Rep. Tom Suozzi heckled at Long Island temple over ICE funding vote


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Left-wing activists disrupted an event at a Jewish temple in New York this week while Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi was speaking, protesting his vote in favor of a government spending bill that included increased funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The demonstrators, affiliated with the activist group Climate Defiance, interrupted Suozzi on Wednesday night at the temple on Long Island, unleashing a barrage of crude theatrics and profane insults, according to the New York Post.

“We confronted Congressman Tom Suozzi,” Climate Defiance posted to X. “He is one of seven Democrats casting the decisive votes to increase ICE funding by $10,000,000,000. Hideous, grotesque, fascist-loving coward, this man has blood on his hands. We will not forgive and we will not forget.”

Video of the disruption, which has amassed millions of views online, shows activists heckling the congressman with props such as adult diapers and knee pads while mocking his support for additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the New York Post reported.

AOC VOICES SUPPORT FOR ANTI-ICE SHUTDOWN, DECLINES TO PARTICIPATE

protester-ny-tom-suozzi

Left-wing activists disrupted an event at a Jewish temple in New York this week while Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi was speaking. (Climate Defiance via Storyful)

One demonstrator taunted Suozzi by holding up an adult diaper and saying, “I know you voted to increase ICE funding, so I wanted to get something for you. This is an adult diaper for when you pee yourself in front of Donald Trump. You’re the type of leader we need right now. Someone who soils themselves when the fascists are at our door.”

Another displayed knee pads saying, “I actually have some gifts — I have some kneepads for you — you can use these while you b— Donald Trump.”

A third individual said, “As a Jewish man, I have never felt safer than when there is a masked Gestapo in the street, so thank you, Congressman Tom Suozzi, for funding ICE.”

Comedian and activist Walter Masterson appeared to be thrown out of the temple during the disruption while attempting to read aloud the names of individuals he said had died in ICE-related incidents.

DHS PUNCHES BACK AT MOULTON FOR ‘INCITING RIOTERS’ WITH ‘GROSS’ ICE REMARKS

protester-ny-tom-suozzi

One demonstrator taunted Suozzi by holding up an adult diaper and saying, “I know you voted to increase ICE funding, so I wanted to get something for you.” (Climate Defiance via Storyful)

“Nine people were killed by ICE this month, and you’re throwing me out while I’m reading their names? How f—ing dare you!” Masterson shouted.

Days after the vote, Suozzi publicly apologized for supporting the DHS spending package, which included roughly $10 billion in additional funding for ICE, Politico reported.

The apology followed intense backlash from fellow Democrats and came after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minnesota, according to the New York Post.

LOOMING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREATENS SERVICE MEMBERS, FEMA, TSA AMID ICE IMPASSE

protester-ny-tom-suozzi

Comedian and activist Walter Masterson appeared to be thrown out of the temple during the disruption while attempting to read aloud the names of individuals he said had died in ICE-related incidents. (Climate Defiance via Storyful)

“I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis,” Suozzi said in a statement. “I hear the anger from my constituents, and I take responsibility for that. I have long been critical of ICE’s unlawful behavior and I must do a better job demonstrating that.”

Suozzi joined six other Democrats in crossing party lines to help Republicans narrowly pass the DHS funding measure in a 220–207 vote, Politico reported.

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Suozzi and Climate Defiance did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.



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Rep Jeffries threatens impeachment, says Noem should be ‘put on ice permanently’


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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Thursday that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem should be “put on ice permanently,” as he threatened impeachment proceedings against the cabinet official during a news conference.

Jeffries made the remarks while responding to questions about whether Democrats would move forward with impeachment if Noem is not fired, and whether he has spoken with Republicans about supporting such an effort.

A Trump administration source sharply condemned Jeffries’ language, warning that it would have sparked outrage had it come from a Republican leader.

“Imagine if the Republican majority leader had made similar remarks about Joe Biden while he was president?” the source told Fox News Digital. “The liberal media would be up in arms to charge him with inciting an assassination. 

“Now we hear crickets from the very same people who greedily glean through every word from conservative officials.”

GOP LAWMAKER RENEWS OVERSIGHT HEARING REQUEST OF DHS AGENCIES FOLLOWING FATAL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS

Split image of Kristi Noem and Hakeem Jeffries

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., escalated rhetoric against Kristi Noem during a news conference Thursday, arguing the DHS Secretary should be “put on ice permanently.” (Getty Images)

The source added that Jeffries’ comments were especially dangerous given the current political climate.

“What Jeffries said is dangerous, and unfathomably stupid given the culture of political violence the left has endorsed and perpetrated against conservative leaders. He should know better, he does know better,” they said.

During the news conference, Jeffries said he had reiterated his impeachment threat in a recent conversation with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

KRISTI NOEM FACES IMPEACHMENT EFFORT IN HOUSE AS 70 DEMS PUSH OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESS CHARGE

Hakeem Jeffries

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.  (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

“I did reiterate in my conversation with Speaker Johnson that we intend to proceed with impeachment proceedings if Kristi Noem is not fired,” Jeffries said. “Kristi Noem is a complete and total embarrassment. She’s a disgrace.”

Jeffries went on to accuse Noem of having “presided over” deaths he linked to immigration enforcement actions.

“And on top of all of that, she’s presided over the cold-blooded killings of American citizens like Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti,” Jeffries said. “Unacceptable.”

WHITE HOUSE BLASTS TOP HOUSE DEMOCRAT AS A ‘BUFFOON’ AFTER JEFFRIES BRANDS STEPHEN MILLER A ‘HATEFUL BIGOT’

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Washington, D.C.

Democrats have threatened to move forward with impeachment proceedings if DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is not fired by the Trump administration, despite receiving the continued support of the president. (Luke Johnson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Jeffries also criticized Senate Republicans who voted to confirm Noem, calling her “wildly unqualified” for the role.

“She should have never been confirmed,” he said. “Shame on every Republican in the Senate who put this wildly unqualified person into a position of significance — the Department of Homeland Security — so she could unleash brutalization on everyday Americans, American citizens, and law-abiding immigrant families. Just disgraceful.”

Jeffries concluded his remarks by repeating his demand for Noem’s removal, using language that immediately drew attention.

“She’s got to go. We are dead serious,” Jeffries said. “She needs to be put on ice permanently. She’s got to go.”

In a statement shared by Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie late Friday, Jeffries appeared to backtrack his rhetoric, saying, “She needs to be put on ice. It’s clear, right? That means gone. G-O-N-E. From her position. Don’t misinterpret anything that I’ve said.”

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Asked when he last spoke with Johnson, Jeffries replied: “Yesterday.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Jeffries’ office for comment.



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Speaker Johnson backs Trump’s shutdown deal with Dems despite GOP frustrations


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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged House Republicans on a lawmaker-only call to rally behind President Donald Trump after the commander-in-chief struck a deal with Senate Democrats to avert a prolonged government shutdown, Fox News Digital was told on Friday evening.

The top House Republican himself admitted to being “frustrated” by the result, sources told Fox News Digital, but lauded Trump’s deal-making ability and called for lawmakers to back the president’s decision.

The Senate passed a revamped government funding deal on Friday that will set all of the federal budget through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 — save for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

It comes after Democrats walked away from a bipartisan plan to fully fund the federal government over demands of stricter guardrails on Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), than what the initial House-passed package already had.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHY THERE MAY BE A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SATURDAY

Johnson and Trump shaking hands

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, left, and President Donald Trump shake hands during an Invest America roundtable in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on June 9, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Johnson told House Republicans that he went to the White House on Wednesday to lay out his arguments for sticking to the initial plan and warned, “Opening the Pandora’s Box of amending this thing could be a dangerous prospect,” sources said.

But Trump nevertheless struck an agreement with Senate Democrats. Fox News Digital was told that Johnson conceded, “The president has made a play call and we have to support him on it.”

The initial bipartisan DHS bill included guardrails for ICE such as mandating body-worn cameras and training for public engagement and de-escalation. But Democrats are now demanding significantly more in the wake of a second deadly shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal law enforcement during demonstrations against Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

SENATE GOP HOLDOUTS REFUSE TO BUDGE AS SHUTDOWN TALKS CONTINUE

The new deal struck with Democrats would only extend current DHS funding levels for two weeks in order to keep other critical agencies under the department’s purview funded while new bipartisan negotiations on immigration enforcement play out.

Two Democratic congressional leaders stand side by side at podiums during a news conference inside the U.S. Capitol.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., hold a joint news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 8, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Multiple Republican lawmakers have both publicly and privately expressed concern about the deal, arguing it could potentially give Democrats more ability to constrain the administration. 

One House Republican voiced such concerns on the lawmaker-only call on Friday, Fox News Digital was told. Johnson agreed he was “frustrated” as well but said, “but I’ve got to tip my hat to the president, he knows the art of the deal,” per sources.

SENATE REPUBLICANS WEIGH DEM DEMAND TO SPLIT DHS BILL, TURN TO SHORT-TERM EXTENSION TO AVOID SHUTDOWN

Johnson told House Republicans that Trump now needed their support to “navigate the next two weeks” of deal-making with Democrats.

The US Capitol

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Trump said on Truth Social of his deal with Democrats, “I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the Government, without delay. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security (including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before).”

Sources said the speaker did sound optimistic about Republicans still having leverage in the talks, however. Johnson noted that ICE had already been funded under Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and that it would be offices like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that would run low on funds.

Sources said Johnson said of Democrats, “We can hang that on their necks.”

The House is expected to take up the legislation by Monday evening.



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Senate passes government spending package as federal shutdown looms


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Senate Republicans and Democrats shattered through partisan rancor and sent a retooled government spending package to the House on Friday evening after President Donald Trump struck a deal to sate Democrats’ demands. 

Though lawmakers were able to advance the revamped five-bill package, without the controversial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill and a two-week funding extension to keep the agency afloat, a partial government shutdown is all but guaranteed. 

That’s because modifications to the package, and the inclusion of a short-term continuing resolution (CR) for DHS, must be approved by the House. And lawmakers in the lower chamber aren’t set to return to Washington, D.C., until early next week. 

GRAHAM THREATENS SHUTDOWN DEAL OVER HOUSE-BACKED REPEAL, WARNS JOHNSON: ‘I WON’T FORGET THIS’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Republicans advanced a Trump-backed funding deal out of the Senate on Friday with the help of Senate Democrats.  (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Schumer and his caucus are determined to get a series of extra reforms attached, and dropped three categories of restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday that many Republicans have balked at.

“These are not radical demands,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “They’re basic standards the American people already expect from law enforcement. I hope we can get voting quickly here in the Senate today, so we can move forward on the important work of reining in ICE. The clock is ticking.”

Democrats argued that the tweaks were common sense, and geared toward reducing further incidents during immigration operations around the country on the heels of two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minn., this month. 

“This is not like some wish list,” Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., said. “This is like, really practical, common sense stuff that would actually go a long way towards minimizing the harm that we’re seeing in Minnesota.”

Among the most difficult requests is the requirement of judicial warrants, rather than administrative warrants, for ICE agents to make arrests. 

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., argued that while Republicans didn’t want to have a government shutdown, they wouldn’t legislate “stupid s—” into the DHS bill. 

7 REPUBLICANS JOIN DEMS TO BLOCK MAJOR GOVERNMENT FUNDING PACKAGE AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., leaving a press conference.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats don’t appear ready to thrust the government into another shutdown, arguing that they would rather work in their own funding priorities to annual spending bills.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“We’re not like telling [ICE] they need judicial warrants when they already have administrative warrants,” Schmitt said. “We’re not doing that.”

Successfully moving the bill from one chamber to the other was not an easy lift for Republicans. A cohort of Senate Republicans pushed back against the underlying, original package because of the billions in earmark funding it included. 

And Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was enraged over the House’s decision to include a repeal of a provision that would allow senators, like himself, to sue for up to $500,000 if they had their phone records subpoenaed by former Special Counsel Jack Smith as part of his Arctic Frost probe. 

“You jammed me, Speaker Johnson. I won’t forget this. I got a lot of good friends in the House. If you think I’m going to give up on this, you really don’t know me.”

He demanded votes on expanding the number of people and organizations who were affected by Smith’s Arctic Frost probe that can sue, along with a vote on his legislation that would criminalize the conduct of officials who operate sanctuary cities. 

HOUSE GEARS UP TO TAKE SENATE’S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEAL WITH RARE SUNDAY MEETING

House Republican leadership speak in Washington

Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole appear during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8, 2025. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

But he didn’t tee them up for an amendment vote, instead contending he’d be okay with floor action after the two-week CR lapsed. 

Meanwhile, moving the package through the House could be a heavier lift than expected.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expected the earliest he could move on the package was by Monday, three days into the partial shutdown, given that lawmakers are away from Washington, D.C., until next week. 

One House GOP source suggested to Fox News Digital that passing the legislation under suspension of the rules could be a pathway to success, because it would fast track the bills past a House-wide procedural hurdle called a “rule vote” that normally falls along party lines.

But that would require raising the threshold for passage from a simple majority to two-thirds, meaning a significant number of Democrats would be needed for the bills to proceed.

That does not appear to be the route House leaders are taking, however, at least for now. Two other sources told Fox News Digital on Friday morning that the House Rules Committee is expected to meet for a rare Sunday hearing to consider the bill. 

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The House Rules Committee is the final gatekeeper before most legislation gets a chamber-wide vote, meaning its advancement of the package Sunday could set up further action as early as Monday.

House Republican resistance to the modified package, particularly the DHS CR, has already fomented among members of the House Freedom Caucus.

 House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris told Fox News Digital that “the Democrats’ desire to keep millions of illegal aliens in the United States will not suddenly disappear in a week or a month with a Continuing Resolution.”

“Delaying full year funding for the Department of Homeland Security any further is a bad idea,” Harris said. 



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Records requests find no evidence of harm caused by Trump exec order, watchdog says


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FIRST ON FOX: A Trump-aligned lawfare group filed records requests attempting to uncover the “harm” that Democrat states said was being incurred as the result of one of President Trump’s Day One executive order banning sex changes for minors.

However, those states either ignored their requests or said they could not find any responsive records documenting the very harms their lawsuit warns are already unfolding.  

After 15 states, the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro sued the president and his Department of Justice over the executive order that was issued on Aug. 1, America First Legal subsequently filed records requests to those states that were suing in an attempt to uncover whether the claims of injury are true and accurate. Only three states, Massachusetts, Illinois and Nevada, have provided any sort of response thus far. Furthermore, the responses that did arrive indicated there were no responsive records relating to AFL’s request even though they asked for documents pertaining to precisely what the lawsuit in question alleges. 

“States suing the Trump Administration appear to lack evidence of actual harm supporting their allegations,” said Dan Epstein, Vice President of America First Legal. “The Trump Administration’s executive order sought to protect minors from permanent physical damage. Protecting children should not be subject to politics.”

TRUMP ADMIN FINDS CALIFORNIA BAN ON NOTIFYING PARENTS OF GENDER TRANSITIONS VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW

Donald Trump and pro-trans protester

President Trump took on transgender activism early in his second term, including through Executive Order 14187, which prohibits sex-change surgeries for anyone under the age of 19. (Getty Images/AP)

While a nationwide preliminary injunction was issued just a few months after the issuance of Trump’s executive order prohibiting physicians from performing sex change surgeries on individuals under the age of 19, according to Epstein, the plaintiffs must still must show “standing” in order for a court to provide a remedy and just because the plaintiffs filed their suit early does not mean this responsibility disappears. 

“Because standing is necessary for any federal court to provide a remedy, plaintiffs must plead concrete evidence of harm in their complaint,” Epstein asserted. “Here, plaintiffs’ complaint failed to show an actual, traceable loss tied to the federal action, beyond merely speculative claims of harm or generalized concerns. Filing suit early does not eliminate this requirement to establish standing.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the health departments and Attorneys General offices in Massachusetts, Illinois and Nevada, to request information about the documents being relied on by plaintiffs in their suit against Trump’s executive order. In particular, Fox News Digital also asked if the state health departments had no responsive records, or whether there might be anywhere else that they could be kept, but again did not receive a response. 

In the lawsuit challenging Trump’s Executive Order 14187, which bans federal taxpayer dollars from being used to “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another,” the blue state plaintiffs allege the executive order was fostering “an atmosphere of fear and intimidation experienced by transgender individuals, their families and caregivers, and the medical professionals who seek only to provide necessary, lawful care to their patients.”

PRIVACY CONCERNS, DISCRIMINATION, DOCTOR PUSHBACK: THE COMPLIANCE TRAPS LOOMING BEHIND SEX-SEPARATED SPORTS

Demonstrators during the Rise Up for Trans Youth rally against President Donald Trump's executive actions targeting transgender people at Union Square in New York, US, on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2025. Three of New York's most prominent hospitals are curbing gender-affirming care for minors after President Donald Trump's executive orders put at risk billions of dollars in federal funding. 

Demonstrators during the Rise Up for Trans Youth rally against President Donald Trump’s executive actions targeting transgender people at Union Square in New York, US, on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2025. Three of New York’s most prominent hospitals are curbing gender-affirming care for minors after President Donald Trump’s executive orders put at risk billions of dollars in federal funding.  (Photographer: Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

AFL’s records requests sought any documents showing the states had actually experienced the harms they claim in their lawsuit against Trump’s Executive Order 14187 — including evidence of prosecutions or penalties for providers, clinic closures, reduced services, and increased medical or mental-health crises for transgender adolescents. 

The group also asked for records showing higher costs for things like counseling, crisis services, or hospitalizations, worsened mental and physical health outcomes, or the states’ inability to meet legal obligations to provide medical care for minors in state custody. AFL also asked, in its final tenth point, for any internal communications specifically referencing the executive order and its alleged effects.

The only states who have gotten back to AFL’s records request are Massachusetts, Illinois and Nevada. Massachusetts and Nevada said they had zero records pertaining to any of their requests, while Illinois responded that they had no records responsive to every one of AFL’s requests except for their last and most broad one, which asked for records and communication mentioning the terms “Executive Order 14187,” the order’s formal title, or “affect shape harm.”

The records handed over by Illinois’ public health department included notices that agency personnel received notifying them that funds could not be used for services that violate President Trump’s Executive Order 14187, as well as notices to grantees telling them they may incur new costs that support programs or activities in conflict with the executive order. 

Illinois’ records also showed that a program director at a nonprofit healthcare group expressed concern about an inability to register new clients because the president’s directive prevented staff from asking a patient’s gender identity or preferred pronouns, which were required fields in the healthcare group’s client database. Because clients have to be enrolled in the database to receive HIV/AIDS services, the director feared this could impact those services.

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Illinois records showed a slow-down in grant releases as well, while everyone got up to date with the new requirements of Trump’s executive order.

Fifteen states, D.C. and Gov. Josh Shapiro have sued the Trump admin over the president's executive order prohibiting transgender surgeries for those under the age of 19.

Fifteen states, D.C. and Gov. Josh Shapiro have sued the Trump admin over the president’s executive order prohibiting transgender surgeries for those under the age of 19. (Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out repeatedly to the public health departments and Attorneys General offices for comment on AFL’s accusations that their lawsuit is without evidence, but only received a response from Massachusetts’ Department of Public health, which referred Fox News Digital to the state’s Attorney General office.

“AFL has previously exposed other states’ lack of standing in their own respective cases against the Trump Administration. Specifically, AFL uncovered Colorado, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Arizona’s lack of evidence supporting their claims of injury in an attempt to block the Trump Administration’s sharing of Medicaid beneficiary data with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” a press release from the lawfare group said. “These states’ responses to AFL’s records requests repeatedly reveal a lack of standing. AFL will continue to expose baseless litigation efforts aimed at undermining the America First agenda.”

Trump’s Executive Order 14187 is also being challenged for alleged discrimination in a lawsuit against the Health and Human Services Department led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.



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Kevin Warsh nomination sparks showdown over Fed independence as Powell exit nears


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Republicans praised the track record of Trump’s nominee to chair the Federal Reserve on Friday as Democrats raised questions about how much control President Donald Trump would look to exert over his replacement for Jerome Powell — the current chair who has clashed with the president on the country’s economic policy.

Trump formally nominated Kevin Warsh to the chair position on Friday, kicking off his confirmation process and immediately sparking questions from Democrats about whether Warsh will maintain the Fed’s independence or align its operations with the president’s political goals.

Either way, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, noted the next Fed chair would impact every area of the economy.

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

Kevin Warsh

Kevin Warsh, former governor of the US Federal Reserve, during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring meetings at the IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C., April 25, 2025. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“The Federal Reserve’s decisions touch every American household, from mortgage rates to retirement savings, and President Trump has been clear that bringing accountability and credibility to the Federal Reserve is a priority. His nomination of Kevin Warsh reflects that focus,” Scott said.

But amid questions over Trump’s relationship with Powell, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said she fears Trump picked someone who he can use to make economy-shaping decisions.

“Donald Trump said anybody who disagrees with him will never be Fed chairman. Former Fed governor Kevin Warsh has apparently passed the loyalty test,” Warren said.

Warren is the ranking member on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

The Fed, led by its chair, maintains U.S. financial stability by governing the U.S. money supply and credit conditions to keep inflation under control and maximize employment — a role in which it answers to Congress, according to the Fed’s website.

After starting his career in the private sector, Warsh began working for the Bush administration in 2002 as a special assistant to the president and would go on to receive a nomination to serve on the Fed’s board of governors in 2006.

At just 35 years old, Warsh became the youngest appointee in Fed board history. He served in that role until 2011.

THUNE WARNS DOJ’S PROBE OF FED CHAIR POWELL ‘BETTER BE REAL’ AND ‘SERIOUS’ AMID POLITICAL BACKLASH

Trump originally considered Warsh for the position of Fed chair in 2017 but eventually nominated Powell instead. Trump also considered him as a candidate for Treasury Secretary after winning re-election in 2024.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who sits on the Senate Committee on Finance, said he would support Warsh based on that track record.

President Donald Trump, left, pictured alongside Kevin Warsh, right, the president's nominee to become the next chair of the Fed

President Donald Trump, left, pictured alongside Kevin Warsh, right, the president’s nominee to be the next Fed chair. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“With decades of experience in finance and economics spanning government and the private sector, Kevin Warsh is eminently qualified to serve as chairman of the Federal Reserve. I trust that with him at the helm, the Federal Reserve will help guide our nation on a path of historic prosperity and opportunity just as President Trump has,” Cornyn said in a statement Friday.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS DEMAND PROBE INTO TRUMP DOJ’S CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF FED CHAIR POWELL

“I applaud the president for nominating Kevin Warsh for this post, and I look forward to supporting him in the Senate.”

In the House of Representatives, Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, echoed Cornyn’s support.

“With his service as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, combined with his decades of academic and financial market experience, Kevin Warsh brings a clear understanding of the responsibilities of the Fed, and I congratulate him on his nomination,” Hill said.

“He has demonstrated a commitment to fighting inflation and to keeping prices in check for American families, and I am pleased that President Trump put forward such a qualified nominee.”

Despite the support among many Republicans, Trump’s nomination faces opposition from Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who said he would block the nomination unless the DOJ ends an ongoing probe into the current chairman. Powell is under investigation for allegedly misleading senators under oath about the scope and timeline of a billion-dollar renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.

Bipartisan critics of the probe view it as a tool Trump is using to push Powell to slash interest rates — a move Powell has resisted. Powell believes making that call at the president’s request would jeopardize the Fed’s independent decision-making.

Warren shares that view.

Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questions former executives of failed banks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, May 16, 2023, in Washington. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“This nomination is the latest step in Trump’s attempt to seize control of the Fed and follows the Trump administration’s weaponization of the Department of Justice to open criminal investigations into Fed Chair Jerome Powell,” Warren said.

“No Republican purporting to care about Fed independence should agree to move forward with this nomination until Trump drops his witch hunt,” Warren added.

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Jerome Powell’s term ends on May 15. The Senate has not yet announced when Warsh’s confirmation hearings will begin.

“I look forward to leading a thoughtful, timely confirmation process that carefully examines his vision for focusing the Federal Reserve on its core mission,” Scott said.



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DHS recruitment uses ‘wartime strategy’ for massive ICE hiring surge


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A bomber jet streaking overhead. Armed agents in camouflage and body armor. A cowboy on horseback riding across a snowy plain beneath the words: “We’ll have our home again.”

Those are some of the images the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using to recruit immigration enforcement officers as it ramps up hiring for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and related agencies, leaning heavily on national security language and tactical imagery to sell the job.

ICE has described its $100 million recruitment push as a “wartime recruitment” strategy in internal planning documents, according to a Washington Post report published in December 2025, as the agency moves to add thousands of new personnel. The campaign’s tone has drawn attention to recruitment messaging at a time when DHS’s interactions with the public have grown increasingly tense — and, in some cases, deadly.

SEN RUBEN GALLEGO: I WON’T FUND A ROGUE ICE THAT SHOOTS FIRST AND CALLS IT LAW ENFORCEMENT

Internal ICE planning documents described a recruitment strategy that included targeted digital advertising aimed at audiences with interests in guns, tactical gear and military culture, as well as outreach tied to events like UFC fights and gun trade shows, according to the Post. The plan also called for “geofencing,” a marketing technique that delivers ads to mobile devices near specific locations, near military bases and gun trade show events.

Some former officials are questioning how the recruitment messaging aligns with the realities of civilian law enforcement work and public trust.

One of those voices is Oscar Hagelsieb, a retired Homeland Security Investigations supervisor who spent decades with ICE and says he voted for President Donald Trump three times because immigration law “needs to be enforced.” Homeland Security Investigations probes transnational crime, terrorism and other threats. 

ICE recruitment ads

Imagery used in recruitment ads shows ICE agents in tactical gear.  (Department of Homeland Security )

But as DHS ramps up recruiting and expands enforcement operations, Hagelsieb told Fox News Digital the rhetoric and imagery represent a shift from past efforts — one that, in his view, “definitely attracts a different kind of people.”

Recent recruitment materials promoted by DHS and ICE include a mix of tactical and pop-culture imagery. One social media post shows a retro-style van alongside the caption, “Want to deport illegals with your absolute boys?” followed by the line, “Think about how many illegals you could fit in this bad boy!”

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

Another ad reads, “No age cap. Join ICE now,” and features two men in camouflage and tactical-style vests — one appearing significantly older than the other. 

“You’re pushing this agenda that you’re doing it … to repel these invaders,” Hagelsieb said. “This isn’t combat.” 

He added that visuals of agents in battle dress and armored vehicles in cities like Minneapolis and Chicago had him “concerned,” saying the optics do not match the mission.

DHS, for its part, says recruitment messaging does not reflect any change in vetting, training or standards for immigration enforcement officers, even as hiring accelerates.

DHS recruitment ad

ICE ad shows a bomber jet flying overhead while a man rides a horse.  (Department of Homeland Security )

CONSERVATIVE GROUP ROLLS OUT MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR AD BLITZ BACKING ICE ‘PATRIOTS’

ICE has described its recent hiring surge as unprecedented. 

In a Jan. 3 press release, the agency said its recruitment campaign brought in more than 12,000 officers and agents in less than a year — more than doubling its workforce from roughly 10,000 personnel to 22,000 personnel. 

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release that the increase occurred “in just about four months,” calling it a 120% expansion of ICE’s ranks.

As part of the surge, DHS has significantly compressed its training pipeline for ICE agents, reducing the total program for new Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers from roughly 16 weeks — previously preceded by a language course — to a streamlined six- to eight-week curriculum. 

DHS says agents train six days a week and that it has “streamlined training to cut redundancy and incorporate technology advancements, without sacrificing basic subject matter content.”

The recruitment push and expanded enforcement come amid heightened public scrutiny following deadly encounters involving federal immigration agents.

MINNESOTA SHAKEUP SHIFTS LEADERSHIP NOT STRATEGY, WHITE HOUSE SAYS, PUSHING BACK ON ‘RETREAT’ CLAIM

In January, U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Weeks later, Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a nurse and Minneapolis resident. 

Both incidents prompted protests in Minneapolis and cities nationwide, intensifying debates over use of force, accountability, and the role of federal immigration operations.

DHS officials argue the aggressive enforcement posture reflects a sharp rise in threats and violence against immigration agents. 

Following protests in Minneapolis, DHS said a Homeland Security Investigations officer was seriously injured when a protester bit off part of his finger — a claim the agency has cited as evidence of growing hostility toward officers.

According to DHS, assaults on immigration agents rose more than 1,300% in 2025. The agency also reports steep increases in death threats and instances of doxxing, or revealing personal information, targeting agents and their families — trends leadership says have shaped security measures and recruitment messaging amid an increasingly hostile operational environment. 

David Lapan, a retired Marine Corps colonel who served as DHS press secretary during President Donald Trump’s first term, said the current recruitment messaging and enforcement posture mark a sharp departure from past practice.

DHS recruitment ad

According to DHS, assaults on immigration agents rose more than 1,300% in 2025.  (DHS)

“Traditionally, Homeland Security — specifically Customs and Border Protection and ICE — have recruited for law enforcement, not for military-style operations,” Lapan told Fox News Digital. “What we’re seeing now is different than anything I’ve seen across administrations, Democrat and Republican.”

Lapan also questioned the growing use of Border Patrol agents in interior enforcement operations, saying the agencies historically were designed for distinct missions. 

“Border Patrol’s job was close to the border,” he said. “ICE handled interior enforcement. Mixing those missions is dangerous.”

In the aftermath of the shootings and the protests that followed, Trump sent Tom Homan, a former acting ICE director, to Minnesota to take over oversight of federal immigration enforcement operations from Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino.

“I’m not here because the federal government has carried out this mission perfectly,” Homan said Thursday. “I don’t want to see anybody die — not officers, not members of the community, not the targets of operations.”

DHS recruitment ad

“Think about how many criminal illegal aliens you can fit in this bad boy!” ICE ad says.  (DHS)

Bovino’s leadership of the operation had drawn scrutiny from local officials and former federal agents over the use of Border Patrol personnel in interior city enforcement and the optics and messaging surrounding the mission.

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“It’s unfair to those agents, because they’re not trained for that,” Hagelsieb said.

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS and ICE for comment and did not receive any replies. 



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Trump backs DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as Democrats call for ouster


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President Donald Trump fully supports Department of Homeland (DHS) Security Secretary Kristi Noem as Democrats call for her ouster over the handling of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, Fox News Digital has learned. 

“I think she’s doing a very good job,” Trump told reporters Tuesday in just one example this week of the president backing his DHS chief. “The border is totally secure. You forget, we had a border that I inherited where millions of people were coming through. Now, we have a border where no one is coming through.”

The president and administration have stayed consistent throughout the week that Noem has their full support, as Democratic lawmakers call for her ouster following a pair of fatal shootings in Minneapolis amid an immigration crackdown operation born out of the sweeping fraud scandal rocking the state. 

A source close to Noem told Fox News Digital that Trump spoke to Noem ahead of the Cabinet meeting Thursday to relay that she’s doing well leading DHS — which is home to agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

WHY TRUMP SENDING TOM HOMAN TO MINNESOTA IS A STROKE OF ABSOLUTE GENIUS

Noem in Texas

President Trump fully backs Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem as Democrats call for her firing, sources told Fox News Digital.  (Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images)

The source added that Noem is in communication with border czar Tom Homan, who was tapped to lead the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota Monday, and added that when the likes of Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are “calling for your head,” you’re not at risk at losing your job with Trump. 

Democrats repeatedly have slammed Noem in recent days, demanding she be fired or impeached, including Jeffries threatening that she needs to be “put on ice permanently.”

“She’s got to go — we are dead serious,” Jeffries told reporters at the Capitol Thursday, threatening, “She needs to be put on ice permanently.” 

“If Kristi Noem is not fired immediately, impeachment proceedings will commence,” he added. 

Noem joined Fox News’ “Hannity” Thursday evening and defended that she’s on a mission to enforce the president’s law and order immigration policies. 

“These radicals are attacking me, but I’m just doing my job,” Noem said. “I’m following the law, enforcing the laws like President Trump promised that he would do to keep people safe in this country.” 

Noem and Trump during election

President Donald Trump has repeatedly backed Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem in public comments in January.  (Jim Watson/Getty Images)

“We’re going to continue to go after these criminals,” she continued. “We’re going to remove them before they have the chance to murder more Americans, to create more Angel moms and to go out and harm our children and our grandchildren. We have had violent crimes and murders drop dramatically in this country, the lowest they’ve been in over 100 years, because of President Trump’s leadership. I’m proud of the work that the Department of Homeland Security does.”  

Trump held his monthly Cabinet meeting Thursday, which generated heightened attention as media outlets focused on the fact Noem did not speak during the meeting. The president explained at the top of the gathering that he wanted to keep the meeting more concise after hosting marathon Cabinet meetings, including the longest televised such meeting in U.S. history in August, which lasted three hours and 16 minutes. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Noem were among officials who did not address the meeting, but headlines have mostly focused on Noem specifically. 

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

An administration official confirmed to Fox News Digital on Friday morning that Trump continues to fully support his DHS chief’s ability and leadership, and that the president personally told her as much ahead of the Cabinet meeting. 

The White House swiftly defended Noem Monday in the fallout of a fatal shooting Saturday when U.S. Border Patrol agents opened fire on Alex Pretti, who was armed with a 9mm pistol, while recording federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. 

Two U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Border Patrol agents were placed on administrative leave, as is standard operating procedure, and an investigation into the shooting continues. 

The operation has been underscored by agitators staging protests and chaotic confrontations targeting federal law enforcement officials while demanding the agents leave Minneapolis. 

Federal agents fire tear gas

Federal agents fire tear gas at protesters on Jan. 24, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

HOUSE DEMOCRATS HOLD ‘SHADOW HEARINGS’ AS THEY BUILD CASE TO IMPEACH KRISTI NOEM 

When asked for comment on the president’s support of Noem, the White House directed Fox News Digital to a series of comments made by Trump, as well as Leavitt, showing Trump and his administration have been consistent in their support of Noem. 

“Secretary Noem still has the utmost confidence and trust of the president of the United States, and she’s continuing to oversee the entire Department of Homeland Security and all of the immigration enforcement that’s taking place across the whole entire country,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing Monday when asked if the president was dissatisfied with how the officials on the ground handled the shooting. 

“No,” Trump told reporters Tuesday when asked if Noem would step down, which included the president also telling the media that Noem is “doing a very good job.” 

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

“She was there with the border,”  Trump told Fox News’ Will Cain Tuesday when asked about his confidence in Noem. “Who closed up the border? She did, with Tom Homan, with the whole group. I mean they closed up the border.”

Democrats have come out in full force against the administration’s immigration crackdown, claiming ICE and Border Patrol agents are terrorizing communities with their presence and referring to Pretti’s fatal shooting, and the fatal shooting of Renee Good earlier in January by an ICE agent, as “murder.”

Speculation built among Democrats and media outlets that Noem allegedly was on shaky footing with the president over the operation, which was amplified Monday when Trump announced he was deploying Homan to Minnesota to oversee the immigration crackdown operation, replacing Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who had been running point in Minneapolis. 

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Federal law enforcement officials converged on the Twin Cities at the start of the new year amid a sweeping fraud scandal gripping the state that has led to dozens of arrests of individuals, most of whom are from the state’s Somali population. Immigration officials deployed to crack down on violent illegal immigrants in the area as details of the fraud scandal came to light. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Department of Homeland Security Friday for any additional comment on the president’s support and Democrats calling for her ouster. 



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DOJ confirms review triggered by officer use of lethal force


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The killing of Alex Pretti by federal officers in Minnesota spurred backlash from Second Amendment advocates after some Trump administration officials initially claimed Pretti was armed and dangerous, but the unfolding investigation has not centered on gun-carrying policies.

Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and licensed concealed-carry holder, was killed during an immigration enforcement operation Saturday, and the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice are investigating it through the lens of typical use-of-force policies, despite a national narrative that emerged about gun rights.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed Friday that the FBI was conducting alongside DHS’ investigative unit a “standard investigation … when there’s circumstances like what we saw last Saturday,” in reference to the many instances of federal officers using deadly force during altercations.

ALEX PRETTI SHOULD HAVE FACED CHARGES FOR SPITTING ON AGENT BEFORE FATAL SHOOTING: FORMER PROSECUTOR

A law enforcement officer deploys a chemical spray toward a man during a confrontation on a city street.

A screengrab from a video shows a law enforcement officer spraying irritants at Alex Pretti before he was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 24, 2026. (Reuters)

Blanche noted that the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division lawyers would be involved as needed, suggesting the agencies were scrutinizing the officers’ actions and whether they were appropriate.

Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom who specializes in firearm issues, said some of the initial statements made by members of the Trump administration about Pretti were “so extraordinarily unhelpful” in terms of the public perception about the incident.

Videos circulating online showed a chaotic mix of Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents wrestling Pretti to the ground. After one agent disarmed Pretti by pulling his firearm, which he legally owned and carried, from his waist, he was shot roughly ten times and died at the scene.

“I think it would have been a lot more helpful if the Trump administration had been more careful with their words and had more clearly conveyed that the problem wasn’t he publicly carried a firearm in any of his capacity,” Swearer said. “It was the fact that — by being armed and then getting into this confrontation with law enforcement — that gun became a factor in the use-of-force analysis.”

The Second Amendment conversation was exacerbated by several officials in the Trump administration in the immediate aftermath of the incident, prior to videos and analyses revealing that Pretti had not brandished his weapon and was disarmed at the time he was shot.

U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bilal Essayli, speaks during a news conference at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles on June 12, 2025.

U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bilal Essayli, speaks during a news conference at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles on June 12, 2025. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Perhaps most prominently, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, the lead federal prosecutor in Central California, wrote on X: “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don’t do it!”

Essayli’s remarks led to a rare rebuke from the National Rifle Association, which called his comments “dangerous and wrong.” The NRA noted that “responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called Pretti an “assassin” and a “domestic terrorist” in social media posts.

Greg Bovino, who was head of Border Patrol operations in Minneapolis at the time but has since been reassigned, claimed after the incident that Pretti wanted to “massacre law enforcement.”

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

Alex Pretti memorial

A portrait stands at a memorial for Alex Pretti on Jan. 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ( Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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Swearer noted that the gun rights conversation that emerged “just confused a lot of people as to why he was shot in the first place.”

“It really did turn the broader national conversation into this idea of, ‘Well, this is a Second Amendment issue,’” she said. “It almost conveyed to people that, ‘Well, the reason he was shot wasn’t because he’s physically on the ground with officers.'”



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Biden staffer Andrew Bates, Trump staffer Tim Murtaugh spar over child death


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A former Biden administration official’s social media post lamenting the death of a young child in government custody amid increased immigration operations in Minnesota drew backlash from Republicans, who seized on the fact that the death occurred during the Biden administration. 

Andrew Bates, who previously served as the senior deputy press secretary for former President Joe Biden, on Tuesday retweeted a post from the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats about Anadith Danay Reyes Alvarez, an 8-year-old who suffered from sickle cell anemia and a heart condition and died in Border Patrol custody in 2023.

Bates wrote alongside the reposted content, “Not about Democrat or Republican/left or right. Just absolutely wrong.” 

Bates’ post, and the original Senate Judiciary Committee post, prompted comments from conservatives pointing out that Alvarez died in 2023, during President Joe Biden’s administration. 

Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, the father of Liam Ramos

Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, the father of Liam Ramos, is being detained with his son in Texas after being arrested by federal immigration authorities.  (Obtained by Columbia Heights Public Schools/Department Homeland Security)

BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA SLAM ICE AFTER MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING, URGE ACCOUNTABILITY

“What’s remarkable, Andrew, is the level of pride you must have felt when posting this, completely unaware that it had happened while you worked in the White House yourself,” Tim Murtaugh, who was President Donald Trump’s campaign communications director in 2020, said in response to Bates. “Just remarkable. Top notch work from beginning to end.”

Greg Price, Trump White House rapid response manager for the first half of 2025 wrote, “Andy, remind who was in charge of the country in 2023?”

ICE agents in Minneapolis sidewalk

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continue to conduct immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Jan. 28, 2026.  (Madison Thorn/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“I stand by what I said. It’s horrible and shouldn’t have happened,” Bates wrote in the post’s replies. “What makes me proud is that the American people are rejecting the cruelty that ICE is forcing on Americans and immigrants, putting all of us in danger. I’d hope we could agree on that.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Bates for comment. 

The series of social media posts between the White House veterans come amid heightened scrutiny of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Minneapolis as part of Operation Metro Surge, an immigration operation that kicked off in December 2025 and dispatched thousands of ICE agents to the city. 

The agency recently seized 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Ramos, an Ecuadorian national whom federal officials say is in the U.S. illegally.

The two are being held at a Texas immigration detention facility. 

NEW DETAILS TO CONGRESS REVEAL GUNS USED, BODYCAM FOOTAGE IN FATAL BORDER PATROL SHOOTING OF MINNESOTA NURSE

The interaction between Bates and Murtaugh also comes as ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CPB) have faced increased scrutiny following the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minnesota. 

On Saturday, two CBP agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, while he was recording federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. The agents who fired their weapons at Pretti have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with the agency’s procedures, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

Photo of Alex J. Pretti

This undated photo provided by Michael Pretti shows Alex J. Pretti, the man who was shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis Jan. 24, 2026.  (Michael Pretti via AP)

Pretti’s death came weeks after an agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, 37.

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The Department of Homeland Security has described both shootings as acts of “self-defense.” Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche confirmed Friday in a press conference that the Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death. 

Meanwhile, a majority of voters believe that ICE’s immigration tactics are going too far. A new Fox News poll found that 59% of voters believe the agency’s immigration efforts are “too aggressive,” up from the 49% who said so in July 2025. 

Fox News’ Louis Casiano and Bill Melugin contributed to this report. 



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EXCLUSIVE: Epstein emails released as DOJ says no criminal or inappropriate conduct by Trump



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FIRST ON FOX: The Justice Department is releasing Jeffrey Epstein’s personal emails Friday, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche telling Fox News Digital 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.”

“During the course of our investigation, we seized years and years’ worth of Epstein’s personal emails,” Blanche told Fox News Digital. “These are communications with hundreds and hundreds of individuals discussing intimate details of Epstein’s and others’ lives.”

EPSTEIN FILES EXPLODE OPEN AS DOJ DETAILS DISCOVERY OF POWERFUL FIGURES AND MORE THAN 1,200 VICTIMS

“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,” Blanche told Fox News Digital Friday morning. 

Fox News Digital first obtained newly declassified emails from the Epstein case Friday morning. The Justice Department is expected to release more than 3 million pages of records from the files Friday.

The new records mentioning the president largely show Epstein showing his disdain for Trump and criticizing him during his first administration.

But one email reviewed by Fox News Digital was from March 2016, between Epstein and author and reporter Michael Wolff. In the email, 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,” he continues.

In another email, three years later, in January 2019, Epstein writes to Wolff: “Of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.”

In another email, in February 2019, Epstein writes a long email to Wolff, noting that (REDACTED) worked at Mar-a-Lago, and that “Trump knew of it and came to my house many times during that period.”

“He never got a massage,” Epstein writes.

Epstein then goes on to discuss a business arrangement involving Trump relating to a friend who was having “financial difficulty with assisted living homes.”

In another email to Wolff in January 2018, Epstein is complaining about the president, saying that he “doesn’t take advice,” and that “his children have little experience and poor judgment.” 

“There are huge discrepancies re his real net worth,” Epstein writes to Wolff. “Full disclosure would make it clear.”

Epstein, also in January 2018, continues mocking Trump, calling him “dopey Donald or demented Donald,” and complains about his finances and acquisitions and relationship with Deutsche Bank.

Meanwhile, in emails between Epstein and Thomas Landon of the New York Times in January 2018, Landon asks if Epstein still is in touch with Wolf, who had published his book “Fire and Fury” about Trump.

“Yup,” Epstein replies.

Landon writes: “Have to say, he is looking/sounding increasing unhinged—Are you tempted to take any money off the table in the markets?”

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“No. But no question Donalds statement is goofy,” Epstein replies. It is unclear which Trump statement he is referring to. “Early dementia?”

Landon replies: “You be judge—wasn’t here a time when he at least completed sentences?”

Epstein writes back: “No, he was always stupid.”

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



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Department of War ‘will be prepared to deliver’ for Trump on Iran, Hegseth says


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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said his department will “be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects” following a warning to Iran about its nuclear program. 

Hegseth made the remark Thursday during a Cabinet meeting, one day after President Donald Trump told Iran that “time is running out” to strike a deal. 

“They should not pursue nuclear capabilities. So we will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department, just like we did this month,” Hegseth said before describing the Jan. 3 U.S. military operation that captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. 

“No other military in the world could have executed the most sophisticated, powerful raid, not just in American history, I would say, in world history. What those men did going downtown, another country, the most secure place in the most secure base in the middle of the night without anybody knowing until those simultaneous bombs dropped three minutes before the helicopters dropped. No other country could coordinate that,” Hegseth continued. “No other president would have been willing to empower those warriors that way to be that effective.”

IRAN RESPONDS TO TRUMP PRESSURE WITH WARNING OF RETALIATION: ‘FINGERS ON THE TRIGGER’

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gestures while speaking alongside President Donald Trump at Cabinet meeting

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Evan Vucci/AP)

“And that sends a message to every capital around the world that when President Trump speaks, he means business. And we are reestablishing deterrence at the War Department,” Hegseth also said. 

The Secretary of War also told the Cabinet that Trump has had to “rebuild the perception of America” during his second term. 

“And at the Department of War, that meant reestablishing deterrence. What happened in Afghanistan. What happened in Ukraine, a war that never would have occurred. What happened on Oct. 7 in Israel — never would have happened under President Trump. So as a result, we’re having to rebuild how our enemies perceive us,” he said. “And when President Trump said, ‘We’re not getting a nuclear Iran, you won’t have a nuclear bomb,’ he meant it. And we sent those B-2s halfway around the world, and they never noticed.”

RUBIO REVOKES IRANIAN OFFICIALS’ US TRAVEL PRIVILEGES OVER DEADLY PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS

USS Abraham Lincoln Pacific

The USS Abraham Lincoln sails in the Pacific Ocean. Trump said on Wednesday that, “A massive Armada is heading to Iran.”  (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Daniel Kimmelman)

“When you said, Mr. President, we’re securing the border, the military was proud to do their part alongside Homeland Security to do that. Same thing with Iran right now, ensuring that they have all the options to make a deal,” Hegseth added. 

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump said, “A massive Armada is heading to Iran.” 

“It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully, Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” the president warned.

maduro-capture-uss-iwo-jima-1

President Donald Trump shared a photo of captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima after strikes on Venezuela, on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.  (Donald Trump via Truth Social)

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“As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added. 

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report. 



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Sen Thom Tillis to block Trump Fed nominee Kevin Warsh over DOJ’s Powell probe


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Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he will oppose Trump’s next pick to chair the Federal Reserve until the administration ends its probe of the current one.

Tillis, who hasn’t shied away from clashing with the Trump administration — and who won’t be pursuing re-election — announced he would block the confirmation of Kevin Warsh in a post to X on Friday morning.

“Kevin Warsh is a qualified nominee with a deep understanding of monetary policy,” Tillis wrote. “However, the Department of Justice continues to pursue a criminal investigation into Chairman Jerome Powell based on committee testimony that no reasonable person could construe as possessing criminal intent.”

JEANINE PIRRO FIRES BACK AT FED CHAIR POWELL, SAYS ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’ AMID CENTRAL BANK PROBE

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he will oppose Trump’s next pick to chair the Federal Reserve until the administration ends its probe of Jerome Powell. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

“I will oppose the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman, until the DOJ’s inquiry into Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved.”

Powell, who has led the Fed since Trump nominated him to the post in 2017, is under investigation by the DOJ for his management of a $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed’s headquarters and statements he made under oath before the Senate about its construction.

The Trump administration is investigating whether Powell knowingly misled lawmakers about the project’s length and expenses.

Although the investigation formally has nothing to do with Powell’s responsibilities as Fed chair, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has interpreted the probe as a way for Trump to put pressure on Powell to cut interest rates.

Donald Trump speaking at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington.

President Donald Trump speaks during the launch of a program known as Trump Accounts at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Jan. 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo)

THUNE WARNS DOJ’S PROBE OF FED CHAIR POWELL ‘BETTER BE REAL’ AND ‘SERIOUS’ AMID POLITICAL BACKLASH

Trump has repeatedly called for such a change and Powell has resisted so far, citing a need for the agency to protect its independent operations.

The Fed maintains U.S. financial stability by governing the U.S. money supply and credit conditions to keep inflation under control and maximize employment — a mission Powell has said needs to be separate from the political goals of any given administration.

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., a top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, believes there’s a clear connection between the DOJ probe and frustrations Trump has over Powell’s refusal to slash rates.

“Look, there are lots of federal buildings being built. Trump doesn’t have an opinion on how efficiently they’re being built. Nobody believes that this is about testimony before the Senate committee,” Sherman said earlier in January when the DOJ announced its investigation.

“It’s simply outrageous,” he added.

Central bank chief walks toward the headquarters building ahead of scheduled meetings.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell arrives at the U.S. Federal Reserve in Washington on Jan. 13, 2026. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)

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At the time, Tillis similarly condemned the DOJ probe and promised to block any new nomination for the Fed chair position until the administration dropped that probe.

“Protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable. My position has not changed,” Tillis said.



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Federal judge steps back from ICE contempt threat over violations


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A federal judge in Minnesota has stepped back from his threat to hold acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons in contempt for allegedly violating court orders.

Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz canceled a hearing that was set for Friday afternoon. The purpose of the hearing was for Lyons to explain the agency’s tactics amid the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown.

The hearing was initially scheduled after ICE failed to comply with an order regarding Juan Hugo Tobay Robles. The agency was required by a Jan. 14 court order to hold a bond hearing for Tobay Robles or release him from detention within seven days. Schiltz said that the agency neither held the hearing nor released Tobay Robles, sparking the threat of contempt. 

However, Graham Ojala-Barbour, an attorney for Tobay Robles, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that his client has since been released from detention in Texas.

ECUADORAN MAN RELEASED AFTER FEDERAL JUDGE’S ICE ORDER

Todd Lyons

Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director Todd Lyons attends a press conference in Gary, Ind., on Oct. 30, 2025. (Reuters/Leah Millis)

Schiltz made it clear in an order following Tobay Robles’ release that the court still had concerns about ICE’s actions beyond the case that sparked the now-canceled Friday hearing. He said that ICE had violated 96 orders in 74 cases since Jan. 1, 2026.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS DEPORTATION OF 5-YEAR-OLD BOY AND FATHER TAKEN IN MINNESOTA IMMIGRATION OPERATION

A protester raises a handmade sign opposing immigration enforcement during a street demonstration.

A person holds an anti-ICE sign as demonstrators rally during a general strike protesting President Donald Trump’s deployment of immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 23, 2026. (Tim Evans/Reuters)

“That does not end the Court’s concerns, however… The extent of ICE’s noncompliance is almost certainly substantially understated,” Schiltz said. “This list should give pause to anyone — no matter his or her political beliefs — who cares about the rule of law. ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.”

The judge also stated that the cancellation of Friday’s hearing did not mean that ICE was in the clear and warned that Lyons or other government officials could be compelled to appear in court.

Minnesota protester and federal law enforcement agent confront each other

An agitator, left, and a federal law enforcement officer argue outside a house on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

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Schiltz said that while Tobay Robles requested that the court hold a hearing where he could present evidence of his suffering since ICE’s failure to comply with the Jan. 14 order, the court would not schedule one at this time.

“If Juan wants to seek monetary sanctions, he may file a properly supported motion to that effect,” Schiltz added.

Fox News Digital reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.



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Trump likes Nevada, Texas for GOP midterm convention host location


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President Donald Trump likes the idea of holding the GOP’s first ever midterm convention later this year in Nevada or Texas, people involved in the discussions tell Fox News Digital.

But those sources say that the president’s initial preferences don’t mean that other cities are off the list of convention host city contenders.

As Fox News Digital first reported, the Republican National Committee (RNC) last week took a big step toward holding the convention by approving a change to the party’s rules that would allow Chair Joe Gruters to convene a convention during a midterm election year.

Gruters, speaking with reporters after the RNC greenlighted the midterm convention, called it a “Trump-a-palooza” where “we can really highlight all the incredible things that this president has done.”

FIRST ON FOX: GOP TAKES BIG STEP TOWARDS HOLDING MIDTERM CONVENTION

Donald Trump arrives to speak during the Republican National Convention

President Donald Trump arrives to speak during the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Thursday, July 18, 2024. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

National political conventions, where party delegates from around the country formally nominate their party’s presidential candidates, normally take place during presidential election years.

But with Republicans aiming to protect their narrow control of the Senate and their razor-thin House majority in this year’s elections, Trump announced in September that the GOP would hold a convention ahead of the midterms “in order to show the great things we have done” since recapturing the White House.

GOP CALLS TRUMP ITS ‘SECRET WEAPON’ — BUT POLLS SHOW WARNING SIGNS HEADING INTO MIDTERMS

Details on the date and location of the midterm convention are expected to be revealed in the weeks ahead and will likely be announced by the president.

In the meantime, here’s a possible list of five strategic cities for the midterm convention. The locations, which anchor key battleground states or could serve as gateways to shifting demographic blocks, are aimed at giving Republicans an electoral edge in the midterms.

Las Vegas, Nevada

The city that touts that it’s the world’s entertainment capital due to its nightlife, shows, and it’s long role as the nation’s legalized gambling mecca is also the largest city in swing state Nevada, which Trump narrowly carried in 2024.

Nevada will once again play a crucial role in the 2026 midterms, with Republicans aiming to flip three Democrat-held House seats. And the state will also likely hold a competitive gubernatorial election, as GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo seeks a second term.

Las Vegas sign

The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” greets visitors to Sin City as they drive northward on Las Vegas Boulevard, on Feb. 4, 2024.  (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

Holding their midterm convention in Las Vegas might give the GOP a ballot box boost, similar to the likely bounce Trump received as he narrowly won battleground Wisconsin in 2024 after Republicans held their national nominating convention in Milwaukee.

And a party gathering in Las Vegas could help the GOP further appeal to the growing block of Hispanic voters and “service-class” workers who have been increasingly attracted to the party’s economic agenda and messaging.

Dallas, Texas

Though Texas has been reliably red for a couple of decades, Republicans are working to protect GOP Sen. John Cornyn’s seat this year in a state that Democrats have long tried to stay competitive.

TRUMP VOWS HEAVY CAMPAIGN PUSH FOR GOP, CITES ‘MIDTERM CURSE’ FOR SITTING PRESIDENTS

And the GOP aims to go on offense in Texas as they defend their House majority, looking to flip up to five congressional seats from blue to red after Lone Star State Republicans took the lead in the redistricting battle.

Plus, similar to Las Vegas, holding a convention in Texas puts Latino voters front and center for Republicans.

Phoenix, Arizona

Holding their convention in the nation’s fifth most populous city may boost Republicans as they strive to win back control of Arizona’s governor’s office in the midterms, as well as defend a handful of GOP-controlled House seats as they defend the majority in the chamber.

Choosing Phoenix as host city would also allow the GOP to hammer home themes of border security and inflation in the crucial southwestern battleground.

And hosting in Phoenix, similar to Las Vegas and Dallas, would give Republicans an opportunity to showcase outreach to Latino voters.

Detroit, Michigan

With ballot box showdowns for a Democrat-held open Senate seat and governor’s office, swing state Michigan is a top GOP target.

And with four competitive House races, the results in the Great Lakes State may determine if Republicans keep their majority.

Holding the convention in Detroit also allows the GOP to focus on manufacturing, energy prices, and trade.

Atlanta, Georgia

Republicans view Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democratic senator seeking re-election this year.

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And the GOP’s also defending the governor’s office, as popular Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited.

Plus, naming Atlanta as host city would give Republicans a chance to showcase their efforts to court Black voters.



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Minneapolis agitators allegedly bankrolled by CCP-linked millionaire Singham


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As agitators and federal law enforcement continue to clash in Minneapolis, the funding behind the groups fueling the anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unrest is beginning to come to light.

One of the alleged financial backers of these agitators is a Chinese Communist Party advocate traced to a multitude of dark money organizations known to fuel far-left, CCP-influenced extremism in the U.S. and across the globe.

Earlier this week, a Fox News Digital investigation found several organizations are acting as lead voices in physically mobilizing agitators in Minneapolis, as well as communicating through multiple channels to encourage agitators to take to the streets in Minnesota and other cities. The Party for Socialism and Liberation and The People’s Forum are two of the core groups who allegedly have been behind facilitating and pushing agitators to organize on multiple occasions.

Both organizations are largely subsidized by American former tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, according to reports and congressional probes. Despite Singham facing federal investigations stretching back decades, a former federal prosecutor tells Fox News Digital that the multi-millionaire’s move to China essentially shields him from being subpoenaed by U.S. authorities.

SELF-DESCRIBED MINN ANTIFA MEMBER CALLS FOR ‘ARMED’ MEN TO STOP IMMIGRATION AGENTS HE CALLS ‘MASS MURDERERS’

Neville Roy Singham next to protests in Minneapolis

As unrest escalates in Minneapolis, investigators are uncovering a network of far-left activist groups allegedly bankrolled by a wealthy U.S. expat in China with reported ties to Chinese Communist Party–aligned propaganda efforts. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images / Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for V-Day)

Singham, therefore, remains virtually untouchable as his dark money networks continue to wreak havoc on U.S. soil, the former prosecutor added.

Singham sold his IT consulting company in 2017 for $785 million and moved to Shanghai was the focus of a 2023 New York Times exposé that unveiled his alleged connections to the CCP and his determination to finance extremist groups to embolden his radical ideology. The Times reported that Singham has funneled over a quarter-billion dollars to dark money organizations in the U.S. with little to no footprints, and some of these organizations are vaguely named with office addresses under suspicious locations like general UPS mailboxes. 

The 71-year-old U.S. citizen turned Shanghai resident reportedly shares office space with the Maku Group, a Chinese media company that is funded by Singham and is associated with pro-CCP propaganda, including a mission to “tell China’s story well.”

MINN ANTI-BORDER PATROL RIOT BACKFIRES AS AGITATORS ALLEGEDLY HURL OBJECTS AT COPS, ARRESTS EXPOSE RAP SHEETS

Singham’s first run-in with federal investigations dates back to 1974, when the FBI investigated him for potentially being “engaged in activities inimical to U.S. interests.”

Fast-forward several decades to 2025 when Singham and the organizations he funded face a slew of congressional investigations from multiple committees in both the House and the Senate. Committee chairs also sent multiple letters to top administration officials under the Biden and Trump administrations pushing for further examination of Singham’s dark money network.

Last June, the House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., launched an investigation into Singham for his alleged involvement in funding the anti-ICE riots that took place in Los Angeles last summer.

Law enforcement puts out a fire during LA riots

Anti-ICE riots raged in Los Angeles last summer, and Oversight Committee Chairman Comer pointed to Singham as a potential benefactor for rioters.  (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

‘MOB MENTALITY’ ENDANGERS OFFICERS AMID ANTI-ICE UNREST AND CHAOS IN MINNEAPOLIS, RETIRED COPS WARN

“Mr. Singham, who resides in the People’s Republic of China, has a long track-record of assisting far-left entities, such as Code Pink, that oppose U.S. interests and support U.S. adversaries,” committee lawmakers wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The Oversight Committee noted that the Party for Socialism and Liberation, one of the organizations behind the current riots in Minneapolis, “has organized and is affiliated with a series of destructive protests and civil unrest,” and pointed to Singham’s involvement with the group.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

THE FAR-LEFT NETWORK THAT HELPED PUT ALEX PRETTI IN HARM’S WAY, THEN MADE HIM A MARTYR

Last April, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., sent a letter to then-IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, inquiring about “specific tax-exempt organizations that promote CCP propaganda and related initiatives,” including The People’s Forum, another organization that has allegedly been organizing agitators in Minneapolis. 

Protest in Minneapolis

Tensions escalated between agitators and federal agents following an immigration enforcement operation on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Minneapolis. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

“Mr. Singham is actively fueling CCP propaganda and financing indoctrination efforts abroad by providing hundreds of millions of dollars to groups that mix progressive advocacy with CCP talking points,” the letter read. “Despite this foreign activity and engagement with CCP-tied organizations across the world, Mr. Singham’s American-based nonprofit organizations continue to do business as usual, supporting political activity and pro-CCP propaganda.”

In July 2024, then-Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who now serves as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote a letter to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting information regarding any investigations into organizations Singham is associated with, including The People’s Forum.

MINN. ‘ANTIFA’ MEMBER CLAIMS HE’S ‘ON THE RUN’ AFTER CALLING FOR ‘ARMED’ MEN TO CONFRONT IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS

The People’s Forum did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

While there have been numerous investigations launched by lawmakers, Singham’s residence in China has built a barrier between him and any subpoena that would bring him before Congress for questioning. 

Socialist and communist groups sprang to action with protests after a killing in Minneapolis.

Propagandists for socialist groups, including BreakThrough News, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, sprang to action to demonize federal officials after a killing in Minneapolis. (BreakThrough News/X, Party for Socialism and Liberation/X, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, X)

“A subpoena can’t be enforced essentially outside of our borders,” former federal prosecutor Andrew Cherkasky told Fox News Digital. “It is very difficult to get somebody who is overseas to sit in front of Congress or in some cases to participate in criminal proceedings.”

AGITATORS SWARM TIM WALZ’S OFFICE IN MINNESOTA CAPITOL TO DEMAND IMMIGRATION JUSTICE

“That said, if you’re an American citizen, hold an American passport, [then] the State Department does have certain capabilities to essentially force you back to the homeland,” Cherkasky added. “If there’s a criminal prosecution, an indictment, an arrest warrant, it can cause all sorts of extradition and return to the United States.”

Cherkasky, a former Air Force JAG, also said there is no question that demonstrations taking place in Minneapolis are without organized, targeted support. 

“It’s undeniable that the protests that are going on in Minneapolis are supported by organizations or groups of people that are essentially collaborating to get these folks out there and engage in what turns out to be repeated acts of criminal misconduct,” Cherkasky added.

DOJ SERVES GRAND JURY SUBPOENAS TO MINNESOTA DEMS IN INVESTIGATION OF ICE OBSTRUCTION: SOURCES

One of the key questions surrounding Singham’s alleged ties to the CCP and involvement in American agitators and riots is that the Shanghai resident is not registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). 

Nearly all the senators and representatives who have called for further investigation into Singham’s alleged vast dark money network noted his lack of FARA registration is a cause for concern. 

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the House Oversight Committee said they are “investigating CCP influence operations that may fall within the purview of [FARA] 22 U.S.C. § 611 et seq and other federal laws.”

Rep. James Comer

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has been pushing for further investigation into Neville Roy Singham’s finances.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

MINNESOTA SHAKEUP SHIFTS LEADERSHIP NOT STRATEGY, WHITE HOUSE SAYS, PUSHING BACK ON ‘RETREAT’ CLAIM

Cherkasky told Fox News Digital that Singham’s lack of registration could have serious implications, but that it’s difficult to prove Singham’s string of donations and funding due to ambiguity and lack of reporting requirements from organizations like The Party for Socialism and Liberation and The People’s Forum.

“When it comes to 501(c)(3)s, the influx of that money isn’t reportable,” Cherkasky said. “In the same way, when you donate to a charity, those charities don’t have to keep a list of the people who are donating, and so they set up these charities that are really not doing anything specific, it seems.”

“The people who are funding those organizations try to distance themselves from the actual conduct of the organizations because they’re just giving money,” Cherkasky added. “They don’t know what the end goal is, and they try to claim clean hands in that.”

Party for Socialism and Liberation immediately published protest graphics

The Party for Socialism and Liberation turned Alex Pretti into a poster boy for its protests in quick graphics for its anti-ICE efforts. (Party for Socialism and Liberation/X)

ANTI-ICE AGITATORS CLASH WITH FEDERAL AGENTS AT MINNEAPOLIS HOTEL, AS AGENTS DEPLOY TEAR GAS, FLASHBANGS

Individuals on the ground are typically tight-lipped about whether they are being paid by an outside organization to be in attendance, despite groups like The Party for Socialism and Liberation and The People’s Forum allegedly facilitating the actual events.

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, while on the ground in Minneapolis, questioned a woman who was shouting at her. Ingraham asked if the agitator had a job.

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“I’m getting paid right now,” the woman answered.

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

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



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Trump administration fires back at Arlington County over ICE directive


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EXCLUSIVE: The Trump administration fired back at local Democratic leadership in a Washington, D.C. suburb, that had called on residents to dial 911 to report sightings of ICE and federal immigration enforcement.

On Tuesday, Arlington County Board of Supervisors chairman Matt de Ferranti, a Democrat from the Rock Spring neighborhood, had advised constituents that doing so would help local officials know of ICE’s presence and help “pursue Arlington County’s law enforcement mission: preventing violence in our community.”

The Trump administration said the directive is uniquely dangerous because it will not only endanger the public but also help incite the unrest being seen around the country:

De Ferranti had gone on to obliquely criticize ex-Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 287(g) immigration enforcement pact with the Trump administration, and his overall comments led to a firestorm in return, including from across the Anacostia River at DHS headquarters.

“Inciting people to call 911 when they see ICE is reckless and will directly harm public safety,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital when asked about the situation.

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

ICE arrested several Virginia men including 2 seen here

ICE agents patrol suburban streets in background as recent captures Delvan Lopez-Garcia, left, and Joel Reyes-Aguilar, right, are shown. (Christopher Dilts/Getty Images; DHS; DHS)

“Arlington Board Chair Matt de Ferranti is intentionally stoking the flames and turning the temperature up with this rhetoric — This is inciting rioters to obstruct law enforcement operations and assault federal law enforcement.”

The secretary said such requests from local officials put DHS officers, agitators and the public-at-large in danger.

“Not to mention,” she said. “Obstructing and assaulting law enforcement is a felony and federal crime.”

TRUMP URGES DHS, ICE TO PUBLICIZE ARRESTS, SAYS CRACKDOWN IS ‘SAVING MANY INNOCENT LIVES’

She said that officials like those in Arlington who have policies that prohibit cooperation with federal law enforcement both waste local police resources and time while also putting constituents in danger.

However, in comments to Fox News Digital, de Ferranti maintained that his recommendation was not rooted in disrupting enforcement but to help the situation:

“I was clear on the reason for the recommendation to call 911: not to obstruct or interfere with ICE operations, but to ensure local law enforcement is aware of situations in which there is the potential for violence, as we have seen,” de Ferranti said.

“ICE agents sometimes wear masks or are not in identifiable uniforms. Without knowing who they are, community members have a reasonable concern for public safety.”

“It is this Board’s responsibility to ensure that our community remains safe. Alerting local law enforcement by calling 911 or, if the circumstances warrant, our non-emergency number, will allow local law enforcement to know what is occurring in our community.”

DHS went on to share that several violent illegal immigrants were picked up by ICE in or near Arlington:

Delvan Lopez Garcia, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was convicted of sex assault, sex assault-carnal abuse, and enticement of a minor for prostitution.

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

Joel Reyes-Aguilar, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, was convicted of sex assault-sodomy of a girl with strongarm and molestation of a minor before being detained by ICE.

An Ethiopian national named Mesfin Hussin was also picked up. Hussin had a homicide conviction.

A Thai national named Somcith Sysountone had a lengthy, violent rap sheet that included sex assault-carnal abuse charges, as well as indecent liberties, probation violation, failure to register as a sex offender, and fraud-illegal use of credit cards.

DHS SLAMS DEMS FOR COMPLAINING ABOUT IMMIGRATION LAW: ‘IT IS QUITE LITERALLY THEIR JOB TO CHANGE IT’

Virginia_welcome_VA

Drivers are welcomed to Virginia near Lee Highway in Arlington (Getty Images)

Marvin Dejesus Salinas Rodas, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, was picked up in Virginia after being convicted of assault and homicide-negligent manslaughter with a vehicle.

At this week’s Arlington board meeting, de Ferranti urged Arlingtonians to remember that county law prohibits all residents and “public safety professionals… from interfering with the enforcement of federal immigration law.”

Instead, he said, residents can alert county authorities to federal immigration enforcement and stay out of the way themselves.

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“That is not just to follow the law, but to do everything possible to protect our neighbors and reduce harm. That means working together to call ‘911’ when you see ICE in our community.”

De Ferranti said calling 911 helps officials know that ICE is present and then pivot to “pursu[ing] Arlington County’s law enforcement mission: preventing violence in our community.”

Fox News Digital reached out to de Ferranti’s office and Arlington County communications for a response to DHS’ comments.



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Minneapolis mayor urges leaders to combat immigration enforcement efforts


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Amid rising anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tensions nationwide, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey used the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., on Thursday as an opportunity to urge other mayors to combat the Trump administration’s federal law enforcement efforts, cautioning violence could come to their cities “next.”

“We are on the front lines of a very important battle, and it’s important that we aren’t silenced. That we aren’t put down,” Frey said. “This is not a time to bend our heads in despair, or out of fear that we may be next, because if we do not speak up, if we do not step out, it will be your city that is next.”

The blue city Democrat went on to say the presence of federal agents in Minneapolis “is that bad,” claiming people’s constitutional rights “have been trampled.” 

“Thousands of federal agents have descended on a city that has 600 police officers,” Frey said. “People have been indiscriminately pulled off the street. Discrimination takes place only on the basis of are you Somali, are you Latino or are you Southeast Asian. American citizens have been yanked away from their homes … solely because they looked like they were from Mexico or Ecuador or Somalia.”

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

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey holds papers next to a podium

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey prepares to address the U.S. Conference of Mayors 94th Winter Meeting, Thursday, in Washington, D.C. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)

He added crime is down in “virtually every category” and “virtually every neighborhood” in Minneapolis, blaming federal agents for making the city “less safe.”

“It is less safe when chaos reigns supreme,” Frey said, arguing the federal presence has left families fearful of everyday activities.

The mayor called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis, and immigration enforcement nationwide, alleging “never once” had he made the issue partisan.

“This is not even about immigration. This is about silencing a narrative or a political position that differs from that of the federal administration,” Frey said. “We’ve seen this kind of conduct in other countries, we cannot see it right here in America. This is not a Democratic or a Republican issue. Never once have I made this partisan. 

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

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addresses a group of people

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey delivers a speech to the U.S. Conference of Mayors 94th Winter Meeting, Thursday, in Washington, D.C. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)

“This is a foundational principle of making sure that the endurance of our republic can continue on. It may seem like I’m talking too much on the macro level, or maybe this is a concerning thing to say, but I’ve got to tell you, we’re seeing it in our streets right now.”

Frey went on to accuse the administration of using the Department of Justice “as a weapon,” calling them “bullies.”

“They’re investigating me and several other local elected officials, not because we’ve done something wrong, but because we have exhibited one of the core responsibilities that [we] have as mayors, and that is the core and foundational responsibility to speak on behalf of your constituents.”

Frey’s comments come days after White House border czar Tom Homan visited the Twin Cities in an effort to develop a “drawdown plan,” to decrease the presence of federal agents in the state. 

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks to members of the press

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks to the press after addressing the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Thursday, in Washington, D.C. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)

Homan called his meeting Thursday with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison “very productive,” with Ellison agreeing to notify ICE when local jails release violent illegal immigrants.

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The border czar also urged local leaders to limit “hostile rhetoric,” as recent unrest in Minneapolis resulted in the deaths of Minnesota residents Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal law enforcement.

Though Frey remains in D.C., he told reporters he does not have a meeting planned with President Donald Trump on Thursday, and will meet with other elected officials at the Capitol.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.



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Fox News poll shows Democrats lead generic ballot 52-46 for midterms



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As the midterm election year gets underway, voters are already drawing clear lines between the Democratic and Republican parties on the issues.

A new Fox News survey, released Thursday, finds the Republican Party is seen as better able to handle border security (by 15 points), national security (+12), and immigration (+5).

The Democratic Party is favored on transgender issues (by 22 points), healthcare (+21), vaccines (+16), helping the middle class (+14), and affordability (+14). 

And on three issues where Republicans have recently held the edge, now neither party has shown a clear preference: taxes (+1D), foreign policy (even), and the federal budget deficit (+2R).

FOX NEWS POLL: DONALD TRUMP STARTS 2026 WITH 44% APPROVAL

The survey asks voters what President Donald Trump’s top priorities should be, and the economy dominates. Nearly 4 in 10 cite either the economy in general (19%) or prices (17%). 

The view that the Democrats can better handle affordability gives them an early edge in the generic Congressional vote preference, where voters are asked who they will support in the U.S. House race in their district this November. While the question is largely hypothetical this far out, it gives us a baseline for the coming election, according to Republican pollster Daron Shaw.

“Political science analyses demonstrate that aggregate responses to this question begin to more accurately predict the actual House vote by around mid-summer,” Shaw added. “But we ask it at this point simply to get a sense of how short-term forces might play out in the general election.”

The survey shows if the election were today, 52% of voters would back the Democratic candidate in their House district and 46% the Republican. That’s a 6-point edge, which is right at the poll’s margin of sampling error.

The current 52% Democratic support is the highest recorded for either party; the previous high was 50% for the Democrats in October 2017.

Both parties are maintaining most of their coalitions. Democrats garner support from Black voters (+48 points), voters under age 30 (+28), and college graduates (+17), while Republicans receive backing from White evangelical Christians (+41), rural voters (+21), and White voters without a degree (+10). 

FOX NEWS POLL: 59% OF VOTERS SAY ICE IS TOO AGGRESSIVE, UP 10 POINTS SINCE JULY

While the parties maintain high levels of support among most of their constituencies, Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to defect across the aisle: 8% of self-identified Republicans currently say they would back the Democratic candidate, compared to 4% of self-identified Democrats who say they would go for the Republican today. 

Overall, three-quarters of voters say they are extremely (56%) or very (20%) motivated to vote in the November elections, and those voters are slightly more committed to the Democratic candidate than the Republican. That’s at least partly due to more Democrats (82%) than Republicans (76%) or independents (61%) saying they feel inclined to vote this year. Overall, motivation is on par with the 2022 midterm cycle, when 54% of voters said they were extremely motivated to vote.

Twenty-eight percent of voters approve of the job Congress is doing, a 2-point increase since last January and the highest approval in nearly three years. However, disapproval is also up — from 67% last year to 71% today.

In the generic ballot, those who disapprove of Congress are twice as likely to support the Democratic candidate (65%) as the Republican (33%). The small group of those who approve largely favor the Republican over the Democrat (79% to 21%).

One more thing…

As Congress considers banning stock trading among members, the new survey finds 75% of voters favor the proposal. That’s unchanged from where things stood in September and higher than the 70% who favored the measure in 2022.

Majorities of Democrats (70%), Republicans (83%), and independents (67%) favor a ban on stock trading by members of Congress, their immediate family, and staff.

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Conducted January 23-26, 2026 under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,005 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (106) and cellphones (645) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (254). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.



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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supports anti-ICE protest, keeps office open


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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., pledged her “full support” for a nationwide anti-ICE protest scheduled for Friday, but said her office would not participate.

Organizers of the “National Shutdown” campaign have called for “no school, no work and no shopping” on Friday, arguing that “enough is enough” in the wake of fatal shootings involving Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis amid a federal immigration crackdown across Minnesota.

“The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country — to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN,” organizers wrote on their website.

Ocasio-Cortez, who has criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics in the state, said her office would not be shutting down.

SENATE DEMOCRATS THREATEN SHUTDOWN BY BLOCKING DHS FUNDING AFTER MINNESOTA ICE SHOOTING

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voiced support for a nationwide anti-ICE “national shutdown” protest while saying her congressional office would remain open. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Full disclosure — my office handles crucial casework and immigration cases for the community. We will be open tomorrow to continue community support and defend immigrant families,” she posted to Instagram.

Ocasio-Cortez then offered her “full support for national mobilizations, general strikes, and mass movement work.”

Organizers for the shutdown campaign asserted online that ICE and Border Patrol agents “are going into our communities to kidnap our neighbors and sow fear.”

ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH UNKNOWN SPRAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM CHAOTIC MINNEAPOLIS TOWN HALL

AOC at a rally in Foley Square

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she supports nationwide anti-ICE protests but will not shut down her office, citing ongoing constituent and immigration casework. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

The online campaign added that “it is time for us to all stand up together in a nationwide shutdown and say enough is enough.”

Pretti, a 37-year-old Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on Jan. 24 while recording federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

Good was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by an ICE officer, who fired in self-defense after she used her Honda Pilot SUV in a way that posed a threat, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

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Demonstrators in Los Angeles

Demonstrators hold signs during a protest in response to the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis earlier in the day Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Thousands of anti-ICE protesters rallied to halt federal immigration enforcement as part of an “ICE Out of MN: Day of Truth and Freedom” march across downtown Minneapolis on Jan. 23, one day before Pretti was fatally shot.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comment.



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