NationalWatch

The mayor of Portland, Oregon, is calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave his city after federal agents deployed tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators, including young children, outside an ICE facility over the weekend.

Mayor Keith Wilson characterized the protests on Saturday as peaceful, as federal agents reportedly used tear gas, pepper balls, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets against the anti-ICE demonstrators.

Wilson urged ICE agents to resign and for the agency to leave Portland, denouncing their “use of violence” and the “trampling of the Constitution.”

“Today, federal forces deployed heavy waves of chemical munitions, impacting a peaceful daytime protest where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat, and posed no danger to federal forces,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON PUTS ICE ‘ON NOTICE’ WITH EXECUTIVE ORDER SEEKING PROSECUTION OF AGENTS

“To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave. Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame. To those who continue to make these sickening decisions, go home, look in a mirror, and ask yourselves why you have gassed children. Ask yourselves why you continue to work for an agency responsible for murders on American streets. No one is forcing you to lie to yourself, even as your bosses continue to lie to the American people,” the mayor continued.

The mayor added that this nation “will never accept a federal presence where agents wield deadly force against the very people they are sworn to serve.”

“I share the impatience with those who demand we use every legal tool at our disposal to push back against this inexcusable, unconscionable, and unacceptable violence against our community,” Wilson said. “I share the need to act. Actions that can withstand the scrutiny of the justice system take time – and we cannot afford to lose this fight.”

CBP/BORDER PATROL AGENTS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AFTER DEADLY CONFRONTATION WITH ALEX PRETTI

Portland officials are working to operationalize an ordinance, which went into effect last month, that imposes a fee on detention facilities that use chemical agents, the mayor said.

“As we prepare to put that law into action, we are also documenting today’s events and preserving evidence. The federal government must, and will, be held accountable,” he wrote.

“Portland will continue to stand firmly with our immigrant neighbors, who deserve safety, dignity, and the full protection of the communities they help build,” he continued. “We are also proud of the Portlanders who showed up today in peaceful solidarity, demonstrating the strength and clarity of those shared values in the face of federal overreach.”

This comes amid national unrest and bipartisan scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics following two killings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents last month in Minneapolis.

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Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis, and Alex Pretti was fatally shot on Jan. 24 by Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez while he was recording immigration enforcement operations in the same city.

Pretti, an ICU nurse, appeared to be attempting to assist a woman agents had knocked down when he was sprayed with an irritant, pushed to the ground and beaten, according to video and witness accounts. An agent was later seen pulling Pretti’s lawfully owned firearm from his waistband before other agents fired several shots, killing him.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the Trump Kennedy Center will close later this year for a two-year period to undergo renovations.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the complex will close on July 4, coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary, at which point construction will begin on what he described as a “new and spectacular entertainment complex.”

TRUMP REVEALS ARC DE TRIOMPHE-STYLE MONUMENT FOR AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

Trump said the decision followed a yearlong review involving contractors, arts experts and other advisers. He added that the temporary closure would allow the renovations to be completed faster and at a higher quality than if construction were carried out while performances continued.

Trump said the approach would be “the fastest way” to elevate the center, adding that the planned grand reopening would surpass previous versions of the venue.

The Trump Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

TRUMP GAVE THE OVAL OFFICE A GILDED MAKEOVER – AND COVERED THE COST HIMSELF

Trump said the funds to carry out the renovation were already in place, though he did not provide an estimated cost or explain whether the project would be financed through federal funding, private contributions, or a combination of both.

The Trump Kennedy Center hosts hundreds of performances each year and is home to several resident companies. It was not immediately clear whether those events would be postponed or moved to other venues.

Since his return to office, Trump has undertaken a series of changes aimed at reshaping the look and feel of the White House and other iconic Washington landmarks.

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

In October, Trump unveiled a new monument dubbed the “Arc de Trump,” which is planned to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.

He has previously said that the large arch, a near twin of Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe, will welcome visitors crossing the Arlington Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery into the heart of the nation’s capital.

Trump’s taste for opulence is evident in the Oval Office, where gold accents now line the ceiling and doorway trim, reflecting his personal style.

Beyond the Oval Office, the administration has unveiled the “Presidential Walk of Fame,” a series of portraits of past presidents displayed along the West Wing colonnade.

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Among the largest projects underway is a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom designed to accommodate roughly 650 seated guests. 

The administration has said the sprawling ballroom will adhere to the classical architectural style of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against a San Diego hospital over its move to end gender transition treatment for minors to comply with the Trump administration’s demands.

Bonta is arguing that Rady Children’s Hospital violated the terms of its merger agreement with Children’s Hospital of Orange County by halting transgender-related treatment for people under 18-years-old, according to KCRA3.

Rady said the issue began when the federal government threatened to strip funding and shut down the hospital for offering gender transition treatment to children, the outlet reported.

MAJOR CALIFORNIA HEALTH SYSTEM ENDING TRANSGENDER PROCEDURES FOR MINORS ACROSS ITS NETWORK

The hospital agreed to the Trump administration’s demands and announced the closure of its gender transition care center, prompting California’s legal challenge, according to the report.

Bonta’s lawsuit alleges that the hospital violated the terms of its merger agreement, which included a commitment to continue making gender transition care available to minors.

“The recent changes to our gender-affirming care services reflect a very difficult decision,” the hospital said in a statement to KCRA3.

“That decision was guided by our responsibilities as a nonprofit pediatric healthcare system to continue serving all children and families,” the statement continued.

This comes as the Trump administration continues to target facilities that offer transgender-related treatment to people under 18 after President Donald Trump’s executive order a year ago calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to protect children from “chemical and surgical mutilation.”

Last year, California was part of a group of 19 Democrat-led states and Washington, D.C., that filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a declaration that seeks to restrict gender transition treatment for minors.

NEARLY 20 STATES SUE HHS OVER DECLARATION TO RESTRICT GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR MINORS

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That declaration from HHS described treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender transition surgeries as unsafe and ineffective for children experiencing gender dysphoria.

It also warned doctors they could be excluded from federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, if they provide these treatments to minors.

President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed former Sen. John E. Sununu of New Hampshire, a longtime GOP Trump critic, over one of his first-term ambassadors, former Sen. Scott Brown, in a crucial Senate race that’s one of a handful that may determine the Senate majority in the midterm elections.

Sununu, who was praised by Trump as an “America First Patriot” who “will work tirelessly to advance our America First Agenda,” is seen by top Senate Republicans as the strongest candidate to flip the seat held by longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is retiring at the end of this year rather than seek re-election to a fourth six-year term.

“John E. Sununu has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN — ELECT JOHN E. SUNUNU,” Trump emphasized, in a post on social media.

Sununu is a former three-term representative who defeated then-Gov. Shaheen in New Hampshire’s 2002 Senate election. But the senator lost to Shaheen in their 2008 rematch.

DEMOCRATS EYE NARROW PATH TO CAPTURE SENATE MAJORITY, BUT ONE WRONG MOVE COULD SINK THEM

“I want to thank the President for his support and thank the thousands of Granite Staters who are supporting me,” Sununu said after landing Trump’s endorsement.

The endorsement will further boost Sununu, who enjoys a polling and fundraising advantage over Brown.

After Trump’s endorsement, the Senate Leadership Fund, which is aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, said on X that “John Sununu is the clear choice to be New Hampshire‘s next US Senator, and President Trump’s critical endorsement has put an end to the primary.”

TIM SCOTT TELLS MAGA VOTERS TRUMP ‘IS ON THE BALLOT’ AS GOP FIGHTS TO GROW SENATE MAJORITY IN 2026

But Brown, as of now, has no intentions of dropping out.

“I’ve always believed that the people of New Hampshire are the ultimate authority on our future, and they deserve a choice between candidates seeking to earn their support,” he said in a statement.

And apparently questioning Sununu’s MAGA credentials, he added, “I am running to ensure our America First agenda is led by someone who views this mission not as a career path, but as a continuation of a lifelong commitment to service.”

Brown emphasized, “My priorities for New Hampshire remain clear: a stronger economy, a secure border, reliable and affordable energy and better health care for our veterans. This mission has always been about you, not me. Let’s keep working!”

Sununu is a brand name in New Hampshire politics. His father, John H. Sununu, is a former governor who later served as chief of staff in then-President George H.W. Bush’s White House. And one of his younger brothers is former Gov. Chris Sununu, who won election and re-election to four two-year terms steering the Granite State.

FIRST ON FOX: SUNUNU LAUNCHES BID TO RETURN TO SENATE 

But Sununu has a long history of backing Trump rivals. He served as national co-chair on the 2016 Republican presidential campaign of then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who declined to support Trump as the party’s nominee.

And Sununu, along with then-Gov. Chris Sununu, endorsed former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, as she battled Trump for the nomination. 

And on the eve of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, the former senator wrote an opinion piece titled “Donald Trump is a loser,” that ran in the New Hampshire Union Leader, the state’s largest daily newspaper.

Brown endorsed Trump ahead of his 2016 New Hampshire primary victory, which launched him toward the GOP presidential nomination and ultimately the White House. Brown later served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during Trump’s first term.

Some in New Hampshire’s MAGA base immediately rejected the president’s endorsement of Sununu, calling it a “slap in the face to grassroots supporters” who have long backed Trump.

“The Sununu family openly mocked, degraded, and worked against the America First movement, the President himself, and the policies that energized New Hampshire voters,” a group of MAGA activists posted on X. “We will continue and intensify our campaign opposition to the Sununu operation.”

Brown formally launched his Senate campaign in June, after over six months of reaching out to grassroots supporters in the state. He raised roughly $1 million during his first three months as a candidate.

Sununu jumped into the race in late October, with the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is the Senate GOP’s campaign arm.

FIRST ON FOX: BROWN SHOWCASES HEALTHY FUNDRAISING HAUL

NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott said at the time that Senate Republicans were “all-in” for Sununu.

Since then, Sununu has landed the backing of a majority of the Republicans in the Senate, as well as from GOP leaders in New Hampshire.

The seat in New Hampshire, along with an open Democrat-held seat in Michigan are two of the NRSC’s top targets this year as they aim to expand their 53-47 majority in the chamber. Georgia, where the GOP views Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff as very vulnerable, is the NRSC’s other top target.

Sununu more than doubled Brown’s fundraising haul during the past three months, and the latest public opinion polls in New Hampshire indicate Sununu with a double-digit lead over Brown in the GOP primary, which won’t be held until September.

Pappas, a four-term congressman who represents the eastern half of the state, outraised both Sununu and Brown combined during the 4th quarter of 2025 fundraising.

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And the latest polls indicate Pappas topping Sununu by single digits and Brown by double digits in hypothetical general election matchups.

Pappas is the clear front-runner for his party’s nomination, in a race that also includes Karishma Manzur, a member of the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s rules committee.

A photo showing Zohran Mamdani at a high-profile luncheon tied to longtime Jeffrey Epstein associate Peggy Siegal has emerged following the release of newly unsealed Justice Department records that also reference his mother, Mira Nair.

The photo, taken Nov. 15, 2017, shows the now-New York City mayor smiling at the Universal Pictures “Get Out” Peggy Siegal luncheon at Lincoln Ristorante in Manhattan.

The event was hosted by Siegal, a once-powerful Hollywood publicist who later faced industry backlash over her deep social ties to Epstein. 

Siegal was never charged with a crime.

EPSTEIN FILE RELEASE FEATURES PHOTOS OF MICK JAGGER, MICHAEL JACKSON, DIANA ROSS AND MORE STARS

The image surfaced days after filmmaker Nair was named in a newly released tranche of documents connected to Epstein and his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

The records, made public Jan. 30, 2026, are part of a broader release of millions of pages detailing Epstein’s social and professional network. The documents do not allege criminal wrongdoing by those mentioned.

In a 2009 email included in the release, Siegal wrote to Epstein about an after-party for the film Amelia, which Nair had directed.

The message states the gathering took place at Maxwell’s Manhattan townhouse and lists attendees including former President Bill Clinton, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Nair. 

The correspondence documents attendance only and does not allege misconduct by those named.

NEW EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS INCLUDE PHOTOS OF BILL CLINTON TOPLESS IN HOT TUB, SOCIALIZING WITH MICHAEL JACKSON

In the 2017 luncheon photo, Mamdani appears alongside actor Daniel Kaluuya, filmmaker Shimit Amin and Nair as they celebrated Jordan Peele’s movie, “Get Out,” which won the Academy Award for best original screenplay.

A second image from the same event shows Peele, producer Jason Blum, Allison Williams and Siegal, highlighting the luncheon’s prominence during Hollywood’s awards season.

Another photo from December 2016 also shows Nair attending a private-residence film event with Siegal for “Queen of Katwe.”

CLINTON TEAM DEMANDS TRUMP DOJ RELEASE ‘ANY REMAINING’ DOCS RELATED TO FORMER PRESIDENT, EPSTEIN

At the time, Siegal was a dominant figure in entertainment publicity, known for her access to major studios, A-list talent and industry power brokers.

In 2019, following reporting that detailed her association with Epstein, multiple Hollywood studios, including Netflix, FX and Annapurna Pictures, cut ties with her, according to Variety.

Epstein was first arrested in Florida in 2006 on charges of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute.

GIANTS CO-OWNER STEVE TISCH RESPONDS AFTER EMAILS BETWEEN HIM AND JEFFREY EPSTEIN INCLUDED IN LATEST DOJ DROP

He later pleaded guilty, served 13 months in jail with work release and registered as a sex offender. 

He died in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence following her conviction for sex trafficking.

Nair, an internationally respected director known for films including Salaam Bombay!, Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake and Queen of Katwe, has long been a fixture in elite film circles, especially in Manhattan.

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She is married to academic Mahmood Mamdani.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Zohran Mamdani’s office and Peggy Siegal for comment.

President Donald Trump has threatened legal action against author Michael Wolff and the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, insisting a newly released trove of Epstein-related files clears him of wrongdoing.

Trump was aboard Air Force One during a flight to Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday when he responded to a reporter’s question about the more than 3 million Epstein-related records and personal emails that the Justice Department released Friday.

“It looked like this guy, Wolff, was a writer, was conspiring with Epstein to do harm to me,” Trump said. “I didn’t see it myself, but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it’s the opposite of what people were hoping, you know, the radical left, that Wolff, who’s a third-rate writer, was conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to hurt me, politically or otherwise, and that came through loud and clear.”

Trump said there was a high likelihood that he would sue Wolff and the Epstein estate “because he was conspiring with Wolff to do harm to me politically. That’s not a friend.”

EXCLUSIVE: EPSTEIN EMAILS RELEASED BY DOJ SAYS NO CRIMINAL OR INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT BY TRUMP

In one March 2016 email between Epstein and Wolff that Fox News Digital reviewed, Wolff is encouraging Epstein to come up with an “immediate counter narrative” to James Patterson’s book about him, “Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy.”

“You do need an immediate counter narrative to the book,” Wolff writes. “I believe Trump offers an ideal opportunity. It’s a chance to make the story about something other than you, while, at the same time, letting you frame your own story.”

“Also, becoming anti-Trump gives you a certain political cover which you decidedly don’t have now,” Wolff continues.

SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE

In a February 2016 email previously released, Wolff had suggested to Epstein that the disgraced financier is the “bullet” that could end Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Regarding the latest Epstein document dump, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News Digital on Friday that “in none of these communications, even when doing his best to disparage President Trump, did Epstein suggest President Trump had done anything criminal or had any inappropriate contact with any of his victims.”

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Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

At 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, the federal government entered its first shutdown of the new year, 

Shutdowns aren’t a new phenomenon in Washington, D.C., but they’ve slowed in their frequency since the turn of the century. Even so, rising partisan rancor, energized political bases and congressional gridlock have contributed to longer, more disruptive shutdowns in recent decades.

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

Since 1976, the U.S. government has experienced 22 shutdowns. All shutdowns are unique in why they happen, and typically, the party that thrusts the government into a closure doesn’t win the policy dispute at its core. 

The most recent one, the longest in U.S. history, happened because of a funding dispute over Obamacare enhanced premium subsidies. Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., demanded that Republicans negotiate or outright extend the subsidies, which eventually expired last month. 

That closure, which saw every federal agency shutdown, lasted 43 days. 

HOUSE DEMOCRATS MUTINY SCHUMER’S DEAL WITH WHITE HOUSE, THREATENING LONGER SHUTDOWN

Before that, the previous shutdown lasted 34 days, from December 2018 to January 2019, and was triggered over President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall. At the time, Schumer and then-incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., refused to give Trump more money to build his wall along the Southern border. 

He walked away from that then-record-shattering shutdown without the funding. 

This current shutdown, which just entered its second day on Sunday, is an outlier of sorts. Trump and Schumer agreed on a funding deal that stripped out the controversial Department of Homeland Security spending bill and replaced it with a short-term, two-week funding extension. 

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That deal advanced out of the Senate on Friday, despite grumbling from both sides of the aisle. 

Its survival in the House is an open question, given heavy resistance among House Republicans who are demanding some policy wins, like the inclusion of voter ID legislation into the bill. 

A pair of Senate Republicans are pushing their House counterparts to reject the Trump-backed shutdown deal unless it includes Homeland Security funding and election integrity legislation. 

Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, are calling on House Republicans to push back against the Senate-passed funding package, which includes bills to fund five agencies including the Pentagon, as a partial government shutdown continues on. 

They contended that the package needs to be retooled, and must include a modified version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, dubbed the SAVE America Act, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, which was stripped out after Senate Democrats threatened to blow up the government funding process. 

HOUSE DEMOCRATS MUTINY SCHUMER’S DEAL WITH WHITE HOUSE, THREATENING LONGER SHUTDOWN

Doing so could extend what was expected to be a short-term shutdown.

Scott said congressional Democrats would “NEVER fund DHS” and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He voted against the package twice, arguing that the spending levels would further bloat the nation’s eye-popping $38 trillion national debt, and that the billions in earmarks betrayed Republicans’ previous vows of fiscal restraint.

“If House Republicans don’t put the DHS bill back in, add the SAVE America Act and remove the wasteful earmarks, Democrats win,” Scott said. “We must protect our homeland, secure our elections and end the reckless spending NOW!”

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES THREATEN EXTENDED SHUTDOWN OVER ELECTION INTEGRITY MEASURE

Lee also rejected the package in the Senate because of earmarks. He also agreed with Scott, and pushed for his SAVE America Act, which he introduced alongside Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., to be included.

“To my friends in the House GOP: Please put DHS funding back in, then add the SAVE America Act,” Lee wrote on X. 

The updated version of the SAVE Act would require that people present photo identification before voting, states to obtain proof of citizenship in-person when people register to vote and to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. 

But their demands run counter to the desire of President Donald Trump, who brokered a truce with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to strip the DHS bill following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti during an immigration operation in Minneapolis in order to ram the funding package through the Senate.

GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AGAIN AFTER DEMOCRATS REVOLT OVER DHS FUNDING

And any changes to the deal, like including the SAVE America Act or adding the DHS bill, would send the package back to the Senate, where Schumer and his caucus would likely reject it. 

That would create a back-and-forth between the chambers that would further prolong what was meant to be a temporary shutdown.

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Their demands also place House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in a precarious position, given that several House Republicans want to extract concessions from congressional Democrats. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is already leading a charge to include the SAVE Act in the funding package. 

Johnson will have to shore up any resistance among his conference, given that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made clear to the speaker that any attempt to fast-track the legislation on Monday, when the House returns, would fail.

No institution has more influence over what Americans can afford than the Federal Reserve, one most people rarely follow but feel every month in their finances.

That influence isn’t always obvious. The Fed doesn’t decide what groceries or cars cost, but it does determine how expensive it is to borrow money to pay for them. And right now, borrowing is costly. High interest rates mean larger monthly payments on mortgages, car loans and credit cards, even if the sticker price of a home or vehicle hasn’t changed.

That makes the Fed’s leadership especially consequential. On Friday, President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a move that could alter how aggressively the central bank approaches interest rates.

TRUMP NOMINATES KEVIN WARSH TO SUCCEED JEROME POWELL AS FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR.

Trump has blamed Powell for not cutting rates more aggressively, even as he has repeatedly described the economy as strong. Historically, rate cuts have usually been reserved for times of economic weakness, not growth.

That disagreement over rates has real-world consequences. For many Americans, the effects are most visible in the housing and auto markets, two of the biggest expenses for most families. You’re not paying more because the home or car suddenly costs more. You’re paying more because the money to buy it does.

Those elevated borrowing costs are acting like a form of second inflation, pushing mortgages, car loans and credit card bills to levels that stretch household budgets thin. That’s why everyday life can still feel more expensive. Prices may not be climbing as quickly anymore, but the cost of paying for big purchases continues to rise.

THE PRICE OF BUILDING A HOME KEEPS CLIMBING — AND UNCERTAINTY ISN’T HELPING

Economists say affordability will not meaningfully improve until the Fed begins cutting rates and keeps them low long enough to ease pressure on long-term borrowing.

That backdrop has become a political liability for Trump, who campaigned on restoring affordability and easing household financial strain but now faces growing voter skepticism over whether those promises are materializing.

A recent Fox News poll underscores the stakes. When voters were asked what President Donald Trump’s top priorities should be, nearly four in 10 cited either the economy overall (19%) or prices (17%).

Affordability concerns are also giving Democrats an early edge in the generic congressional ballot, which asks voters which party they would support in their U.S. House race this November. While largely hypothetical at this stage, the question offers an early baseline for the coming election, according to Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who said the poll is an early read, not a forecast.

 “We ask about it at this point simply to get a sense of how short-term forces might play out in the general election,” Shaw said.

YEAR IN REVIEW: HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ECONOMIC AGENDA IS SHAPING UP SO FAR

Democrats leaned heavily on affordability themes in state and local elections this fall, and it paid off.

In places like Virginia, New York and New Jersey, where voters have been squeezed by high housing costs and utility bills, Democratic candidates seized on Trump’s early economic moves, including his trade policy, to argue that his policies were worsening the affordability crisis rather than easing it.

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They promised to rein in energy costs, expand affordable housing and protect middle-class wages, a message that resonated with voters and, analysts say, reflects a broader trend. In an economy where many still feel stretched thin, the party that speaks most directly to people’s pocketbooks often wins.

The Fed’s decision about rate cuts will shape the economy’s trajectory and how affordable life feels for millions of Americans in the new year.

EXCLUSIVE: Minnesota GOP gubernatorial candidate Patrick Knight slammed Gov. Tim Walz and other leading Democrats, saying that the state is “cratering” under their leadership as they treat the law like a “buffet.”

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Knight criticized the sanctuary policies in his state, saying, “The law is not a buffet table where you just pick and choose which laws you’re going to enforce today and which laws you’re going to ignore.”

“The rule of law matters,” he said.  

A Marine veteran of 20 years and a former manufacturing CEO, Knight is one of nearly a dozen candidates running for the Republican nomination to succeed Walz in the Minnesota governor’s mansion.

TIM WALZ ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘ORGANIZED BRUTALITY’ IN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN, SAYS ICE TACTICS ARE ‘UN-AMERICAN’

His decision to run comes as the state is reeling from a recently exposed massive fraud scandal, involving state programs, that is believed to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars. The fraud crisis, which saw heavy involvement from Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community, prompted a federal immigration crackdown that has in turn sparked widespread unrest. Two anti-ICE activists, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, have been killed by ICE officers during confrontations with law enforcement.

Addressing these deaths, Knight said, “The loss of any life is tragic, and there should be a full and transparent investigation with both the state and the federal government participating and let the facts drive the accountability.”

Knight went on to say that for too long the people of Minnesota have been “the ones picking up the pieces” left by irresponsible state and local leadership.

“Things could have been easier as they are in other states,” he said. “When the federal government, in a reasonable manner, enforces immigration law and the city and state cooperate, that’s when it works. It’s when egos get involved and political theatrics get involved where it spins out of control.”

DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, THREATENING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

“When Governor Walz testified before Congress, he stated openly that he would, the state would cooperate with ICE. And then, two weeks later, he is at the University of Minnesota Law School graduation where he is calling ICE the ‘modern day Gestapo.’”

Connecting this to a broader pattern of Walz and other Minnesota politicians prioritizing politics over the people, saying, “Minnesota is cratering on the fundamentals.”

“We’re just going on the wrong way on every, not just some, every fundamental. Crime, education, economy, affordability, not to mention good governance,” he said. “For the past six years, we’ve just been the center of political theater. We just can’t escape it, and I think Minnesotans are tired of it, I certainly am, and we need to just focus on fixing the basics, the fundamentals.”

Knight frames his platform around a 5-point plan he jokingly titled the “big, beautiful, basic, boring” plan that focuses on the economy, affordability, education, rule of law and building a smaller, more efficient state government.

LEAVITT SAYS TRUMP SPOKE TO WALZ, DEMANDS MINNESOTA ‘WORK TOGETHER PEACEFULLY’ WITH ICE: ‘LET COPS BE COPS’

His argument is that the North Star State has lost its way and now needs to move away from the excitement of the current political climate to focus on the basics and ending the fraud.

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“It’s a cultural issue that needs to be changed and it starts at the top.”

“I say it’s a simple fix,” Knight concluded. “Get a strong, competent governor.”

Democrats notched another special election upset Saturday after Taylor Rehmet won a Texas state Senate race in a district long dominated by Republicans.

Rehmet, a labor union leader and Air Force veteran, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist, in the Fort Worth-area district. With nearly all votes counted, Rehmet led by more than 14 percentage points, and The Associated Press projected him as the victor.

“This win goes to everyday working people,” Rehmet told supporters.

The result marked another strong showing for Democrats in special elections this cycle, fueling party claims that voters are pushing back against Republicans during President Donald Trump’s second term. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin called the outcome “a warning sign to Republicans across the country.”

WHY 2026 SHOULD TERRIFY REPUBLICANS AFTER TENNESSEE SPECIAL ELECTION

The seat opened after longtime GOP Sen. Kelly Hancock resigned to take a statewide post. Republicans had held the district for decades, and Hancock won four terms with little opposition.

The district is even more Republican than its home county of Tarrant. Trump won the county by five points in 2024, but carried the district with a 17-point victory.

Trump weighed in on the race Saturday, urging voters to back Wambsganss on social media and praising her as a strong supporter of the MAGA movement. Rehmet, however, benefited from heavy national Democratic backing, including support from the DNC and veterans group VoteVets, which said it spent about $500,000 on advertising.

DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST SAYS TENNESSEE NOMINEE WAS ‘FRINGE OF A FRINGE,’ DOOMED PARTY’S CHANCES

Rehmet, who works as a machinist, campaigned on lowering costs, protecting jobs and supporting public education.

Democrats have gained momentum in elections since Trump returned to the White House, winning high-profile races in Virginia and New Jersey in November and special elections in Kentucky and Iowa. Even in a recent Tennessee House special election, Republicans won by a slimmer margin than expected.

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Rehmet’s term will run only until January. He must win the November general election to hold the seat for a full four-year term. Republicans will still maintain a comfortable majority in the Texas Senate,.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

The president’s comments were made as he reportedly weighs options on a possible military strike on Iran amid widespread protests and a violent crackdown in the country.

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.”

IRAN WILL RETALIATE ‘WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE’ IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS

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.”

“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.”

Trump has said the U.S. will not share military plans with Gulf allies while negotiating with Iran, even as U.S. naval forces surge into the region.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN CALLED ‘NUMEROUS’ TIMES TO MAKE DEAL AS CARRIER ENTERS MIDDLE EAST WATERS

Speaking with Fox News Channel senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Saturday, Trump said, “We can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan — it could be worse, actually.”

“But, look, the plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something,” Trump continued. “Otherwise, we’ll see what happens. … We have a big fleet heading out there, bigger than we had — and still have, actually — in Venezuela.”

On Sunday, the speaker of Iran’s parliament said the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist groups after the bloc declared the country’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terror group over its crackdown on nationwide protests.

Iran again invoked a 2019 law to declare other nations’ militaries terrorist groups following the United States’ designation of the Guard as a terror organization that year.

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The announcement by Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guard commander, comes as the Islamic Republic also planned live-fire military drills for Sunday and Monday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade passes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump is pushing plans for a massive triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., a project the White House says will become one of the most iconic landmarks in the world as critics warn the structure could visually dominate nearby memorials, including the Lincoln Memorial.

The White House defended the proposal in a statement to Fox News Digital, describing the monument as a central part of Trump’s legacy and vision ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“The Arch is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said. “President Trump’s bold vision will be imprinted upon the fabric of America and be felt by generations to come. His successes will continue to give the greatest Nation on earth — America — the glory it deserves.”

The renewed attention follows reporting by The Washington Post, which said that Trump has expressed a preference for an Independence Arch that could rise as high as 250 feet, a scale that would dramatically alter the skyline near Arlington Memorial Bridge.

PHOTOS: THE MAKING OF TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, A LOOK AT THE CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS

For comparison, the White House stands roughly 70 feet, while the Lincoln Memorial rises to about 100 feet. A 250-foot structure would tower over both.

Trump fueled fresh speculation earlier this month when he shared a series of renderings of a classical triumphal arch on his Truth Social account on Jan. 23. The images showed multiple design variations inspired by classical European-style arches like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, featuring massive columns, wide central openings and ornate detailing.

The president has also displayed scale models of the proposed monument at White House events in recent months, showcasing his personal involvement in shaping the project’s design and placement.

TRUMP ADMIN DEFENDS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM AS NATIONAL SECURITY MATTER

Trump has publicly discussed the idea since late last year, when he said construction on an Arc de Triomphe-style monument commemorating America’s 250th anniversary could begin within two months.

Trump said construction had not yet begun but suggested the project would move quickly.

“It hasn’t started yet. It starts sometime in the next two months. It’ll be great. Everyone loves it,” Trump told Politico during a phone call from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. 

“They love the ballroom too. But they love the Triumphal Arch,” he added.

The monument would be funded privately, using leftover donations from the White House ballroom project, Fox News Digital previously reported.

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Key details surrounding the project have not yet been finalized. The White House has not released specifics on the monument’s cost, approval process, exact location or final height, and construction has not yet begun.

Some architects and historians cited by The Washington Post have raised questions about placing a monument of that scale near Memorial Circle, saying it could affect historic sightlines, and the character of the area.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Koch and Amanda Macias contributed to this reporting.

Democrat Christian Menefee, a former attorney for Houston’s Harris County, has won a special congressional election in a left-leaning congressional district in Texas, which has been vacant for nearly a year.

The Associated Press reports that Menefee defeated former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards, a fellow Democrat, in Saturday’s runoff election to fill the seat left vacant when Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner died last March.

Menefee’s victory means the Republicans’ razor-thin House majority — they currently control the chamber 218-213 — will shrink by one seat when Menefee is sworn in to Congress.

DEMOCRATIC TAKEOVER FEARS SOAR AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS CLING TO FRAGILE MAJORITY

Sylvester, a former longtime state lawmaker, served two terms as Houston mayor before winning election to Congress in 2024, to fill the seat of the late longtime Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

While Texas has redrawn its congressional maps for the 2026 midterms, as part of the high-stakes redistricting battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats, the special election used the state’s current district lines.

DEMOCRATIC TAKEOVER FEARS SOAR AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS CLING TO FRAGILE MAJORITY

The addition of another lawmaker into the House Democrats’ ranks will give Republican leadership in the chamber further headaches.

“They’d better be here,” House Speaker Mike Johnson recently said of his members. “I told everybody, and not in jest, I said, no adventure sports, no risk-taking, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and be here.”

And House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office confirmed it is advising members that “outside of life-and-death circumstances,” they expect Republican lawmakers to be on Capitol Hill.

Three other special congressional elections are on tap this year.

Eleven candidates are running in the Feb. 5 Democratic Party primary in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

The seat was left vacant after now New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning November’s gubernatorial election in the Garden State.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face off with Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file for the special election, which will be held on April 16.

The suburban district in northern New Jersey leans to the left, with Sherrill winning re-election in 2024 by 15 points, the same margin she carried the district in November’s gubernatorial showdown.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: HOUSE EXODUS THREATENS JOHNSON’S GRIP ON POWER AS OVER 40 MEMBERS HEAD FOR EXIT

But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just eight points in the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP some hopes of possibly flipping the seat.

A whopping 22 candidates, including 17 Republicans, are running in a special election in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, in the race to succeed former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The MAGA firebrand and one-time top Trump House ally four weeks ago stepped down from Congress a year before her term ended.

According to Georgia state law, all the candidates will run on the same ballot. If no contender tops 50% of the vote, a runoff election between the top two finishers will take place on April 7.

The district in northwestern Georgia is solidly Republican, with Greene winning re-election in 2024 by nearly 30 points and Trump carrying the district by 37 points.

Primary Day in California for the 2026 elections is scheduled for June 2, and this year it will also include a primary for the special election in the state’s 1st Congressional District, in the race to fill a seat left vacant following the recent unexpected death of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa. The general election will be held on Aug. 4.

The district, in northeastern California, is solidly Republican.

Similar to Texas, California is also altering its congressional maps as part of the redistricting wars, but the special election will be held under the current district lines.

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The White House and congressional Republicans criticized the decision by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to not hold a special election to fill LaMalfa’s seat until August, six months after the late congressman’s death.

But Democrats similarly complained about Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas not scheduling the special election to fill Turner’s seat until eight months after the late lawmaker died.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this story.

President Donald Trump on Saturday announced the government will not assist blue cities with ongoing anti-immigration enforcement riots unless help is requested, adding he has instructed ICE and Border Patrol to be “very forceful” in the protection of federal property.

“I have instructed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

He clarified the federal government will, however, “guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators, and Insurrectionists.”

DEMS BLASTED FOR TRYING TO ‘DEPORT’ ICE FROM SWING COUNTY, REFERENCING ‘BLOOD MONEY’ RENT

“Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property,” the president wrote. “There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors. If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence.”

It is unclear if the phrase “equal, or more, consequence” refers to criminal charges.

Trump said the statement serves as notice to local governments that they must protect their own state and local property and are obligated to protect federal property, including buildings and parks.

BLOCKING ICE COOPERATION FUELED MINNESOTA UNREST, OFFICIALS WARN AS VIRGINIA REVERSES COURSE

“Last night in Eugene, Oregon, these criminals broke into a Federal Building, and did great damage, also scaring and harassing the hardworking employees,” he continued. “Local Police did nothing in order to stop it. We will not let that happen anymore!

“If Local Governments are unable to handle the Insurrectionists, Agitators, and Anarchists, we will immediately go to the location where such help is requested, and take care of the situation very easily and methodically, just as we did the Los Angeles Riots one year ago, where the Police Chief said that, ‘We couldn’t have done it without the help of the Federal Government.’”

The president added “complaining” local governments, governors and mayors should use the word “PLEASE” if they decide to request federal assistance.

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“Remember that I stated, in the strongest of language, to BEWARE—ICE, Border Patrol or, if necessary, our Military, will be extremely powerful and tough in the protection of our Federal Property,” he wrote. 

“We will not allow our Courthouses, Federal Buildings, or anything else under our protection, to be damaged in any way, shape, or form. I was elected on a Policy of Border Control (which has now been perfected!), National Security, and LAW AND ORDER—That’s what America wants, and that’s what America is getting!”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Saturday laying the groundwork for the city to investigate and seek prosecution of federal immigration agents who allegedly break the law in the Windy City.

The order, titled “ICE On Notice,” directs members of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to document alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents and refer evidence of felony violations to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution.

“Nobody is above the law. There is no such thing as ‘absolute immunity’ in America,” Johnson, a Democrat, said in a statement.

“The lawlessness of Trump’s militarized immigration agents puts the lives and well-being of every Chicagoan in immediate danger. With today’s order, we are putting ICE on notice in our city. Chicago will not sit idly by while Trump floods federal agents into our communities and terrorizes our residents.”

SEATTLE MAYOR PUSHES LOCAL POLICE TO TRACK, INVESTIGATE ICE AGENTS’ ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES

Johnson said the order makes Chicago the first city in the nation to pursue legal accountability for alleged misconduct by federal immigration agents.

He accused federal immigration agents of violating constitutionally protected rights, destabilizing communities and provoking life-threatening confrontations while “remaining insulated” from local or civilian oversight.

The mayor said the order establishes clear procedures for CPD officers to follow if they witness or receive reports of federal agents engaged in illegal activity.

NEA INSIDER BLOWS WHISTLE ON ‘TOXIC’ CULTURE AND FAR-LEFT POLITICS INSIDE TEACHERS UNION: ‘IT’S A CULT’

Under the order, CPD officers who observe or receive reports of apparent violations by federal agents are instructed to document federal enforcement activity, preserve any body-camera footageand attempt to identify and verify the name and badge number of the federal supervisory officer on scene.

The order also instructs police to complete an incident report consistent with department policy and summon emergency medical services and render aid to any injured person.

The order comes amid reports that the federal government is planning another immigration surge in Chicago and the surrounding area later this spring, Johnson said.

Johnson’s order follows several high-profile confrontations between federal agents and suspects in the Chicago area, including the case of Silverio Villegas González, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in September of 2025 in suburban Franklin Park after authorities said he resisted arrest, attempted to flee during a traffic stop and dragged an ICE officer with his vehicle.

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In another local incident, Marimar Martinez was shot multiple times by a federal Border Patrol after authorities said agents returned defensive fire following an alleged vehicle collision.

Johnson also referenced the fatal shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where federal immigration agents fatally shot both individuals during separate enforcement operations.

House Democrats are poised to rebel against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s spending deal with the White House, Fox News Digital is told, an act that could prolong the ongoing partial government shutdown. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made clear to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that the plan by Republicans to fast-track the legislation on Monday evening would fail, four House GOP sources told Fox News Digital.

That means Johnson will need to lean heavily on his razor-thin House GOP majority to pass the bill through multiple procedural hurdles before it can see a final vote, likely Tuesday at the earliest.

The federal government has been in a partial shutdown since the wee hours of Saturday morning after Congress failed to find a compromise on the yearly budget by the end of Jan. 30.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES SKEPTICAL AS SENATE DEAL SACRIFICING DHS SPENDING REACHED: ‘NON-STARTER’

Some areas of the government have already been funded, but spending for the departments of War, Transportation (DOT), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among others, is now in question.

House Democrats do not feel bound by the deal their counterparts in the Senate struck with President Donald Trump’s White House, the sources told Fox News Digital. 

The sources said House Democrats are also frustrated that Schumer put them in a position where they were expected to take the deal on.

TRUMP, SCHUMER REACH GOVERNMENT FUNDING DEAL, SACRIFICE DHS SPENDING BILL IN THE PROCESS

“Democrat division creates another government shutdown,” one House Republican told Fox News Digital.

But it could be difficult for House GOP leaders to corral all the votes needed as well. Multiple Republicans have already expressed concerns about the compromise requiring them to negotiate with Democrats on reining in Trump’s immigration crackdown, while others like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., are pushing their own priorities to be included in exchange for their support.

Luna told Fox News Digital that she would not support the legislation if it did not include an unrelated measure that would require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process, a separate but widely-accepted GOP bill.

HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS DRAWS LINE ON DHS, ICE FUNDING AS MINNEAPOLIS UNREST FUELS SHUTDOWN RISK

Johnson told House Republicans in a lawmakers-only call on Friday that he hoped to pass the legislation under “suspension of the rules,” which would fast-track the bills in exchange for raising the threshold for passage from a simple majority of the chamber to two-thirds.

But now the House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most chamber-wide votes, will be considering the legislation on Monday afternoon.

Then it must survive a House-wide “rule vote,” a procedural test vote that normally falls on party lines, before voting on final passage.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., signaled to Fox News Live anchor Aishah Hasnie earlier on Saturday that he expected Jeffries to go rogue on Schumer.

“We can’t trust the minority leader to be able to get his members to do the right thing. That’s the issue,” Emmer told Hasnie.

The deal that passed the Senate on Friday combined five spending bills that already passed the House, while leaving off a bipartisan plan to fund DHS.

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

Instead, it would fund DHS at current levels for two weeks while Democrats and Republicans could negotiate a longer-term bill that would also rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Democrats demanded that in the wake of federal law enforcement-involved killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during anti-ICE demonstrations there.

But Jeffries made no promises on the deal after it passed the Senate Friday, saying in a public statement, “The House Democratic Caucus will evaluate the spending legislation passed by the Senate on its merits and then decide how to proceed legislatively.”

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A failure to move forward with the plan quickly risks the limitation or pausing of paychecks for military service members, airport workers, as well as putting funding for natural disaster management and federal healthcare services into question.

Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries, Schumer, and Johnson’s offices for further comment but did not immediately hear back.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday touted sweeping Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations at Miami International Airport, saying the efforts have played a critical role in protecting U.S. transportation networks.

Speaking at a news conference at the airport, Noem said TSA officers prevented more than 10,000 people with suspected ties to narcoterrorism from traveling over the past year. She added that an additional 85,000 people linked to terrorism or listed on the U.S. terrorism watch list were also stopped from boarding flights.

“What has happened here at this airport is that over the last year they have prevented over 10,000 individuals from traveling that had ties to narcoterrorism, 85,000 individuals that had similar ties to terrorists and to terrorists on the watch list in the United States,” Noem said. 

Noem also highlighted Miami International Airport’s human trafficking unit, which conducted more than 2,200 inspections in the past year. Those efforts resulted in 24 arrests related to child exploitation.

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

The unit also confiscated 85 firearms from travelers — 82 of them loaded at the time of discovery, according to Noem.

“It’s incredible the work that they have done to keep people safe, which is the mission that the Department of Homeland Security seeks to do every single day,” Noem said.

One of the busiest airports in the world, Miami International employs more than 1,700 TSA officers and serves an average of 70,000 passengers per day. Officials recently screened nearly 100,000 travelers in a single day, setting a new record on Jan. 4. More than 25 million passengers traveled through the airport in 2025, Noem said.

As travel continues to surge, Noem pointed to a $9 billion airport modernization project aimed at strengthening security. TSA is contributing $100 million to the effort, alongside DHS’s previously announced $1 billion nationwide investment in upgraded security technology.

Planned upgrades include expanded canine units, advanced computed tomography scanners, and enhanced imaging systems.

BEHIND THE SCENES: TRUMP AND WHITE HOUSE RALLY BEHIND NOEM AS ‘RADICALS’ DEMAND OUSTER

Noem said the investments are especially critical as the U.S. prepares to host major global events, including the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

“That billion dollars will make sure that we continue to keep America safe,” Noem said.

During the event, Noem was also asked about the possible release of body camera footage related to Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and licensed concealed-carry holder who was killed this month during an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. 

“The FBI is leading the investigation, and as it goes forward, that will be at their discretion,” she said. 

REP JEFFRIES ESCALATES RHETORIC AGAINST NOEM, SAYS DHS LEADER SHOULD BE ‘PUT ON ICE PERMANENTLY’

Addressing the upcoming expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, Noem said the program was never intended to be permanent and accused the Biden administration of abusing it.

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“Any individual who is from a country where TPS is expiring has an opportunity to appeal that and to look at other programs that they may qualify for, and they have a number of months to do that,” Noem said. “They should reach out to the State Department, they should reach out to the Department of Homeland Security, and we will help them with that.”

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

A federal judge on Saturday gave the Trump administration three days to release a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father from immigration detention in Texas following an emergency request.

Videos of Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, being taken into custody along with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis earlier this month sparked outrage.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, a Clinton nominee, wrote in his ruling that “the case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children,” according to the order obtained by Fox News Digital. 

He invoked the Declaration of Independence in the ruling, saying, “Thirty-three-year-old Thomas Jefferson enumerated grievances against a would-be authoritarian king over our nascent nation. Among others were: 1. ‘He has sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People.'”

MEDIA RUNS WILD WITH ‘EGREGIOUS LIE’ TARGETED 5-YEAR-OLD IN MINNESOTA, DHS SAYS CHILD WAS ABANDONED

He also cited the “pesky inconvenience called the Fourth Amendment” that protects people from “unreasonable searches and seizures.”

“Civics lesson to the government: Administrative warrants issued by the executive branch to itself do not pass probable cause muster,” he wrote. “That is called the fox guarding the henhouse. The Constitution requires an independent judicial officer.”

He added, “Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned.”

Biery said Ramos and his father could be deported, but added “that result should occur through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place.”

FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS MINNESOTA REQUEST TO BLOCK ICE-LED OPERATION METRO SURGE

He previously ordered a temporary block on their deportation. 

While neighbors have claimed that the government used Ramos as “bait,” asking him to knock on the door to his house, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called that an “abject lie,” saying his father abandoned him in a running vehicle in their driveway.

“The facts in this case have NOT changed: ICE did NOT target or arrest a child,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration. As agents approached, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias fled on foot—abandoning his child.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., has accused ICE this week of “needlessly” detaining Ramos in Texas.

“They shipped him 1,300 miles to suffer, without his mother, in a squalid Texas detention center. And now he’s growing ill. Democrats are fighting to end this cruelty,” she wrote. “Liam is not a criminal. Let him go.”

McLaughlin also posted a statement from Dr. Sean Conley, acting director of DHS’ Office of Health Security and chief medical officer, in which he addressed the child’s condition.

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Conley said that a pediatrician examined Ramos and “found no medical concerns.”

“It is standard policy to provide medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility and access to necessary medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare many of these individuals have received in their entire lives,” he said.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Peter Pinedo, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Shouts of “Trump act now!” filled the sunny Saturday afternoon on New York’s Fifth Avenue as hundreds of anti-Iranian regime protestors denounced the theocratic regime in Tehran and called for the U.S. to take action against Iran.

TED CRUZ URGES US TO ARM IRANIAN PROTESTERS AS MILITIAS THREATEN ‘TOTAL WAR’ AGAINST AMERICA

“We want freedom for the Iranian people,” said protester Sarah Shahi. “We want this theocracy that has been taking people’s rights away to be taken out with whatever means necessary. We need help when so many people have been killed.”

The protesters gathered across the street from the residence of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations and called for the regime in Tehran to be toppled.

The ornate 19th century limestone townhouse was originally purchased by the Iranian government under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran who ruled from 1941 until 1979. It has been the official home of the country’s UN representative ever since. Protests have been rare at the location, but at some point, overnight, someone spray-painted the words “terrorists” and “killers” on the front facade.

TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP CREATES ‘RARE OPPORTUNITY’ FOR CHANGE IN IRAN, FORMER IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONER SAYS

The building’s location is one of the most exclusive on the Upper East Side, diagonally across the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and less than a block away from the former residence of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

One protester’s sign showed a photograph of current Iranian UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani with the words “A terrorist lives here.”

“For the people of the Islamic republic to be residing here is just so unjust,” said Shahi. “But it is the closest thing we have to an embassy” as a protest location.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE REVEALS 6-STEP PLAN TO EXERT PRESSURE ON TEHRAN’S REGIME

Since Iran does not have diplomatic relations with the United States, the building is the only Iranian government-owned property in the country.

President Trump has ordered U.S. warships to within striking distance of Iran as he considers potential attacks against the regime’s nuclear program, oil and military targets. The buildup is in response to Iran’s continued support of terrorism and its brutal mass killings of protesters, with estimates saying as many as 30,000 people have been killed for participating in anti-regime street demonstrations.

The protesters in Manhattan are supporters of the late shah’s son, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has been speaking out for weeks against the regime as its barbaric crackdown continued. Pahlavi has been in exile for 47 years, since his father fled and the Iranian revolution ushered in the hardline religious Anti-American regime of the Mullahs.

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The chants from the protesters were no less impassioned than those of their brethren who have flooded the streets of Iranian cities. Signs demanded “End the regime in Iran,” and “Brave Iranians are fighting on the ground. The U.S. and Israel must act against a common enemy now.” Other signs proclaimed, “No to the Islamic Republic regime,” and “Make Iran Great Again.”

The protesters say they are waiting for President Trump to take military action against the regime so that the nation can finally taste freedom.