NationalWatch

Five more of President Biden’s judicial nominees advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday and will proceed to the Senate floor in the coming days.

Senate Democrats confirmed Biden’s 220th federal court appointment on Wednesday and are hoping to add to that number before the Thanksgiving holiday. Republicans have fought several of these nominees on grounds that they are too left wing, but a number of Biden’s appointments were confirmed after GOP senators missed votes.

President-elect Trump accused Democrats of attempting to “stack the Courts” with radical appointees and urged Republicans to “Show Up and Hold the Line.” 

“No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

SENATE SHOWDOWN: GOP SECURES DEAL WITH SCHUMER TO SAVE COVETED APPELLATE JUDGES FOR TRUMP

Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard Durbin, D-Ill., talks with reporters about the nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to be attorney general, outside a Senate Judiciary Committee markup on Thursday, November 14, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Democrats are in a mad rush to confirm as many of Biden’s nominees as possible before Trump returns to the White House and Republicans install their incoming Senate majority. 

The nominees advanced Thursday include Anthony Brindisi, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York; Elizabeth Coombe, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York; Sarah Davenport, nominated to the District Court for the District of New Mexico; Tiffany Johnson, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia; and Keli Neary, nominated to the U.S. District court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

The committee also advanced Miranda Holloway-Baggett, a nominee to be United States Marshal for the Southern District of Alabama. 

Senators reached a bipartisan agreement on judicial nominations late Wednesday that secured Trump’s ability to appoint four crucial appellate court judges after he assumes office in January.

SENATE GOP INITIATES THUNE-ENGINEERED SLOWDOWN AS SCHUMER LOOKS TO STACK JUDICIAL VOTES

FILE – Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., talks after a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, Sept. 24, 2024, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

Republicans agreed to halt procedural delay tactics and permit Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to hold votes on four district court judges in exchange for pulling four higher tier circuit court judicial nominees, a Senate source told Fox News Digital.

Trump will be able to fill those higher court vacancies while Democrats confirm judges to the lower courts.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Senate will vote to end debate on the Biden nominees this week and will vote to confirm several judges when the Senate reconvenes after Thanksgiving, a Democratic source familiar told Fox News Digital.

The nomination of Amir Ali to the District of Columbia was confirmed Wednesday night. The Senate voted on cloture on four other nominations as well. The Senate will vote Thursday on cloture on two further nominations, Noel Wise of California to be District Judge for the Northern District of California and Gail A. Weilheimer to be District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and vote on confirmation of one District Court Judge, Sharad Desai to be District Judge for Arizona. 

SPRINT TO CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINEES KICKS OFF IN JANUARY

Chuck Schumer, left, incoming Republican Majority Leader John Thune, right (Reuters)

The deal was primarily motivated by a Senate slowdown initiated by Republicans through procedural maneuvers on Monday night, which was spearheaded by Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who was recently elected as the next Republican Senate leader. The delay tactic plan came in response to Schumer’s efforts to stack additional judicial confirmation votes on the calendar ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. 

“If Sen. Schumer thought Senate Republicans would just roll over and allow him to quickly confirm multiple Biden-appointed judges to lifetime jobs in the final weeks of the Democrat majority, he thought wrong,” Thune told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement at the time. 

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By objecting to Democrats’ unanimous consent requests in order to file cloture on the Biden nominees, Republicans were adding additional votes to the schedule, taking up a substantial amount of time and forcing senators to spend all night at the Capitol.

The source noted to Fox News Digital that the new deal did not mean Republicans were going to allow the Biden district judges to sail through without opposition. GOP senators are still expected to fight and vote against the Democrat-nominated judges as they have done throughout Biden’s term. 

Fox News Digital’s Haley Chi-Sing and Julia Johnson contributed to this report. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., claims that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray skipped a public Senate hearing Thursday to avoid criticism over the verdict in the case of Laken Riley’s murder.

Mayorkas and Wray were scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday, but the hearing was postponed after they insisted it be classified and not open to the public. Hawley told Fox News Digital in a Thursday interview that he is calling on Committee Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., to subpoena the pair’s public testimony.

“Let’s not forget who let him into country,” Hawley said of Riley’s murderer, Jose Ibarra. “Mayorkas lied about how he got into country. He said authorities didn’t have information about his past crimes. False. Then he claimed he didn’t remember the details. False. Now he’s refusing to comment.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on Hawley’s remarks, but they did not immediately respond.

Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER: FAMILY OF SLAIN UGA STUDENT SOBS IN COURT AS WITNESSES DESCRIBE CRIME SCENE EVIDENCE

Sen. Josh Hawley is calling on the Senate Homeland Security Committee to subpoena public testimony from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray. (AP)

Thursday’s hearing is the second time in as many days that Mayorkas and Wray have forced the postponement of their testimony before Congress by insisting on a classified setting.

The House Homeland Security Committee punted its hearing, originally scheduled for Wednesday, to December. A source with the committee told Fox News Digital that the hearing will be classified.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER TRIAL: PROSECUTORS PLACE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT AT SCENE IN OPENING STATEMENTS

Hawley indicated that the Senate would not comply so easily, however. He said he is formally calling on Peters to issue subpoenas to force both Mayorkas and Wray to testify publicly.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is facing heavy criticism for refusing to appear in a public Senate hearing. (Getty Images)

Representatives for the FBI and DHS told Fox News Digital earlier on Thursday that they believe Mayorkas and Wray have already provided “extensive testimony” to the House, Senate and the American people.

LAKEN RILEY’S ALLEGED KILLER JOSE IBARRA FLEW FROM ‘GROUND ZERO’ OF MIGRANT CRISIS TO GEORGIA

Peters’ office did not immediately respond when asked about potential subpoenas. The senator was heavily critical of Mayorkas and Wray in a statement on X, however, saying that their refusal to testify publicly “robs Americans of critical information.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray is facing calls to resign ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Hawley went on to call for Wray to resign ahead of President-elect Doanld Trump’s inauguration, citing his record on illegal immigration and his alleged hostility toward Catholic Americans.

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“If he doesn’t resign, Trump should fire him,” Hawley said of Wray.

House lawmakers were briefed Wednesday about the potential outcome if the U.S. were to find itself at war with China over Taiwan within the next two years, as the global superpower increasingly encroaches on U.S. allies. 

The Chinese defense industrial base is operating at a “wartime footing,” and now has a shipbuilding capacity 230 times greater than the U.S.’s, making a potential invasion of Taiwan a not-unlikely outcome.

U.S. military analysts have projected 2027 as the year by which China would be fully equipped for a military invasion of Taiwan. And the U.S. has long followed a policy of refusing to say whether it would come to the island’s defense under such a scenario. 

But under war exercises gamed out by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) 25 times and presented to members of the House China Select Committee, the alliance of the U.S., Taiwan and Japan defeated an amphibious invasion by China and maintained an autonomous Taiwan, but not without suffering heavy losses. 

WOULD THE US DEFEND TAIWAN UNDER TRUMP IF CHINA INVADES? FOX NEWS INVESTIGATES

During the simulation, the cost for all sides was high – there were more than 10,000 casualties – and the U.S. lost 10-20 warships, two aircraft carriers, 200-400 warplanes and more than 3,000 troops were killed over the three weeks of fighting. 

China loses 90% of its amphibious fleet, 52 major surface warships, and 160 warplanes. 

“In our tabletop exercise today, we walked through one simulation of what might happen in a worst-case scenario conflict with China and learned ways we can work together in a bipartisan manner to ensure that America is prepared to be the arsenal of democracy once more if called upon. No matter where or when, the United States and our allies must have the military means to defeat our adversaries,” Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., chairman of the committee, told Fox News Digital. 

A China Coast Guard vessel patrols at the disputed Scarborough Shoal. (Castro/File Photo)

The report emphasized four key points: 1) Taiwan must “hold the line” of the ground invasion, 2) there is no “Ukraine” model where the U.S. can slowly escalate – it must decide immediately whether it will come to Taiwan’s defense, 3) military operations would need to be conducted through Japan and 4) the U.S. needs to immediately increase its supply of anti-ship missiles. 

The bottom line of the report is that China chooses “D-Day,” but Taiwan and its defenders must be ready at any moment. The war game assumed a 2026 launch date for China’s invasion. 

The scenario operates under the assumption that the U.S. under President-elect Trump would come to Taiwan’s defense, though no such promise has been made. It’s unclear what Trump would do under such a scenario – he has mused about Taiwan needing to pay the U.S. for giving it defensive aid.

Japan would be the U.S. and Taiwan’s key ally in such a fight because South Korea has not authorized the U.S. to launch combat missions from its territory. CSIS recommends deepening U.S.-Japan diplomatic relations immediately. 

XI JINPING WARNS TRUMP US WOULD ‘LOSE FROM CONFRONTATION’ WITH CHINA AS RENEWED TRADE WAR LOOMS

“It certainly would be very helpful if South Korea stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us,” said Matthew Cancian, researcher at the Naval War College and lead author of the project. The U.S. would likely move two of the four squadrons it has stationed in South Korea to help with the fight against China over Taiwan. 

But, as the presenters warned, North Korea may try to take advantage of the situation and invade the south, especially after gaining operational experience from their fight with Russia against Ukraine. 

The exercise also claimed that unlike U.S. aid to Ukraine, which passes over NATO territory to arrive there, the U.S. would not be able to arm Taiwan without sending in U.S. forces – China’s anti-tank or anti-air missiles would threaten any shipments making their way to the island. 

“U.S. forces would have to be directly involved,” said Cancian. “There is no way to achieve denying a takeover of Taiwan while also keeping U.S. forces safe.” 

And if the U.S. were to come to Taiwan’s defense, there would be no time to waste since China is much closer geographically than U.S. forces. “If the U.S. were not to join the fight for two weeks [after an invasion], it would be too late. Chian would already have too strong a footing,” said Cancian. 

Chinese land attack missiles and anti-ship missiles would pose the greatest threat in the theater. Harpoons and coastal defense cruise missiles would be “absolutely critical” to Taiwan’s defense, according to the wargame exercise. 

China is outproducing the U.S. on airplanes, ships and missiles, the exercise found, and in order to deter them from provoking war over Taiwan, the U.S. needs to immediately ramp up its production of key munitions, per the war games. 

The U.S.’s current stockpile of anti-ship missiles, around 440, would run out in less than seven days in a war with China. 

China would not be keen to give up easily, as a loss in Taiwan could be “very destabilizing” to the government’s legitimacy back at home. 

The war games also underscored the need for the Taiwanese defense budget to stop focusing on expensive, large ships that China will easily destroy and focus on smaller, more survivable ships and submarines. 

Freshmen attend a military training in Nantong, Jiangsu Province of China. (Xu Peiqin/VCG via Getty Images)

Chinese naval fleet passes through a mine threat area. (Sun Zifa/China News Service via Getty Images)

The U.S., too, must focus on arming Taiwan with smaller ships and cheaper munitions, with most iterations of the war games finding the U.S. losing two aircraft carriers and 10 to 20 large surface combatants. 

“We need to make them fire their exquisite stuff at our non-exquisite stuff,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla. “They’re going to out-produce us… we need to wake up.” 

The U.S. and Taiwan must not attack the Chinese mainland, both to avoid risking escalation with a nuclear power and because Chinese air defense on the mainland is “too strong.” 

Ultimately, such an invasion could happen sooner, or not at all. 

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) head, Adm. Samuel Paparo, said recently he believes the U.S. would make it “exceedingly difficult” for China to mount a cross-strait invasion. 

For years, the U.S. military has been pivoting its focus from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific, “the most stressing theater,” as Paparo describes it, given that China is the most capable potential adversary in the world. 

According to Chinese policy, the CCP will invade only if Taiwan declares its independence from China, if a third power intervenes in the dispute or Beijing determines that “unification was irrevocably beyond its reach by any other means.”

While the U.S. has no formal alliance with Taiwan, China has been encroaching on the air and sea territory of U.S. allies in the Pacific – Japan and the Philippines.

Paparo said he’d seen “the most rehearsal and the most joint exercises” from China over the summer that “I’d seen over an entire career of being an observer.”

“This included on one particular day 152 vessels at sea,” Paparo added.

China’s navy is the largest in the world, with more than 370 ships and submarines. The U.S.’s battle force includes 295 vessels, including 11 active aircraft carriers. 

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“This was the largest rehearsal we’ve seen on an upward trajectory of PLA [People’s Liberation Army] modernization,” Paparo said, referring to the Chinese military’s name. 

Top members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee rebuked DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray for skipping an end-of-year public hearing on Thursday.

Committee Chairman Gary Peters said Mayorkas and Wray’s refusal to appear is a “shocking departure” from the 15-year tradition of holding the annual hearing on worldwide threats. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the FBI argued that Wray and other officials have already “testified extensively” in public about threats facing the U.S., and that the bureau “has repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to responding to Congressional oversight and being transparent with the American people.”

“FBI leaders…believe the Committee would benefit most from further substantive discussions and additional information that can only be provided in a classified setting,” the FBI said in a statement.

A DHS spokesperson offered a similar explanation when contacted by Fox Digital, noting that the DHS would prefer a classified briefing saying saying Mayorkas has “testified 30 times during his tenure.”

SENATE GOP INITIATES THUNE-ENGINEERED SLOWDOWN AS SCHUMER LOOKS TO STACK JUDICIAL VOTES

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray declined to testify publicly before the Senate Homeland Secuirty Committee. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Peters rejected that explanation in a public statement, however, arguing that the lack of a public hearing “robs the American people of critical information.”

“Americans deserve transparent, public answers about the threats we face. Secretary Mayorkas and Director Wray’s refusal to speak publicly about their department’s work will only increase the concerns that many Americans have about our nation’s security at a challenging time, flout the Committee’s efforts to conduct responsible oversight, and will deal a serious blow to trust in our government. Their claims that they can only relay such information and respond to questions in a classified setting are entirely without merit,” Peters wrote.

SPRINT TO CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINEES KICKS OFF IN JANUARY

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the ranking member of the committee, also bashed the officials, saying their refusal to testify publicly was “unacceptable.”

Sen. Rand Paul blasted Mayorkas and Wray for refusing to testify publicly at Thursday’s national security hearing. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The postponed Senate hearing came just one day after a similar hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee was pushed back on Wednesday. Mayorkas and Wray were both scheduled to testify in that hearing as well.

SCHUMER NOW PLEADS FOR BI-PARTISANSHIP HAVING PROMISED TO RAILROAD DEMOCRAT AGENDA THROUGH

Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., who chairs the House committee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

A source with the House Homeland Security Committee told Fox Digital that the committee had been planning a classified hearing “since early last week.” Those plans fell through, however, and Wednesday’s public hearing was tentatively scheduled instead.

“A few days ago, after further negotiation, we came to an agreement to postpone until December and to hold the hearing in a classified setting then,” the source said.

The House and Senate hearings would have been the first time Mayorkas and Wray testify before lawmakers since Trump won re-election this month. (Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images)

The pair of hearings would have been the first time Mayorkas and Wray have appeared before the House and Senate since President-elect Trump won re-election earlier this month.

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Trump has vowed to push extensive changes at both the DHS and the FBI.

MARCO ISLAND, FL – EXCLUSIVE – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, the new chair of the Republican Governors Association, says a top mission for GOP governors going forward will be helping President-elect Trump.

Kemp highlighted in a Fox News Digital interview that Republican governors spent the past four years “pushing back” on President Biden’s administration.

And speaking to the media for the first time after being elected RGA chair at the group’s annual winter meeting – held this year at a waterfront resort in southwest Florida – the popular conservative two-term governor said on Wednesday that “we need to focus on making sure that we’re getting the Trump administration off to a strong start.”

KEMP SAYS JUSTICE WAS ‘SWIFT AND SEVERE’ FOR MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING LAKEN RILEY

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, speaking at the podium, is joined by (left to right) Govs. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Glenn Younkgin of Virginia, and Doug Burgum of North Dakota, at a news conference to criticize President Biden’s energy policy, on June 3, 2024 at an oil refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana  (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

For two years following his 2020 election loss to President Biden, Trump heavily criticized Kemp for refusing to help overturn his razor-thin defeat in Georgia.

Trump urged, and then supported, a 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary challenge against Kemp by former Sen. David Perdue. But the former president toned down his criticism of the governor after Kemp crushed Perdue to easily win renomination on his way to re-election.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS SAY WITH TRUMP ELECTION, ‘WE’VE GOT A FRIEND IN THE WHITE HOUSE’

But Trump, at a rally in Atlanta in August, unexpectedly went on a tirade against the Georgia governor – only to publicly praise Kemp just a few weeks later in a major about-face for the former president. And the two politicians teamed up in October – for the first time in four years – to survey hurricane damage in Georgia.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after speaking at a temporary relief shelter as he visits areas impacted by Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Evans, Ga. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Kemp, looking forward to working again with a Republican White House administration, said that “from the governors’ perspective, we’ve got two years to make them successful and help them be successful up there, and to undo what the Biden-Harris administration has done.”

Republicans held onto the 27-23 gubernatorial advantage in this month’s elections, thanks in part to the efforts of the RGA.

“We’re ready to keep working as we move into what will be a tough cycle for us in Virginia, in New Jersey [the only two states to hold elections for governor in 2025] and then having 36 races in 2026.”

Kemp emphasized that “my goal is for us to continue to raise enough money to be competitive. The Democrats are out spending us because they have big check writers, but we have a lot of really dedicated donors. We’ll try to continue to build the tent, make sure that we have good candidates and win because our policies are better.”

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia is interviewed by Fox News Digital, on Sept. 27, 2022 in Alpharetta, Georgia, during his re-election campaign. (Fox News )

Kemp said his comfortable re-election in 2022 and Trump’s victory in Georgia earlier this month in the presidential election “gives us a lot of confidence, a lot of hope, but we also know that the ’26 midterm is going to be tough.” 

Kemp is term-limited and can’t seek another term in office in 2026. The contest to succeed him will be a top gubernatorial election in two years.

“I’m gonna be very engaged, you can rest assured, to making sure that my [successors] are Republican. I have a vested interest in doing that,” Kemp said. “We’ll be working with the Trump administration and a lot of other people to make sure that that’s happening not only in Georgia, but in other states around the country, in places like Kansas, where we have a Democratic governor right now, in places like Arizona, where we have a really good shot at winning the governor’s races. So we’re going to be on offense.”

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Georgia will also have a high-profile Senate showdown, as Republicans aim to defeat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026.

Asked if he’ll be courted by national Republicans to take on Ossoff, Kemp responded “well, I may.”

But he quickly pivoted, stressing that “my focus right now, being just elected the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, is on raising money for us to be competitive in 2025 and 2026. I’ve made the commitment to do that, and I’m gonna fulfill that commitment. We’ll see what happens down the road with anything else.”

Asked if he’s not ruling out a possible 2026 Senate bid or even a 2028 White House run, the governor diplomatically said “I try to keep all doors open in politics.”

Around 1,500 migrants have formed a caravan in southern Mexico and hope to make it to the U.S. before President-elect Trump takes office in January, when he is expected to clamp down heavily on illegal crossings which have soared under the Biden-Harris administration. 

The caravan, made up of men, women and young children mostly from Central and South America, on Wednesday traveled through the city of Tapachula, located in southern Mexico, just over the border from Guatemala where thousands of migrants are stranded because they do not have permission to cross further into Mexico.

The most southern point of the U.S. border is at the crossing at Matamoros, near Brownsville, Texas, and it would take a desperate adult migrant about 16 days of non-stop walking to get there. It is unclear exactly where members of this particular caravan they intend to cross.

TRUMP LIKELY TO MAKE SEVERAL BORDER SECURITY MOVES ON FIRST DAY, SAYS EXPERT

Migrants walk through Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico. (  AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente)

Migrants for caravans because they believe there is safety in numbers as it is hard or impossible for immigration agents to detain large groups of hundreds of migrants.

Some are hoping to catch rides to help them on their journey, while others will make the arduous trip to the southern border by foot in the searing heat.

“It is going to be more difficult, that’s why we are going in hopes of getting an appointment quicker so we are able to cross before he (Trump) takes office,” Yotzeli Peña, 23, a migrant from Venezuela tells the Associated Press. “That would be easier.”

Trump has promised to seal the southern border due to the unprecedented flow of migrants into the U.S. over the last three and a half years. 

He has also vowed to carry out the largest deportation operation in the history of the U.S. and has appointed hardliner South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while Tom Homan will be the new “Border Czar.” 

Additionally, he has also pledged to end the use of parole programs by the Biden administration that allow migrants to enter in via the expanded “lawful pathways.”

MORE MIGRANTS LIKELY TO RUSH BORDER DESPITE REPORTS OF SPLINTERING CARAVAN: EXPERTS

Then President Trump and then acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thomas Homan talk during a law enforcement roundtable on sanctuary cities in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, in Washington, DC. Homan has been appointed by Trump to be the new “Border Czar.” (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Numbers have been dropping sharply at the border since June, when President Biden signed a presidential proclamation drastically limiting the number of arrivals who can come into the U.S.

In September, there were 101,790 encounters at the border, the lowest number since February 2021, and there have been no major signs of a significant increase in numbers since then.

However, while numbers remain lower than in previous months, there have been concerns that the change in administrations may lead to a surge at the border as migrants attempt to enter the U.S. before a perceived tougher administration enters office. 

This year, in a bid to stop people from gathering at the U.S. southern border to claim asylum, the federal government expanded areas where migrants can apply via the CBP One cellphone app for appointments to enter the United States.

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Migrants walk through Tapachula, in Mexico Wednesday. (AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente)

Initially, the app was only available to migrants in northern and central Mexico, but officials changed it to include those at the southern border.

By extending the app south to Tapachula, officials hoped it would stem the rush north. But some migrants still want to be close to the border so that if they do get one of the cherished appointments, they can get to it quickly and not risk missing it. 

“They’re determined to make it into the U.S., one way or the other, because they’ve sold everything, they have nothing to go back to,” independent journalist Auden Cabello, who extensively covered the border crisis, told Fox News Digital last week. 

Fox News’ Adam Shaw, Michael Lee and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer is expected to establish a subcommittee that will work with the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to eliminate government waste, Fox News Digital has learned. 

A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., will chair the Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee, which will focus on rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. 

The subcommittee is expected to investigate wasteful spending, examine ways to reorganize federal agencies to improve efficiency and identify solutions to eliminate bureaucratic red tape.

A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Comer had a meeting with Ramaswamy and his incoming DOGE team.

UFC STAR HOPES DOGE WILL ‘CLEAN THINGS UP AT THE STATE LEVEL,’ WANTS JUSTICE FOR PEANUT THE SQUIRREL

Trump announced that Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead the Department of Government Efficiency. (Getty Images/File)

The source said Ramaswamy is “supportive of the Oversight Committee’s endeavor and are already working together.” 

Comer told Fox News Digital that President Trump’s “landslide victory reflects a clear mandate to address inflationary spending that’s driving up the cost of living for hardworking Americans.” 

​ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY APPROVE THE ‘VERY REASONABLE PROPOSAL’ TO ABOLISH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

“Wasteful government spending must end, and taxpayers deserve to see their money used effectively and efficiently,” he said. 

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File)

Comer told Fox News Digital that the new Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency “will align with the Trump administration’s priorities to eliminate government waste, streamline the federal government’s operations and cut red tape that’s stifling jobs and increasing costs for the American people.” 

“I look forward to working with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to deliver on these goals to Make America Great Again,” Comer said.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images/File)

Greene told Fox News Digital that the House Oversight Committee “is the perfect place to support the DOGE mission.”

“I’m excited to chair this new subcommittee designed to work hand in hand with President Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and the entire DOGE team,” Greene said. “We will identify and investigate the waste, corruption and absolutely useless parts of our federal government.”

Greene said the subcommittee will provide “transparency and truth to the American people through hearings.”

ELON MUSK SAYS ‘ALL ACTIONS’ TAKEN BY DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY WILL BE ONLINE: ‘TRANSPARENCY’

“No topic will be off the table,” she said. “The goal of DOGE is to bring accountability and GUT useless government agencies.” 

Greene said she expects the subcommittee’s work “will expose people who need to be fired.”

“The bureaucrats who don’t do their job, fail audits like in the Pentagon and don’t know where billions of dollars are going, will be getting a pink slip,” Greene said. “Chairman Comer and I are focused on delivering the mandate voters sent on Nov. 5th, and I can’t wait to get to work.”

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head the new Department of Government Efficiency. (Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images/File)

Trump this month tapped Musk and Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, which Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, has widely touted. DOGE has already started soliciting civilian help in the agency.

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Trump said last week he hopes DOGE will become the “Manhattan Project of our time,” in reference to J. Robert Oppenheimer’s secretive atom bomb endeavor during World War II.

“Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of DOGE for a very long time,” Trump said.

Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur has won her 22nd term in Congress in northwest Ohio, defeating her Republican challenger and holding on to her seat in one of the most closely watched races in the country.

Kaptur defeated Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin, according to The Associated Press, which called the race Wednesday at 1:02 p.m. With 99% of precincts reporting, Kaptur led Merrin with 48.27% of the vote to 47.63%, a lead of 2,382 votes. 

Though the race was not called on election night, Kaptur had declared victory early on Nov. 6. Her win will keep the incoming Republican House majority at 218 seats, while Democrats hold 213. 

“Tonight, the people of Ohio’s 9th District have spoken, and I am deeply grateful for the trust they have placed in me to continue fighting for working families, creating good-paying jobs, protecting healthcare for everyone, and securing Social Security and Medicare so Ohioans can retire with dignity,” her campaign said in a statement. “This campaign has always been about the strength and resilience of our communities, and tonight we celebrate not just a victory but a renewed commitment to the belief that what America makes and grows, makes and grows America.”

WATCH: DEM. REP. SNATCHES PHONE IN TESTY AIRPORT EXCHANGE OVER BIDEN’S MENTAL CLARITY: ‘WHO OWNS YOU?’

Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. (Getty Images)

Kaptur was one of eight Democrats running in 2024 in a district that voted for Trump in 2020. Trump won the state of Ohio by 8 points in 2020.

Heading into the election, Republicans were optimistic they could flip the seat after redistricting following the 2020 census brought more Trump-friendly areas into the district.

Merrin took aim at Kaptur’s long tenure in Congress by pushing for term limits and criticizing the congresswoman for sponsoring only five bills on her own that became law in 41 years.

“Marcy Kaptur hasn’t done squat for the four decades she has served in Congress,” Merrin told Fox News Digital earlier this year, arguing that Kaptur will “continue the ineffective status quo.”

‘MUST APOLOGIZE’: VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM FACES RENEWED BACKLASH OVER COMPARISON INVOLVING 9/11 TERRORIST

State Rep. Derek Merrin talks to reporters on Feb. 15, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Samantha Hendrickson, file)

Merrin’s campaign also focused on Kaptur’s voting in line with the Biden administration 100% of the time.

Pro-Kaptur ads running on radio and television in Toledo focused on Merrin’s past support for convicted politician Larry Householder, attempted to paint him as a radical on the abortion issue and called him a “corporate puppet.”

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Rep. Marcy Kaptur speaks at the VFW Post 2529 Annual Corn Roast in Sandusky, Ohio, on Aug. 20, 2022. (Bill Clark/Getty Images)

“I would put my record up against any person in the current Congress and even some who have preceded me,” Kaptur said in a recent interview. “And I defy my opponents to even show anything they’ve done that comes close to what we have been able to accomplish because of that seniority.”

Kaptur was viewed as one of the most vulnerable members of the House heading into the 2024 election.

“This is seen by everybody around the country as what may be the best pickup opportunity we have to flip a blue seat to red,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said while rallying for Merrin in October.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., successfully won re-election in Wisconsin all while President-elect Donald Trump simultaneously flipped the state back to red in the presidential election. 

As to how she did it, the Democrat attributes much of her win to her “72-county strategy.” Baldwin made sure during her campaign to traverse the entire state, venturing far from the two large blue enclaves of Milwaukee and Dane counties. 

“I think showing up matters, listening matters,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And so I go, and I really listen and get to know the challenges and aspirations of people all over the state, rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas.”

Baldwin won by a few tens of thousands of votes in the state, clinching victory by roughly the same margin as Trump. 

RFK JR’S ABORTION ‘ISSUE’: SENATE GOP PLANS TO SCRUTINIZE TRUMP HHS PICK’S POSITION

Sen. Baldwin was re-elected in Wisconsin as the state also elected Donald Trump. (Reuters/File)

According to her campaign, she did more than 250 events in Wisconsin in 2024 alone. She also hosted several targeted tours during her campaign, including her Dairyland Tour and her Rural Leaders for Tammy Tour.

Further, Baldwin’s campaign microtargeted rural communities to deliver content regarding her agricultural work. 

But her rigorous travel is not the only thing that sealed the deal for her. The senator acknowledged that people can go everywhere, but they also need to effectively engage voters in each place they travel to. 

One thing she noted is that she’s “had years to earn the trust of Wisconsin voters,” referencing the short few months that the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris had to turn out voters for her in the state. 

Baldwin also said she convenes roundtables and forums on relevant issues while she travels in Wisconsin.

“So I’ve done that on, say, the fentanyl and opioid epidemic, bringing together first responders, public health officials, concerned community members to talk about what does the epidemic look like in this community, in this area of the state? What resources do you need? What are your biggest worries?”

INCOMING SENATE DEM ELISSA SLOTKIN TORCHES IDENTITY POLITICS IN 2024 AUTOPSY: ‘GO THE WAY OF THE DODO’

A woman wears a Cheesehead hat with the American flag in Wisconsin. (Reuters/File)

She also held events geared toward agricultural issues, she noted. 

Baldwin notably credits, in part, her work on agricultural issues with her re-election win. In early October, Baldwin earned the endorsement of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors, which was a significant achievement for a Democrat in a statewide election. 

“They cited a number of different measures that I either championed or actually got into law,” she said. 

The senator pointed to her Dairy Business Innovation Act, which provides small grants to various dairy producers and processors. 

“I went this past spring to a particular farm that had received one of these grants, and they had also invited several other farmers and processors who had received grants to show me what they were able to do with these grants in order to grow their business and improve their bottom line,” she said.

RICK SCOTT OUTLINES CONSENSUS FOR ‘DRAMATIC CHANGE’ TO SENATE OPERATION IN POST-MCCONNELL ERA

Dairy is a large agricultural industry in Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Charlie Litchfield/File)

The Wisconsin Democrat also pointed to the large manufacturing sector in her state and attributed her push for “buy America” rules in pieces of legislation as helping her win some of those voters. 

On whether her campaign is a model for other Democrats, specifically those in swing states, she said, “I think it is something that would be helpful to many public officials.”

Baldwin added that she realized the need to travel Wisconsin to this extent during her first Senate campaign: “I had been in the House of Representatives representing, as you know, seven counties in [the] south-central part of the state. I had to learn Wisconsin as I was running.”

MATT GAETZ ‘WORKING THE PHONES,’ SPEAKING TO GOP SENATORS DESPITE DIFFICULT CONFIRMATION ODDS

Baldwin touted her 72-country strategy. (Reuters/File)

“And so traveling to do that learning was extremely important, being exposed to, you know, the timber industry and the north woods. We didn’t have a big timber industry in the south-central part of the state.”

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The Midwestern senator also said this was the first time she heard from Wisconsinites that elected officials hadn’t been spending much time in certain parts of the state.

“One thing I will say that I hear from constituents when I show up is just like, ‘I don’t remember the last time we had a U.S. senator visit our community, and especially not a Democrat,'” she said.

“It’s like, you know, the timber industry folks saying, ‘I don’t think we’ve ever had a senator pay so much attention to us,'” she added.

President-elect Trump is reportedly considering rolling back the Biden administration’s credit for electric vehicles – a move that experts say would have varying effects across the automotive industry.

President Biden implemented a tax credit of up to $7,500 to incentivize the purchase of greener vehicles. However, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Trump plans to ax the tax credit as part of his sweep of Biden’s climate agenda.

While the decision remains in debate among oil and energy advocates, one group promoting public policy on behalf of the natural gas industry suggested that behind the scenes, automotive groups and consumers could feel relieved if the EV credit is eliminated.

“Losing $70,000 on an EV is not a winning business model and U.S. automakers know that,” said Tim Stewart, president of the U.S. Oil & Gas Association. Stewart said axing the EV tax credit gives members of the auto industry the opportunity to shift back to traditional production lines.

HOUSE PASSES BILL TO BOLSTER GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PRODUCTION BY INCREASING LEASE SALE FREQUENCY

Tesla cars sit in a parking lot at a dealership on June 27, 2022, in Corte Madera, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“If I was a CEO, I would quietly be relieved to have a reason to shift production lines back to traditional models and invest in new hybrid technologies,” Stewart told Fox News Digital. “The EV tax credit was the only way to entice consumers to ‘maybe’ purchase something they really didn’t want, but told by the Biden folks they had to buy.” 

“With the tax credit gone and the onerous Biden regulatory mandates lifted, the new administration is providing the exit ramp the U.S. producers were really hoping for, and U.S. consumers really want.”

HOUSE PASSES BILL BLOCKING BIDEN ADMIN ATTEMPT TO REQUIRE TWO-THIRDS OF NEW CARS TO BE ELECTRIC WITHIN YEARS

However, proponents of the tax credit, such as Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm – and those advocating for the switch to EVs – say its elimination would result in the U.S. being less competitive in the industry.

“The auto industry is investing billions of dollars in EV battery and EV manufacturing in the United States. Eliminating the tax credit will hurt the U.S. auto industry and make American manufacturers less globally competitive,” said Ingrid Malmgren, senior policy director of Plug In America, a Los-Angeles based nonprofit advocating for the transition to EVs.

The elimination of the tax credit could have differing effects across the auto industry, experts say.

Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on Oct. 26, 2024, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

One of Trump’s strongest allies, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, revealed in July that he supports getting rid of the credit. “Take away the subsidies,” Musk posted to X, saying “it will only help Tesla.”

Companies that are financially sound, such as Tesla, could benefit if the playing field for electric vehicles is narrowed, while the smaller companies that rely on the tax credit for consumer affordability could face setbacks, analysts suggest.

“Tesla has such a big cost advantage in EVs,” said David Whiston, an analyst at financial services firm Morningstar Inc, according to a report from CPA Practicing Advisor. “Getting rid of that tax credit wouldn’t necessarily hurt them.”

Dan Ives, a senior equity research analyst covering the technology sector at Wedbush Securities with a focus on EVs, conducted a review of the market impact on Tesla if the EV credit is removed.

“While this is a clear negative for the EV industry at first look and would particularly hurt GM, Ford, Stellantis, and Rivian… on the flip side, we view this as a net bullish move for Tesla and Musk over time,” Ives said in a report on Tesla. “We expect Musk to have a big seat at the table as these EV discussions happen within the Trump transition team.”

Electric vehicle at a charging station. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

“In line with our thoughts over the past few weeks, Tesla has a scale and scope that is unmatched and while losing the EV tax credit could also hurt some demand on the margins in the U.S., this will enable Tesla to further fend off competition from Detroit as pricing/scale/scope is apples to oranges when compared to the rest of the auto industry once the EV tax credit disappears,” Ives added.

Ives also said that removing the credit could slow down the shift toward EVs in Detroit, specifically.

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During his campaign, Trump highlighted his intent to target Biden’s clean energy-driven initiatives, such as vowing to “cancel the electric vehicle mandate.” 

Nearly 200 migrant advocacy groups crafted a letter to President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding they close ICE detention centers and consider releasing detainees ahead of the Trump administration’s plan to reverse current policy. 

The letter, which was also “cc’d” to ICE Deputy Director Patrick Lechleitner and ICE chief of staff Michael Lumpkin, called for “immediate action to protect immigrant communities while [they] still can” before their administration’s term comes to a close.

“In your remaining months in office, you have an opportunity to honor your stated commitments to the dignity and humane treatment of all people, including those who immigrate to our nation…”

Without naming President-elect Trump, the groups warned the next administration is likely to follow “through on his mass deportation plans.”

‘IT’LL UPEND THE COMMUNITY’: PA TOWN ROILED BY TALK OF MIGRANT HOUSING IN CIVIL WAR-ERA ORPHANAGE

This photo shows migrants at the southern border encountered in Arizona. (U.S. Border Patrol)

The groups warned that the move would separate families and “upend the lives of millions.”

Spearheaded by the Detention Watch Network, the letter included 192 other signatories, including the American Friends Service Committee, Americans for Immigrant Justice, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law, Human Rights Watch, Make the Road and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.

The latter group is run by Kerry Kennedy – not her brother, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

By closing detention centers now, the consortium claims, it will put a stop to alleged “inhumane and abusive conditions” that purportedly include inadequate food and water, negligent medical care and deaths.

FLASHBACK: PA REPUBLICANS DRAFT BILL DIVERTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SECRETIVE BIDEN-DHS FLIGHTS TO DE

A group claiming to be from India sits in the shade of the border wall, Aug. 29, 2023, in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Lukeville, Arizona. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

“No one should be detained in these conditions. You [Biden and Mayorkas] promised to end the use of for-profit detention centers by the federal government and with over 90% detained at facilities run by private companies, this is your final chance to follow through on that promise,” the letter reads.

The second of the three prongs is halting detention facility expansion efforts by way of freezing or rescinding RFPs (Requests for Proposal).

The consortium said the incoming Trump administration should not be gifted an expanded system through which to institute their countervailing goals.

“To protect families and prevent separations, you must take all possible action to prevent the incoming administration from being able to easily expand detention capacity, including by pressuring Congress to pass a reduced appropriation for immigration detention.”

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President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas meet in the Oval Office. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Third, the groups pleaded for release proceedings to begin with “vulnerable populations” like migrants with physical or mental health concerns and those that have been deemed eligible for parole or Temporary Protected Status.

“People can and should be able to go through their immigration proceedings in community with the support of their loved ones and access to legal support.”

“Now is the time to take decisive action to prevent catastrophe for millions of people and avoid handing the keys to an expanded and inhumane detention and deportation system to the next president,” they wrote.

Other officials across the country have also warned against Trump’s immigration policy proposals, with Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson calling Trump a “threat” against “new arrivals and undocumented families… and Black families.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Mayorkas for comment.

President-elect Trump’s team is confident that Senate Republicans will approve his cabinet selection – despite some of the picks raising eyebrows from Republicans and Democrats alike.

A Trump transition official confirmed to Fox News that the president-elect is “confident that Senate Republicans will hold the line.”

“President Trump is confident that Senate Republicans will hold the line and respect the will of the American people by approving his cabinet nominees,” the official said.

The official said that Trump is “very happy” with the vice president-elect, saying that Vance is “laser focused on already getting the ball rolling on his highly-qualified nominees.”

TRUMP PICKING CABINET AT BREAKNECK SPEED COMPARED TO 2016

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.  (Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images)

Trump’s nominees and administration picks during his second administration are being publicly announced at a much faster pace than during his first administration in 2016, which the transition team attributed to Trump’s commitment to putting “America first.”

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt previously told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump’s speedy rollout of Cabinet picks. 

WATCH:

Trump’s most contentious choice so far has been Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., for attorney general. The pick came as a surprise to many since the firebrand does not have any prior law enforcement experience and faces misconduct allegations.

Gaetz was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which subpoenaed him as recently as September for an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. 

LOYALTY MATTERS: TRUMP PICKS ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS TO FILL OUT HIS ADMINISTRATION

Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and had told the panel he would “no longer voluntarily participate” in its probe. Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after Trump made the announcement. 

Vice President-elect Vance and former Rep. Gaetz were seen leaving the Capitol building on Wednesday, Nov. 20. (Fox News)

On Wednesday, Vance and Gaetz were spotted leaving the Capitol.

A source familiar previously told Fox News Digital that Gaetz is “working the phones” to address concerns from GOP senators ahead of his confirmation hearings next year. He is also making the rounds with Vance on Capitol Hill to meet with senators directly. 

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“The meetings have been productive with AG nominee Gaetz listening to senators’ thoughts on the role of the DOJ and the confirmation process. Gaetz is looking forward to meeting with more senators throughout this process on the Hill,” a Trump transition official told Fox News Digital. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Two high school cross-country runners and their families are suing a California school district, alleging their “Save Girls Sports” T-shirts were likened to a swastika.

Plaintiffs Kaitlyn and Taylor, two athletes at Martin Luther King High School in ninth and eleventh grade, respectively, wore T-shirts bearing the messages “Save Girls’ Sports” and “It’s Common Sense. XX ≠ XY.” 

The girls wore the shirts after a transgender athlete, who didn’t consistently attend practices or meet key varsity eligibility requirements, was placed on the varsity team, displacing Taylor from her spot, the complaint alleged.

“My initial reaction was like, I was really surprised, because it was like, why is this happening to me?” Taylor told Fox News Digital. “There’s a transgender student on the team. Why am I getting displaced when I worked so hard and gone to all of the practices, and this student has only attended a few of the practices.”

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Taylor and Kaitlyn, two cross-country athletes at a high school in Riverside, CA, sued the district for allegedly impeding on their First Amendment rights and Title IX violations. (Courtesy of Kaitlyn and Taylor)

Athletic department school officials allegedly forced the students to remove or conceal the shirts, claiming they created a “hostile” environment and comparing wearing these shirts to wearing a swastika in front of Jewish students.

“It was definitely hard to hear because we’re by no means trying to be hateful,” Kaitlyn told Fox News Digital. “We’re just wearing a shirt that expresses what we believe in trying to raise awareness to a situation.”

The transgender athlete, however, has been allegedly allowed to wear “trans pride” bracelets, and the school allows other forms of social messaging around campus, including a LGBTQ pride flag, the complaint noted.

“The biological male transgender athlete who displaced T.S. on the girls’ varsity team had recently transferred from another local high school after breaking that school’s all-time cross-country record for the girls’ cross-country team,” the complaint said.

TRANSGENDER WOMEN TO BE BANNED FROM CAPITOL HILL FEMALE BATHROOMS UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP PROPOSAL

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers argued that Assembly Bill 377 “ignores” a 2015 policy created by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) to govern the eligibility of transgender high school athletes in the state. (ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

“T.S., who had held a position on the girls’ Varsity Top 7 since August 2024 was removed from the girls’ Varsity Top 7 to make room on the girls’ Varsity Top 7 for an eleventh-grade transgender student and T.S. was relegated to the junior varsity team for one of the most important meets of the season for college recruitment,” the complaint said.

According to the girls’ Advocates for Faith and Freedom attorney, Julianne Fleischer, the lawsuit claims there were violations of their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights and their Title IX protections.

In October, according to the complaint, the district’s Title IX coordinator, Bethany Scott, informed Taylor’s mother of a formal investigation into her complaint. Scott also conveyed that Taylor would not be disadvantaged by running on the junior varsity team at a key upcoming cross-country meet, but her mother argued it would harm her chances of being noticed by college scouts. By Nov. 1, after follow-ups, the district reclassified the Title IX complaint as a confidential personnel matter, claiming it did not meet the criteria for sex-based discrimination.

JOHNSON DECLINES TO SAY IF TRANSGENDER REP-ELECT IS MAN OR WOMAN, SAYS HOUSE TO TREAT EVERYONE WITH ‘RESPECT’

Taylor and Kaitlyn are cross-country runners in RUSD. (iStock)

Typically, multiple factors, beyond race times, are considered for varsity selection on the cross-country team They complaint alleges that Taylor’s dedication and hard work were overlooked, and the school district failed to provide a clear explanation, forming the basis of the Title IX complaint, Fleisher said.

“We’re seeing more and more women and young girls speak up and challenge these policies that are allowing biological boys to join and participate in these sports,” Fleischer told Fox News Digital. “And so there’s lawsuits that are popping up all around the country. We’re hopeful that even with the incoming administration and Congress that we’re going to see real positive change to Title IX that actually upholds and safeguards the rights of women to participate in their sports and to be safe and to be able to compete amongst one another.”

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Under the Biden-Harris administration, Title IX was amended to include discrimination against gender identity and sexual orientation. The Supreme Court ruled against one of Biden’s requests in August that would have permitted biological men in women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and dorms in 10 states where there are state-level and local-level rules in place to prevent it. 

On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump said he would roll back Biden-Harris policies on gender treatments for minors and protect women in sports.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Riverside Unified School District and Martin Luther King High School for comment.

Conservative Republican Nick Begich has won a tight race for Alaska’s lone seat in the House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.

Begich defeated his main rival, Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, the first Native Alaskan in Congress, and one of only five House Democrats currently representing a district won by President-elect Trump in 2020.

The win widens the Republican majority in the House to 219 and 213 for Democrats.

SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’

Alaska congressional candidates Nick Begich and Rep. Mary Peltola were the top two in the race. (Getty Images)

The GOP candidate is no stranger to politics, having been born into a prominent political family in Alaska – made up of mostly Democrats.

His grandfather, Nick Begich, Sr., was an Alaska congressman, before mysteriously disappearing on a flight and being pronounced dead in 1972. His uncle, Mark Begich, was a U.S. senator for Alaska from 2009 to 2015.

The other two hopefuls in the race were Alaska Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe and Democratic candidate Eric Hafner.

Nick Begich, photographed at the Resource Industry Trade Organizations Host Congressional Candidate Forum. (Ash Adams for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

In a statement, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) congratulated Begich for his “resounding victory.”

“Congratulations to Congressman-elect Nick Begich on his resounding victory,” NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen said in a statement. “Alaskans just sent an America First fighter to drain the swamp and stop the liberal war on Alaska, and Congressman-elect Begich will deliver.”

HERITAGE FOUNDATION SUES DHS FOR DOCUMENTS THAT SAY ‘HARRIS’ AND ‘BORDER CZAR’

Rep. Mary Peltola is one of a few House Democrats in a seat won by Trump in 2020. (Getty Images)

Alaska is one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in federal elections, something that benefited Peltola in 2022, when Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin knocked each other out of the running by splitting the Republican vote.

Republicans took a lesson from that defeat, however, and instead, coalesced around Begich earlier in the race.

CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION

Alaska has just one House seat given its modest population compared to more densely packed states. It is also one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in its federal elections.

Peltola won her seat in a special election following the sudden death of longtime Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, in 2022.

Young’s daughters and several former staffers endorsed Peltola for re-election in the November race later that year.

Rep. Mary Peltola replaced late Rep. Don Young, who died suddenly in 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The moderate Democrat has been known to break from her party on certain climate and energy issues, among others.

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Begich’s victory is a much-needed win for House Republicans who have fought tooth-and-nail to retain and even expand their majority.

He was added to the House GOP campaign arm’s “Young Guns” list in August of this year, giving him access to National Republican Congressional Committee resources, support, and advisement.

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

President-elect Trump chose former ambassador and Rep. Pete Hoekstra for his pick for the U.S. ambassador to Canada.

“Pete is well-respected in the Great State of Michigan – A State we won sizably. He represented Michigan’s 2nd District in Congress for nearly 20 years, where he was also Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and was a great help to our Campaign as Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party,” Trump wrote in a Wednesday evening release.

Trump said that Hoekstra would help the president-elect’s “American First” agenda.

“In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” he wrote. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role. Thank you, Pete!”

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?

Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party Pete Hoekstra speaks before Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance was scheduled to speak during a campaign stop in Flint, Mich., Nov. 4. (Reuters/Rebecca Cook)

Hoekstra was the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump’s first term. 

Prior to his ambassadorship, he served 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 2nd District of Michigan, and served as chairman and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. 

Former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., has been picked to be the U.S. ambassador to Canada. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Trump’s pick of Hoekstra on Wednesday came after he tapped former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to become U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in his new administration. 

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Trump described Whitaker, who is from Iowa, as “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended.” 

A House Republican whose name has been floated for Secretary of Labor is traveling to Mar-a-Lago at the end of this week, two sources told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., who recently lost re-election in a close race against Democrat Janelle Bynum, is in consideration to lead the Labor Department, according to Politico.

Her travel down to President-elect Trump’s Florida home could mean that she is a serious contender for the role.

Chavez-DeRemer’s candidacy is backed by the Teamsters Union, who Trump allies had been trying to court earlier this year in their bid to broaden the Republican base ahead of the 2024 election.

TRUMP’S FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY REACTS TO PRESIDENT-ELECT’S NEW PICK FOR THE ROLE

Lori Chavez-DeRemer is traveling to Mar-a-Lago at the end of this week, two sources told Fox News Digital. (Ben Lee/Handout via REUTERS )

She would be the fourth current House Republican selected for the new Trump administration after House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Reps. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. 

But unlike the others, her elevation to Trump’s Cabinet would not take away from the GOP’s razor-thin House majority.

When reached by Fox News Digital, Chavez-DeRemer’s spokesperson did not comment directly on the congresswoman’s travel plans but shared her statement on the Teamsters’ endorsement for the role.

“I’d be honored to have the opportunity to support President Trump’s mission to empower and grow our nation’s workforce. Hardworking Americans finally have a lifeline with the president, and I’d work tirelessly to support his impressive efforts to remake the Republican Party into the Party of the American worker,” she said.

MUSK, RAMASWAMY LAY OUT DOGE’S PLAN FOR SLASHING GOVERNMENT WASTE

Multiple House Republican allies of hers have also lauded her as a potential Trump Cabinet pick on social media.

Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, a former Trump 2020 campaign staffer, wrote on X that she “would be a fantastic Labor Secretary.”

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) leaves a meeting with Republican House leadership and Rep. Jim Jordan holdouts on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., and Pete Sauber, R-Minn., shared similar praise on the platform, among others.

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“She is a champion for workers; she is a problem solver, and she is a no nonsense leader,” Rep. Marc Molinaro, who a source said is also being considered for a high-ranking role in the Department of Transportation, wrote on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.

House Republicans grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Wednesday over his agency’s failure to account for thousands of unaccounted migrant children and the process used to vet their sponsors amid concerns of exploitation and abuse. 

Speaking before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, Becerra testified about his department’s Refugee Resettlement Office, which is charged with caring for and placement of unaccompanied migrant children.

Republican subcommittee members accused the Biden administration of rushing migrant children out of HHS custody and into the hands of unvetted sponsors who sometimes exploit and abuse them while not conducting adequate background checks. 

‘IT’LL UPEND THE COMMUNITY’: PA TOWN ROILED BY TALK OF MIGRANT HOUSING IN CIVIL WAR-ERA ORPHANAGE

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra testifies during the Senate Finance Committee hearing titled “The President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Health and Human Services Budget,” in Dirksen building on Thursday, March 14, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“How can you say that the No. 1 priority is the safety of these unaccompanied children when you’re placing them in sponsors’ homes that occasionally have had criminal gang affiliations because there are no proper background checks?” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., asked. 

Becerra said his agency follows “child welfare best practices” that include “extensive” background checks. 

“No sponsor would be allowed to take a child if we have information that shows that they are engaged in criminal activity,” he said. 

Health Secretary Xavier Becerra testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement on Wednesday.  (House Judiciary GOP/X)

Lawmakers, however, said thousands of violent criminal illegal immigrants and unaccompanied migrant children have been released across the United States under the Biden administration’s watch.

They cited the murder of Laken Riley, a Georgia college student killed by an illegal immigrant, and the 2022 killing of Kayla Hamilton in Maryland by Walter Javier Martinez, who was in the country illegally from El Salvador. 

Martinez was taken to the ORR as an unaccompanied child despite a previous arrest in his home country.

FLASHBACK: PA REPUBLICANS DRAFT BILL DIVERTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SECRETIVE BIDEN-DHS FLIGHTS TO DE

“One call to Salvadoran authorities would have confirmed this and an association with MS-13,” said subcommittee Chair Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif. “Instead, Martinez was released into our country with no questions asked. He has since admitted to four murders, two rapes and additional other crimes.”

Other cases include the killing of 11-year-old Maria Gonzalez, who was found by her father last year sexually assaulted and strangled in her home.

Her alleged killer, Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, illegally entered the U.S. from Guatemala in 2023, but was allowed to stay in the country via a sponsor in Louisiana.

‘100% ON BOARD:’ BORDER STATE OFFERS TRUMP MASSIVE PLOT OF LAND TO AID MASS DEPORTATION OPERATION

Migrant children stand in line at a “tender-age” facility in San Benito, Texas in 2019.   (AP Photo/Eric Gay File)

In the case of vetting unaccompanied children, the Department of Homeland Security performs that task, Becerra said. HHS vets potential sponsors once the child is in its care, he said. 

“HHS’s custodial responsibility and overnight for unaccompanied children through ORR ends once we place the child with an appropriately vetted supervisor,” the secretary stated. 

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas., noted that the Biden administration admitted more than 100,000 refugees in the past year alone, compared to 12,000 in 2020 under President-elect Trump. 

“Under the Biden-Harris administration, Americans are left behind while the needs of ‘new’ Americans are pushed to the front of the line,” said Hunt. “Americans are sick and tired of being treated like second-class citizens in our own country.”

When asked what he would do differently after four years, Becerra failed to answer the question.

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“Do you understand how this affects the lives of a population that you’ve placed that is approaching the size of the state of Wyoming?” asked McClintock. “Some of them: innocent, defenseless children. Others: gang members who are 17-years-old or pretending to be 17.”

“Mr. Secretary, when the history of this administration is written, I would not want to be you looking back at what historians say about your tenure,” he said before adjourning the hearing.

EXCLUSIVE – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says justice was served after a judge gave the 26-year-old migrant from Venezuela who was convicted of murdering Laken Riley a life sentence.

“I’m glad that justice was served, and it was swift and severe,” the governor said in a Fox News Digital interview on Wednesday soon after a judge in Athens County, Georgia, convicted and then sentenced Jose Antonio Ibarra, a migrant who had entered the U.S. illegally.

Kemp said the conviction and sentencing were “no surprise” and emphasized that Riley’s murder was “a really tragic set of circumstances. Tragic for that family and I’ve certainly had them in my thoughts and prayers. I know that people in Georgia and around the country have.”

JUDGE ANNOUNCES SENTENCE IN LAKEN RILEY MURDER TRIAL

Family members and friends of Laken Riley react as Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard announces the verdict in Jose Ibarra’s trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Court, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

The 22-year-old Riley, a nursing student, was attacked in February while running on a trail on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. Ibarra was charged in connection with the killing a day later.

The judge, H. Patrick Haggard of State Superior Court in Athens-Clarke County, rather than a jury, decided the case following a request from Ibarra’s lawyers after they unsuccessfully worked to move the case out of Athens.

A translator assists defendant Jose Ibarra with his headphones during his trial at the Athens-Clarke County Superior Court, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

Riley’s killing was repeatedly spotlighted by President-elect Trump during this year’s presidential campaign, as he argued for the mass deportation of millions of undocumented migrants in the country.

Kemp, taking aim at President Biden’s border security actions, argued that “the policies are outrageous. They’ve gotten people killed not only in Georgia but around the country and that’s why our people elected Donald Trump to be our president, or at least a big reason for that. So we look forward to working with the administration like we did in their first term to secure the border and make sure these things aren’t happening in our local communities.”

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

And Kemp emphasized that “it is just literally heartbreaking for this family, for her fellow students that she was in school with, for her friends, for local communities and really for the whole state.”

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Kemp was interviewed by Fox News Digital in Marco Island, Florida, minutes after he was elected chair of the Republican Governors Association.