Trump tells illegal immigrants to ‘self-deport’ using CBP Home app in new video
President Donald Trump will urge illegal immigrants to “self-deport” from the U.S. using a newly announced app from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Axios reported Monday. Trump will send the message in a video set to release on social media platforms this week, calling on illegal immigrants to use the CBP Home app to announce their departure from the country. The DHS unveiled the app earlier this month after removing the Biden-era CBP One app, which was used to allow migrants into the U.S. “People in our country can self-deport the easy way, or they can get deported the hard way, and that’s not pleasant,” Trump says in the video. “The Biden administration exploited the CBP One app to allow more than 1 million aliens to illegally enter the United States. Now, my administration is launching the CBP Home app to give people in our country illegally an easy way to leave now and self-deport voluntarily,” he continues. NEARLY 17 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN THE US, 16% INCREASE SINCE 2021: ANALYSIS “If they do, they will have the opportunity to potentially return legally at some point in the future, but if they do not avail themselves of this opportunity, then they will be found. They will be deported, and they will never be admitted to the United States ever, ever again,” Trump adds. NOEM ENDS BIDEN-ERA USE OF CONTROVERSIAL APP TO ALLOW MIGRANTS TO BOARD FLIGHTS, EXCEPT TO SELF-DEPORT Trump goes on to say that using the CBP Home app is the “safest option” for both illegal immigrants and law enforcement, in addition to allowing law enforcement to focus resources on apprehending and deporting illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes. The CBP Home app allows illegal immigrants to “Submit Intent to Depart” and submit information regarding their intent to leave the U.S. They can also provide information to verify they have left the U.S., a function limited to those who were paroled into the U.S. using the Biden-era app. The Trump administration has moved rapidly to expand deportations and also cut the number of migrants entering the U.S., including via humanitarian parole, which dramatically expanded under the Biden administration. Trump ended the use of the CBP One app to parole migrants on his first day in office. His administration has also paused applications for parole programs and allowed ICE to cancel parole statuses of migrants. Last month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ended the use of CBP One to allow migrants to board domestic flights, unless it is being used for their self-deportation. The administration has also canceled extensions of Temporary Protected Status for some nationalities. Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Bill Melugin contributed to this report
Ex-IAS trainee Puja Khedkar gets relief from SC, top court asks police to…
The SC bench posted for April 15 to hear an anticipatory bail plea filed by Puja Khedkar.
After COVID, Texas is less prepared for the next pandemic
Five years after Texas’ first COVID death, the state spends less on public health, vaccination rates have dropped and a distrust of authority has taken hold.
An abandoned West Texas oil well has created a 200-foot-wide sinkhole
The rapidly-growing sinkhole in Upton County is the latest of many problems caused by old wells in the Permian Basin.
Dan Bongino sworn in as FBI deputy director: ‘Critical time for our nation’
Dan Bongino, President Donald Trump’s choice for deputy director of the FBI, has been sworn in to serve in the federal agency. “It is an honor to serve as Deputy Director for the Federal Bureau of Investigation at such a critical time for our nation. The American people deserve a justice system that is transparent, accountable, and committed to the rule of law,” Bongino said in a Monday post on X. One of the photos included in the post appears to show Bongino being sworn in by FBI Director Kash Patel. FBI INVESTIGATING RISE IN SWATTING INCIDENTS AFTER SEVERAL CONSERVATIVES TARGETED, KASH PATEL SAYS “My promise to you is that I will work tirelessly to help restore integrity, eliminate political bias, and ensure the FBI remains dedicated to its core mission of protecting the United States and upholding the Constitution,” Bongino continued. Republican Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona shared Bongino’s post and wrote, “The FBI is so back.” NEWLY SWORN-IN FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL WELCOMES DAN BONGINO AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR: ‘HE’S A COPS COP’ “Welcome,” Patel said to Bongino in a post on X, adding, “Let’s get to work.” The @FBI X account noted, “After his swearing-in ceremony as FBI Deputy Director, Dan Bongino paid his respects at the Wall of Honor, honoring the brave members of the #FBI who made the ultimate sacrifice and reflecting on the legacy of those who paved the way in the pursuit of justice and security.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES DAN BONGINO WILL BE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and NYPD officer, stepped away from his successful podcast “The Dan Bongino Show” in order to serve in the FBI. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York’s Finest!), a highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful Podcasters in the Country, something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last month when announcing Bongino for the FBI post.
These are the judges going toe to toe against Trump’s agenda
President Donald Trump has signed more than 80 executive orders since returning to the White House in January — prompting more than 100 lawsuits against his administration. While Democratic lawmakers have accused the Trump administration of launching a “constitutional crisis” within the U.S. as a result of these orders, the White House has claimed that “low-level” judges have issued unconstitutional injunctions barring Trump from implementing his agenda and that it will appeal adverse rulings. “You cannot have a low-level district court judge filing an injunction to usurp the executive authority of the President of the United States,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Friday. “That is completely absurd. … It’s very clear that there are judicial activists throughout our judicial branch who are trying to block this president’s executive authority.” Here are some of the judges, appointed under the Obama and Biden administrations, who’ve pushed back against Trump’s orders: Boasberg has served as the chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia since March 2023, and was first appointed as a judge to the District Court in March 2011 under the Obama administration. Boasberg issued several key rulings on various cases during Trump’s first administration. For example, he blocked Arkansas, Kentucky and New Hampshire from implementing work requirement waivers for Medicaid recipients, after the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a policy permitting states to enforce the waivers for Medicaid recipients. Ultimately, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a ruling in February 2020 upholding Boasberg’s previous decision in the Kentucky and Arkansas case. In the ruling, the appeals court said that former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar “failed to analyze whether the demonstrations would promote the primary objective of Medicaid — to furnish medical assistance.” The Supreme Court then dismissed all pending cases related to the Medicaid work requirements in April 2022. WHITE HOUSE BLASTS JUDGE FOR ATTEMPTING TO HALT DEPORTATION FLIGHTS TO EL SALVADOR: ‘NO LAWFUL BASIS’ On Saturday, Boasberg issued an order halting the Trump administration from deporting migrants under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which permits deportation of natives and citizens of an enemy nation without a hearing. However, the flight continued to drop off the migrants in El Salvador, and Leavitt said Sunday the order had “no lawful basis” since Boasberg issued it after the flight’s departure from U.S. airspace. Boasberg graduated from Yale College in 1985 and Yale Law School in 1990. He also served a seven-year term from 2014 to 2021 on the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which handles surveillance requests for foreign intelligence gathering. Sorokin, an Obama appointee, joined the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in 2014, after previously serving as magistrate judge on the same court. Sorokin spearheaded a delayed-sentencing program in Massachusetts known as the Repair, Invest, Succeed, Emerge, or RISE, program. The program offers some criminal offenders a yearlong delay in sentencing for some criminal offenders who qualify for pretrial release as they undergo an intensive supervision program. “I’m thrilled with how the restorative justice part of RISE has gone, so we’re expanding,” Sorokin said at an event at Columbia Law School in 2020. “I think it’s lawful. I think it’s correct. I think it’s what we ought to be doing.” Sorokin said his motivation to launch the RISE program stemmed from a conversation he had with a man convicted of bank robbery who explained he wanted to apologize to the bank teller and to his sisters for committing the crime. Sorokin blocked the Trump administration from implementing an executive order to ban birthright citizenship in February — joining other judges from Maryland and Washington state in issuing nationwide injunctions against the ban. The Trump administration requested the Supreme Court step in Friday and allow it to execute the order, and the Supreme Court requested responses from challengers by April 4. Sorokin attended Columbia Law School and has worked as a professor for Boston University School of Law. Ali, a Biden appointee, is one of the newest judges to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, joining the court in December 2024. Ali also helped launch the MacArthur Justice Center’s Washington, D.C., branch in 2017, a nonprofit law firm that specializes in criminal justice reform and civil rights issues. Ali, who eventually led the firm as the executive director, argued and won two cases before the Supreme Court on behalf of the MacArthur Justice Center. Ali’s ties to the firm came under scrutiny during his confirmation hearing in February 2024 before the Senate, where lawmakers asked him about remarks his MacArthur Justice Center colleague, Cliff Johnson, made in 2020 asserting that defunding the police paves the way for a “movement toward making police departments obsolete.” WHO IS JUDGE AMIR ALI? THE BIDEN-APPOINTED FEDERAL JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S USAID BATTLE However, Ali told lawmakers that he didn’t espouse those views, nor did the MacArthur Justice Center. “Let me be very clear about this,” Ali said. “I have never advocated for taking away police funding. I would not take that position, and the MacArthur Justice Center has not taken that position.” On March 11, Ali issued a ruling that determined the Trump administration likely exceeded its constitutional authority when it sought to halt payments the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) owed to contractors amounting to $2 billion in funding Congress had approved. Ali has also taught classes on civil, criminal and appellate litigation at schools, including Harvard Law School and the Georgetown University Law Center. Howell, an Obama appointee, joined the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2010. She previously served as staff and as general counsel of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 1993 to 2003. Howell ruled against the Trump administration March 6, and wrote in her ruling that Trump did not have the authority to fire members of
‘Not surprising…gave clean chit to China’: Congress launches scathing attack on PM Modi over India-China remark on podcast
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning appreciated PM Modi’s positive remarks on China-India relations during a podcast interview with Lex Fridman and also noted that being partners in mutual success is the only correct choice for the two countries.
Trump accuses Big Media of ‘illegal’ reporting, virtually abolishes Voice of America
President Trump has spent the last decade railing against fake news, a phrase that’s now deeply embedded in our culture. He has accused the media of being relentlessly biased against him – which is largely true – and called out journalists by name. He has sued such outlets as ABC News (which paid him $16 million), CBS and the Des Moines Register. He has charged that Politico received payments for negatively covering him – it turned out these were routine subscriptions, and for the New York Times as well – and then canceled many of the subscriptions. TRUMP ORDERS THE DISMANTLING OF GOVERNMENT-FUNDED, ‘PROPAGANDA’-PEDDLING MEDIA OUTLET But in a controversial speech at the Justice Department, Trump went further than ever before. He said the Times, the Washington Post and the major networks were engaged in “illegal” reporting. The president did not specify what was illegal about it. But perhaps there’s a short distance between Trump’s accusation and a future prosecution? The DOJ speech drew heavy coverage. The Times said he “veered from his prepared remarks to lash out at lawyers and former prosecutors by name in a venue dedicated to the impartial administration of justice. He also accused the department’s previous leadership of trying to destroy him and declared former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. the head of a ‘crime’ family.” The Post quoted Trump as saying his enemies had “launched one hoax and disinformation operation after another, broke the law on a colossal scale, persecuted my family, staff and supporters, raided my home, Mar-a-Lago, and did everything within their power to prevent me from becoming the President of the United States.” The paper added: “It is rare for a president to visit the Justice Department — which has kept safeguards between the White House and the law enforcement agency in the post-Watergate era to ensure that politics don’t interfere with law enforcement investigations.” But here’s the fascinating part. The Times and the Post made no mention of Trump’s “illegal” reporting charge. Didn’t give it as much as a paragraph. Couldn’t squeeze it in (I say in jest, since space is unlimited in the digital age). I see two possible explanations for this. One is that they are so offended by the president’s accusation, which they view as false, that they don’t want to give it any oxygen and share it with readers. In other words, when the president is shooting arrows at you, it’s best to deflect them. The other is that they fear that there might be a prosecution down the road – given Trump’s history of civil lawsuits – and don’t want to cross him on this issue. In short, they are intimidated by the president. But here’s the thing: If two of the nation’s preeminent newspapers aren’t going to defend themselves on the charge of illegality, who is? How can they expect any backing when they won’t stand up for themselves, by censoring Trump’s remarks? Meanwhile, over the weekend, the president all but abolished the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe with an executive order aimed at its parent agency – whose special adviser is former Arizona candidate Kari Lake. Trump ordered 1,300 journalists, executives and other staffers placed on indefinite leave. His argument is that they’re part of the radical left. He’s a longtime critic of VOA, having once called it the “voice of the Soviet Union.” SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES Carla Babb, the VOA’s Pentagon correspondent, posted this: “A silencing of VOA will be celebrated by communists, autocrats and ayatollahs whose lies we shed light on.” The VOA was launched during World War II and credited with successfully countering enemy propaganda for decades. But there’s a legitimate debate to been had about who the “enemy” is these days, given Trump’s friendly relationship with Vladimir Putin. What’s more, people aren’t huddled around their radios as they were in 1942. But those who were laid off indefinitely consider themselves independent journalists – and suddenly find themselves out of a job.
US equal opportunity commission demands 20 law firms disclose DEI employment practices
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is requesting data from 20 law firms about employment practices to increase diversity, equity and inclusion, which the federal agency warns may be illegal. The commission’s acting chair, Andrea Lucas, sent letters to the firms seeking detailed information on DEI programs that may be in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Some of the companies have made legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s policies targeting DEI or have connections to his political opponents. Perkins Coie; Hogan Lovells; Ropes & Gray; and WilmerHale are among the firms currently representing plaintiffs in lawsuits against the Trump administration. Lucas said some of the firms had made public statements expressing their commitment to diversity in their workforces. At least two of the firms had numerical goals for recruiting lawyers based on their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity. TRUMP EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION PUTS EMPLOYERS ‘ON NOTICE’ TO STOP ‘ANTI-AMERICAN BIAS’ She expressed concern that the firms’ employment practices “may entail unlawful disparate treatment in terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, or unlawful limiting, segregating, and classifying” based on race, sex and other protected characteristics. “The EEOC is prepared to root out discrimination anywhere it may rear its head, including in our nation’s elite law firms,” Lucas said in a statement. “No one is above the law—and certainly not the private bar.” The letters requested information about the internships, scholarships and fellowships the firms offer to law students, as well as the firms’ hiring and compensation practices. Lucas also asked for the name, sex and race of every lawyer who has worked at or applied for a job at the firms since 2019 and if each of them participated in diversity programs. Some of the information was asked to be included in a “searchable Excel spreadsheet.” ‘UNLAWFUL DEI-MOTIVATED’ WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION TO BE ROOTED OUT BY TRUMP’S NEW ACTING EEOC CHAIR The EEOC can investigate companies’ employment practices and file lawsuits over allegations of discrimination, but only after a worker or one of the agency’s five commissioners brings a formal complaint. The agency gave no indication that Lucas had filed complaints against any of the firms. Trump has sought to eliminate DEI programs across the country, including in the federal government, higher education and the private sector. The president has also taken action against high-profile law firms over their DEI practices. Trump issued executive orders this month targeting Perkins Coie as well as Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison over the two firms’ alleged discriminatory internal diversity policies and previous work for his political opponents. The orders revoked security clearances for lawyers at the firms and restricted their government access and federal contracting work. The order targeting Perkins Coie also directed Lucas to “review the practices of representative large, influential, or industry-leading law firms” even though the commission was designed to operate independently of the White House. Perkins Coie sued on allegations that the order violated its rights under the U.S. Constitution. A judge temporarily blocked parts of the order last week. Some companies have previously adopted policies to encourage diversity from their outside law firms. Lucas, in the letters, asked law firms to identify clients since 2019 that have had “diversity requirements” or stated preferences for employee staffing. She also asked for the firms’ actions in response to the client requirements, including producing related documents. Reuters contributed to this report.
NASA astronauts stuck in space returning to Earth: All you need to know
Two NASA astronauts are headed to Earth after spending nine months stranded in space. Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore departed the International Space Station (ISS) early on Tuesday morning and are expected to splash down off the coast of Florida after a journey of 17 hours. Boeing’s Starliner, their original return spacecraft, was deemed unsafe for the journey home, forcing the astronauts to stay in space much longer than planned. Here’s all you need to know about their extended stay and long-awaited return: Who are the two astronauts who were stuck in space? The two astronauts stranded on board the International Space Station (ISS) are 59-year-old Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, 62, both veteran NASA-trained space travellers. Williams, the current commander of the ISS and a retired US Navy officer, joined NASA in 1998. Over her career, she has spent 322 days in space and completed nine spacewalks. She previously held the record for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut, until 2017 when the title went to Peggy Whitson, who completed 10. Advertisement Wilmore first flew to space in 2009 on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Before the Boeing Starliner mission, he had logged 178 days in space. He has served as a flight engineer and commander on previous ISS missions, conducting research on plant growth in space, the effects of microgravity on the human body and environmental changes on Earth. In the Boeing mission, Wilmore served as the commander and Williams was the pilot. When and how are they coming back to Earth? The SpaceX Crew Dragon carrying Wilmore and Williams undocked from the ISS at 1.05am ET (05:05 GMT) on Tuesday. It is expected to splash into the Atlantic Ocean just before 6pm ET (22:00 GMT). Late on Monday night, the process for Williams and Wilmore to return started. Hatch closure preparations began at 10:45pm ET (02:45 GMT). NASA is livestreaming the departure and return journey of the astronauts. They are returning on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which had been docked at the station since September 2024. This capsule originally brought NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS, with two empty seats left for Wilmore and Williams’ return. The four could not return on the same capsule until an additional crew carrying four other astronauts arrived to replace them. That has now happened. Crew-10, which docked at the ISS on Sunday at 12:04am ET (04:04 GMT), consists of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian astronaut Kirill Peskov. They launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US, on Friday. Advertisement Why did they get stuck? Williams and Wilmore got stuck after technical issues with the spacecraft meant to bring them home. They had travelled to the ISS on board Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner as part of its first crewed test flight. The mission, under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, aimed to develop private spacecraft for transporting astronauts to and from the station. By outsourcing low-Earth orbit missions, NASA has said it aims to focus on deep space exploration, including the Artemis missions to the moon and future human missions to Mars. During the 25-hour flight to the ISS, Starliner experienced helium leaks and a malfunctioning thruster, which helps steer and control reentry. When it arrived on June 6, four more of the 28 thrusters failed, delaying docking with the station. Although engineers restored four out of five failed thrusters, NASA deemed the spacecraft too risky for human travel and sent it back empty, leaving Williams and Wilmore stranded on the ISS. In August 2024, NASA decided to bring them back on a SpaceX vehicle. Crew Dragon-9, which launched on September 29, 2024, has been docked at the ISS since, but bringing them home earlier would have left only one US astronaut on the space station, limiting research and emergency response. Now, with their replacement members arriving on Crew-10, Williams and Wilmore are finally headed home. How long have the two astronauts been stuck in space? Williams and Wilmore have been in space since June 5, 2024, meaning they will have spent more than nine months in orbit by the time they return. Advertisement After blasting off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in June, they were originally scheduled to stay in space for just eight days. The standard ISS rotation for astronauts is roughly six months. How did they survive in space for so long? Despite the unexpected extension of their stay, Williams and Wilmore have remained in good health and even conducted a spacewalk together in January. Life on board the ISS follows a structured routine with exercise, work and leisure. This includes regular routines on both the treadmill and resistance machine in order to maintain their bone and muscle strength. Throughout the year, several space agencies and private companies also scheduled missions to resupply the space station with food, water and oxygen, regularly replenished by cargo missions. Over Christmas, the two even enjoyed a festive dinner that included smoked oysters, crab, duck foie gras, cranberry sauce, Atlantic lobster and smoked salmon, according to The Times newspaper in London. Williams and Wilmore have also been able to maintain contact with their families through email and telephone. In an interview with Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News in November, Williams said she and Wilmore were “feeling good, working out, eating right”. “We have a lot of fun up here too,” she added. “People who are worried about us, really, don’t worry about us … We’re a happy crew up here.” Have astronauts been stuck in space before? Williams and Wilmore are not the first astronauts to face an extended stay in space due to unforeseen circumstances. There have been previous cases where astronauts had to remain in orbit longer than planned due to technical problems or geopolitical events. Advertisement The longest single spaceflight by a US astronaut was Frank Rubio’s 371-day mission on board the ISS, from 2022 to 2023, extended due to issues with