NationalWatch

In the race to lock up the Republican presidential nomination, former President Trump is padding his lead.

Trump, who is the commanding frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination as he bids a third straight time for the White House, swept three contests on Saturday. 

While his last remaining rival for the nomination, former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, scored her first primary victory on Sunday, Trump enjoys a 244 to 43 lead in delegates.

Trump is likely to expand his delegate lead on Monday night, when North Dakota holds GOP caucuses on the eve of Super Tuesday. That is when more than 850 delegates are at stake as 15 states hold Republican nominating contests, and the scant public opinion polling in those states indicates Trump is the favorite.

TRUMP SWEEPS SATURDAY’S GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING CONTESTS

Republican presidential candidate former President Trump speaks at a campaign rally on Saturday, March 2, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

“Over the weekend we won Missouri, Idaho, and Michigan – BIG NUMBERS,” Trump touted on his Truth Social network on Sunday night.

The former president kicked off the weekend by capturing all 39 delegates up for grabs at the Michigan GOP’s party convention, which was held in Grand Rapids. Trump had previously won most of the 16 delegates awarded in Michigan’s statewide primary on Feb. 27.

HALEY BRINGS TRUMP’S PRIMARY WINNING STREAK TO AN END

A few hours later, the former president was victorious in the Missouri caucuses, and he closed out Saturday evening by scoring a win in the Idaho caucuses.

“We’ve been launching like a rocket to the Republican nomination. We just got numbers today that were unbelievable,” Trump touted Saturday night at a rally in Richmond, Virginia — which is one of the Super Tuesday states — as he pointed to his ballot box victories in Michigan, Missouri and Idaho.

Haley, who remains in the GOP nomination race at least through Super Tuesday, despite the extremely long odds she faces, on Sunday enjoyed victory for the first time in the 2024 race, as she topped Trump by roughly 30 points in Washington D.C.’s Republican primary. She captured 19 delegates and made history as the first woman to win a GOP presidential primary or caucus.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at a rally during the District of Columbia’s Republican presidential primary at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Friday, March 1, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Republicans closest to Washington’s dysfunction know that Donald Trump has brought nothing but chaos and division for the past 8 years. It’s time to start winning again and move our nation forward!,” Haley wrote on social media Sunday night.

Haley has no public events or election night gatherings scheduled for Super Tuesday evening and remains mum on any plans going forward.

She reiterated in an interview on Saturday with Fox News’ Bill Melugin that “we’re going to go as long as we’re competitive,” but she did not specifically define what competitive means.

Trump in a video to supporters emphasized the importance of Super Tuesday.

“It’s big stuff, and it’s the single most important primary day of the year,” he said in a video posted to social media. “If every single conservative, Republican, and Trump supporter in these states shows up on Super Tuesday, we will be very close to finished with this primary contest.”

Aiming to completely pivot to the all-but-certain general election rematch with President Biden — who defeated Trump four years ago to win the White House — the former president stressed that big wins on Super Tuesday will allow him “to focus all of our energy, time, and resources, on defeating crooked Joe Biden.”

“We want to send a signal that we’re coming on like a freight train,” he emphasized. “Do not be complacent. Please go and vote.”

While Trump scored a slew of ballot box victories this past weekend, he also made peace with the Club for Growth, a politically influential and fiscally conservative group that is funded by some of the top donors on the right.

TRUMP MAKES PEACE WITH INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE GROUP TO BRING BITTER FEUD TO AN END

The Club for Growth and its president, David McIntosh, have had an up and down relationship with Trump. They opposed him as he ran for the White House in 2016 before embracing him as an ally. In the 2022 cycle, Trump and the Club teamed up in some high-profile GOP primaries but clashed over combustible Senate nomination battles in Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The bitter feud continued to play out last year in the Republican presidential nomination race, as the Club spent over $7 million on an anti-Trump group that unsuccessfully tried to take down the former president in the early primary states.

Former President Trump, left, shakes hands with Club for Growth president David McIntosh, as Trump speaks at the group’s annual donor retreat, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 1, 2024. (Club For Growth)

However, McIntosh and Trump reconciled in recent weeks, and Trump spoke Friday evening at the Club’s annual donor retreat, which was once again held at The Breakers, an exclusive beachfront resort in the upper crust seaside community of Palm Beach, Florida.

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“We had an argument about a couple of people that you know well, and that broke us up for about a year,” Trump said at the Club gathering, according to a source in the room at the private event. 

However, Trump emphasized that “now we’re back in love, we’re deeply in love.”

McIntosh told Fox News Digital that “it’s time for Republicans to unite and put our differences aside.”

He added that “President Trump always says, ‘When Trump and the Club for Growth are together, we always win.’ And together we are going to win back the White House and more this November.” 

Fox News’ Remy Numa contributed to this report

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Voters in a new poll who favored President Biden by 10 points in 2020 have shifted their support to former President Donald Trump, who now leads among the same voters by five points.

The poll, which was conducted by the New York Times and Siena College from Feb. 25 to 28, shows Trump with a 48-43 edge over Biden, a slightly larger lead than two-point edge the former president held in the same poll when it was conducted in December.

The lead comes despite many of the registered voters sampled indicating they voted for Biden in 2020, with 44% of respondents saying they voted for the president in the last election, compared to 33% who indicated they voted for Trump.

TRUMP LEADS BIDEN AMONG HISPANICS, REGISTERED VOTERS OVERALL: POLL

Former President Trump and President Biden (AP)

The poll shows that Trump has done better work shoring up his base, with 97% of respondents who indicated they voted for him in 2020 saying they plan to do the same this year. Meanwhile, Biden is only garnering the support of 83% of those who say they voted for him in 2020, while 10% indicated they plan to vote for Trump this time around.

Those numbers weren’t the only bad news for the president in the poll, which also showed Trump as having a six-point lead (46%-40%) among Hispanic voters, a demographic that until recent years had been a dependable bloc for Democrats. 

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Hialeah, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

POLL SHOWS BIDEN’S LEAD OVER TRUMP SHRINKING IN 2024 MATCHUP AS CONCERNS OVER PHYSICAL FITNESS GROW

Biden is also struggling with working-class voters of color, who according to exit polls, voted in large numbers (72%) for the president in 2020, with only 22% of the group supporting Trump. But that gap has shrunk significantly, the poll found, with Biden only holding a 47%-41% advantage among the same group today.

President Biden speaks to the National Governors Association during an event in the East Room of the White House on Friday, Feb. 23. (AP/Evan Vucci)

The president also faces an enthusiasm gap compared to Trump, with only 23% saying they would be enthusiastic if Biden were to become the Democratic nominee. Meanwhile, 48% of respondents indicated they would feel enthusiastic about Trump securing the Republican nomination.

But the news wasn’t all bad for the president, who polled better with critical independent voters, who currently are split 42%-42% on who they would support between Biden and Trump. Voters also showed concerns about the criminal cases playing out around Trump, with 53% indicating they believe the former president committed serious federal crimes.

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The New York Times/Siena College poll sampled 980 registered voters nationwide, with a margin of sampling error at plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., penned a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, calling on him to acknowledge the death of Georgia college student Laken Riley during his State of the Union address Thursday night. 

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University, was killed last month and the suspect charged in relation to her death is Jose Ibarra, who was found to have illegally immigrated into the U.S. in 2022. 

“At just six years old, Laken knew she wanted to be a nurse so she could help people. She was living her dream until it was shattered by Joe Biden’s wide open border,” Banks told Fox News Digital in a statement. “This was a totally avoidable tragedy. President Biden owes it to her family and the American people to say her name.”

Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia campus on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Laken Riley/Facebook)

Banks implored Biden in the letter to “publicly acknowledge the Riley family’s tragedy” by speaking about their daughter Laken’s death during the annual address to Congress. 

GOP CONGRESSMAN INTRODUCES ‘LAKEN RILEY ACT’ TO REQUIRE ICE TO DETAIN MIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR THEFT

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

“As Commander-in-Chief, it is your duty to protect American citizens, and this tragedy highlights the urgent need to address the surge in crime resulting from your negligence at our southern border,” Banks wrote. 

The Indiana Republican, currently running for the Senate seat being vacated in 2025 by Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., further listed what he considered Biden’s failures on the issues of the southern border and immigration. Banks noted Biden’s reversals of Trump-era policies such as “Remain in Mexico,” Title 42, and the building of a border wall. 

“Your failure to publicly acknowledge this tragedy is unacceptable,” Banks added. 

Last week, the White House provided a statement to Fox News Digital regarding Riley’s death. “We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Laken Hope Riley,” a spokesperson said. “People should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law if they are found to be guilty. Given this is an active case, we would have to refer you to state law enforcement and ICE.”

Rep. Jim Banks questions witnesses during a House hearing on Feb. 28, 2023, in Washington, D.C. ( Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Biden, himself, has not addressed the death of Riley, despite being asked during a press conference if he bears any responsibility for it following a speech last week. 

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT SOUTHERN BORDER SURPASS 21,000 IN 72 HOURS, CBP SOURCES SAY

“You have a great opportunity to respect the wishes of Laken Riley’s mother by breaking your silence and saying her name at the upcoming State of the Union address on Thursday, March 7, 2024,” Banks told Biden in the letter. 

Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, recently changed her Facebook profile picture to a heart in UGA’s colors of Red and Black, with the hashtag “#SayHerName.”

In addition to asking Biden to acknowledge Riley at his SOTU address, Banks also called on the president to “take swift and decisive action to secure the border. You can prevent further tragedies and ensure a safer future for all Americans.”

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling Monday is “both unifying and inspirational,” while stressing the importance of the high court’s pending decision in the issue of presidential immunity. 

The Supreme Court sided unanimously with the 2024 GOP frontrunner in his challenge to Colorado’s attempt to kick him off the 2024 primary ballot. 

The high court ruled in favor of Trump’s arguments in the case, which will impact the status of efforts in several other states to remove the likely GOP nominee from their respective ballots. 

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR TRUMP BALLOT REMOVAL CASE OUT OF COLORADO

The court considered for the first time the meaning and reach of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office again. Challenges have been filed to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot in over 30 states.

Former President Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling Monday is “both unifying and inspirational.” (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

“A great win for America. Very, very important!” Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Monday morning. 

“Equally important for our country will be the decision that they will soon make on immunity for a president — without which, the presidency would be relegated to nothing more than a ceremonial position, which is far from what the founders intended,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “No president would be able to properly and effectively function without complete and total immunity.” 

He added, “Our country would be put at great risk.” 

The Supreme Court sided unanimously with former President Trump in his challenge to Colorado’s attempt to kick him off the 2024 primary ballot. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

SUPREME COURT DECISION ON CASE BARRING TRUMP FROM COLORADO’S 2024 BALLOT COULD ARRIVE AS EARLY AS MONDAY

The Supreme Court last week agreed to review whether Trump has immunity from prosecution in special counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case. 

The justices moved to fast-track the appeal, and will hear oral arguments beginning April 22, with a ruling on the merits expected by late June. 

Trump’s trial stemming from Smith’s investigation has been put on hold pending resolution of the matter. 

The decision will also impact Smith’s classified records case against the president. That trial has not yet been scheduled. 

As for Monday’s decision, Trump described it as a “big win for America.” 

“Today’s decision, especially the fact that it was unanimous, 9-0, is both unifying and inspirational for the people of the United States of America,” he told Fox News Digital. 

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In its unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court concluded that “states may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office.” 

“But States have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency,” the Supreme Court wrote.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, in a concurring opinion wrote, “The Court has settled a politically charged issue in the volatile season of a Presidential election.”

“Particularly in this circumstance, writings on the Court should turn the national temperature down, not up. For present purposes, our differences are far less important than our unanimity: All nine Justices agree on the outcome of this case. That is the message Americans should take home,” she said.

Former President Trump spoke from Mar-a-Lago just hours after the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in his favor, keeping him on the 2024 primary ballot in Colorado, thanking the high court for its unifying decision and looking ahead to its pending ruling on his presidential immunity appeal. 

The 2024 GOP frontrunner also blamed President Biden for his legal challenges, and claimed he is using judges and prosecutors to influence the election.

The Supreme Court sided unanimously with the 2024 GOP frontrunner in his challenge to Colorado’s attempt to kick him off the 2024 primary ballot. 

The high court ruled in favor of Trump’s arguments in the case, which will impact the status of efforts in several other states to remove the likely GOP nominee from their respective ballots. 

“I want to start by thanking the Supreme Court for its unanimous decision today. It was a very important decision, were very well crafted, and I think it will go a long way toward bringing our country together, which our country needs,” Trump said from Mar-a-Lago. “And they worked long, they worked hard, and frankly, they worked very quickly on something that will be spoken about 100 years from now and 200 years from now. Extremely important.” 

Trump said, “essentially, you cannot take somebody out of a race because an opponent would like to have it that way. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it’s the leading candidate, whether it was the leading candidate or a candidate that was well down on the totem pole. You cannot take somebody out of a race.” 

“The voters can take the person out of the race very quickly. But a court shouldn’t be doing that. And the Supreme Court saw that very well,” Trump said. “And I really do believe that will be a unifying factor because while most states were thrilled to have me know, there were some that didn’t and they didn’t want that for political reasons.” 

Trump touted his poll numbers, saying he is “beating President Biden in almost every poll.” 

Trump went on to reflect on the legal challenges he is fighting during an election year, saying he is “being prosecuted by Biden,” saying every case is “in total coordination with the White House.” 

The 2024 GOP frontrunner issued a message to Biden. 

“I will say that President Biden, number one, stop weaponization. Fight your fight yourself. Don’t use prosecutors and judges to go after your opponent to try and damage your opponent so you can win an election,” he said. “Our country is much bigger than that. The other thing I say to President Biden, close the borders now. This is not sustainable for our country. It’s not sustainable for our cities. Our country is under siege.” 

Former President Trump-supporting lawmakers celebrated the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision Monday to reject the state of Colorado’s attempt to keep the former president off their presidential ballot, citing the 14th Amendment. 

All nine justices, appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents, agreed that states lack the authority “under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency.” However, they may do so in regard to state office. 

“The right decision. Glad to see the Supreme Court stand up to the extreme left’s attempts to undermine our democracy,” said Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., in a post to X. 

Republican presidential candidate and former President Trump pumps his fist as he departs after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Feb. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

SUPREME COURT RULES UNANIMOUSLY FOR TRUMP IN COLORADO BALLOT DISQUALIFICATION DISPUTE

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, called the decision a “Big win for common sense and democracy!” 

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also cheered the decision, writing on X, “Grateful that SCOTUS blocked Democrats from unconstitutionally attempting to remove @realDonaldTrump from the ballot. President Trump is the choice of the American people!”

“9-0. The commies will have to find other ways to “defend democracy”. #MAGA,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., added, noting the decision’s unanimity. 

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said he was “glad” to see the court choose “the side of freedom.”

BIDEN PREDICTS 2024 WIN IN RARE INTERVIEW, TAUNTS MEDIA, CALLS TRUMP ‘LOSER’

“BREAKING: The Supreme Court defends democracy against radical leftist low-tier judges. Despite the Far Left’s never-ending political witch-hunt against Donald Trump, the Constitution and our democracy prevailed,” wrote Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., on X. 

Democrats had largely been quiet on the Supreme Court’s ruling. Calls placed seeking comment from President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were not immediately returned. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is calling for answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on new data he says shows an “alarmingly low” percentage of DNA samples of illegal immigrants being received by the FBI.

Grassley, in a letter to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) acting Commissioner Troy Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, cites whistleblower data his office has received related to CBP DNA collection practices of immigrants arriving at the northern and southern borders.

“Those disclosures show that in the first three quarters of FY23, FBI received an alarmingly low percentage of DNA samples,” he wrote.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS SEEK ANSWERS ON DNA TESTING BACKLOG OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS 

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has obtained whistleblower information on DNA testing at the southern border. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The statistics he cites show that in Q1 of FY23, there were 865,333 migrant encounters, and 347,231 DNA samples were received by the FBI — about 40%

In Q2, just 31.21% were received by the FBI and in Q3 that number was 37%. He said he had previously requested FY 23 data but had not received it.

“Given the record number of illegal crossings, CBP encounters, and ICE detainees with prior criminal records, CBP and DHS’s continued failure to collect DNA on illegal immigrants is deeply concerning,” he said. “This failure weakens our justice system and empowers criminals to illegally cross our border, jeopardizing American lives.” 

MAYORKAS TELLS BORDER PATROL AGENTS THAT ‘ABOVE 85%’ OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED INTO US: SOURCES

Grassley has previously noted that the Justice Dept. removed exemptions from the 2005 DNA Fingerprint Act in 2020, broadening the number who can be fingerprinted. There are still exemptions for under 14-year-olds and those who already have a DNA profile, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

However, the government has also been dealing with a shortage of test kits, and Republicans recently highlighted a reported 15-month backlog on DNA testing. 

Grassley cites a number of reports that show examples of crimes illegal immigrants have been connected to via DNA matches, including unsolved cases, even with what he called “insufficient” DNA efforts by federal authorities.

In his letter, Grassley asks for a range of information, but he specifically asks whether Jose Antonio Ibarra — who was recently charged in the murder of Georgia student Laken Riley and who has since been confirmed to be an illegal immigrant released into the U.S. last year — was ever subject to a DNA sample.

7.2M ENTERED US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES

He also requests data for Q4 and for FY 24 so far, as well as additional plans to implement the DNA Fingerprint Act. Fox reached out to CBP and DHS.

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The letter comes as illegal immigration is set to be a top 2024 issue. President Biden and former President Donald Trump both visited the southern border in Texas last week as polling shows it is a top concern for voters.

CBP sources tell Fox News that there have been more than 21,000 migrant encounters in the past 72 hours, with Tucson Sector being the busiest with more than 5,400. It’s in line with traditional surges as numbers increase as the Spring arrives, but the numbers suggest it is going to be a significant surge.

Fox News’ Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.

The U.S. Supreme Court sided unanimously with former President Trump in his challenge to the state of Colorado’s attempt to kick him off the 2024 primary ballot. 

The high court ruled in favor of Trump’s arguments in the case, which will impact the status of efforts in several other states to remove the likely GOP nominee from their respective ballots. 

The court considered for the first time the meaning and reach of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office again. Challenges have been filed to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot in over 30 states. 

“We conclude that States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office. But States have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency,” the Court wrote.

READ THE RULING BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE.

TRUMP REACTS TO SUPREME COURT ORAL ARGUMENTS: ‘GOOD NEWS IS WE’RE LEADING VIRTUALLY EVERY POLL’

The state of Colorado had argued that because they determined Trump’s behavior related to 2020 election interference – culminating with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots – amounted to an “insurrection,” he should be removed from the state’s ballot. 

In more than two hours of spirited, often tense arguments last month, the nine justices asked tough questions of both sides about whether the president or a presidential candidate is exempt from the constitutional provision adopted after the Civil War.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh spoke for colleagues when saying they were confronting “difficult questions.”
 

Former U.S. President Donald Trump points to supporters at the conclusion of a campaign rally at the Atkinson Country Club on Jan. 16, 2024, in Atkinson, New Hampshire. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

“When you look at Section 3, the term insurrection jumps out,” Kavanaugh said. “And the questions are, what does that mean? How do you define it? Who decides? Who decides whether someone engaged in it?” 

Kavanaugh noted the courts looked at these questions in an 1869 decision, known as “Griffin’s case,” which found that an act of Congress was necessary to enforce the 14th Amendment’s ban on insurrectionists holding federal office.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR TRUMP BALLOT REMOVAL CASE OUT OF COLORADO

Supreme Court Justices hear arguments from Trump attorney Jonathan Mitchell.  (William J. Hennessy, Jr.)

“These are difficult questions, and you look right at Section 5 of the 14th Amendmentm … and that tells you Congress has the primary role here,” Kavanaugh said. “I think what’s different is the processes, the definition, who decides questions really jump out at you when you look at Section 3.”

Chief Justice John Roberts questioned Colorado’s attorney Jason Murray about the “consequences” of the state’s position. 

TRUMP HOLDS LARGE LEAD OVER HALEY 4 DAYS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

“What do you do with consequences of your position? There will be disqualification proceedings on the other side, and some will succeed in very quick order, I would expect that a goodly number of states will say whoever the Democrat is, you’re off the ballot,” he said. “It would then come down to a small number of states deciding the election. That’s a pretty severe consequence.”

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Justice Samuel Alito pressed Murray to “grapple” with “what some people have seen as the consequences of the argument that you’re advancing, which is that there will be conflicts in decisions among the states.”

“The different states will disqualify different candidates. But I’m not getting a whole lot of help from you about how this would not be an unmanageable situation,” Alito said.  

Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., is introducing legislation that would require ICE to detain illegal immigrants who are charged with local theft or burglary, after a migrant accused of such crimes was released and later charged with the murder of an American college student.

The Laken Riley Act is named after 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley, a college nursing student who was recently killed on the campus of University of Georgia. Jose Antonio Ibarra, the illegal immigrant from Venezuela charged with the brutal murder, had been arrested multiple times prior to the murder, but was not detained by ICE.

Before being charged with felony murder, Ibarra was arrested for driving under the influence and driving without a license, the Middle District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office wrote in a press release citing a sworn affidavit and criminal complaint against the migrant. He also was cited for shoplifting in October 2023, according to police. Collins’ new bill would have required ICE to detain Ibarra after these first offenses, and prior to the death of Riley.

Collins, who represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District of Athens – where the fatal attack occurred – said the murder of Riley is a “wakeup call” for America and the bill seeks to combat the “illegal crime wave” that he attributes to the ongoing border crisis.

TRUMP SAYS HE SPOKE TO ‘DEVASTATED’ PARENTS OF LAKEN RILEY, BLASTS BIDEN BORDER CRISIS ‘LIKE A WAR’

Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22, 2024. (Laken Riley/Facebook)

“The senseless murder of Laken Riley by Jose Ibarra, who had no business being in this country, was another wakeup call as Americans experience an illegal alien crime wave because of Joe Biden’s open border and local sanctuary city policies,” Collins told Fox News Digital.

The congressman said the legislation will work to prevent similar tragic incidents from occurring as a result of the open southern border.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER: ATHENS-CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF CAMPAIGNED ON NOT ‘COOPERATING’ WITH ICE: ‘CULTURE OF FEAR’

“I wish we could bring Laken back, but we must now turn our focus to ensuring this doesn’t happen to another American,” the Republican congressman continued. “That’s why I introduced the Laken Riley Act.”

Rep. Mike Collins leaves the House Republicans’ caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on May 23, 2023. (Bill Clark/Getty Images)

The Laken Riley Act would “require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue a detainer for illegal aliens who are charged or cited with local theft or burglary. More serious crimes already require ICE to issue detainers but had Athens, GA Police reached out to ICE about Jose Ibarra when he was cited for shoplifting, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken Riley would be alive.”

The bill will also allow individual states to take action against the federal government “if an immigration related action harms the state or its citizens.”

“Allow states to sue the federal government for injunctive relief if an immigration related action (parole, violation of detention requirements, etc.), harms the state or its citizens. This gives states legal resource to force the federal government to address certain failures related to border security,” a press release announcing the legislation read.

Jose Ibarra was arrested on Feb. 23 in connection with Laken Riley’s Feb. 22 murder in Athens, Georgia. (Clarke County Sheriff’s Office)

The House could vote on the bill as soon as this week, the release added.

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Collins recently led the Georgia congressional delegation in a moment of silence for Riley, and has pledged to continue to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

The former Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol told 60 Minutes that President Biden never spoke to him during his two years on the job. Neither did Vice President Kamala Harris, tapped as the administration’s “border czar” by President Biden in May 2021.

Raul Ortiz served as the U.S. Chief of Border Patrol under President Biden and deputy chief under former President Trump before retiring in May 2023. 

Then-U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz listens during a news conference, Jan. 5, 2023, in Washington (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

In an interview that aired Sunday, Ortiz excoriated politicians – Republicans and Democrats alike – who engage in media ops in a “two-mile stretch,” neglected hundreds of miles of open borders. 

But he expressed particular frustrations for the president, saying that in his two years in office, “I’ve never had one conversation with the president or vice president.” 

“I was the chief of the Border Patrol, I commanded 21,000 people. That’s a problem,” he said. 

US BORDER PATROL SHOOTS, KILLS BANDIT ROBBING MIGRANTS IN CALIFORNIA

Ortiz said the U.S. needs to send a clearer message to Central and South America that they will be sent back if they do not have a legitimate asylum claim. 

Asked if he believed the White House has sent mixed messages to migrants, he said: “most definitely.” 

Ortiz presided over Border Patrol during some of the most high-profile incidents, including 15,000 Haitian migrants under the bridge in Del Rio, agents being falsely accused of whipping, the end of Title 42 expulsions, and record-setting illegal crossings. 

Ortiz testified under oath in March 2023 during a House field hearing in McAllen, Texas that the border is not secure. He retired two months later. 

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His interview comes after Biden and Trump made dueling trips to the southern border, underscoring how central the border is to the 2024 presidential election. 

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley notched her first victory of the 2024 primary campaign, besting former President Donald Trump in Washington D.C.

Haley won the contest with nearly 63% of the vote, according to an Associated Press call of the race shortly after polls closed Sunday. The results mean the former South Carolina governor will walk away with 19 delegates.

Washington D.C. represented Haley’s possible best shot at notching a victory and ending Trump’s undefeated primary streak. While Trump won the district in an uncontested 2020 primary, he finished a distant third behind Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the 2016 primary. The district also leans heavily towards Democrats, with President Biden garnering 92% of the Washington D.C. vote in the 2020 Election.

TRUMP WINS THE MICHIGAN GOP PRIMARY, BRINGING HIM ONE STEP CLOSER TO SECURING REPUBLICAN NOMINATION

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump has so far made easy work of this year’s GOP primary, notching victories in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, the Virgin Islands, South Carolina and Michigan. The seemingly easy stream of wins has solidified the former president’s frontrunner status in the race, with the campaign telling Fox News Digital ahead of the results that they have already begun to look forward to the general election.

“Republican voters have delivered resounding wins for President Trump in every single primary contest and this race is over,” a spokesperson for the campaign said. “Our focus is now on Joe Biden and the general election.”

Former President Donald Trump. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

DC PRIMARY REPRESENTS HALEY’S BEST CHANCE YET TO BEAT TRUMP

The former president held a commanding lead heading into Washington D.C.’s contest, holding ten times as many delegates as Haley before his first primary loss. Trump still holds a commanding lead heading into the most important week on the calendar, with Haley only gaining 19 with the victory in the nation’s capital.

Haley, meanwhile, has remained as the only other contender in the field, vowing to stay in the race despite a recent loss in her home state of South Carolina.

Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event at the Orangeburg Mall Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Orangeburg, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

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The Haley campaign will look to carry the momentum to Monday’s contest in North Dakota, where 29 delegates will be up for grabs and this week’s “Super Tuesday,” where voters in 15 states will head to the polls to determine who gets a share of 865 total delegates. Haley has invested heavily in Super Tuesday, with her campaign announcing a seven-figure ad-buy in various states set to vote that day last week.

The magic number to secure the nomination is 1,215 delegates, meaning no candidate will become the presumptive nominee yet in the upcoming week.

Lawmakers are finally rolling out a bill to fund part of the federal government for fiscal year 2024 on Sunday, bringing Congress closer to averting a partial government shutdown come March 8.

If passed it will take Congress another step toward ending a battle that’s led to historic levels of dysfunction, particularly within the House of Representatives.

The 1,050-page legislation is a package of six bills dealing with departments and agencies whose funding expires on Friday – dealing with agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the Departments of Justice and Commerce; Energy and Water Development; the Department of the Interior; and Transportation and housing.

Both Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., were quick to claim victory after the deal was announced.

HOUSE GOP LEADERS JETTISON PROMISE TO VOTE ON 12 INDIVIDUAL SPENDING BILLS

Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer released bill text to fund the government (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Johnson’s office touted modest cuts to key agencies that have been criticized by conservatives, including a 10% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a 6% cut to the FBI, and a 7% cut to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).

On the policy front, Republican leaders say it would also prevent the Department of Justice from going after parents who speak out at school board meetings.

The fact that the bill also separates the 12 total appropriations bills into at least two separate packages is also a big win for Johnson, who has pledged to avoid a massive “omnibus” spending bill that nearly all Republicans have opposed. It’s the first time since 2018 that Congress did not pass an all-in-one bill, according to Johnson’s office.

Schumer, meanwhile, said in a statement that the bill “fully funds” a federal food program aimed at women, infants and children (WIC) and includes infrastructure investments.

Both touted additional help for U.S. military veterans. 

BIDEN CALLS JOHNSON, SCHUMER FOR WHITE HOUSE MEETING AMID CONGRESSIONAL CHAOS STIRRING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FEARS

Johnson scored a victory in forcing Congress to not pass an omnibus spending bill this year. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“This legislation forbids the Department of Justice from targeting parents exercising their right to free speech before school boards, while it blocks the Biden Administration from stripping Second Amendment rights from veterans,” Johnson said in a statement. “It imposes deep cuts to the EPA, ATF, and FBI, which under the Biden Administration have threatened our freedoms and our economy, while it fully funds veterans’ health care.”

Schumer said the bill “maintains the aggressive investments Democrats secured for American families, American workers, and America’s national defense.”

“Among the good things Democrats helped secure in this package I am particularly proud that it fully funds the vital WIC program, makes critical investments in our infrastructure, and strengthens programs that benefit services for our veterans,” he said.

TRUMP ENDORSES EX-KEVIN MCCARTHY AIDE VINCE FONG TO FILL VACANT SEAT AS HIS FORMER AIDES BACK FONG’S OPPONENT

Congressional leaders have been forced to extend fiscal year 2023’s funding priorities four times since Sept. 30 over a myriad of disagreements over spending levels and government policy. 

Most of the conflict has come from GOP hardliners in the House who have leveraged their conference’s razor-thin majority in a bid to force severe spending cuts and passage of conservative policies, even as Democrats controlling the Senate and White House have rejected virtually all of their major demands.

The ouster of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy was precipitated by government funding disagreements. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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That infighting led to the first-ever ouster of a House Speaker when a small group of conservatives joined all House Democrats to vote out ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy for working with Schumer to avoid a government shutdown late last year.

GOP hardliners have also lodged protest votes that have effectively halted House floor activity in opposition to House Republican leaders’ decisions on federal funding.

While Sunday’s release of bill text is a significant step to putting that fight to rest, the war is far from over – Congress has until March 22 to fund the remaining portions of the government. That group of bills, which includes military spending and homeland security, is expected to be far more difficult given the vast policy disagreements between Republicans and Democrats there.

The United States Supreme Court’s decision in a case that will determine whether former President Trump can be kicked off Colorado’s state primary ballot for allegedly interfering in the 2020 election could arrive as early as Monday. 

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled in December that Trump is disqualified from being president again and ineligible for the state’s primary – which is Tuesday. Trump, who has since been barred from primary ballots in Illinois and Maine, has challenged the Colorado court’s decision.   

A woman under a purple umbrella walks past the Supreme Court, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The state’s highest court was the first to invoke Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, a post-Civil War constitutional provision aimed at preventing those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. Until now, the Supreme Court has never ruled on the provision.

The potential resolution of the case on Monday, a day before Super Tuesday contests in 16 states, would remove uncertainty about whether votes for Trump, the leading Republican candidate for president, will ultimately count. Both sides had requested fast work by the court, which heard arguments on Feb. 8.

HALEY QUESTIONS WHETHER TRUMP WILL FOLLOW CONSTITUTION, BACKTRACKS ON PLEDGE TO SUPPORT GOP NOMINEE

Except for when the end of the term nears in late June, the court almost always issues decisions on days when the justices are scheduled to take the bench. But the next scheduled court day isn’t until March 15. The justices won’t be there on Monday. Any opinions will be posted on the court’s website beginning just after 10 a.m. EST Monday.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump gestures to supporters during an election night watch party at the State Fairgrounds on February 24, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The anticipated decision comes after the justices agreed last week to hear arguments in late April over whether Trump can be criminally prosecuted on election interference charges, including his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The court’s decision to step into the politically-charged case calls into question whether Trump will stand trial before the November election.  

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The former president faces more than 90 criminal charges in four prosecutions. Of those, the only one with a trial date that seems poised to hold is his state case in New York, where he’s charged with falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments to a porn actor. That case is set for trial on March 25, and the judge has signaled his determination to press ahead.

Border officials encountered upwards of 14,000 illegal migrants at the southern border between Saturday and Friday, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources. 

Leading the encounters was the Tucson, Arizona, sector, with more than 2,000 apprehensions of illegal immigrants, per reporting from Fox News’ Bill Melugin. 

And that’s on top of more than 1,000 gotaways on Saturday. 

A group of migrants walk to a van as hundreds of migrants gather along the border Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in Lukeville, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The figures have followed a trend since President Biden took office, whereby illegal border crossings dip around January and February, then tick back up in March, before exploding in the spring. 

“If no action is taken – buckle up for the rest of the year, if the last 3 years are any indication,” Melugin tweeted. “Especially if migrants feel they need to get in before Biden is potentially voted out of office.”

The figures come as the border has become central to the 2024 presidential election. President Joe Biden and the presumed GOP nominee, former President Donald Trump, both made dueling trips to the Texas border on Thursday. 

CNN HOST DEMANDS MAYORKAS RESPOND TO TRUMP CLAIM ON BIDEN WELCOMING MIGRANTS TO CHANGE ‘ELECTORAL DYNAMICS’

Biden visited Brownsville, Texas and an area of the Rio Grande Valley where illegal crossings have dropped sharply. 

Trump, meanwhile, visited Eagle Pass, an area that has become a flashpoint between Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden administration over the latter’s handling of illegal immigration. 

Asylum seekers cross the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States on September 30, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Biden began his administration by making good on his campaign promise to roll back his predecessor’s immigration policies. He issued more than 90 executive actions on the border. But with the election looming, and under pressure from Republicans and even some Democrats, Biden has shifted course, pressing for asylum restrictions. 

Still, Biden has stopped short of issuing any meaningful executive action on the border, saying the matter would best be left resolved by legislation. 

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Biden embraced a sweeping bipartisan measure that was ultimately blocked by Senate Republicans over its tying of border security to wartime aid for Ukraine. 

Tennessee is deploying National Guard members to the southern border as Republican governors continue to support Texas in its showdown with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement.

Gov. Bill Lee, who visited the southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas, earlier this month, met with Tennessee National Guard members at Millington Tennessee Army National Guard Armory ahead of their voluntary deployment.

“As America faces the most severe border crisis in decades, TN is showing the rest of the country what it means to lead,” the Tennessee governor posted on X. “Today, I joined TN National Guard members who will soon deploy on a voluntary mission to secure the Southern border as the federal government fails to act.”

The initial deployment will consist of 50 members and last through March before a second wave replaces them later in the spring. It was unclear where exactly they would be sent.

BIDEN ADMIN SHREDDED FOR REFERRING TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AS ‘NEWCOMERS’: ‘NOT SERIOUS PEOPLE’

Gov. Bill Lee met with members of the Tennessee National Guard at the armory in Millington on Saturday. (Gov. Bill Lee/X)

During his visit to Eagle Pass, Lee gathered with Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and other Republicans in a show of force to support Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. 

Gov. Lee said the National Guard members are deploying on a voluntary mission to secure the southern border as the federal government fails to act on immigration enforcement. (Gov. Bill Lee/X)

Abbott has butted heads with Biden and his administration, accusing the federal government of not being tough enough on illegal crossings.

BIDEN’S REVERSAL OF TRUMP POLICIES CREATED BORDER CRISIS, EXPERT SAYS: ‘INTENTIONALLY UNSECURED IT’

Republicans have long criticized the Biden administration for reversing Trump-era border policies and creating a crisis at the southern border that is seeing waves of migrants illegally cross daily.

Tennessee will deploy about 50 National Guard members in two waves over the coming months. (Gov. Bill Lee/X)

In December alone, U.S. Border Patrol reported there were more than 300,000 encounters – an all-time record. 

Meanwhile, Biden and his administration have sought to shift the blame for the crisis onto the shoulders of Republicans. The administration says it is working with a broken system that needs significantly more funding and comprehensive immigration reform. 

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Both Biden and former President Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, made dueling visits to the southern border in Texas on Thursday as immigration remains a top concern for voters.

Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas responded to a “Saturday Night Live” sketch that used him to poke fun at President Biden’s age on Sunday.

“SNL” depicted Mayorkas interviewing with CNN’s Dana Bash, an interview that ended up taking place in reality on Sunday morning on CNN’s “State of the Union.” 

On the show, the actor depicting Mayorkas rejected claims that Biden was moving slowly at the border during his visit last week, saying he saw the president carry out superhuman feats of agility and strength.

“Behind closed doors, he’s a dynamo,” the faux-Mayorkas said. “He went into beast mode. He said, ‘We gotta tighten this border. Look how easy I can cross it.’ Then he parkoured up to the top of the border wall. He front-flipped into the Rio Grande and came back up with a fish in his mouth.”

WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE AMID FUROR OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES

Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas responded to an “SNL” skit that used him to poke fun at President Biden’s age on Sunday. (Getty Images)

Bash asked Mayorkas about the sketch Sunday morning, asking, “Does that happen every day?”

SALVADORAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO MARYLAND MURDER OF 2-YEAR-OLD BOY

“We all need a little comic relief now and then. I thought George Clooney did a terrific job,” Mayorkas said, cracking a joke of his own. In reality, Marcello Hernández played Mayorkas.

Bash noted that the joke has a kernel of truth, in that a number of Americans are concerned about Biden’s age, while administration officials tend to point to supposed examples of the president’s vitality not seen by the public. Mayorkas continued this trend in response to Bash.

“They should spend a bit of time with Joe Biden like I have done,” he responded before offering an anecdote. “I prepare a lot for meetings with him and engagements with him because he’s remarkably detail-oriented, probing and operationally focused.”

“But no fishing in the Rio Grande?” Bash asked.

“Not for me,” Mayorkas said.

Critics poked fun at Biden for moving slowly during his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border last week at Brownsville, Texas. (Getty Images)

Biden visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, last week, holding a competing event with former President Trump, who visited the much more heavily trafficked Eagle Pass, Texas.

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Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that Brownsville has seen just 46 migrant encounters over the past five days, compared to 2,106 in Eagle Pass. The former averaged 17 migrant encounters per day in February, while the latter averaged 462.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley questioned whether former President Donald Trump would follow the Constitution if elected again and refused to say whether she would support him in the general election.

“I don’t know,” Haley said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, where she was asked if she believed Trump would follow the Constitution if elected. “When you go and you talk about revenge. When you go and you talk about, you know, vindication.… I don’t know what that means and only he can answer for that.”

Haley, who is the only remaining contender in the GOP primary field facing off with Trump, has so far failed to gain traction among voters. Trump has easily swept every race of the primary season so far and currently holds 10 times the number of delegates as Haley, who has vowed to stay in the race.

ILLINOIS JUDGE REMOVES TRUMP FROM STATE BALLOT, CITING “INSURRECTIONIST BAN”

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

That vow came despite Haley losing her home state of South Carolina last month, with the candidate instead looking ahead to “Super Tuesday” on March 5 and the over 800 delegates up for grabs on the primary season’s most important day.

Washington, D.C.’s GOP primary, which is held over three days this weekend, is also seen as a potential pickup for Haley, with Trump having come in a distant third in the district the last time he ran contested in the 2016 primary.

Former President Donald Trump pumps his fist after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, in Oxon Hill, Maryland, Feb. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

BIDEN BORDER VISIT UNDERSCORES KAMALA HARRIS’ SHRINKING ROLE IN HANDLING MIGRANT CRISIS

With Trump’s status as the clear frontrunner in seemingly little danger, Haley was pressed on whether she planned to support the former president if he secures the GOP nomination, something the former South Carolina governor refused to commit to despite an earlier pledge.

“If you talk about an endorsement, you’re talking about a loss. I don’t think like that. When you’re in a race, you don’t think about losing,” Haley said when asked if she felt bound by an RNC pledge to support the eventual nominee. “What I can tell you is I don’t think Donald Trump or Joe Biden should be president. I don’t think we need two candidates in their 80s… I think people want a new generational leader that is going to go back to what the American dream is, what we want for our kids, and a place that’s something that we can be proud of again.”

Nikki Haley hosts a rally in Conway, South Carolina, before the Palmetto State’s primary on Jan. 28, 2024. (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Pressed further on her former pledge, Haley argued that she will “make what decision I want to make” when it comes to endorsing the former president.

“I don’t look at what ifs,” Haley said. “I look at how do we continue the conversation.”

An effort championed by the Biden administration to have the federal government pay college students to register voters ahead of the 2024 election could have serious legal ramifications if it’s being done to aid President Biden’s “own re-election efforts,” according to some legal experts.

Vice President Kamala Harris announced an election initiative to boost voter turnout during a meeting with voting rights activists at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building this week.

“We have been doing work to promote voter participation for students, and, for example, we have, under the federal work study program, now allowed students to get paid through federal work study to register people and to be nonpartisan poll workers,” Harris said Tuesday. “As we know, this is important for a number of reasons.”

One reason for the effort, Harris said, is to “engage our young leaders” in the process and “activate them in terms of their ability to strengthen our community.”

KAMALA HARRIS PRAISES ‘NONPARTISAN POLL WORKER,’ WHICH IMMEDIATELY BACKFIRES WHEN PEOPLE LEARN WHO HE IS

Vice President Kamala Harris (Leigh Vogel/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project, told Fox News Digital the effort is being carried out by the Biden administration to “aid its own re-election efforts.”

“The Biden administration is weaponizing the federal government to aid its own re-election efforts. Using tax dollars to pay overwhelmingly liberal college students to register and turn out voters is only the latest scandal,” Snead said. 

“With Executive Order 14019, President Biden turned the entire federal government into a get-out-the-vote operation, and agencies are collaborating with left-wing nonprofit groups to get the job done.

“Using the levers of the federal government to aid an incumbent is an abuse of power and a threat to the democracy President Biden claims to cherish.”

WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD SAYS BIDEN SHOULD IGNORE LIBERAL ‘WISH LISTS,’ SECURE BORDER TO BEAT TRUMP

Hans A. von Spakovsky is a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies who serves as manager of the think tank’s Election Law Reform Initiative. He told Fox News Digital the taxpayer-funded effort is an “outrageous abuse of power” by the Biden administration.

“This is the unauthorized use of taxpayer funds to get out the vote for the Biden campaign and Democratic candidates,” he said. “It is a violation of the Hatch Act as well as the Anti-Deficiency Act. It is an outrageous abuse of power.”

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris stand onstage and wave to the crowd during a rally at George Mason University Jan. 23, 2024, in Manassas, Va. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In a memo published Monday, the Department of Education clarified that federal work study funds could be used to support voter registration activities.

“The Department is today clarifying that FWS funds may be used for employment by a Federal, State, local, or Tribal public agency for civic engagement work that is not associated with a particular interest or group,” the memo stated.

Harris’ comments announcing the effort sparked backlash from some conservatives and Republican lawmakers on social media, including Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty, who accused President Biden of supporting the move to “mobilize (his) voters” ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

“Biden signed EO14019 ordering federal govt to use taxpayer $ to mobilize (his) voters. [Stephen Miller] has FOIAed details, and I’ve sought them in Congress, but Biden is hiding them. Sounds like the election-year plan is underway,” Hagerty wrote in a Tuesday evening post to X.

In a statement to Fox, a spokesperson for Hagerty insisted the senator is “very concerned” the Biden administration is using government resources to “boost” its own re-election chances.

“Sen. Hagerty is very concerned that the Biden Administration is using government resources to target Democrat voter groups and boost its re-election chances,” the spokesperson said. “The administration continues to hide these taxpayer-funded voter mobilization plans despite his multiple requests for basic transparency.

“And now Vice President Harris says they are paying ‘nonpartisan poll workers’ — with her example being a left-wing partisan activist. If there’s nothing to hide, then the Biden administration should release the plans.”

Harris said the effort by the federal government to pay students to register voters is to “engage our young leaders” and “activate them in terms of their ability to strengthen our community.” (Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images)

In social media post Tuesday morning, Harris applauded poll workers for their efforts ahead of the 2024 presidential election. However, her complimentary remarks quickly backfired.

“Our democracy could not function without nonpartisan poll workers like Vasu and Rob whom I met in Georgia. President Biden and I thank you and we support you,” she wrote in a post on X, sharing a photo of her appearing to listen to Vasu Abhiraman.

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X’s Community Notes immediately tagged the tweet with additional context that readers “might want to know,” that the supposed nonpartisan poll worker Abhiraman was actually a liberal advocate who promotes the progressive movement.

“The ‘nonpartisan poll worker’ on the left is Vasu Abhiraman, a staffer at the left-wing Alliance for Justice and formerly of ACLU Georgia,” said on Harris’ tweet.

Fox News Digital contacted the Biden administration seeking a response to the abuse of power allegations.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.