable.” A source familiar with the incident also told Fox News Digital that multiple LAPD officers were “very frustrated” by Monday’s directive and detailed confusion in the field. ‘DEPORTATION FLIGHTS HAVE BEGUN’ AS TRUMP SENDS ‘STRONG AND CLEAR MESSAGE,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS Many of the protesters over the last two days could be seen carrying signs, waving Mexican and Central American flags and speaking out against Trump’s immigration policies. “No human is illegal on stolen land,” one sign read. Another one read, “Fight ignorance, not immigrants.” Videos shared on social media show what appeared to be demonstrators spraying graffiti on the freeway walls and vandalizing at least one car that was stopped in the middle of the crowd. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested more than 7,400 illegal immigrants nationwide in nine days amid its aggressive crackdown propelled by the new Trump administration. The agency also said it has placed nearly 6,000 ICE detainers. Fox News Digital has reached out to Mayor Karen Bass’s office for comment. Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Los Angeles leaders introduce legislation to impede Trump mass deportations
Los Angeles city leaders on Tuesday introduced legislation to protect immigrant communities amid unrest due to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants. Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez introduced five proposals aimed at strengthening labor and immigration protections, which he said would address renewed threats of mass deportations, work-site raids and targeted enforcement actions, Fox Los Angeles reported. “We are here today because, unfortunately, we have a president who wants to scapegoat and attack our immigrant neighbors,” Martinez said during a news conference outside City Hall alongside council members Eunisses Hernandez, Imelda Padilla and Ysabel Jurado and several immigrant rights, labor, legal and community groups. “And we are not going to take that lightly. BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SENDS MESSAGE TO FAR-LEFT OFFICIALS PUSHING BACK AGAINST MASS DEPORTATIONS: ‘GAME ON’ “The legislation will make sure that we’re prepared and that we’re ready to fight back, which involves a comprehensive ‘know your rights’ campaign across the entire city so immigrants and employers understand their rights and don’t fall victim to ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) intimidation.” ‘DEPORTATION FLIGHTS HAVE BEGUN’ AS TRUMP SENDS ‘STRONG AND CLEAR MESSAGE,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS The legislation will be heard by the council’s Civil Rights & Immigration Committee before a vote. If approved, it would reaffirm the city’s commitment to protecting its migrant community from possible deportation. In November, the council and Mayor Karen Bass formally established Los Angeles as a so-called sanctuary city. The move by Soto-Martinez came after two days of protests during which demonstrators took over the 101 freeway and local streets to oppose Trump’s mass deportation plans of illegal immigrant criminals.
Americans bullish on economy and stock market with Trump in office: poll
Americans have renewed optimism in the country’s economic outlook now that President Donald Trump is back in office. A majority of Americans, 53%, believe that the economy will grow in the next six months, while 61% believe that the stock market will also rise, according to the results of a Gallup poll released Monday. The poll’s release comes shortly after Trump returned to the White House, with the survey conducted between Jan. 2 and 15, shortly before he took office. RUBIO SAYS ‘NO CHOICE’ BUT TO BRING USAID ‘UNDER CONTROL’ AFTER AGENCY TAKEOVER: ‘RANK INSUBORDINATION’ While Americans are optimistic about economic growth, the survey found they were divided on unemployment, with 38% indicating they believe it will increase and 38% saying it will decrease. Meanwhile, 21% believe that unemployment will hold steady over the next six months. Americans are also less bullish on inflation, with 52% indicating they expect it to rise in the next six months, though that figure is down significantly from close to 80% in previous versions of the Gallup poll. Breaking the numbers down by partisan affiliation, Gallup found Republican respondents largely responsible for fueling the increase in economic optimism, with 78% of GOP respondents believing there will be economic growth over the next six months and 75% saying the stock market will rise. USAID CLOSES HQ TO STAFFERS MONDAY AS MUSK SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTS SHUTTING AGENCY DOWN Solid majorities of Independents felt the same, with 61% indicating they believe there will be economic growth over the next six months and 60% saying they believe the stock market will rise. Democrats are less bullish, with only 21% indicating they believe there will be growth over the next six months. But a slim majority of Democrats, 51%, do anticipate a bump to the stock market over the same time period. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Americans are generally hopeful about the economy in the next six months. Part of this optimism stems from Republicans expecting things to improve under a Republican rather than Democratic president,” Gallup said in a news release. “But the broader improvements in Americans’ outlook may also reflect their confidence in Trump’s ability to handle the economy. During his first term, he received some of his strongest issue approval ratings on the economy, which were typically higher than those Biden received on the issue during his term.” The poll, conducted Jan. 2-15, 2025, surveyed a random 1,005 adults living in the U.S. and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.
ICE arrests under President Trump continue in migrant ‘sanctuary’ cities
President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration continues with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials making several criminal arrests over the last week in left-leaning “sanctuary” cities, including Philadelphia, Boston, Denver and Washington, D.C. ICE agents conducted a worksite enforcement operation at a car wash in Philadelphia that led to the arrest of seven illegal immigrants, six from Mexico and one from the Dominican Republic. The operation took place at a Complete Autowash in North Philadelphia Jan. 28. It was prompted by reports that employees at the car wash were being subjected to labor exploitation. After the arrests, Brian McShane, acting field office director for Philadelphia ICE Enforcement & Removal Operations, said “the successful execution of this worksite enforcement operation underscores our determined commitment to national security and public safety. BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SAYS HE WOULD ‘SEEK PROSECUTION’ IF NJ GOVERNOR SHELTERED ILLEGAL MIGRANT IN HOME “We were able to apprehend individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States. These operations highlight the dedication and diligence of our officers and agents in protecting our communities from potential threats by enforcing immigration laws in accordance with U.S. laws and Department of Homeland Security policies.” ICE Philadelphia also recently arrested Luis Gualdron-Gualdron, a suspected member of the Venezuelan migrant gang Tren de Aragua who has a criminal record that includes indecent assault of a person under 16 and harassment. ICE arrested Gualdron-Gualdron without incident despite the agency’s detainer against him being ignored by the Northampton County Prison. ICE Philadelphia also removed a Mexican illegal immigrant, Raymundo Rojas Bacilio, who is wanted for rape in his home country. The office also removed Dominican national Yermanny Suarez Laureano, who is wanted in his home country for homicide. Arrests have also continued in the Boston area, which has strong sanctuary policies in place limiting local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. ICE SNAGS CRIMINAL ALIEN PAROLED 17 YEARS INTO LIFE SENTENCE FOR PREGNANT WOMAN’S MURDER In the last week, ICE announced the arrests of several illegal immigrants, including criminals charged with rape of a Massachusetts resident, sex crimes, murder and gang involvement. One of the migrants, Salvadoran national Jose Garcia-Salmeron, 34, is charged with raping a Massachusetts resident. Despite being arraigned on rape charges by the Chelsea District Court, the court ignored an ICE detainer against Garcia-Salmeron and released him from custody in July 2024. Another migrant, 37-year-old Haitian national Jean Yves Ovilme, is charged with assault and battery and indecent assault of a person 14 years or older. Another, Cesar Augusto Polanco, 59, has been convicted in a Massachusetts court of murder. He was serving a life sentence and is now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. Finally, another illegal immigrant, reputed Guatemalan MS-13 gang member Luis Adolfo Guerra-Perez, 19, was arrested by ICE Jan. 22. Guerra-Perez illegally entered the country and was released into the interior in 2021 and is charged with drug and weapons crimes. DEM GOVERNOR BACKS ICE ARRESTING ‘CRIMINALS’ DESPITE VOWING TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ AGAINST TRUMP DEPORTATIONS ICE officials in Washington, D.C., arrested a Salvadoran illegal alien named Nicolas Alberto Hernandez-Lopez, 46, who is charged with sexually assaulting a Virginia resident. Hernandez-Lopez was previously removed from the country in 2023, but he unlawfully reentered the country at an unknown date and location, according to an ICE statement. He is currently in ICE custody. Patrick Divver, acting field office director for Washington, D.C., ICE enforcement and removal operations, said Hernandez-Lopez “illegally reentered the United States, and then victimized a resident of our Virginia community. This is not something that the officers of ICE Washington, D.C. will tolerate. “We will continue our mission of arresting public safety threats and removing egregious alien offenders from our Washington, D.C., and Virginia neighborhoods.” VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES JET AND MILITARY HELICOPTER ICE has also made several criminal arrests in Denver, whose Democratic mayor, Mike Johnston, has been among the most vocal opponents of Trump’s immigration crackdown in the country. One of the illegal migrants arrested, Luz Maria Ramirez-Monreal, a Mexican national, is charged with child abuse, burglary, strangulation and kidnapping. Another Mexican national arrested includes 48-year-old Juan Benitez-Ortega, who is charged with felony assault and kidnapping. A third illegal alien recently arrested by Denver ICE officials is Mexican national Luis Fernando Melendez-Rivera, 27, who is wanted for aggravated homicide in his home country. According to ICE, Melendez entered the country through the Denver International Airport in 2022. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE ICE officials in Seattle also arrested four criminal illegal aliens who have been either convicted or charged with crimes related to sexual assault. Pedro Garcia-Lopez, 47, a Mexican citizen, has been charged with theft, lewd acts with a child under 14 and sexual battery. Rubi Jeronimo Cruz, 22, a citizen of Guatemala, was convicted of DUI with reckless driving and charged with rape of a child. Manuel De Jesus Zavala-Martinez, 40, a citizen of El Salvador, has several criminal convictions, including assault with sexual motivation and assault with a deadly weapon. Lastly, Jaspal Singh, 29, a citizen of India, was charged with assault with sexual motivation. “Protecting our communities and preventing further victimization is of paramount importance to ICE throughout the Pacific Northwest,” said Drew Bostock, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle field office director. “These arrests reinforce the message that the presence of illegal criminal threats will not be tolerated.”
Bernie Sanders, Josh Hawley team up on Trump pledge to slash credit card rates to 10%
An unlikely duo is working together in the Senate to make good on one of President Donald Trump’s campaign pledges. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a new bill on Tuesday to cap credit card interest rates at 10%, which Trump had proposed doing temporarily during his 2024 presidential campaign. “During the campaign, President Trump pledged to cap credit card interest rates at ten percent,” Sanders said in a statement. “Today, I am proud to be introducing bipartisan legislation with Senator Hawley to do just that.” Sanders accused financial institutions that charge more than 25% interest on credit cards of “extortion” and “loan sharking.” TULSI GABBARD ADVANCES OUT OF INTEL COMMITTEE IN BOOST TO CONFIRMATION ODDS “We cannot continue to allow big banks to make huge profits ripping off the American people. This legislation will provide working families struggling to pay their bills with desperately needed financial relief,” his statement concluded. The bill would cap rates at 10% effective immediately and stay in effect for five years. ‘OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC’: BIPARTISAN SENATORS TARGET FENTANYL CLASSIFICATION AS LAPSE APPROACHES In his own statement, Hawley said, “Working Americans are drowning in record credit card debt while the biggest credit card issuers get richer and richer by hiking their interest rates to the moon.” “It’s not just wrong, it’s exploitative. And it needs to end. Capping credit card interest rates at 10%, just like President Trump campaigned on, is a simple way to provide meaningful relief to working people.” ELIZABETH WARREN GRILLED RFK JR ON DRUG COMPANY MONEY, BUT RECEIVED OVER $5M FROM HEALTH INDUSTRY Trump talked about capping rates during a September campaign rally during which he laid out his economic agenda. “While working Americans catch up, we’re going to put a temporary cap on credit card interest rates,” he said. “We’re going to cap it at around 10%. We can’t let them make 25 and 30%.” SEN TILLIS OPENS UP ABOUT ROLE IN PETE HEGSETH’S CONFIRMATION AFTER HEGSETH’S EX-SISTER-IN-LAW’S ALLEGATIONS After Trump was elected, Sanders promised to spearhead legislation to do that and followed through on Tuesday. The White House was asked whether Trump is still considering this action and if he supports the senators’ bill, but it did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.
Teens spend more than a quarter of their time at school on phones, new study finds
A new study shows that more than a quarter of high school-aged students’ time spent on their smartphones occurs in school. It comes as state lawmakers across the country introduce and pass legislation aimed at cracking down on student cellphone usage in schools. The study, spearheaded by Seattle Children’s Hospital, found that among the more than 115 eighth- through 12th-grade students that it tracked, 25% of them spent more than two hours on their phones during a typical six-and-a-half hour school day. The study found that the average time spent among all the students they tracked was roughly 1.5 hours, which contributed to 27% of their average daily use. The study’s findings come just several days after the state of Colorado introduced House Bill 1135, which would require school districts in the state to adopt policies that limit the use of cellphones by students during school hours. If passed, Colorado would join 19 other states that have adopted some type of cellphone restrictions for students, according to Democratic state Rep. Meghan Lukens. DC COUNCIL PROPOSES BILL TO BAN CELL PHONES IN DISTRICT’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS “I’m not a big fan of government controlling people’s lives, but in this context, I’m all for it,” psychotherapist Thomas Kersting told Fox News Digital. Kersting is a former school counselor who has lectured for 16 years about the adolescent impact of increased screen time. He wrote a bestselling book called “Disconnected,” which posited that increased screen time for kids is re-wiring their brains. “I started seeing an incredible influx of kids diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) from when I was working as a high school counselor. It did not add up,” Kersting said. “The chronic eight or nine hours a day of stimulation affects the executive functioning, executive functions of the brain, which is what you need to be able to concentrate, focus, retain, and all that stuff.” Kersting pointed out that schools and school districts are also taking the lead in implementing various ways to cut down on students using their cellphones during class time, but added that state and local legislation can have the power to push schools that may be afraid to act due to parental concerns. COULD SMARTPHONE USE CAUSE HALLUCINATIONS? “The phone has become the umbilical cord between parent and child,” said Kersting. “So, the idea of a parent nowadays sending their kid to school is more terrifying and schools, I believe, are probably concerned about litigation, violation of rights and things of that nature.” But while parents may be apprehensive, taking phones out of school can help improve students’ test scores, attention spans and socialization, while reducing the need for disciplinary intervention, Kersting said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The study by Seattle Children’s Hospital found that, excluding web browsers, the top five apps or categories used by school-aged students were messaging, Instagram, video streaming, audio apps and email.