NationalWatch

A new slogan and accompanying red hat made its debut at the White House on Tuesday as President Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, reopening the federal government with a room full of Republican lawmakers in attendance.

The hat, bearing the phrase “America Is Back!” sat on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office during the bill-signing ceremony, as House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the message while standing alongside the president.

“This is good for the country, and America is back,” said Johnson, who added that the hat was “appropriate” and “the right slogan.”

Trump confirmed the item’s novelty during the signing event, looking toward the hat held in Johnson’s hands. 

“It’s a new hat,” Trump said. “[It] just came out. America is back.”

Trump noticed CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in the press pool and quipped, “Look, CNN is thrilled [about the hat]. Look at her. She never smiles. I’d never see her [smile]. But someday I’ll see her smile.”

‘OPENING PANDORA’S BOX’: MIKE JOHNSON BACKS TRUMP AFTER WARNING WHITE HOUSE ABOUT DEAL WITH DEMOCRATS

While the event focused on passage of the sweeping government funding package, the hat quickly became a visual focal point. As of Tuesday afternoon, however, the “America Is Back!” hat had not yet appeared for sale on the Trump Store official site, which currently features other Trump-branded merchandise, including MAGA hats.

Johnson’s remarks came as Republicans sought to champion the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) after days of uncertainty, with Johnson standing behind Trump as the president signed the bill reopening the government.

The CAA signed Tuesday funds most federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year, though separate negotiations remain ongoing over longer-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENDS AS TRUMP SIGNS BILL, BUT DHS FUNDING DEADLINE LOOMS

Trump later argued that the new phrase does not replace his longtime political slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

“We’ll never forget MAGA,” he said. “But I thought this was very appropriate.” Sen. Barasso, R-Wyo., added, “Love it.”

It is unclear when or if the “America Is Back” hat will be made available for purchase in the Trump online store.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Upon request for comment, the White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s stated remarks.

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this reporting.  

As speculation swirls over whether California Gov. Gavin Newsom will run for president in 2028, a business group on Tuesday unveiled a billboard in New York City’s Times Square, comparing the Democratic leader to one of the NFL’s most consistently underperforming – some would say sorriest – franchises: the New York Jets. 

The California Business and Industrial Alliance (CABIA), which announced the ad, said it coincides with Super Bowl week and represents Newsom’s track record on homelessness and higher taxes. 

NEWSOM WARNS ‘PATHETIC’ FOREIGN LEADERS TO GROW A BACKBONE IN BIZARRE TAKEDOWN LIKENING TRUMP TO A T.REX

“Before trying to quarterback national politics, Gavin Newsom should take a hard look at how his game plan worked out in California,” said Tom Manzo, founder of CABIA. “Much like New Yorkers feel about the Jets, Californians expected more than what they’ve seen from Governor Newsom.”

The billboard features a green background in Jets colors and features Newsom wearing a Jets Jersey with “California” emblazoned” on the front. 

“His record is worse than the Jets,” the billboard states. #1 in High Taxes and Homelessness.”

ROB GRONKOWSKI PRAISES PATRIOTS’ TURNAROUND, SAYS TITANS FIRING MIKE VRABEL WAS FRANCHISE-ALTERING

Newsom has been heavily criticized by Republicans over the state’s homelessness crisis, which has grown over the past few years despite billions in spending. 

A 2024 state audit found that California failed to track results from an unprecedented $24 billion spent on combating the issue. In addition, California has one of the country’s highest tax burdens and costs of living. 

Meanwhile, the comparison to the Jets is meant to highlight Newsom’s perceived failures at governing the state. The Jets finished the 2025 NFL season with a 3-14 record, frustrating the team’s already demoralized fan base. 

The team lost its first seven games of the season before finally notching a win. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Jets last made the NFL playoffs during the 2010 postseason. Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom and the Jets front office. 

Secretary Kristi Noem stood by her decision to equip federal agents with body cameras after President Donald Trump said the move “wasn’t [his] decision.”

During an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the DHS secretary said body cameras would make “sure that people know the truth of a situation,” and that both agents and the American people want cameras on federal law enforcement officials. 

“Our officers want [body cams] and the people want it, they want the relationship with their communities to know all of the information that we need to have during these situations of conflict and violence,” Noem told Fox News Digital. “And we’ve seen that that can be very helpful in making sure that people know the truth of a situation and that we can get people help as soon as possible.”

Noem pointed to lack of resources as to why agents weren’t previously wearing cameras, and said that many border patrol agents already actively use body cams.

KRISTI NOEM TO TESTIFY BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH

“The Department of Homeland Security trains a lot of federal agents already, and different agencies have body cameras that they wear already,” Noem explained to Fox..”CBP has many officers that already have body cameras on them.”

“The problem was having the resources to get them on every agent and every officer that’s out there. And then having the resources to do the analyses and the storage of those videos and who can help us really utilize them,” Noem added. 

DHS announced that federal law enforcement officers would be required to wear body cameras on Monday. President Donald Trump spoke with reporters shortly after the announcement, saying he supported the move and clarifying the decision was left solely up to Noem.

TRUMP UNLOADS ON ‘RADICAL LEFT’ AS HE STANDS BY KRISTI NOEM AMID IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT UNREST

“It wasn’t my decision,” Trump said. “I would have you know I leave it to her. [Body cams] generally tend to be good for law enforcement because people can’t lie about what’s happening.”

“If she wants to do that, I’m okay with it,” the president added.

Unrest surrounding federal law enforcement officers and ICE agents has ravaged the country in recent weeks after two individuals, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed on separate occasions by authorities in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

DHS SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM ADDRESSES CALLS FOR HER FIRING, NEW ALEX PRETTI VIDEO

In Washington, the government shut down largely due to debates surrounding DHS spending. Questions over whether the agency should implement a body camera policy was a key point of contention between Republicans and Democrats, though the GOP ultimately united behind President Trump and passed legislation to end the shutdown on Tuesday afternoon. 

The roughly $1.2 trillion package included funding through Sept. 30 for 11 of the 12 of the appropriations bills, while DHS funding was only extended temporarily through Feb. 13 and negotiations over ICE policies continue.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

If lawmakers fail to reach a deal by Feb. 13, the government would enter an additional partial shutdown.

Some far-left members of congress have called for the eradication of ICE as an agency entirely, while others have asked for additional policy discussions surrounding federal agents wearing face masks, warrant requirements, and random immigration sweeps.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

EXCLUSIVE: An ex-FBI agent sought to open an investigation into Elon Musk’s use of X while leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in 2025, likening his activity to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, according to an email exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the email sent by a now-former FBI agent that was first shared as a legally protected whistleblower disclosure to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.

FBI FIRES AGENTS, DISMANTLES CORRUPTION SQUAD AFTER PROBE UNVEILS MONITORING OF GOP SENATORS, PATEL SAYS

The email, while not explicitly mentioning it, was sent after Musk set the controversial DOGE mandate requiring federal employees to report on five tasks they completed for their role each week.

The ex-FBI agent sent the email to a colleague in the CR-15 division, also known as the public corruption squad, on Feb. 22, 2025 — the same day Musk announced that all federal employees were being instructed to report productivity. 

Musk made the announcement in an email, but also in a post on X, saying the report would come in the form of an email to give federal workers a chance to report how productive they were the previous week. If the email was ignored, Musk said, the federal government would interpret that as a resignation.

The email was also sent just two days after FBI Director Kash Patel was confirmed by the Senate to lead the bureau. Patel dismantled the CR-15 public corruption squad in October 2025. 

The email, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, shows the agent requesting to open the probe into Musk in February 2025. 

ELON MUSK SAYS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

“I would like to recommend the opening of a criminal 58 matter on the person(s) at OPM who approved the transmission of the earlier email,” the agent wrote. “That person in conspiracy with Elon Musk (who is reportedly an SGE), in addition to wasting a colossal amount of official time, encouraged, abetted, aided, etc. thousands if not tens of thousands of government employees to violate government wide security policy and transmit sensitive government information outside of a strict need to know.”

The agent added that “Musk used a non-government system (twitter) to relate information that allegedly was for official purposes.”

“In doing so, because he is monetized (he is a majority owner of twitter) he likely generated income for himself based on Twitter’s monetization model and/or advertising revenues,” the agent wrote.

“His use of twitter in this and other instances is conceptually similar to Hillary Clinton’s misuse of a private email server for government business,” the agent continued. “Furthermore, this likely violates 18 USC 208 and the terms of his SGE agreement—an SGE cannot monetize themselves with their government work.”

The agent added: “Reading Musk’s message even in the most positive light, that message threatened persons with firing if they did not participate in an act that violated policy.”

“Happy to write the case opening and find a prosecutor (or at least try),” the agent wrote. “Alternatively, I am happy to report this to the OPM OIG or Congress.” 

The agent added: “And no, I’m not kidding.”

FLASHBACK: ICE CREAM FROM TRUMP AND A ‘COMICALLY TINY OFFICE’: INSIDE ELON MUSK’S WILD 3 MONTHS GETTING DOGE ROLLING

Musk, at the time, was a special government employee leading DOGE.

The FBI told Fox News Digital in February that an investigation into Musk or involving Musk was never opened.

The FBI also told Fox News Digital that the agent who sent the email was no longer working at the bureau.

“The FBI worked with partners on Capitol Hill to excise anyone who weaponized law enforcement at the FBI and added him to the list,” an FBI source told Fox News Digital.

An FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Patel “has made it a top priority to expose and eliminate the deep-rooted corruption that took hold over decades at the FBI, including dismantling the disgraced CR-15 unit that was used to pursue political agendas.”

Patel dismantled the CR-15 squad in October 2025 after it was revealed that several Republican lawmakers’ private communications and phone calls had been tracked by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. Fox News Digital first reported those revelations. 

“He is restoring the Bureau’s core mission: equal justice under the law,” the spokesperson said, adding that under Patel’s leadership, “there is one standard of justice for every American.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The era of politically motivated investigations and targeting opponents is over, and it will not be tolerated on his watch,” the FBI spokesperson said.

Musk could not be reached for comment.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday shared a new rendering of the planned White House ballroom, touting the project as a historic addition he said would “serve our Country well” for “Centuries into the future.”

“This is the first rendering shown to the Public,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Trump said the rendering, shown from the perspective of the Treasury Building, depicts a plan to replace the existing East Wing with a new East Wing anchored by the White House’s first formal ballroom. 

He added that the structure would match the White House in height and scale.

SPRAWLING NEW $200M WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM TO BE PAID FOR BY TRUMP AND DONORS

The 90,000-square-foot space, designed to seat roughly 650 guests, is already under construction and is expected to cost more than $200 million, with funding coming from Trump and private donors, the administration previously said.

“If you notice, the North Wall is a replica of the North Facade of the White House, shown at the right hand side of the picture,” Trump added in his post about the new rendering.

FROM THE OVAL OFFICE TO THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER, THE GILDED MAKEOVER EXPANDS

On July 31, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the planned construction of the sprawling ballroom. 

“The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,” Leavitt said during a press briefing, adding the new ballroom will be “a much-needed and exquisite addition.”

Since returning to office, Trump, a former real estate developer, has embarked on a series of projects aimed at altering the look and feel of the White House and other iconic Washington landmarks. Over the weekend, the president announced in a Truth Social post that the Trump Kennedy Center will close later this year for a two-year renovation.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In October, Trump unveiled a new monument planned to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary next year. The monument, a near twin of Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe, is meant to welcome visitors crossing the Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery into the heart of the nation’s capital.

Trump has also added golden accents to the Oval Office, added a “walk of fame” to the colonnade outside the Oval Office, renovated the Lincoln bathroom, paved part of the Rose Garden and installed two large American flags on the White House grounds.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hit back at celebrity attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after they flared during Sunday’s Grammy Awards, arguing Hollywood stars are unfairly vilifying federal agents while insulated from the consequences of illegal immigration.

“I think it’s very ironic and frankly sad to see celebrities who live in gated communities with private security, with millions of dollars to spend protecting themselves, trying to just demonize, again, law enforcement, public servants who work for the United States government to enforce our nation’s laws,” Leavitt said Tuesday in an outdoor gaggle with the media. 

Some of the music industry’s biggest stars used the Grammys to spotlight their criticisms of and animosity towards the Trump administration and ICE Sunday evening, including singers such as Justin and Hailey Bieber, Kehlani, Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Brandi Carlile wearing “ICE out” pins. 

“No one is illegal on stolen land,” pop singer Billie Eilish, for example, said while accepting a Grammy “I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter, and the people matter.”

JIMMY KIMMEL ATTENDS LOS ANGELES ANTI-ICE PROTEST WITH WIFE AND CHILDREN

“And f— ICE, that’s all I’m gonna say, sorry,” she added.

Leavitt continued Tuesday that celebrities were notably silent under the Biden administration, despite a spiraling immigration crisis and high-profile crimes such as the murders of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray at the hands of illegal immigrants. 

“The previous administration allowed an invasion of our nation’s borders and allowed innocent women and girls like Jocelyn Nungaray and Laken Riley to be killed and raped and murdered at the hands of people who should have never been in our country in the first place,” she continued. 

NOEM RESPONDS TO BAD BUNNY, BILLIE EILISH BASHING ICE AT GRAMMYS: ‘I WISH THEY KNEW’

“Now you have law enforcement who are simply trying to do their jobs to remove violent predators like those who took the lives of innocent Americans. There was no uproar from Hollywood and the elitist crowd at the Grammys then. But there is now, and I think that speaks to the unfortunate irony that we’re seeing in Hollywood.”

Democrats and celebrities have increasingly spoken out against the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrants in recent weeks, most notably since the start of the new year when federal law enforcement converged on Minnesota’s Twin Cities amid a sweeping fraud investigation. 

CNN PANEL ERUPTS AFTER GUEST CALLS OUT ‘HOLLYWOOD JACKA—-‘ OVER POLITICAL LECTURES AT AWARD SHOWS

Two Americans were shot and killed by federal law enforcement in separate events in January, heightening condemnation from Trump critics who described the deaths as “murder” at the hands of the government. 

Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem also previously responded to anti-ICE rhetoric from celebrities at the Grammys, telling Fox News Digital on Monday that she wished they knew “what wonderful, amazing people our ICE officers are.”

“Their families live there and that’s their neighbors they are protecting by getting dangerous criminals off the streets. They are going after those murderers and rapists, people that are trafficking drugs, and protecting America,” Noem continued. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital’s Nora Moriarty contributed to this report. 

Buried among the roughly 3 million pages of Justice Department documents is a brief exchange revealing disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein discussing the removal of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell with then–Trump advisor Steve Bannon.

The 2018 emails, bearing the subject line “Re: Trump has discussed firing Fed chief after latest interest rate hike: report,” show Epstein and Bannon weighing who should exit the Trump administration next.

Epstein opened the exchange by endorsing the idea of removing Powell, who Trump had appointed to the role a year prior.

POWELL REVEALS WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO STEP DOWN FROM THE FED AS PRESSURE MOUNTS

“Should have been done months ago too old!!!!” Epstein wrote.

The exchange took place two days after then–Defense Secretary James Mattis stunned Washington with his resignation, and Epstein dismissed the foreign policy upheaval as secondary to changes at the Fed.

“Getting rid of Powell much more important than Syria/Mattis. I guess Pompeo, only one left,” Epstein wrote in a follow-up email, adding that “Jared and Ivanka need to go,” referencing Trump’s daughter and son-in-law who held positions in the administration. 

INSIDE EPSTEIN’S INFAMOUS ‘BIRTHDAY BOOK’: CLINTON’S NOTE, POOLSIDE CANDIDS AND BIZARRE ANIMAL PICS

Bannon responded by asking whether Powell or then–Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin could be removed.

“Can u get rid of Powell or really get rid of Mnuchin,” Bannon wrote.

Epstein replied that Mnuchin should remain in place.

“No, Mnuchin is ok,” Epstein wrote.

The revelation of the email correspondence underscores a moment years in the making, as President Donald Trump moves forward with a criminal investigation into Powell and names Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the central bank.

Read the email exchanges below:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The House of Representatives passed a federal funding bill aimed at ending the partial government shutdown on Tuesday, which will bring the four-day standoff to a close shortly after the legislation gets to President Donald Trump’s desk.

The funding bill is a compromise struck between Senate Democrats and the White House that would fund roughly 97% of the federal government through the end of fiscal 2026.

Trump played an integral role in hashing out the new deal and quelling a subsequent rebellion by conservative lawmakers to get it over the finish line.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., signaled he was strongly against the plan, despite his Senate counterpart’s role in putting it together. But several Democrats bucked his concerns in the end to vote in favor of it.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES THREATEN EXTENDED SHUTDOWN OVER ELECTION INTEGRITY MEASURE

Democrats had initially walked away from a bipartisan House deal to finish funding the federal government through the end of fiscal 2026 on Sept. 30, rebelling against a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over Trump’s handling of unrest in Minneapolis.

Their mutiny left roughly 78% of the government’s yearly funding hanging in the balance because the DHS bill was lumped into a wider package authorizing budgets for the departments of War, Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Education.

The deal struck between Senate Democrats and the White House would fully fund those remaining areas while only extending current funding levels for DHS through Feb. 13, in order to give Democrats and Republicans time to hash out a longer-term bipartisan plan.

‘OPENING PANDORA’S BOX’: MIKE JOHNSON BACKS TRUMP AFTER WARNING WHITE HOUSE ABOUT DEAL WITH DEMOCRATS

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Tuesday that the legislation would succeed, though he hinted at some dissatisfaction with how negotiations played out.

“This is not my preferred route. I wanted to keep all six bills together,” Johnson said. “But listen, the president agreed with Schumer that they would separate Homeland, and we’ll do that, and we’ll handle it. … The Republicans are going to do the responsible thing.”

The Senate’s federal funding deal survived an important hurdle late Tuesday morning, clearing a House-wide “rule vote” to allow for lawmakers to debate the measure and set up a vote on final passage by early afternoon.

SENATE REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR HOUSE GOP REBELLION AGAINST FUNDING PACKAGE, VOTER ID LEGISLATION

It comes after a pair of House conservatives announced they would be backing off their threats to sink the legislation during the rule vote if the legislation was not paired with an unrelated election integrity bill called the SAVE America Act.

Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., warned they would not support the bill during the rule vote without the SAVE America Act attached but pivoted on Monday night after a conversation with the White House.

“As of right now, with the current agreement that we have, as well as discussions, we will both be a yes on the rule,” Luna said. “There is something called a standing filibuster that would effectively allow Sen. Thune to put voter ID on the floor of the Senate. We are hearing that that is going well, and he is considering that…so we are very happy about that.”

GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AGAIN AFTER DEMOCRATS REVOLT OVER DHS FUNDING

The SAVE America Act would require voter ID at the polls and create a new proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process.

But Luna’s insistence that Thune had embraced the standing filibuster, a little-known and antiquated legislative maneuver, appears it was not quite accurate.

Still, Thune said that there were Senate Republicans who “expressed an interest in that, so we’re going to have a conversation about it. But there weren’t any commitments made.”

He noted that forcing the standing filibuster to try and pass the SAVE America Act, or any of its variations coming from the House, would be a massive drain on time in the Senate.

Doing so “ties up floor time indefinitely,” Thune said. That’s because of rules that guarantee any senator gets up to two speeches on a bill. That, coupled with the clock being reset by amendments to the bill, means that the Senate could effectively be paralyzed for months as Republicans chip away at Democratic opposition.

“There’s always an opportunity cost,” Thune said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Well, at any time there’s an amendment offered, and that amendment is tabled, it resets the clock,” he continued. “The two-speech rule kicks in again. So let’s say, you know, every Democrat enator talks for two hours. That’s 940 hours on the floor.”

It’s not immediately clear when Trump will sign the funding bill, but it’s expected the White House will want to move fast. The longest government shutdown in history, which lasted 43 days, just ended in November.

Roughly 15,000 Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio, were on the verge of being deported Tuesday as their Temporary Protective Status (TPS) was set to expire. A federal judge has now temporarily blocked the expiration, setting up a legal showdown with the Trump administration and thrusting the small city — which became the epicenter of the immigration debate during the Biden administration — once again into the national spotlight. 

The Department of Homeland Security officially terminated Haiti’s TPS designation earlier this year, meaning protections extended and expanded by the Biden administration in 2024 allowing hundreds of thousands of Haitians to live and work legally in the U.S. was set to end at 11:59 p.m. Feb. 3 unless they secure another lawful status.

On Monday night, U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes in Washington, D.C., blocked the Trump administration and granted an emergency request Monday to pause the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians while a lawsuit challenging the decision goes ahead.

In an 83-page order, Reyes said the termination would be “null, void, and of no legal effect” during the stay, preserving recipients’ ability to work and shielding them from arrest and removal.

NEW WATCHDOG DATABASE NAMES HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIMITING ICE COOPERATION AS TOOL FOR PARENTS

The judge’s order sparked an immediate backlash from the Trump administration.

“Supreme Court, here we come,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted on X. “This is lawless activism that we will be vindicated on.”

“Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake that took place over 15 years ago, it was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades.”

McLaughlin went on to say that “temporary means temporary” and “the final word will not be from an activist judge legislating from the bench.”

Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, posted on X, “An unelected judge has just ruled that elections, laws and borders don’t exist.”

MORNING GLORY: DEMOCRATS HAVE JUST HANDED TRUMP THE CHANCE TO FIX IMMIGRATION

As the deadline for the TPS expiration approached, politicians and liberal activist groups began preparing for federal immigration agents to descend upon Springfield, Ohio, a small suburban town in southwest Ohio between Dayton and Columbus, that was at the forefront of the immigration debate during the Biden administration.

On Sunday, demonstrators gathered at a Springfield Church engaged in a role-play demonstration posed as ICE agents and protested the possibility of the roughly 15,000 Haitians in Springfield being deported. Days earlier, former Ohio Dem. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is attempting a political comeback in the 2026 Senate race, called on Ohio Republicans to publicly support extending the protective status in a post that drew strong pushback from conservatives on social media. 

While the Haitian migrants, many of whom came to Springfield after the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse in 2021, were welcomed in by many local leaders, tensions began to bubble to the surface, highlighted by an incident in 2023 where a Haitian immigrant driving a minivan collided with a school bus, killing 11-year-old Aiden Clark and injuring dozens of other children.

Locals in Springfield have repeatedly expressed frustrations over road safety, arguing that immigrants who have little to no experience driving in their home countries have been allowed to take to the streets with ease, causing a dangerous situation on the roads.

Many of the Haitians who poured into the country during the Biden administration did not have a visa to enter the U.S. initially, and critics argued that the administration used “parole” and “TPS” as a loophole to mass-legalize people who would otherwise be considered illegal aliens.

In July 2024, Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck sent a letter to the Senate Banking and Housing Committee, warning that the surge of 15,000 to 20,000 migrants had created a housing crisis that was unsustainable for a town of 60,000.

During the 2024 presidential election, Springfield, Ohio, was ground zero for the immigration debate as residents sounded the alarm about the uncontrolled influx of migrants into the town they say drained resources and services, made the town less safe, drove up rents and caused longer wait times for medical and social services.

ICE REVEALS LEGAL THEORY BEHIND WARRANTLESS IMMIGRATION ARRESTS

Springfield became a flashpoint in the presidential election when both President-elect Donald Trump and Vice-President elect JD Vance claimed that Haitian migrants were eating pets there, citing social media posts.

“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said on the debate stage against Vice-President Harris. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”

Trump also vowed on the campaign trail that he would end TPS for Haitian migrants and carry out a large-scale deportation effort, promises that Fox News Digital reported in mid-November caused some Haitians to leave the town following Trump’s decisive election victory.

If the TPS status is ultimately revoked, it is unclear what actions ICE will take in Springfield, if any, and although Republican voters largely support Trump’s immigration agenda, Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, widely considered to be outside the MAGA wing of the party, suggested Friday. he has concerns about ICE operations in Springfield.

“I think the taking away of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians is a mistake. I think it’s a mistake from a policy point of view for a couple reasons,” DeWine said during a press conference, Dayton Daily News reported.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“One, the situation in Haiti is as dire as I have ever seen it. The gangs are controlling a good part of the country, it’s extremely violent, the economy’s in shambles, the government does not function, the police are virtually worthless, so this is a very, very dangerous place. It doesn’t qualify as the situation changing for the better in Haiti.”

DeWine continued, “But probably more important for the United States and the people of Ohio, is that the Temporary Protected Status, if it goes away next week, it’s going to mean that you have thousands of Haitians who are working, contributing members of the community, contributing to the economy, who one day will be able to work and the next day will then not be able to work.”

If ICE were to carry out operations in Springfield, DeWine said he expects them to follow “good police practices” and “follow the law.”

“If someone wants to demonstrate, they have the right to demonstrate. But, no one should be there to physically interfere with ICE doing what, legally, they are allowed to do,” DeWine added.

If the Trump administration officially requests the Supreme Court to get involved and a stay is issued, the administration can resume ending TPS and potentially start enforcement actions in Springfield and other jurisdictions immediately, even while the actual lawsuit continues in the lower courts.

“When a Democrat president can create a TEMPORARY program and an unelected Democrat judge can unilaterally block a duly-elected Republican president from ever undoing it, we do not live in a democracy,” Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno posted on X following the Monday ruling. 

“It’s not Permanent Protected Status. This outrageous decision cannot stand.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Emma Bussey contributed to this report. 

Six Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempted to halt a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The security firm Vanguard Tech told its clients on Tuesday that the Iranian vessels were armed with 50-caliber guns, and they ordered the oil tanker to turn off its engines and prepare to be boarded. Instead, the tanker sped up and was ultimately escorted to safety by a U.S. Navy vessel, according to the Journal.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

The incident comes as the U.S. continues to ramp up its military presence surrounding Iran, with President Donald Trump describing an “armada” arrayed in the area.

IRAN TO HOLD LIVE-FIRE DRILLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ WITH US ARMADA IN MIDDLE EAST

Iran’s regime has vowed that any military strike on its territory would ignite a regional conflict, even as senior Iranian officials signaled a willingness to negotiate with the U.S.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, according to Axios. The publication also reported that Witkoff will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Friday.

The talks in Israel are expected to focus on Iran, following Zamir’s weekend visit to Washington, where he held a series of meetings with U.S. defense officials on the Islamic Republic.

IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD COMMANDER SAYS REGIME HAS ‘FINGER ON THE TRIGGER’ AS US WARSHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST

Trump said on Saturday he believes Iran is negotiating “seriously” with the U.S., stressing that he hopes an “acceptable” deal can be brokered.

When asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One whether he had decided on a strike against Iran, Trump responded, “I certainly can’t tell you that.”

“But we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction,” he added. “I hope they negotiate something that’s acceptable.”

The president then sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would be emboldened if the U.S. opted not to launch strikes on Iran, saying, “Some people think that. Some people don’t.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“You could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “They should do that, but I don’t know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.”

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter and Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.

House Democrats are at a breaking point on whether to support a compromise funding package that would end the government shutdown — or leverage the moment to secure reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement.

“If they’re not going to make any serious reforms, there’s just a sense in the House that we’re not co-signing on that,” Rep Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said of the spending package passed out of the Senate late last week.

But Swalwell’s view isn’t universal among Democrats.

“Yes,” Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, answered simply when asked if he would vote to end the shutdown.

After reaching an impasse over immigration enforcement reforms in the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cut a deal with the White House last week to advance outstanding spending for 2026 while extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two weeks.

The bill would fund the year-long needs for the departments of War, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services.

In addition to ending a four-day funding lapse for those departments, it would also give lawmakers time to negotiate over provisions for ICE.

That compromise passed out of the Senate in a bipartisan 71-29 vote.

In its current form, the bill does not include several key demands that Democrats have made in the wake of two fatal confrontations in Minneapolis between immigration enforcement and civilians. Among other elements, Democrats have demanded legislation to end ICE’s roaming patrols, strengthen warrant requirement protections, ban masks and require visible identification for ICE agents.

Without their inclusion, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made it clear he believes the legislation falls short.

REPUBLICANS, DEMS BREAK THROUGH RESISTANCE, MOVE FORWARD WITH TRUMP-BACKED FUNDING PACKAGE

“We’ve made a clear line in the sand. We’ve articulated the things that will be necessary for there to be a full-year appropriations bill connected to ICE funding,” Jeffries said Monday when asked if he would support the two-week extension.

Even in the absence of key Democrat demands, Cuellar said he thinks the bill is consistent with his previous positions.

“I’m looking at the bills. It’s the bill that we voted on with a two-week extension to Homeland [Security],” Cuellar said, referring to legislation that already passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in January.

Cuellar was one of the seven Democrats who broke with his party to advance the original bill. That package included limited reforms to DHS operations — such as requiring body cameras for ICE agents and additional training on interacting with civilians.

Cuellar said he is holding out hope that additional reforms can be negotiated in the two-week window.

“Hopefully, we can add more things that we wanted,” Cuellar said. “We added some things, but we need a lot more. I think the dynamics have changed a little bit. There will be more wiggle room in the future.”

Cuellar’s view is shared by other Democrats wary of a longer government shutdown — the second government funding lapse in just three months.

‘OPENING PANDORA’S BOX’: MIKE JOHNSON BACKS TRUMP AFTER WARNING WHITE HOUSE ABOUT DEAL WITH DEMOCRATS

Notably, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., also said she would support the spending deal.

“The House should quickly clear those bills, minimizing a lapse in funding that would shutter, at least partially, eight cabinet departments and dozens of agencies within them,” DeLauro said in a press release last week.

Democrats approached by Fox News Digital did not speak about how Jeffries and Schumer differ on their shutdown strategies.

Rep. Jarred Moskowitz, D-Fla., did not say how he would vote but pointed out he’s not surprised by the divide on an issue as charged as immigration enforcement.

“I think we are at a time where we’re out of sync with our Senate colleagues,” Moskowitz said. “It happens. House Republicans and Senate Republicans are out of sync all the time.”

“It was a deal made with Senate Dems. House Dems were not involved,” Moskowitz said of the spending extension bill. “But that’s a process thing. The American people care about whether U.S. citizens are being shot in the face.”

Moskowitz said he understands why Democrats like Swalwell and Jeffries oppose punting negotiations on ICE.

Moskowitz believes that as the White House begins to pull ICE out of Minnesota and requires its agents in the states to begin wearing body cameras, the pressure Democrats can exert on reforms may be diminished in two weeks as the national focus goes elsewhere.

“It’ll become less of a national news story, so it’ll be much better to negotiate a deal for the White House at that point in time,” Moskowitz said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The House will vote on Tuesday to advance the shutdown-ending spending legislation. It’s unclear how many Democrats may ultimately join Cuellar and DeLauro in supporting the package.

Because of razor-thin margins for Republicans in the House, the legislation may depend on the support of a handful of Democrats amid GOP concerns over DHS, earmarks included in the package, and the lack of voting security legislation.

The massive renovations at the Trump–Kennedy Center that are expected to shutter Washington’s premier performing arts venue for two years will focus on correcting deferred maintenance — including overhauling its heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems and fixing its broken elevators, Fox News Digital learned. 

“In less than 1 year, Trump has balanced the budget, raised over $130 million from donors, and secured $257 million from Congress,” Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We are financially stable yet the building is still physically in trouble.” 

“Decades of gross negligence left this institution with a broken budget, $100 million operating deficit, $26 million bottom-line deficit, and $250 million of deferred maintenance needs,” she continued. 

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the venue would close July 4, which coincides with America 250 celebrations honoring the nation’s semiquincentennial anniversary of the U.S.’ founding. 

FROM THE OVAL OFFICE TO THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER, THE GILDED MAKEOVER EXPANDS

“If we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!” Trump said on Truth Social Sunday explaining why the complex needs to shutter for two years. 

A Trump–Kennedy official told Fox News Digital that the complex, which first opened in 1971, has suffered decades of neglect by former leadership that has left the building in “extremely poor condition.”

The official described the renovations as “a restoration and beautification project,” that will include updating its broken elevators, updating its HVAC system and taking on $250 million in maintenance issues that the official said were ignored by previous leadership. 

Presidents historically have played direct roles in Kennedy Center governance, appointing most of the institution’s board of trustees to six-year terms under federal law. Trump appointed a new board in 2025, which then elected him their chairman. 

The official said the Trump–Kennedy Center would simply not survive if the maintenance was not done. 

OSCAR-NOMINATED COMPOSER LATEST PERFORMER TO PULL TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE OVER ‘CONFLICT’ WITH VALUES

Trump said Monday that the renovations will cost an estimated $200 million while underscoring the building is not being torn down. 

“I’m not ripping it out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I’ll be using the steel. So we’re using the structure.”

“We’re using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down, but when it’s open, it’ll be brand new and really beautiful,” he said. “We’re going to have all brand-new air conditioning, heating.”

Daravi continued in a statement provided to Fox News Digital that the temporary closure for an “intensive restoration and beautification project” is “the most logical choice to allow for comprehensive renovations, efficient project completion, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.”

“With President Trump’s proven record of delivering projects under budget and ahead of schedule, the finished Center will reflect the true beauty of America,” she added. “The short-term inconvenience of a temporary closure will result in a revitalized cultural landmark built to serve generations to come.”

Ambassador Richard Grenell serves as the Trump–Kennedy Center’s president and praised Trump and Congress for appropriating $257 million for the renovations. He added that leadership is not only focused on saving the center from ruin, but to “make it the finest Arts Institution in the world.”

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA TO DEPART TRUMP–KENNEDY CENTER AMID REPORTED FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

“It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center just makes sense – it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive,” Grenell said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “It also means we will be finished faster. President Trump has a reputation for delivering large construction projects on time, under budget and beautifully finished.” 

The renovations come after the center’s board of trustees unanimously voted to rename it “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts” in December 2025. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The name change set off swift rebuke among Democrats, with nonvoting board members including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others claiming the move was illegal as it did not earn congressional approval ahead of time. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced legislation in January that seeks to bar sitting presidents from putting their own names on federal buildings, linking it to the Trump-Kennedy Center name update. 

“For Trump to put his name on federal buildings is arrogant, and it is illegal,” Sanders said in a press release Tuesday. “We must put an end to this narcissism — and that’s what this bill does.

The center said that the board agreed Trump saved the institution from financial ruin during his second term. 

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: A group of Senate Republicans warned the Trump administration that floods of “illicit Chinese e-cigarettes” entering the country carried a darker side effect.

Several Senate Republicans alerted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital that the Chinese government was reaping massive profits from the devices.

And given that connection between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (CSTMA), it’s possible that so-called smart vapes could be used as spying devices.

TRUMP UNDERCUTS GOP PUSH TO ATTACH SAVE ACT TO SHUTDOWN BILL AS CONSERVATIVES THREATEN MUTINY

The lawmakers charged that the “highly sophisticated” vapes had the ability to connect to a person’s cellphone and have become extremely commonplace.

“These devices have the capacity to initiate data breaches or malware infections and can also access and collect sensitive user data,” they wrote. “Given the interconnected relationship between Chinese industry and state intelligence services, the targeting of U.S. military personnel with these devices raises profound national security concerns.”

President Donald Trump made the crackdown against Chinese vapes one of the many side quests his administration pursued last year, going so far as to try and crush the supply of the devices at ports across the country.

MOST SHOCKING EXAMPLES OF CHINESE ESPIONAGE UNCOVERED BY THE US THIS YEAR: ‘JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG’

Last year, for example, the Trump-led Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the capture of roughly $90 million worth of vape products from China in one fell swoop.

The lawmakers, which included Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and nine others, lauded Trump’s “aggressive, multi-agency enforcement actions” against the influx of vapes, but noted that the “magnitude and consequence requires a comprehensive strategy and response.”

SCHUMER NUKES GOP PUSH FOR ‘JIM CROW-ERA’ VOTER ID LAWS IN TRUMP-BACKED SHUTDOWN PACKAGE

It’s not just a spying threat either.

The Republicans contended that the funding generated by the sale of vapes could be funneled toward military or technological initiatives in China meant to undermine American interests.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

They also noted that the vapes have been linked by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to Mexican cartels, specifically using the devices and operations as a money laundering front. That trade-based money laundering scheme, the lawmakers said, was part of a plan to move fentanyl proceeds on behalf of the cartels.

“Given the scale and severity of this threat, we urge the Treasury Department and USTR to use their respective enforcement and diplomatic authorities to combat illegal Chinese e-cigarettes,” they wrote.

Lawyers in Fulton County, Georgia, are preparing to file a lawsuit over the FBI’s recent search of an election hub and its seizure of records linked to the 2020 election. 

Fulton County Commissioner Marvin S. Arrington, Jr. on Monday announced the county’s intent to challenge the search in court.

Arrington said the county will file a motion in the Northern District of Georgia challenging “the legality of the warrant and the seizure of sensitive election records, and force the government to return the ballots taken.”

“I’ve asked the county attorney to take any and all steps available to fight this criminal search warrant,” Arrington said in a statement, according to several reports. “The search warrant, I believe, is not proper, but I think that there are ways that we can limit it. We want to ask for forensic accounting, we want the documents to stay in the State of Georgia under seal, and we want to do whatever we can to protect voter information.”

FBI AGENTS SEARCH ELECTION HUB IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

The announcement comes after FBI agents executed a warrant at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City, Ga., on Jan. 28. The center was opened by state officials in 2023 and was designed to streamline the election process. The search warrant for the center, which was reviewed by Fox News, allowed the seizure of records, voting rolls and other data tied to the 2020 election.

Fulton County is the most populous county in Georgia and includes the capital city of Atlanta. The county was at the center of voter fraud complaints in the wake of the 2020 election, which President Donald Trump lost. The claims did not survive court scrutiny.

DOJ TORCHES DEMOCRATS FOR ‘SHAMELESSLY LYING’ ABOUT MINNESOTA VOTER ROLL REQUEST

In December 2025, the Department of Justice sued Fulton County for access to ballots related to the 2020 election. However, the county is fighting the lawsuit and claiming that the DOJ did not make a valid argument for accessing the ballots.

“They got copies of our voter rolls and all the original ballots,” Arrington said, according to WLUK-TV. “Now we cannot verify that we’ve received everything back because there was no chain-of-custody inventory taken at the time the records were seized.”

Trump confirmed last week that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present during the FBI’s search of the Fulton County facility for matters related to election security.

Trump and several others were indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County Superior Court in 2023 over allegations that they engaged in a racketeering scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 election. However, the case never made it to trial, as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified from prosecuting it. The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, an independent entity, later moved to dismiss the indictment.

Despite Democrats’ scrutiny of the recent search, FBI Director Kash Patel has defended the bureau’s actions, saying investigators conducted an “extensive” investigation before the search took place.

“The FBI follows the facts and the law, and President Trump and the attorney general have given us a clear mandate to reduce crime in this country and investigate anything that rises to the level of probable cause,” Patel said on “Saturday in America.”

“The FBI and the DOJ went in and collected numerous pieces of evidence that the judge authorized us to collect,” Patel later added.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The director said investigators were reviewing a “voluminous” amount of information collected during the search as the probe remains ongoing.

Fox News Digital reached out to Arrington and the DOJ for comment.

Fox News’ David Spunt and Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Ashley Oliver, Alec Schemmel and Madison Colombo contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump urged Republicans to “take over” and “nationalize” voting on Monday.

Trump made the comments during an interview with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Under the Constitution, states set the rules for both federal and state elections, establishing “the times, places, and manner of holding elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate.”

“The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over,'” Trump told Bongino. “We should take over the voting … in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked and they’re counting votes.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pounced on the idea during remarks on the floor of the Senate.

JEFFRIES SAYS GOP ‘DONE EFF’D UP IN TEXAS,’ VOWS THEY WON’T WIN FIVE SEATS: ‘THEY CAN’T IGNORE IT’

“Just a few hours ago, Donald Trump said he wants to nationalize elections around the country. That’s what Trump said. You think he believes in democracy? He said, ‘We want to take over, the Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,'” Schumer said Monday. “Does Donald Trump need a copy of the Constitution? What he is saying is outlandishly illegal.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson later clarified Trump’s comments in a statement to ABC News. She argued Trump was expressing his desire for the U.S. to have free and fair elections.

“President Trump cares deeply about the safety and security of our elections – that’s why he’s urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting,” Jackson said.

TRUMP LAUNCHES MIDTERM PUSH IN IOWA, WARNS LOSSES WOULD DERAIL AGENDA: ‘WE GOTTA WIN’

Trump’s comments come amid a desperate battle for advantage in the 2026 midterm elections. The GOP and Democrats battled over Congressional redistricting plans throughout last year, with Texas redrawing maps create five new GOP-favored seats and California countering with its own new maps.

More redistricting battles are continuing across the country as the midterms near.

Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the House, and midterm elections are historically unfavorable for the sitting president’s party.

Trump kicked off an aggressive midterm campaign schedule with a rally in Iowa last week, warning supporters that losing control of Congress would jeopardize his tax cuts, border policies and broader second-term agenda as he urged Republicans to turn out and “win the midterms.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“If we lose the midterms, you’ll lose so many of the things that we’re talking about, so many of the assets that we’re talking about, so many of the tax cuts that we’re talking about, and it would lead to very bad things,” Trump told the crowd.

Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

A string of recent incidents in which ICE agents and Department of Homeland Security leadership have been refused service at corporate gas stations and hotel chains has raised questions about whether private businesses can lawfully deny service to federal law enforcement officers.

The incidents — including ICE agents who were turned away from hotels and a Border Patrol commander being denied service at a gas station — have prompted debate over whether such refusals amount to lawful private discretion or illegal discrimination against federal law enforcement carrying out official duties.

The most recent flashpoint unfolded at a Speedway gas station, where video captured by conservative activist Cam Higby showed U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino being followed out of the store by a man identifying himself as a manager.

Bovino himself was silent on the matter when asked by Higby among the crowd outside Speedway, while Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said similar situations had transpired at several different gas stations where agitators stalked agents.

‘TASTES LIKE DEMOCRACY’: SAN FRANCISCO BAKERY SELLS ANTI-ICE COOKIES

When Higby asked the man why he refused Bovino service, he replied: “Because I wanted to. I don’t support ICE and nobody here does.”

The man remained silent when asked if he thought it was legal to deny service to federal agents based on their role, while the employee could be heard saying, “If it is [illegal] I personally don’t care.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Speedway and its parent company, 7-Eleven, for a response. An employee who picked up the corporate phone line said he would forward this reporter’s message to the “proper department,” but no comment was returned.

The incident follows other similar situations, including the case of a then-Hampton Inn-branded hotel in nearby Lakeville, Minnesota, where employees repeatedly refused service to ICE agents; canceling reservations and asking them to “pass on” the news they were unwelcome.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was also denied entry to a building in a Chicago suburb to use the restroom.

BEN & JERRY’S CO-FOUNDER CALLS FOR ICE TO BE ‘DEFUNDED AND DISBANDED’: ‘THIS IS NOT FREEDOM’

After public apologies from Hilton and the franchisee, Everpeak Hospitality, Hilton eventually took corrective action by removing the inn from its rolls and even sending a crane to remove its Hampton Inn sign from the roadside.

Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta later told The Guardian that it also closed a DoubleTree hotel where ICE agents were staying after the property received bomb threats.

Nassetta suggested a distinction in the two cases: “A safety and security issue is a different issue — it’s closed to all.”

ANTI-ICE AGITATORS OCCUPY MINNESOTA TARGET STORE, DEMAND RETAILER STOP HELPING FEDERAL AGENTS

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney for North Florida Zack Smith told Fox News Digital that, from a practical standpoint, the behavior of people like the Speedway manager as reported was wrong.

TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS DEMS’ ‘CALL 911 ON ICE’ PUSH AS RECKLESS, LINKS POLICY TO RIOTS AND VIOLENT ARRESTS

“It’s shameful conduct to try to penalize men and women who are going out, day in and day out, seeking to enforce federal… law, seeking to penalize them and refusing to provide them services,” said Smith, currently a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Institute for Constitutional Government.

“We’ve seen this in the past, particularly when a lot of emotions were high in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, in other places where individuals were refusing service to law enforcement.”

Smith said in an exclusive interview that while the businesses may retain the legal right to deny Bovino or others services, it doesn’t make it right.

PHILADELPHIA’S THREAT TO PROSECUTE ICE COULD TRIGGER LANDMARK COURT FIGHT OVER AUTHORITY, EXPERTS WARN

“I think that’s shameful conduct and, at the end of the day, it ultimately has harmed many of those businesses. Now, in terms of whether businesses have the right to turn away law enforcement officers, just because they may have the right to do it doesn’t make it the right thing morally to do.”

The best recourse, Smith said, is not a legal one — but the power that every American consumer has. That appeared to be the case after the Speedway tape went viral and critics promised to stop patronizing the otherwise ubiquitous convenience store chain.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

After Bovino was blocked from Speedway, conservative ire erupted online at the chain and its parent 7-Eleven — including for not publicly addressing the situation in any prominent way, as Hilton had.

“I suspect part of that is the reason, you mentioned earlier, that Hilton was revoking the franchise of some hotels that refuse to honor reservations for federal law enforcement [is] they understand that many consumers are not going to approve or like it when businesses are refusing service to individuals simply because they are members of law enforcement,” Smith said.

The Justice Department (DOJ) has removed its pardon attorney from an internal “Weaponization Working Group,” even as officials say the politically sensitive panel is now meeting more frequently, Fox News has learned.

Ed Martin currently serves as the DOJ’s pardon attorney, a role appointed by President Donald Trump that involves reviewing clemency applications and advising the White House on pardons and commutations. He had also participated in the department’s internal Weaponization Working Group.

A DOJ spokesperson confirmed to Fox News on Monday that Martin had been removed from the working group, though it was not immediately clear why.

“President Trump appointed Ed Martin as Pardon Attorney and Ed continues to do a great job in that role,” a DOJ spokesperson said.

JUDGE ON THE CLOCK AS NY AG LETITIA JAMES CHALLENGES US ATTORNEY’S AUTHORITY TO INVESTIGATE HER LAWSUITS

Trump nominated Martin, a former defense attorney who represented Americans charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia in February of last year.

But after concerns from lawmakers stalled Martin’s confirmation, Trump withdrew the nomination.

Trump instead nominated Jeanine Pirro for the role, and she was ultimately confirmed.

FEDERAL JUDGE DISQUALIFIES US ATTORNEY, TOSSES SUBPOENAS TARGETING NY AG LETITIA JAMES

Martin was appointed to serve as U.S. pardon attorney on May 14, 2025, and was named by Trump at the time to serve as director of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, a role he held until his removal was announced Monday.

The working group was formed in early 2025 and is now meeting more frequently, with the goal of eventually meeting daily. It is an internal review body created to examine claims that federal law enforcement and prosecutorial powers were misused for political or partisan purposes.

DOJ OPENS GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION INTO LETITIA JAMES TIED TO TRUMP CIVIL CASE

Martin has previously drawn scrutiny over his actions involving New York Attorney General Letitia James. In August, a lawyer representing James criticized Martin for visiting her Brooklyn residence and publicly suggesting she resign, calling the visit a “made-for-media stunt.”

Martin later said he visited the property to “lay eyes on it” and shared images of the visit on social media.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

He was subsequently granted special prosecutorial authority to pursue mortgage fraud investigations involving James and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., both of whom have denied wrongdoing and described the probes as politically motivated.

Martin also urged James to step down in a letter he described as “confidential” but later shared publicly on X.

FIRST ON FOX: People convicted of murder, “deadly conduct,” sexual abuse of minors and the elderly were among the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this weekend all across the country, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday.

“Over the weekend, ICE law enforcement arrested pedophiles, murderers, and drug traffickers from American communities,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “If you come to our country illegally, break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will NEVER return.”

Numerous pedophiles were arrested over the weekend, including one man convicted of “continuous sexual abuse” of a child and another convicted of aggravated sexual assault on an elderly/disabled person. Martin Martinez-Gaspar, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, was convicted in Los Angeles for the repeated abuse of a child, while Jose Ivan Trevino, also a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, was convicted of the aggravated sexual assault of an elderly/disabled person in Hidalgo County, TX. 

DHS CALLS RAPE OF AUTISTIC TEEN ‘MOST HEINOUS WE’VE SEEN’ AS ICE DETAINER TESTS CALIFORNIA SANCTUARY LAWS

Toua Lo, a criminal illegal alien from Laos, was also arrested this past weekend by ICE. Lo was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 in Sacramento, California, according to Homeland Security. Meanwhile, Alejandro Saucedo, an illegal immigrant from Mexico residing in Whiteville, North Carolina, was picked up by ICE this weekend after being convicted of indecent liberties with a child. Dario Solis-Salvador, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was picked up this weekend by ICE as well after being convicted of two counts of child endangerment in Ford County, Kansas.

In addition to sex crimes, federal agents picked up illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, fentanyl trafficking, “deadly conduct,” and creating “serious bodily injury,” according to DHS.

Among them was an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Julio Cesar Pimentel-German, convicted of trafficking the deadly drug fentanyl in Massachusetts, and an illegal immigrant from Mexico, Carlos Cortez-Aquino, convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Fort Meyers, Florida. 

TRUMP UNLOADS ON ‘RADICAL LEFT’ AS HE STANDS BY KRISTI NOEM AMID IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT UNREST

Isidro Velasquez-Rodas and Abel Hernandez-Espinal, both from Honduras but now living in Houston, Texas, were picked up after being convicted of committing “deadly conduct,” Homeland Security said. 

Meanwhile, a man from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was arrested by ICE this weekend after being convicted of theft.

Other arrests included aliens convicted of possession of burglary tools and second-degree assault resulting in serious bodily injury. DHS also identified a second person convicted in California of assault with a deadly weapon, Fernando Sandoval-Cruz, who was arrested this past weekend.    

“President Trump and Secretary Noem empowered ICE law enforcement to enforce the law and arrest and remove public safety threats from our country,” McLughlin continued in the Homeland Security news release about ICE’s weekend round-up of criminal illegal aliens. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The release also included a link to a DHS website where U.S. residents across the country can search for criminal illegal immigrants who have been arrested in their communities.

“The biggest problem our Country has is that the Democrats are SOFT ON CRIME! They want to protect the Criminal, violent and vicious as they may be, at the expense of our great American Citizens and Patriots,” President Trump said on Truth Social Sunday. “That is not what America is about, and never will be!”

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS will immediately deploy body cameras to every federal officer in the field in Minneapolis, with plans to expand the program nationwide as funding allows.

The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of body camera use in federal immigration enforcement operations, as recent shootings in Minneapolis highlighted uneven policies across agencies and raised questions about transparency and accountability.

“I just spoke with @RealTomHoman @ICEdirector @CBPCommissioner,” Noem wrote on X. “Effective immediately, we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis.

“As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide,” she continued. “We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country. The most transparent administration in American history — thank you President Donald Trump.”

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN VOWS TO STAY IN MINNESOTA ‘UNTIL THE PROBLEM’S GONE’

Noem concluded with, “Make America Safe Again.”

Trump said Monday that the decision to deploy body cameras in Minneapolis was made by Noem, telling reporters he deferred to her judgment and said the devices are “generally” beneficial for law enforcement because they document encounters.

DHS PROBES WHETHER AGENTS KILLED VA NURSE FOLLOWING ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE DURING MINNEAPOLIS ICE RAID

Trump added that body cameras are “80% good for law enforcement,” arguing they help prevent false claims about what happens during encounters and said he was comfortable with the rollout if Noem wanted to move forward.

The issue has come into sharper focus in Minneapolis following recent immigration enforcement shootings, including the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers who were wearing body cameras and the separate killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was not.

NOEM UNLOADS ON WALZ OVER ICE RAID CRITICISM: ‘REALLY? YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS?’

Good, 37, was shot and killed by the ICE agent during a federal operation in south Minneapolis earlier this year.

ICE has been gradually rolling out body-worn cameras nationwide, including during recent high-profile arrests, but the team involved in the operation that led to Good’s death did not have the devices equipped, sources said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Persistent gaps in camera deployment across federal immigration operations have raised questions about consistency and accountability.

FIRST ON FOX: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has agreed to appear before the House Judiciary Committee next month, marking her second commitment to testify before Congress amid heightened scrutiny of the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation agenda.

Noem will sit for a hearing with the House panel on March 4, Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital in a brief interview.

Jordan said Noem’s appearance was part of routine oversight of Cabinet members over whom his panel has jurisdiction. He noted that it was unrelated to committee Democrats’ recent demand letter to Jordan that he bring Noem in for questioning about the two high-profile killings of U.S. citizens in Minnesota during immigration operations.

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN VOWS TO STAY IN MINNESOTA ‘UNTIL THE PROBLEM’S GONE’

Both incidents are under investigation by the FBI, but the Democrats, led by ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., accused Noem of making premature remarks as a “cover-up” for her department’s mistakes.

Jordan said one of his focuses during the hearing will be on so-called sanctuary cities and states, which typically have policies in place that limit or block local law enforcement from notifying federal authorities about anyone who has been detained in a local jail who has a questionable immigration status.

Jordan said sanctuary jurisdictions raised a “fundamental question.” 

“You’ve got a guy in your jail who’s done some bad thing — that’s why he’s in your jail. — and, oh, also happens to be here illegally, and you’re not going to work with ICE. … I think the vast majority of the country thinks that’s just stupid,” Jordan said. “So I think that’s a point we have to stress.”

Noem is also set to appear on March 3 before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Both testimonies come as DHS has been caught up in hundreds of court cases challenging arrests and detentions of suspected illegal immigrants.

It also comes after Noem initially said both Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the two U.S. citizens killed by immigration authorities during chaotic altercations in Minnesota, were “domestic terrorists.”

Noem and other Trump administration officials’ jump to make such comments on the killings before the conclusion of an investigation spurred backlash, including from some Republicans. President Donald Trump responded by rearranging immigration operations in Minnesota, pushing out their leader, Greg Bovino, and bringing in border czar Tom Homan.

NOEM SAYS DHS CAN ‘ALWAYS DO BETTER’ WHEN PRESSED ON AGENCY’S ‘MISTAKES’ BEFORE HOMAN’S DEPLOYMENT

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Federal authorities are continuing to investigate whether agents legally used lethal force in the two incidents.

Trump recently defended Noem in a Truth Social post, accusing “Radical Left Lunatics” of targeting her “because she is a woman, and has done a really GREAT JOB!”