Ilhan Omar sprayed by unknown substance after man charges her at Minneapolis town hall
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was sprayed with an unknown substance by a man that charged her while she was speaking at a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday night. Omar was immediately pulled away by her security and the unidentified man was tackled and restrained. Omar appeared to be shaken, but largely unharmed. “We will continue. These f–king a–holes are not going to get away with this,” Omar shouted as the room reacted. “It smells terrible,” a member of her entourage said as she urged her to stop and get checked out. THOUSANDS MARCH THROUGH MINNEAPOLIS, SWARM TARGET CENTER DEMANDING ICE REMOVAL FROM MINNESOTA The incident happened as Omar was hosting her first in-person town hall meeting of the year in North Minneapolis. TRUMP DEPLOYS BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN TO MINNESOTA AS ICE OPERATIONS FACE VIOLENT CHAOS Omar was speaking about immigration policy when the incident happened, just as she called for a transparent investigation and legal action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, followed by the abolition of the agency. “We must abolish ICE for good,” Omar said, adding that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or “face impeachment.” After briefly stepping back amid the disruption, Omar returned to address the audience, telling the packed room she intended to continue. ANTI-ICE AGITATORS CLASH WITH FEDERAL AGENTS AT MINNEAPOLIS HOTEL, AS AGENTS DEPLOY TEAR GAS, FLASHBANGS “We’re going to keep talking,” she said, insisting that she be allowed to continue for at least 10 minutes before she is checked out. “We are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us,” she added. Omar went on to reiterate her calls for accountability within the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. ‘SORRY, TRUMP’: ILHAN OMAR FIRES BACK AFTER TRUMP TARGETS HER IN TRUTH SOCIAL POST “It is important for me to continue to lead my Democratic colleagues in demanding her resignation,” she said of Noem. “If she does not resign we are going to introduce articles of impeachment,” she added. “During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe,” Omar’s spokesperson said following the incident. “Security and the Minneapolis Police Department quickly apprehended the individual. He is now in custody. The Congresswoman is okay. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win,” the spokesperson added. “I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win,” Omar later wrote on X. “Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.” A statement from United States Capitol Police (USCP) also confirmed that, “a man is in custody after he decided to assault a Member of Congress – an unacceptable decision that will be met with swift justice.” “We are grateful for the rapid response of onsite security and our local law enforcement partners. We are now working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society,” the statement said. Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
New details to Congress reveal guns used, bodycam footage in fatal Border Patrol shooting of Minnesota nurse
The Trump administration sent a notification to Congress Tuesday, providing a “preliminary review” of the fatal Border Patrol shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, including the timeline of events leading up to the incident and new details about the officers who opened fire. Pretti, a U.S. Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, was shot and killed Saturday by Border Patrol agents while recording federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. Video appeared to show him attempting to help a woman knocked down by agents, when he was sprayed with an irritant, pushed to the ground and beaten. Footage showed an agent pulling Pretti’s suspected gun, a 9 mm pistol, from his waistband before other agents fired nearly a dozen shots in his direction. BIDEN SPEAKS OUT AGAINST IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN MINNESOTA, SAYS IT GOES AGAINST AMERICAN VALUES The report, compiled by the Border Patrol’s Office of Professional Responsibility Investigative Operations Directorate, noted two federal agents fired at Pretti. One Border Patrol agent fired his CBP-issued Glock 19, and a second officer fired his CBP-issued Glock 47. The report also confirmed there was body-worn camera footage of the shooting, though it is unclear if it will be released to the public. Border Patrol agents (BPA) and Customs and Border Protection officers (CBPO) were conducting enforcement actions near the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street in Minneapolis Saturday morning as part of Operation Metro Surge. The report noted several civilians in the area were “yelling and blowing whistles.” BPAs and CBPOs allegedly made several verbal requests for the civilians to stay on the sidewalks and out of the roadway, but tensions rose at about 9 a.m., when a CBPO was confronted by two women blowing whistles. The officer allegedly ordered the women to move out of the roadway, but they did not move. NATALIE PORTMAN BLASTS TRUMP IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AS ‘WORST OF THE WORST OF HUMANITY’ As seen on witness video, the CBPO pushed the women, and one of them ran to Pretti. After attempting to move the woman and Pretti out of the road, the CBPO deployed his pepper spray toward the pair. Officials said Border Patrol agents tried to take Pretti into custody, but he “resisted,” and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, an unidentified Border Patrol agent yelled, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times, according to the report. BORDER PATROL INVOLVED IN ARIZONA SHOOTING, ONE PERSON INJURED, LOCAL AUTHORITIES SAY About five seconds later, the two federal agents opened fire. After the shooting, a Border Patrol agent confirmed he had Pretti’s gun and subsequently “cleared and secured” the gun in his vehicle, according to the report. At about 9:02 a.m., CBP personnel cut Pretti’s clothing and provided medical aid by placing chest seals on his wounds. Roughly three minutes later, Minneapolis Fire Department Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived and assumed primary medical care for Pretti. Officials said he was transferred to an ambulance at about 9:14 a.m., and he was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center. FRENCH NBA STAR VICTOR WEMBANYAMA SPEAKS OUT AFTER BORDER PATROL-INVOLVED SHOOTING: ‘HORRIFIED’ Pretti was pronounced dead at the medical center at about 9:32 a.m. An autopsy will be conducted by medical personnel from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to the report. Border Patrol’s investigative unit will request the official findings upon completion. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CBP did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Senate GOP critics say Noem ‘needs to go’ amid fallout from Minneapolis shootings
A pair of Senate Republicans are demanding that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem lose her job in the wake of a pair of fatal shootings in the midst of the agency’s immigration operations in Minnesota. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., are no strangers to being critical of the Trump administration, and have again broken from their party in calling for Noem to either step aside or be fired by President Donald Trump. They join several Senate Democrats who have demanded accountability for the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in the midst of DHS’ immigration operations in Minneapolis, Minn. It also comes as Senate Democrats are threatening to shut the government down in their bid to sideline the DHS funding bill. SENATE REPUBLICANS TEE UP KEY SHUTDOWN TEST VOTE AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING When pressed on whether Noem should resign, Murkowski noted that she voted for her confirmation last year. “I think the President needs to look at who he has in place as the Secretary of Homeland Security. I would not support her again, and I think it probably is time for her to step down,” she said. Trump on Tuesday said that Noem was doing a “very good job.” “The border is totally secure,” Trump told reporters outside of the White House. “You forget, we had a border that I inherited where millions of people were coming through. Now, we have a border where no one is coming through.” When asked if she would be stepping down, he said “no.” THUNE STEAMROLLS DEMS’ DHS REVOLT AS FETTERMAN DEFECTS, SCHUMER UNDER PRESSURE Tillis, who has made a habit of going after Trump officials in the last several months and accusing them of giving the president bad policy advice, was more biting in his assessment of Noem’s performance, and extended that breakdown to White House Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who similarly accused Pretti of being a domestic terrorist. He charged that “people like Noem are squandering” Trump’s ability to codify policy and open the door to a discussion on immigration reform — something both sides of the aisle have desired for some time. “I don’t know if it’s lost yet, but if it is an opportunity lost, I put it squarely on the shoulders of people like Noem and Stephen Miller,” Tillis said. “Those two people told the president, before they even had any incident report whatsoever, that the person who died was a terrorist. I mean, that is amateur hour at its worst.” DEMS’ DHS SHUTDOWN THREAT WOULD HIT FEMA, TSA WHILE IMMIGRATION FUNDING REMAINS INTACT When asked about Noem’s choice to label Pretti as a domestic terrorist, Murkowski said that the DHS head has an “obligation to control these situations that are under her jurisdiction, and she has not done so.” Murkowski contended that accountability in the situation goes all the way to the top rung of leadership. “I think you have a secretary right now who needs to be accountable to to the chaos and some of the tragedy that we have seen,” Murkowski said. And Tillis, when asked if Noem should be removed from her position, said “100%,” but stopped short of supporting impeachment. “I’m not going to get into impeachment,” Tillis said. “I think it should be a management decision. She needs to go.” Fox News Digital reached out to DHS.
Texas Gov Greg Abbott halts H-1B visas through 2027 after ‘egregious schemes’ allegedly displaced workers
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday halted new H-1B visa petitions by state agencies and public universities as the state investigates potential program abuse. In the letter, the governor cited reports of cases in which U.S. workers were allegedly displaced by lower-paid foreign labor. “In the most egregious schemes, employers have even fired American workers and replaced them with H-1B employees, often at lower wages,” Abbott wrote. STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTEDLY ORDERS VISA DENIALS TIED TO SPEECH CENSORSHIP AS TRUMP TEAM SLAMS EUROPE “Rather than serving its intended purpose of attracting the best and brightest individuals from around the world to our nation to fill truly specialized and unmet labor needs, the program has too often been used to fill jobs that otherwise could—and should— have been filled by Texans,” he added. Abbott said the pause will give state and federal officials time to enact reforms while Texas continues investing heavily in education and workforce training to meet labor demands without relying on the visa program. LABOR UNIONS SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING OF VISA HOLDERS The move comes after President Donald Trump in September alleged that while the visa program was intended to supplement the U.S. workforce, it has since been used to replace American workers. “The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program has undermined both our economic and national security,” Trump wrote in a Sept. 19 proclamation. Abbott’s order requires state agencies and public universities to submit a report to the Texas Workforce Commission by March 27, detailing their H-1B filings, current visa holders, countries of origin, job classifications, visa expiration dates, and efforts to recruit qualified Texas residents. The freeze will remain in effect until May 31, 2027, unless approved in writing by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Dems see opening in key Senate race as bitter GOP infighting continues: ‘Last remaining strategy’
A longtime Democratic strategist said the choice between the leading candidates in Texas’ critical U.S. Senate race is “very stark” as Republican infighting continues in the bitter primary contest. Longtime Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn is facing off against state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Houston-area Rep. Wesley Hunt in the state’s GOP primary race. Whichever candidate emerges victorious will then face either rising Democratic state Rep. James Talarico or progressive firebrand Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in November. Both Texas Senate seats have been red for over three decades. Democrats, however, believe they have a shot at flipping the seat this year, which would be devastating for the GOP’s chances of retaining a majority in the Senate. Eric Koch, the founder of Downfield Strategies, told Fox News Digital that despite Cornyn being the incumbent, he believes Paxton has the edge in the primary race. HOUSE CANDIDATE PREDICTS HISTORIC RISE OF ‘NEW GENERATION’ IN CONGRESS AS PARTIES TARGET KEY DEMOGRAPHIC “Ken Paxton clearly has the momentum in this primary because he’s the MAGA choice for Senate in Texas,” he said. Koch added that “the contrast in this race is going to be very stark if it’s Paxton v. Talarico.” “One is a fresh face who is working on reaching voters from across the political spectrum, while the other is a career politician with a long history of corruption,” he said. Paxton has served as Texas’ top attorney since 2015, with a brief suspension in 2023 during an impeachment process over alleged abuse of power. He was ultimately acquitted of all charges and reinstated. Paxton has called the process a political witch hunt by the GOP establishment. Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002 and holds several key committee seats, including the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence committees, has the endorsement of major bodies like the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Despite this, he is slightly behind Paxton in a recent hypothetical matchup by Emerson College Polling. The poll shows Paxton leading at 27%, with Cornyn in a close second at 26% and Hunt trailing at 16%, with 29% still undecided. Though behind in the polls, Hunt, an Army veteran serving his second term in Congress, believes he stands the best chance to replace Cornyn and keep the seat red. Hunt told Fox News Digital Cornyn’s “time has come to an end, and nearly everyone recognizes that reality, except for him.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RACK UP $1B-PLUS IN TEXAS HOSPITAL COSTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025; TOTAL LIKELY HIGHER: REPORT Hunt knocked Cornyn for repeatedly turning down debate offers from him, saying, “If Sen. Cornyn is truly serious about pursuing a fifth term, which is absurd in its own right, then it is time for him to come out of hiding and defend his record on a debate stage.” In another jab, Hunt said Cornyn’s “last remaining strategy was to cling to a Trump endorsement,” which, he said, “is not coming.” “What I am offering is a new generation of leadership. Sen. Cornyn, now nearing 74, is offering the same thing Texans have endured for 24 years: establishment politics with very little to show for it,” he said. Matt Mackowiak, senior advisor for the Cornyn campaign, dismissed the jabs, calling the two-term congressman “Woke Wesley” and saying he “isn’t a serious candidate or person, as evidenced by the fact that he can’t even show up to vote this year despite House Republicans having a razor-thin majority.” According to a GovTrack analysis of Hunt’s voting record reviewed by Fox News Digital, he has missed 44 out of 48, over 90%, of the House’s votes this January. GovTrack said that over the course of Hunt’s tenure in Congress, he has missed just over 20% of roll call votes, significantly higher than the median of 2% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving. GOP LAWMAKER’S ABSENCE NEARLY HANDS DEMOCRATS WIN ON TRUMP WAR POWERS Aiming his fire at Paxton, Mackowiak said, “We look forward to the head to head contest after March 3 with home-wrecking ethical disaster Ken Paxton, where he will finally be held accountable for his failures, poor judgment and self dealing.” Paxton, meanwhile, called Cornyn “an old man everyone sees shuffling around D.C. and knows is going to be fired soon.” Paxton told Fox News Digital “the only people happy he’s running yet again are the illegals he’s fought to give amnesty to, the Democrats trying to destroy the Second Amendment and the members of the Cornyn Crime Family making a fortune by leveraging John’s position in the Senate.” On the Democratic side of the aisle, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for the Talarico campaign, also weighed in, telling Fox News Digital Talarico “helped lead the fight to impeach Ken Paxton,” and he “just unveiled a comprehensive anti-corruption agenda outside Ken Paxton’s office.” Ennis vowed that “when James is the Democratic nominee, he’ll prosecute the case against Paxton’s corruption every single day until we defeat him this November.” Crockett’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. According to Emerson College Polling, Talarico is leading Crockett by a significant margin, 47% to 38%, with 15% undecided.
Florida GOP Rep Vern Buchanan to retire, adding to wave of House exits
A longtime House Republican who sits on Congress’ powerful tax-writing committee is retiring after 20 years on Capitol Hill. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., announced on Tuesday that he will not be seeking re-election, ending a two-decade-long career in Washington at the age of 74. He’s the 28th Republican to join what appears to be a mass exodus from the House of Representatives after the current term. Twenty-one House Democrats will also not seek re-election to the chamber. Buchanan said in a statement that it was the honor of a lifetime to serve his southwest Florida congressional district. GOP UNVEILS PLAN TO CUT DEFICIT BY $1 TRILLION WITH SECOND ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ “Every achievement worth doing began with listening to my constituents and fighting for their priorities. I came to Congress to solve problems, to fight for working families and to help ensure this country remains a place where opportunity is available to everyone willing to work for it,” Buchanan said. “After 20 years of service, I believe it’s the right time to pass the torch and begin a new chapter in my life.” Buchanan spent nearly all of his time in Congress as a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, a powerful panel that oversees a variety of issues including tax policy. HEADED FOR THE EXITS: WHY 3-DOZEN HOUSE MEMBERS AREN’T RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION He was in contention to chair the committee after Republicans retook the House of Representatives in November 2022 but ultimately lost the gavel to current Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo. Since then, Buchanan has served as the committee’s vice chair and chairman of its subcommittee on health. Before he leaves office, he’s still likely to play a key role as Republicans in Congress eye another “big, beautiful bill” via the budget reconciliation process. REP. LAMALFA’S DEATH FURTHER SHRINKS REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY Budget reconciliation allows the party controlling both the House and Senate to pass massive policy overhauls by dropping the Senate’s requirement for passage to be in line with the House’s own simple majority threshold. While the first bill was a vast compilation of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises, Republicans are hoping a second round would more narrowly focus on making Americans’ lives more affordable — including tackling soaring healthcare costs. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Buchanan’s district as solidly Republican, meaning it’s not likely to flip in the 2026 midterms. But his retirement comes at a time when House Republicans are expected to face an uphill battle to keep their razor-thin majority for the latter half of Trump’s term.
Minnesota fraud whistleblower says ‘lack of guardrails was pretty shocking’
A Minnesota woman employed by the state’s Department of Human Services is speaking out against what she describes as incompetence within the department following the discovery of rampant fraud in the state’s healthcare system. Faye Bernstein told the City Journal in an interview that she first began to realize the high risk of fraud at Minnesota’s DHS in 2018 and 2019 following a promotion to a lead position. “Over the years, I had often thought that DHS is sloppy,” she said. “But 2018 and 2019 are when I saw, oh gosh, this is beyond normal. If we don’t have fraud today, we’re going to have fraud soon.” Bernstein has been a DHS employee for two decades, working in contract management and as a compliance officer, she told the outlet. In her lead position, she said she was able to see all the contracts being worked on by those in her division and witnessed conflicts with the contracts that could be deemed risky. MINNESOTA ‘ON THE CLOCK’ AS HHS THREATENS PENALTIES OVER CHILDCARE FRAUD SCANDAL “I was aware that our contracting processes were leaving us completely open to fraud,” Bernstein said. “But to realize the lack of guardrails was pretty shocking.” Federal prosecutors estimate that up to $9 billion was stolen through a network of fraudulent fronts posing as daycare centers, food programs and health clinics. The majority of those charged, so far, in the ongoing investigation are part of Minnesota’s Somali population. When she tried to report the issues at the time to her deputy director, Bernstein said she was told to stop asking questions. Bernstein said she felt retaliated against after most of her duties were reassigned and was eventually “shuffled from one job to another.” HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE ‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’ AS MORE BLUE STATES FACE SCRUTINY “Even our human resources people would tell us, ‘If your supervisor tells you to do something, you must do it.’ And when you didn’t, the word ‘insubordination’ came up,” she said. “They considered it insubordinate if you resisted an unlawful direction.” Bernstein told the outlet that she has been going through emails received beginning in 2024 from members of the public warning about the alleged fraud. “I was really surprised at how much notification we had,” she told the outlet. “Did we really ignore all those people writing in? Members of the public had advised us of this [alleged fraud] in email after email after email.” TRUMP ADMIN PUTS MINNESOTA ON NOTICE, MOVES TO AUDIT MEDICAID AND CLAW BACK FUNDS TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS The state’s DHS on Friday said that recently released federal data shows Minnesota’s Medicaid program has a significantly lower improper payment rate than the national average, with an error rate of just over 2.1%, compared with a national average of 6.1%. State officials also noted the data was collected before Minnesota began rolling out additional measures aimed at reducing fraud risk. “We’re committed to making Minnesota a national model for preventing fraud and catching errors,” said Shireen Gandhi, the state’s interim human services commissioner. “This review shows we have strong internal controls that we continue to improve, and we are not stopping there as we accelerate our efforts to fight fraud.” Bernstein, who said she has only voted Democratic, said the fraud was genuine and not partisan politics. “This is definitely not something that the Republicans are making up,” she said. “This is real.” Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
Federal judge rules ICE in Iowa illegally detained man, tried to ‘cover its tracks’
A federal judge ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) illegally detained a man in Iowa after a court ordered his release, finding the agency had no legal authority at the time and later attempted to “cover its tracks.” In a Jan. 2 order, U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher said ICE violated federal law when it detained Jorge Eliecer Gonzalez Ochoa on Dec. 23 because it had not yet issued a valid “Notice to Appear,” a document the court said is required to start removal proceedings and justify detention. “It is undisputed that ICE had an arrest warrant and order to detain as of that time, but that a Notice to Appear was not issued until some unspecified time later in the day,” Locher wrote. Although ICE later issued a Notice to Appear and thereby “cured” the initial defect, the court said the agency’s actions at the time of the arrest were unlawful and inconsistent with federal regulations. FEDERAL JUDGE LIMITS ICE ARRESTS WITHOUT WARRANT, PROBABLE CAUSE Locher sharply criticized ICE for mailing the Notice to Appear later that day rather than serving it in person while Gonzalez Ochoa was already in custody. “In context, it appears that ICE served the Notice to Appear by regular mail to obfuscate the timing of events and suggest that it might have been issued at the same time as the arrest warrant and order to detain. In other words, ICE knew it should not have issued the arrest warrant and order to detain in the absence of a Notice to Appear but sought to ‘cover its tracks,’” the judge wrote. “This is unacceptable. With no pending removal proceeding, and no Notice to Appear, ICE was required to allow Gonzalez Ochoa to be released at 10:00 a.m., period — not to arrest him and then scramble around later to backfill crucial missing documents in a misleading way,” he added. FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS DHS TERMINATION OF FAMILY REUNIFICATION PAROLE PROGRAMS OVER NOTICE CONCERNS The court declined to order Gonzalez Ochoa’s immediate release but ruled he is entitled to an individualized bond hearing in the Immigration Court within seven days. WASHINGTON DEM PUSHES BILL TO BAR RECENT ICE HIRES FROM FUTURE POLICE JOBS, SLAMMING TRUMP’S ‘OCCUPYING FORCE’ Court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show that Gonzalez Ochoa is a native of Colombia who entered the United States after fleeing what he said were threats against him and his family. He was initially placed into immigration removal proceedings in late 2024, but they were dismissed in October 2025 at the request of the Department of Homeland Security. Gonzalez Ochoa was separately indicted by a grand jury in the Southern District of Iowa on Oct. 9 on charges of fraud and misuse of documents, unlawful use of immigration identification documents, and false representation of a Social Security number. He remained in custody pending those criminal proceedings until a judge ordered his release under conditions in December, setting the stage for ICE’s subsequent detention.
Redistricting fight erupts as Maryland Democrats move to redraw lone GOP House seat
EXCLUSIVE: Maryland’s lone House Republican is pledging to take Democratic leaders in his state to court if they follow through on plans that could see him booted out of Congress next year. Lawmakers in the Old Line State’s House of Delegates are set to take the first step toward drawing a new congressional map on Tuesday afternoon, which, if passed, would give Democrats an edge in every district in the state. Currently, just one House Republican represents part of Maryland — House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md. REDISTRICTING BATTLES BREWING ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PARTIES COMPETE FOR POWER AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS When asked about Democrats pushing the move last week, Harris took aim at Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s Redistricting Advisory Commission. “His partisan gerrymandering commission certainly lived up to its name,” Harris told Fox News Digital with a laugh. “They literally drew the district across a five-mile-long Bay Bridge to go into two other pieces of two other different counties.” Harris pointed out that even Maryland’s Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat, criticized the new map when it was released last week. DOJ URGES SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK CALIFORNIA MAP, CALLS NEWSOM-BACKED PLAN A RACIAL GERRYMANDER “Look, the Senate president called it, and I quote, objectively unconstitutional. So Wes, we’ll see you in court,” the conservative caucus leader said. Meanwhile, Moore is set to testify before a committee in the Annapolis State House on Tuesday, after which the panel will vote on whether to send the new map to the full House of Delegates for a vote. He met with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., at the U.S. Capitol last week to discuss the issue. Maryland is the latest state wading into the redistricting war that has gripped the country. It began last year when Texas’ GOP-led legislature pushed through a new congressional map that could give Republicans as many as five new seats in the House of Representatives come the November midterms. California quickly followed suit with its own successful referendum to redraw its maps in favor of Democrats. Democrats in Virginia are now eyeing ways to make their congressional map more favorable to Democrats, and North Carolina Republicans approved a new map late last year that would imperil the state’s lone House Democrat.
Dems’ DHS shutdown threat would hit FEMA, TSA while immigration funding remains intact
The Senate is again on the verge of entering into another government shutdown as Democrats rage over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. But despite Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats’ demands to sideline the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, the agency’s immigration enforcement apparatus is flush with cash thanks to Republicans’ efforts last year with President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Still, there are other vital government functions under the DHS umbrella that, should a partial government shutdown happen Friday, would suffer. THUNE STEAMROLLS DEMS’ DHS REVOLT AS FETTERMAN DEFECTS, SCHUMER UNDER PRESSURE Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News in a statement that while Schumer and Senate Democrats “play games with Americans’ safety, they are blocking vital DHS funding that keeps our country secure and its people safe.” The department, created in 2003 after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, has jurisdiction over a broad range of agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Secret Service. That means those offices would likely be impacted by a partial government shutdown come next month. “This funding supports national security and critical national emergency operations, including FEMA responses to a historic snowstorm that is affecting 250 million Americans,” McLaughlin said. “Washington may stall, but the safety of the American people will not wait.” The current DHS funding bill, which is snarled in a political duel between Schumer and Senate Republicans, would provide $64 billion for the agency. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would receive $10 billion of that. The largest allocation would go to FEMA at $32 billion, then TSA at $11.6 billion, and CISA at $2.6 billion. GOP SENATOR DEMANDS DHS IMMIGRATION CHIEFS TESTIFY AFTER FATAL SHOOTINGS IN MINNESOTA Even if the government shuts down, immigration operations would likely be untouched. DHS received billions as part of Trump’s marquee legislation, a move to meet his and Republicans’ desire last year to turbocharge border security and immigration operations on the heels of former President Joe Biden’s term. In total, the “big, beautiful bill” added over $170 billion to DHS’ coffers. Notably, ICE received $75 billion, split into two pots: $45 billion for detention expansion and roughly $29 billion for immigration enforcement operations. The detention funding is set to last through FY 2029, effectively giving the agency about $10 billion per year — their average base budget — without the need for congressional approval during that period. Schumer and Senate Democrats contend that they want to continue negotiations on the DHS bill and strip it from a broader six-bill funding package, called a “minibus.” Doing so would almost certainly guarantee a government shutdown, given that any changes would have to go back to the House. “If Leader Thune puts those five bills on the floor this week, we can pass them right away,” Schumer said. “If not, Republicans will again be responsible for another government shutdown.” WHITE HOUSE NOT BUDGING ON DEMOCRATS’ DEMANDS AS DHS FUNDING MUTINY THREATENS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Still, it would complicate matters for the remaining agencies under DHS’ purview, and create a déjà vu scenario akin to the last government shutdown, which barreled onward for 43 days. The shutdown saw TSA agents go unpaid for weeks — spurring massive travel delays across the country as both they and air traffic controllers were forced to call out of work and take on second jobs to make ends meet, or otherwise work without pay. Notably, air traffic controllers would be similarly affected this time around as well. Funding for the Department of Transportation is included in the larger minibus the Senate is expected to consider this week. The threat of missed paychecks for the U.S. Coast Guard — along with other members of the armed forces, because the defense funding bill is included in the minibus as well — would also rear its ugly head and become a political quagmire for lawmakers once again. Cuts to FEMA could also impact its ability to help everyday Americans during natural disasters, with the agency’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) in danger of running dry without more congressionally approved funding. A program that helps Americans in flood-prone areas secure home insurance would similarly be imperiled. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., played a vital role in ending the last shutdown, and as chair of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, will again act as a key negotiator in averting another closure. She noted that DHS goes beyond just immigration operations, and reminded Senate Democrats of the cost of the last shutdown. “We know from recent history that government shutdowns do not help anyone and are not in the best interest of the American people,” Britt said in a statement. “As we approach a government funding deadline, I remain committed to finding a pathway forward.”