NationalWatch

A top House Republican lawmaker is changing his mind about retirement after urging from former President Donald Trump.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said on Thursday that he is reversing course on his decision to not run for a fourth term.

“While my strong desire was to leave Congress at the end of this year, since my announcement, I have received countless calls from constituents, colleagues, and President Trump urging me to reconsider,” Green said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“I will be running for re-election so I can be here on Day 1 next year to help President Trump end this border crisis once and for all.”

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

His announcement came shortly after Trump urged Green to reconsider in a post on his Truth Social account. The former president said he would endorse Green if he ran.

“Mark Green has had lots of options because of his political talents, and the great job he has done as a Congressman, but given the fantastic work he’s doing as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I hope he runs for Re-Election to the U.S. House of Representatives. If he does, he has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump wrote.

In addition to running for his own re-election, Trump is throwing his influence into House and Senate races across the country with various endorsements and behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

TRUMP HOLDS LARGE DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OVER HALEY AHEAD OF CRUCIAL SHOWDOWN

He met recently with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm.

Their sit-down at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this month primarily involved discussions about the 2024 election cycle and how to keep and expand Johnson’s razor-thin two-seat House majority.

As chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Green has played a leading role in the House’s impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

He told Fox News Digital last week that his role has been “challenging, rewarding and meaningful.”

USER’S MANUAL TO WHAT’S NEXT NOW THAT THE HOUSE IMPEACHED MAYORKAS

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“I am unbelievably proud of and grateful for the other Republican Committee members as well as the staff of the Homeland Security Committee,” Green said at the time.

“I will never forget the hard work and long hours they put in to respond to an unprecedented and self-inflicted border crisis by holding Secretary Mayorkas accountable and passing H.R. 2.”

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans have introduced legislation that would allow states to secure the border by constructing temporary border barriers along the southern and northern borders to stop the entry of illegal immigrants.

Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., is introducing the CONTAINER Act in the House – a bill that aims to give states the authority to build temporary barriers on federal land in an effort to stop illegal immigrants and drugs like fentanyl from entering into their states via the U.S.-Mexico border.

The bill is in response to legal battles that hit both Arizona and Texas over their efforts to secure the border with new barriers after border wall construction largely stopped when President Donald Trump left office.

BIDEN, DURING VISIT TO OVERWHELMED BORDER, URGES REPUBLICANS TO BACK SENATE BILL: ‘TIME TO ACT’

In 2022, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, set up hundreds of double-stacked shipping containers across the border in an effort to stop illegal immigrants as numbers rose in his state. In 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott installed wrecking-ball-sized buoys and razor wire along the Rio Grande as part of his Operation Lone Star.

Arizona’s barrier has since been removed. In December, a judge ordered Texas to remove its buoys in the Rio Grande, and a court battle between Texas and the Biden administration is ongoing after Texas sued the federal government for cutting the wire.

“Not only has the Biden Administration failed to enforce our laws and secure our border, but they have also barred border states from executing more robust border security measures,” Rouzer said in a statement. “No community is immune to the drugs, sex trafficking and crime these policies are incentivizing while enriching the cartels. This bill will give border states the explicit ability to erect physical barriers to protect not only their citizens, but all of America, from President Biden’s catastrophic open-border policies.” 

Co-sponsors on the bill include House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R–Texas, and Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas.

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

“States like my home in Texas have the right to secure their borders when the White House refuses to do so,” Pfluger said.

Companion legislation was previously introduced in the Senate by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who said last month that “it’s clear Congress must act to give border states the explicit authority to protect their communities and the sovereignty of the United States.”

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

Republicans have repeatedly called for border barrier construction as one of the ways to help secure the southern border. The House Republican border legislation, which passed the chamber last year, would restart border wall construction. However, it has not yet been taken up in the upper chamber.

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The Biden administration has largely ended border wall construction, calling it ineffective. Some construction has continued where money has already been appropriated by Congress in previous fiscal years. It has also called for Republicans to back a bipartisan Senate border bill that does include some funding for border wall construction. But conservatives have warned that the legislation would normalize already-high levels of illegal immigration.

Miami Mayor and former Republican presidential candidate Francis Suarez announced Friday his endorsement of former President Donald Trump for re-election this year.

In an early morning post on X, Suarez, who leads one of the biggest cities in the U.S. with one of the most concentrated populations of Hispanic Americans, vowed to help boost Trump and the Republican Party with Latino, young and urban voters.

“After seeing both our current President and President Trump at the border, and having been there myself last week, it is evident to me that the only candidate that will keep our country safe, our border secured, reduce inflation and can coherently lead our country forward is President Donald J. Trump,” Suarez wrote.

WATCH: BORDER PATROL UNION CHIEF EXPLODES ON BIDEN IN FIERY PRESS CONFERENCE, SAYS AGENTS ‘P—-D’ AT POLICIES

“For those reasons, I am endorsing President Trump today. I look forward to helping him campaign on his strong record and contrast it with the current administration’s. I especially look forward to helping President Trump and the Republican Party win a larger share of Hispanic, young voters and voters across our cities and urban centers,” he added.

Suarez’s endorsement comes on the heels of polling showing the Democrat Party losing support from Hispanic voters, including in a Gallup poll released last month that found Republicans only trailing with the community by 12 points, the lowest since 2011.

That same poll also found younger voters supporting Democrats at their lowest level in almost two decades.

JD VANCE MAKES CHOICE IN CRITICAL SENATE RACE AS GOP CONTROL HANGS IN THE BALANCE

According to a USA Today/Suffolk University poll released in January, Biden’s support among Hispanic voters had fallen to 34% from 59%.

Suarez’s endorsement also comes a day after Trump and President Biden held dueling events at the southern border, although the latter was rebuked for choosing to visit Brownsville, Texas, an area much less affected by the spiraling migrant crisis than Eagle Pass, Texas, where the former visited.

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Suarez launched his presidential campaign in June of last year, but was the first candidate to leave the race in August when he failed to gain traction among voters and donors, and did not qualify for the first presidential debate.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

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

• Former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, who left the GOP in 2019 over Trump impeachment, announced a Republican bid for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat.
• Amash, representing Grand Rapids from 2011 to 2021, joins Mike Rogers, Peter Meijer and businessman Sandy Pensler in the Republican field.
• Amash appears to have come back to the party but said in his announcement that he is “independent-minded.”

Former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, who left the GOP in 2019 after calling for the impeachment of then-President Donald Trump, announced a Republican bid for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat Thursday.

Amash represented Grand Rapids from 2011 to 2021, and he becomes the third former U.S. representative to join the Republican field vying for Michigan’s open Senate seat. Former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers and Peter Meijer have also announced Republican campaigns, as has businessman Sandy Pensler.

“I’m convinced that no candidate would be better positioned to win both the Republican primary and the general election,” Amash said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. “That’s why, today, I’m making it official: I’m joining the race for United States Senate in Michigan.”

FORMER GOP CONGRESSMAN JUSTIN AMASH EXPLORES JOINING CROWDED MICHIGAN SENATE FIELD

The decision to jump into the Republican primary comes after Amash left the party to become an independent. He had been the lone House Republican to support a Trump impeachment inquiry in 2019.

He opted not to seek reelection to Congress after his fifth term and to instead pursue a Libertarian nomination for president. At the time, Amash said that millions of Americans do not feel well represented by either major political party.

Amash seems to have come back to the party, but he promised in his announcement to be “an independent-minded senator prepared to challenge anyone and everyone on the people’s behalf,” if elected.

Amash, whose father is Palestinian and his mother Syrian, was the first Palestinian American lawmaker to serve in the U.S. Congress. Earlier this year, Amash said on social media that several relatives were killed when an Israeli airstrike struck a church in Gaza City.

Michigan’s U.S. Senate race is expected to be the lone competitive open seat in the country this year. Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced last January that she would not seek reelection after having served in the upper chamber since 2001.

On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is considered the favorite to win the nomination and has dominated other candidates in fundraising — bringing in $11.7 million between her campaign launch in February 2023 and the end of that year.

Rogers, who served seven terms in the U.S. House, has led all Republicans in fundraising. The Republican race is expected to be highly competitive, with Meijer and Pensler each having the ability to at least partially self-fund their campaigns. Former Detroit police Chief James Craig dropped his Republican bid earlier this month.

FORMER REP. JUSTIN AMASH SAYS FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN GAZA CHURCH AFTER ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE

Amash and Meijer — who are both from Grand Rapids — will each face the difficult task of overcoming past support for impeachments of Trump. Meijer was among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 after the deadly mob siege of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump wields significant influence over Republicans in Michigan, and his endorsement for the U.S. Senate seat has the potential to dramatically impact the outcome of the race.

The GOP has not won a Michigan U.S. Senate race since 1994.

Defending the Michigan seat could prove crucial for Democrats in their effort to maintain the Senate, where the party holds a 51-49 majority and also faces tough headwinds as they defend seats in Republican-leaning states from West Virginia to Montana and Ohio.

Republican voters in Washington D.C. will be the next to decide on whom the party wants at the top of this year’s presidential ticket, with the nation’s capital presenting former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley her best chace at a primary victory yet.

Washington D.C.’s primary will take place over three days this weekend, with polls opening on Friday and not closing until Sunday evening. The City’s 19 delegates will be up for grabs in the contest, with all 19 being awarded to the candidate who secures over 50% of the vote or being awarded proportionally if no candidate crosses the 50% threshold. Candidates with less than 15% of the vote will be ineligible to receive delegates.

The nation’s capital, which is one of the most heavily Democratic cities in the entire country, represents a challenge for former President Donald Trump in his bid to remain undefeated in the GOP primary. 

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

The former president won the district in 2020 in an uncontested race, according to the Associated Press, but came in a distant third behind Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the 2016 primary.

Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, the Trump campaign downplayed the importance of the upcoming primary contests.

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

Trump has so far steamrolled his way to obvious frontrunner status in the primary season, coming out on top in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, the Virgin Islands, South Carolina and Michigan. Haley, meanwhile, remains the only contender in the GOP field to challenge the former president, vowing to stay in the race despite the recent loss in her home state of South Carolina.

MICHIGAN PRIMARY PUTS MAJOR BATTLEGROUND STATE IN PLAY FOR 2024

The nation’s capital holds one of the more unique primaries on the calendar, with voting opening Friday morning and not closing until Sunday at 7 p.m. Early voting and absentee voting are not allowed, while results are not released live and instead announced by the district’s party officials roughly an hour after the polls close, according to the Associated Press.

The primary comes just days before Super Tuesday, when 15 states will hold GOP contests and put 865 delegates up for grabs. 

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Trump currently holds a commanding lead in the GOP primary, while President Biden holds an equally strong grip on the Democratic side, making it all but assured the two candidates square off for a rematch of the 2020 campaign.

A top House Republican lawmaker is preparing a legislative maneuver that could bring Ukraine aid to the House floor for a vote if Republicans can’t come to agreement among themselves on the funding.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, said that he was deploying the strategy as a “fail-safe” in the event a Republican consensus is elusive.

“This is a fail-safe in the case that the conference can’t come to a consensus for language on the floor,” Fitzpatrick told Fox News Digital Thursday evening.

Traditionally, House leadership controls which bills get put up for a vote. The maneuver, a discharge petition, would force a vote with the support of a simple House majority.

NATO CHIEF, EUROPEAN ALLIES DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM MACRON SUGGESTION OF TROOP DEPLOYMENT INTO UKRAINE

The strategy would allow Johnson to avoid potentially having to roll his caucus by moving the bill to the floor with Republicans in disagreement with each other. Instead, the discharge petition would force Johnson’s hand and allow a vote in which Democrats might join Republicans to approve the assistance.

“We recognize the tough political situation our speaker is in. We’re just trying to figure out an additional option, an escape patch,” Fitzpatrick said. “We are 100% working with him and his team to try to get this bill to the floor.”

Fitzpatrick told reporters earlier Thursday that lives were at stake.

“It’s existential, it’s time-sensitive. Whether it’s our [bill] or somebody else’s, we’ve just got to get the money out the door,” Fitzpatrick said. 

Before a discharge petition can be activated, however, the measure must sit in the House Rules Committee – where legislation traditionally is voted on before it gets to the floor – untouched for seven days.

“All this is doing is adding a pressure point on something that’s very time-sensitive to at least have a backstop in place. So, if nobody can come to a conclusion as to what to put on the floor, if somebody’s afraid to put something on the floor, then we’re ready to go,” Fitzpatrick told Fox News Digital earlier in the day.

He led a bipartisan bill earlier this month aimed at providing roughly $66 billion in military-only aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which would also institute strict border measures like the Trump administration’s “Remain In Mexico” policy.

SENDING EUROPEAN TROOPS TO UKRAINE REMAINS AN OPTION, SAYS FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON

The bill was introduced after a larger $118 billion border policy and foreign aid package failed in the Senate amid Republican protests that it did not go far enough to solve the migrant crisis.

Since then, lawmakers in both the House and Senate have urged Johnson to hold a vote on some form of Ukraine aid, citing Kyiv’s recent losses in the war against Russia amid a shortage of ammunition and personnel. They have argued that helping Ukraine defeat Russian President Vladimir Putin now would prevent a wider European conflict – one that could possibly involve the U.S. in a direct conflict with Moscow.

Johnson has not provided much clarity on his strategy for dealing with Ukraine. He is under immense pressure from his right flank to withhold any bills related to Ukraine aid, with a significant portion of the GOP calling for the U.S. to not get involved.

It would be a major step for one of Johnson’s fellow Republicans to sideline him on a high-level item like Ukraine, but it could also afford him an opportunity to escape GOP hardliners’ wrath.

Fitzpatrick said he has not discussed the discharge petition with Johnson.

Fox News Digital asked Fitzpatrick whether the measure is also aimed at giving Johnson some wiggle room with GOP Ukraine aid critics. The Pennsylvania Republican smiled and nodded, saying, “Your words, not mine.”

KYIV RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT AS UKRAINE WAR ENTERS THIRD YEAR: ‘I TRY TO BE OPTIMISTIC’

With the current makeup of the House, Fitzpatrick would need 217 lawmakers to sign onto his discharge petition in order for it to make it to the floor. 

Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., whose district has a significant Ukrainian population, expressed hope that House negotiators are “getting closer to an agreement” and would not have to take “extraordinary” measures.

“We continue to stand with them to provide lethal support, but also the appropriate oversight, and hopefully we can get to an agreement that does that and secures our border. I think the speaker understands that there is significant interest in getting such a deal done,” Molinaro said.

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House Freedom Caucus Policy Chair Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, was pessimistic about the move.

“I think the speaker is inclined to want to put Ukraine on the floor anyway,” Roy said. “So, discharge petition or not, what’s going to happen is, we’re going to bust the [spending] caps, we’re going to spend more money, we’re not going to secure the border. Ukraine is going to get funded. And the American people are going to be wondering what the hell the difference is between the two parties.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment. Calls were not returned at press time. 

Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, teased a potential 2026 primary challenge to Texas Sen. John Cornyn after the lawmaker announced his bid to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell come November. 

Paxton took to X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday night — prior to Cornyn revealing his intention to run for leader — addressing speculation about it. Paxton said the senator would have difficulty remaining in his role “since he is anti-Trump, anti-gun, and will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026.”

Despite Paxton’s claim, Cornyn endorsed former President Trump for president last month, calling on Republicans to rally around him. 

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES ON TEXAS LAW ALLOWING STATE POLICE TO ARREST ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSERS

The attorney general’s accusation of Cornyn being “anti-gun” is likely a reference to his involvement in crafting and bolstering the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun reform bill taken up following the Uvalde elementary school shooting in the Lone Star state. Cornyn pioneered the bill alongside senators Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

HOUSE PUNTS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINE AFTER JOHNSON FORCED TO SEEK DEM SUPPORT AGAIN

Paxton didn’t note in his post who would be competing against Cornyn in a primary, but he also hasn’t dismissed speculation he would challenge Cornyn. Representatives for Paxton did not respond to Fox News’ inquiries about a potential Senate run. 

“Republicans deserve better in their next leader and Texans deserve another conservative Senator,” Paxton wrote on X.  

“Hard to run from prison, Ken,” Cornyn posted to X shortly afterward, referencing Paxton’s legal trouble. In April, the attorney general heads to trial on charges related to securities fraud in a case that has been delayed since an initial indictment more than eight years ago. Paxton was acquitted late last year of 16 articles of impeachment that alleged various acts of bribery and corruption following a highly publicized Texas Senate trial. 

After McConnell’s surprise announcement Wednesday that he would step down as Republican Senate leader, Cornyn told reporters, “Not today,” noting the day “is about Mitch McConnell.” But, he added, “I’ve made no secret about my intentions.”

On Thursday morning, the Texas Republican announced his bid for leader of the Republican conference. 

“I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell,” Cornyn said in a statement. 

JORDAN SUBPOENAS MAYORKAS FOR DOCUMENTS ON MIGRANT SURGE, RAZOR WIRE CUTTING

“I believe the Senate is broken — that is not news to anyone,” he said. “The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it.”

Cornyn was the first to announce his campaign for the role, though several others are expected to join the race. 

Paxton responded to the news on X, posing a poll to his followers.

“John Cornyn has waved the white flag on election integrity, border security, protecting the 2nd amendment, and everything else constitutional conservatives care about. Do you think he’s conservative enough to lead Republicans in the Senate?” Paxton asked. 

The poll had received more than 13,000 votes by the afternoon, with the overwhelming majority saying “No.”

A Paxton campaign spokesman told Fox News Digital Thursday that “Texas deserves another conservative senator. All options are on the table.”

Cornyn’s office declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital.

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

Former President Trump said he spoke with the “devastated” parents of Laken Riley — the Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered, allegedly by an illegal migrant — saying he is “not going to forget her,” and blasting President Biden for “never” saying her name.

The former president began his remarks from the border Thursday afternoon by saying he spoke to the parents of Riley, who he described as “an incredible young lady.”

“The parents are devastated and they’re incredible people,” he said. “This is a Joe Biden invasion. A Biden invasion. I call him crooked Joe… the most incompetent president we’ve ever had.” 

Trump’s visit to the border coincided with President Biden’s own trip to a different section of the border between Texas and Mexico. Biden did not mention Riley in his public remarks.

Trump detailed the brutal murder of 22-year-old nursing student Riley last week. 

“A beautiful 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia was barbarically attacked. She was on a morning run… she was a beautiful young woman,” he said. “I spoke to her parents yesterday, they are incredible people. They are devastated beyond belief. She was so beautiful in so many ways.” 

Trump said she was “brutally assaulted, horrifically beaten, kidnaped, and savagely murdered.” 

“The monster, the charge, charged in the death is an illegal alien migrant who was led into our country and released into our communities by Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump said, adding that he “took the name from Hillary because she’s no longer relevant I guess.” 

Trump, the 2024 GOP frontrunner, visited Eagle Pass, Texas, Thursday and toured Shelby Park with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and state officials. He also received a briefing and met with Texas officials, as well as Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council. 

The former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner also met with Texas National Guard leadership. 

Trump made remarks Thursday following the briefing and tour, slamming Biden for being “incompetent,” and for destroying the “most secure border in history” under his administration. 

“I call him Crooked Joe because he’s crooked and he’s a terrible president, the worst president our country has ever had, probably the most incompetent president we’ve ever had,” he continued. “But it’s allowing thousands and thousands of people to come in from China, Iran, Yemen, the Congo, Syria and a lot of other nations.” 

Trump said many of those crossing are “entire columns of fighting-aged men.” 

Trump added that the border crisis “is like a war… it’s a military operation.” 

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Augusta University, was found dead on the University of Georgia campus Thursday after her roommate reported to authorities that she had not returned home from her morning run. 

ICE CONFIRMS GEORGIA STUDENT MURDER SUSPECT ENTERED US ILLEGALLY, WAS PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED IN NYC

The University of Georgia Police Department arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra and charged him with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another, UGA Police Chief Jeffrey L. Clark said during a news briefing Friday evening. 

The suspect is not a U.S. citizen. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sunday confirmed that the Venezuelan national entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and had previously been arrested in New York City.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, ICE confirmed he had been encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in August 2022, after entering near El Paso and was “paroled and released for further processing.”

ICE also confirmed that Ibarra had been arrested by the New York Police Department a year later, on Sept. 14, 2023, and “charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation.”

When ICE learns that what it believes to be a removable illegal immigrant has been arrested on criminal charges, the agency will normally lodge a detainer — a request asking local law enforcement to keep the suspect in custody until they can be transferred to ICE and put into deportation proceedings.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER SUSPECT JOSE IBARRA LIVED WITHIN 5-MINUTE WALK OF UGA CRIME SCENE

In this case, however, ICE’s statement says Ibarra was released before a detainer could be issued. NYC is also a “sanctuary city,” which generally restricts law enforcement from complying with ICE detainers.

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

FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers cautioned Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the crime risk involved with Venezuelan illegal immigrants crossing the southern border nearly a year and a half ago but never received a response, Fox News Digital has learned.

In September 2022, Republican Reps. Troy Nehls of Texas, Byron Donalds of Florida, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin wrote to Mayorkas regarding a Homeland Security intelligence report informing U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents to keep an eye out for violent criminals from Venezuela in the migrant caravans marching towards the border.

The group says Mayorkas did not respond to the letter, and now they are again attempting to get answers from the Homeland Security chief as reports emerge showing some of those very migrants have committed severe crimes in the United States. 

“As you know, in September 2022, the Venezuelan regime, under the control of Nicolás Maduro Moros, was reportedly releasing violent prisoners early, including inmates convicted of ‘murder, rape, and extortion,’ and pushing them to join caravans heading to the United States,” the lawmakers wrote in a Thursday letter to Mayorkas. “Since then, we have seen the tragic consequences of allowing Venezuelan nationals into the interior of the United States.”

DUELING BIDEN, TRUMP VISITS TO BESIEGED BORDER COME AMID FRESH SLEW OF VIOLENT CRIMES BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

“Our country is also facing the effects of Venezuelan gangs, posing as asylum seekers, who are turning our cities into war zones,” they wrote. “Specifically, the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, known for torturing victims, has established its presence in New York City. This Venezuelan robbery gang recruits its new members from migrant shelters and off migrant busses, where they have committed more than 60 robberies in New York City, including the aggravated robbery of a woman in her 60s, who was dragged down the sidewalk and slammed into a pole, sustaining injuries.”

The lawmakers pointed to how half a million Venezuelans have entered the country illegally. They further noted reports have indicated “Venezuela is refusing to cooperate with deportation requests after President Biden reimposed some of the economic sanctions it had previously lifted on Venezuela.” 

“If Venezuela does not want these Venezuelans back, it is common sense that we do not want them here,” they wrote. “In addition to answering the questions in our September 2022 letter that were never addressed, we urge you to prevent Venezuelans from entering our interior and immediately deport those you have released, pending immigration proceedings.”

“We cannot continue to apologize to families for the tragic consequences of your disastrous border policies without action,” they continued. “Therefore, we encourage you to initiate a moratorium on all Venezuelan migration until they agree to cooperate with deportation requests.”

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

The letter comes on the heels of reports showing violent crimes committed by Venezuelan migrants. 

An illegal immigrant originally from Venezuela has been charged in connection with the violent murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus on Thursday. Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, the suspect, was released into the U.S. via parole, three ICE and DHS sources told Fox News.

In Virginia, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant was arrested in connection with a sexual assault on a minor. 

In Chicago, four immigrants from Venezuela were recently arrested for allegedly robbing and beating a man on a CTA train in the city.

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And in New York, police are attempting to crack down on the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang mentioned in the letter that law enforcement says is responsible for dozens of robberies. 

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

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

The head of the union that represents Border Patrol agents across the country exploded on President Biden during a Thursday press conference, declaring agents were “mad as hell” and “p—-d” over his policies that allowed the situation at the border to deteriorate so badly.

National Border Patrol Council (NBCP) President Brandon Judd appeared alongside former President Donald Trump in Eagle Pass, Texas, which he described as the “epicenter” of the border crisis, as Biden held a dueling event a few hundred miles away in less affected Brownsville, Texas.

“Sir, I want you to know your agents, my agents, they’re mad as hell — absolutely mad that President Biden went to Brownsville, Texas, rather than going to Arizona, rather than going to San Diego, California, rather than coming to Eagle Pass, Texas, which has been the epicenter,” Judd said after Trump invited him to the microphone to speak. 

PROGRESSIVE HOUSE DEMS MADE SECRET ‘HUMAN RIGHTS’ TRIP TO CUBA AMID WORSENING BORDER CRISIS AT HOME

Judd said the trip allowed Trump to see how his policies worked compared to those implemented by the Biden administration, and that he had the clarity on how to expand them should he be elected president in November.

“Your agents … they are pissed. Border patrol agents are upset that we cannot get the proper policy that is necessary to protect human life, to protect American citizens, to protect the people that are crossing the border illegally,” Judd said. “We can’t do that because President Biden’s policies continue to invite people to cross here.” 

“Thank goodness we have a governor like Governor Abbott. Thank goodness we have somebody that’s willing to run for President of the United States, forego everything else he’s been doing to serve the American people. Mr. President, thank you,” he added.

TIM SCOTT RIPS ‘TWO-TIERED STANDARD” BETWEEN TREATMENT OF TRUMP, BIDEN ON BORDER EXECUTIVE ACTION: VIDEO

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

Earlier in the day, the NBCP issued a fiery warning to Biden, telling him to “keep our name out of your mouth,” hours before the president was due to meet with officials at the border and urge passage of a Senate border bill.

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The union also issued a statement earlier this week, calling the visit “too little, too late.”

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

President Biden began his remarks during a Thursday visit to the southern border in Texas by addressing a devastating wildfire in the state’s panhandle and Oklahoma before calling climate change deniers “neanderthals.”

Speaking in the border city of Brownsville, Biden first addressed the ongoing wildfire that has ravaged a portion of Texas and destroyed more than one million acres. 

“I’ve flown over a lot of these wildfires since I’ve been president,” Biden said. “Flown over more land burned to the ground. All the vegetation gone more than the entire state of Maryland in square footage.”

US GRID OPERATORS WARN BIDEN’S POWER PLANT CRACKDOWN COULD TRIGGER ‘SIGNIFICANT POWER SHORTAGES’

“The idea there’s no such thing as climate change. I love that, man,” he added. “I love some of my Neanderthal friends who still think there’s no climate change.”

Biden didn’t mention Republicans, but he has criticized the GOP in the past for disputing global warming. When the National Climate Assessment, which details climate change impacts, was released in November 2023, Biden blasted the party. 

“Anyone who willfully denies the impact of climate change is condemning the American people to a very dangerous future. Impacts are only going to get worse, more frequent, more ferocious and more costly,” he said at the time. “None of this is inevitable.”

TIM SCOTT RIPS ‘TWO-TIERED STANDARD” BETWEEN TREATMENT OF TRUMP, BIDEN ON BORDER EXECUTIVE ACTION: VIDEO

After his brief climate change remarks, he further criticized Congress for failing to pass bipartisan border legislation. 

“This bill was on its way to being passed. Then it was derailed by rank-and-file politics,” he said. “The U.S. needs to reconsider this bill and those senators who oppose it need to set politics aside and pass it on the merits.”

“The majority of Republicans and Democrats in both houses support this legislation until someone came along and said ‘Don’t do that. It’ll benefit the incumbent,'” Biden added. “That’s a hell of a way to do business in America for such a serious problem. 

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He urged former President Trump to “join me” in telling Congress to pass a border security bill. 

Earlier, Biden visited the Rio Grande and received briefings from Homeland Security officials. Meanwhile, Trump also visited the border some 300 miles away from his successor in Eagle Pass, Texas. 

“This is a Joe Biden invasion,” Trump said of the border crisis. 

Republicans are hitting back at the White House after the Biden administration appeared to blame GOP lawmakers for a broken immigration system when asked about Laken Riley’s murder. 

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made the comments during an interview with CNN host John Berman. 

She was asked to respond to Republican accusations that the Biden administration’s border policies have led to the deaths of Americans, like Riley, at the hands of illegal immigrants. 

Berman highlighted a quote from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO., who said: “these deaths are on [President Biden].” 

GOP LAWMAKERS WARNED MAYORKAS ABOUT CRIME RISK FROM VENEZUELAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BUT NEVER GOT A RESPONSE

“I want to offer our condolences to the family of Laken, I mean this is a horrific, horrific loss for any family, and obviously, whoever is found guilty, we need to make sure that that happens, and obviously, we don’t want to see anything like that happen again,” Jean-Pierre said, before pivoting to the broader question of the border crisis. 

“But here’s the thing, we have done the work, to make sure we’re dealing with a broken immigration system. The Republicans have gotten in the way. They have gotten in the way. And that’s what we continue to see over and over and over again,” Jean-Pierre said.  

She continued: “And so look, this is a serious matter, that‘s why the president is going to the border. The president was at the border a year ago in El Paso, visiting the border back in January 2023. He put a comprehensive, a comprehensive immigration policy on day one.” 

Jean-Pierre also made similar comments during an earlier press briefing, in which she said Republicans were “getting in the way,” when it came to fixing the border. 

In response, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said the “Biden White House blaming anyone else but themselves for the effects of their open border policies is insane.” 

“Under President Biden’s open border policies, American lives have been lost. Laken Riley’s is the latest in that tragic count. At every turn, this administration has refused to hold themselves accountable — blaming everyone and everything but their own policy failures,” Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said in a statement.  

“With a wave of a pen, President Biden can take action on border security, but he refuses to do so. There is no excuse for the President of the United States to turn his back on communities that are clearly in danger. We need action now.” 

“It’s telling that the White House can’t even admit the truth: an illegal immigrant killed Laken Riley and Joe Biden’s open border is to blame,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO., said in a statement. “It’s time for the White House to take responsibility for their dangerous policies and take action before more Americans are hurt.”

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

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that Laken Riley’s death “was caused by the Biden administration breaking the law.” 

“If I were her family, and this guy actually did it, I would sue the hell out of the federal government because the Biden administration has been breaking the law for over two years now when it comes to [immigration] parole.” 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, accused Democrats of viewing American deaths as “acceptable collateral damage.”

“They view these murders as just the price we have to pay to advance their open-border agenda,” Cruz tweeted Thursday. 

TEXAS WILL APPEAL RULING TO BLOCK LAW ALLOWING POLICE TO ARREST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, ABBOTT SAYS

Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student, was found murdered on the campus of the University of Georgia earlier this month after going for a run.

Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan national in the U.S. illegally, was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another in connection to Riley’s death.

This all comes as President Biden and his GOP rival, former President Donald Trump, made dueling trips to the southern border on Thursday, underscoring how central immigration has become in the 2024 presidential race. 

Biden slammed Republicans for a bipartisan border deal that collapsed earlier this month. Meanwhile, Trump continued to dial up his attacks on illegal immigrants, deriding them as “terrorists” and criminals. 

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Trump was in Eagle Pass Thursday, roughly 325 miles northwest of where Biden visited in Brownsville.

Law enforcement agencies, civil defense officials and election administrators have begun meeting in Pennsylvania to coordinate how they will identify and fight election threats with the presidential contest just eight months away in the battleground state, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration said Thursday.

Shapiro created the Pennsylvania Election Threats Task Force, after the state became a magnet for baseless allegations about election fraud and failed lawsuits in an effort to undo Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory there and keep then-President Donald Trump in power.

CONSERVATIVES RALLY BEHIND PENNSYLVANIA AMISH FARMER WHO SUFFERED POLICE RAID OVER MILK SALES

It will be led by his top election official, Secretary of State Al Schmidt.

The task force’s mission is to design plans to share information and coordinate in the fight against threats to the election process, voter intimidation and misinformation about voting and elections.

“Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American democracy, and we are working to continue defending Pennsylvanians’ fundamental freedoms and ensure we have a free, fair, safe, secure election this November,” Shapiro said in a statement.

Partners include U.S. attorney’s offices, the state attorney general’s office, county election directors, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Pennsylvania is yet again expected to be pivotal in the fall presidential election.

Trump declared his mistrust of Pennsylvania in 2020, saying that ” bad things ” happen in Philadelphia, and it remains in Trump’s crosshairs.

Trump told supporters in December to “guard the vote” and to “go into” Detroit, Philadelphia and Atlanta to “watch those votes when they come in.”

Shapiro — who as attorney general played a central role in defending Pennsylvania’s 2020 election against Republican efforts in court to overturn it — has said that administration officials were preparing for the election on legal, law enforcement and election administration fronts.

Shapiro’s Department of State is putting more resources into countering election misinformation and is improving the connectivity and processing speed of the state’s digital voter registration database that counties use daily.

PHILADELPHIA ESCAPEE SPOTTED LEAVING HOME STILL WEARING HANDCUFFS IN NEW VIDEO AFTER FLEEING FROM OFFICERS

It created a unit to train county election workers and tried to standardize mail-in ballots to cut down on the garden-variety mistakes by registered voters that nevertheless have spawned countless lawsuits.

The election is likely to be close.

Complicating it is a state law that prohibits counties from processing mail-in ballots before Election Day — raising the specter of another drawn-out count in Pennsylvania like the one in 2020 that gave a window to Trump-inspired conspiracy theories and false claims.

Nearly every other state allows mail-in ballots to be processed before Election Day.

In recent weeks Schmidt — himself a former Philadelphia election official who has told of enduring death threats for defending the city’s 2020 vote-counting against Trump’s lies — has said that a wave of experienced administrators departing county election offices is a threat to elections.

About 70 senior county election officials in the 67 counties have left recently, Schmidt told a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon on Monday. Inexperience gives rise to mistakes that are seized on to sow doubt about elections, Schmidt said.

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Any mistake, “especially in an environment where any mistake, no matter how innocent, is so easily interpreted as being intentional and malicious and seeking to change the outcome of an election,” Schmidt said.

Special Counsel Jack Smith and attorneys for former President Trump proposed start dates for the trial stemming from the investigation into Trump’s alleged improper retention of classified records. 

The special counsel, in a filing Thursday evening, proposed the trial begin on July 8. The trial was initially set to begin on May 20, ahead of the Kentucky primary on May 21, the Oregon primary on May 25 and New Jersey’s primary June 4.

Trump’s attorneys proposed the trial start on August 12, but in a filing asserted that since he is the leading GOP candidate in the 2024 presidential election, a “fair trial cannot be conducted this year in a manner consistent with the Constitution.”

Smith’s filing comes a day before the next court date in the case, when U.S. District Judge of the Southern District of Florida Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the case, said she may delay the trial date. 

Should Trump win the GOP nomination, the proposed date would have the trial begin just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The convention begins July 15-18. 

Meanwhile, Smith’s proposal comes just a day after the Supreme Court announced it would consider whether Trump has presidential immunity from prosecution in his separate federal election interference case. 

That trial was set to begin on March 4 in Washington D.C., but is on hold until the Supreme Court decides on the matter. The decision is expected in mid-June. 

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

President Biden, in a visit to the southern border on Thursday, renewed his calls for Republicans to back a controversial, but bipartisan, Senate border agreement — as illegal immigration continues to be a major political headache for the administration and he seeks to shift blame to Republicans for the crisis.

“It’s real simple, it’s time to act, it is long past time to act,” Biden said. “It’s time for us to move on this, we can’t wait any longer.”

Biden spoke in Brownsville, Texas, after meeting with Border Patrol, law enforcement and local leaders.

The visit, which coincided with former President Donald Trump’s visit to the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, comes as illegal immigration has become a major 2024 election issue and remains a thorny issue for the administration.

The crisis, now into its third year, has smashed multiple records with more than 2.4 million encounters in FY 23 and over 300,000 in December alone — breaking the record for monthly encounters.

Biden and his administration have sought to shift the blame for the crisis onto the shoulders of Republicans. The administration says that it is working in a broken system that needs significantly more funding and comprehensive immigration reform. It introduced a bill on its first day in office that included a mass amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S., which was immediately rejected by Republicans.

Republicans in the House introduced and passed legislation of their own that would fund more Border Patrol agents, resume wall construction, restart the Remain-in-Mexico policy and severely limit the ability of migrants to claim asylum.

After the White House made a supplemental funding request, including $20 billion for border funding in late 2023, Senate negotiators hashed out a deal that included additional staffing at the border and in asylum offices, an increased $1.4 billion in funding to cities and NGOs receiving migrants, took action to tackle fentanyl smuggling and would limit asylum claims. It would also increase detention beds to 50,000 and provide additional immigration judges.

“Folks, the bipartisan border security bill is a win for the American people and a win for the people of Texas, and it’s fair for those who legitimately have a right to come here,” he said.

“The U.S. Senate need to reconsider this bill and those senators who oppose it need to set politics aside and pass it on the merits, not on whether it’s going to benefit one party or another party,” he said, also calling for Speaker Mike Johnson to put it on the floor in the House.

However, it has failed to gain enough support in the Senate, as conservative lawmakers have warned that a limiting mechanism that only comes into place after an average of 5,000 encounters a day would normalize already-high levels of illegal immigration.

Biden said, however, that it was “the toughest set of border security reforms we’ve ever seen.”

Republicans in the House, who have recently impeached DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, say Biden doesn’t need additional congressional action to secure the border and can do so with the tools his administration already has.

Speaking to Fox News Digital ahead of the speech, GOP Whip Tom Emmer dismissed Biden’s trip as a photo op, and called it “another sign of Biden’s incompetence.”

“It’s just going to be another cleaned up photo op. It’s not going to be any actual confrontation of the crisis that this guy created. Time and time again, he proves Joe Biden proves that he cares more about minimizing the political implications of this issue than actually addressing it. So I don’t expect much is going to come out of it, except the American people are going to realize once again that Joe Biden doesn’t really mean business when it comes to the border. 

Emmer said that to solve the crisis, Biden needs to tackle the five issues that were in the House GOP bill: end catch and release, reform parole authority, finish the wall, reform asylum and restore Remain-in-Mexico.

He, like others in the House GOP caucus, was dismissive of the contents of the Senate bill Biden is promoting.

“You’re going to make it law now that he can let in up to 5000 a day before it becomes a shutdown situation? Outrageous. And the fact that anybody even reports it as an option, I think is less than responsible,” he said. “You’ve got to do something in the five areas that the House has already addressed, but the bare minimum is to restore Remain in Mexico.

This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.

It is almost too early to truly understand and divine where the votes might for someone to succeed retiring Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

The reason? The universe and conditions under which Republican senators will vote next fall to pick their new leader haven’t formed yet. Yes, take a look at the three Johns: Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), former Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Even someone like Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) could be in play. A source tells FOX is interested in the race. 

GOP WON’T TAP MCCONNELL’S SUCCESSOR UNTIL NOVEMBER

But beyond that, we don’t know much.

Here’s why:

We have to first know who wins the presidential election. And if 2024 is anything like 2020, we might not definitively know until week or more after the election. A delay in figuring out the winner could delay the internal secret leadership election which Senate Republicans will take in mid to late November. But the winner of the presidential election will dictate who the GOP wants – especially if former President Trump prevails and has much to say about it.

Ironically, FOX is told that the antipathy between the former President and McConnell was not a major factor in the decision-making of the Kentucky Republican to step down.

MITCH MCCONNELL SENDS ‘SHOCKWAVES’ THROUGH SENATE WITH SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT

Another factor: who has control of the Senate – and by how many seats. Keep in mind we didn’t know until January 2021 as to which party would control the Senate in the last Congress.

This is why other figures may emerge. Especially dark horses. 

As I have written before, leadership elections in Congress are not “partisan politics” They are “particle politics.” The person who is propelled into leadership is not always the obvious choice: Think former House Speakers John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Or even current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

WHY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS’ IMPEACHMENT TRIAL MAY BE ON ‘HIATUS’

FOX is told that some Senate Republicans are tired of what one senior Senate GOP leadership source termed a “weekly MAGA show” by Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), JD Vance (R-Ohio) and others at the weekly Senate Republican Conference meetings. So if former President Trump loses and if the GOP doesn’t have control of the Senate, that could dictate who Republicans pick.

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However, if Republicans prevail with a substantial majority, look at Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) as a possibility. He leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the GOP’s campaign arm. Daines has made many of the right moves so far in GOP contests. If Republicans win the Senate by a good margin, some members (especially the new ones), might be willing to give Daines a look – if he’s interested. 

The same factor could undercut Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). It’s not clear if Scott is interested. He ran unsuccessfully against McConnell in the fall of 2022. Scott led the GOP’s campaign efforts in 2022 – and Republicans failed to win the Senate. That could be an albatross for Scott and potentially inhibit him from making another run at leadership.

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

What’s Happening? 

– Trump, Biden give competing speeches at the southern border this afternoon

– House passes week-long funding bill; Senate to vote later

– Trump appeals Illinois judge’s ruling to boot him from ballot

Catch me at the border

President Biden’s visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday reflects his wishful thinking on the issue, arriving at one of the least-trafficked towns on the border.

Biden will visit Brownsville, Texas, which ranks as the 29th-most trafficked town by illegal border-crossers, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

Former President Trump, meanwhile, is set to hold a competing visit to the border, though he will arrive at Eagle Pass, Texas, one of the most heavily-trafficked towns in the country.

Biden’s trip to Texas is an attempt to address his deep unpopularity on the issue, with a recent poll showing just 26% of Americans support his handling of the border.

The White House says Biden will use the visit to renew his calls for Congress to pass a bipartisan border agreement, which would have increased staffing at the border as well as tightening asylum rules, moved to tackle fentanyl smuggling, and increased funding to communities and NGOs receiving migrants. Republicans argued it fell well short of what is necessary.

White House

WELCOMED IN: White House refers to illegal immigrants as ‘newcomers’ …Read more

FOOT IN MOUTH: Kamala Harris praises ‘nonpartisan poll worker,’ immediately backfires when people learn who he really is …Read more

Capitol Hill

KICKING THE CAN: House punts government shutdown deadline to next week …Read more

CRACKS IN THE FOUNDATION: ‘Squad’ member Tlaib reacts to question on voting for Biden at cease-fire presser …Read more

MCCONNELL’S SUCCESSOR: Senate Republicans want next leader to have ‘positive relationship’ with Trump …Read more

‘AMEN TO THIS’: Fetterman shocks critics for defending Boebert’s son with compassionate post after his arrest …Read more

BREAKING NEWS: Sen. John Cornyn declares candidacy for minority leader after McConnell steps down …Read more

‘HASN’T DONE SQUAT’: Vulnerable House Dem who touts her experience blasted after record comes back to haunt her …Read more

GOING NUCLEAR: Progressive Dems vote against bipartisan green energy bill …Read more

‘FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP’: House committee grills Austin for secret hospitalization …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

FIGHTING BACK: Trump campaign appeals Illinois judge’s ruling booting him from primary ballot …Read more

MENTAL FITNESS: Biden ‘must take a cognitive test,’ Trump says after president’s physical …Read more

NEW ENDORSEMENT: Trump-backed Moreno scores another high-profile endorsement in Ohio Senate race …Read more

Across America

‘THIS IS HUGE’: Cache of texts shows back-and-forth over affair with prosecutor Willis hired to go after Trump …Read more

LAW & BORDER: Federal judge blocks Texas law allowing police to arrest illegal border crossers …Read more

ON NOTICE: Union has stern warning for Biden ahead of border visit …Read more

HOT AIR: NY AG hits major beef producer with climate lawsuit …Read more

SOUR MILK?: Conservatives rally behind Pennsylvania Amish farmer who suffered police raid over milk sales …Read more

BREAKING NEWS: WATCH LIVE: Gov. DeSantis signs law with big potential impact on Epstein case …Read more

Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Ahead of President Biden’s visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, the White House debuted a new term for illegal immigrants arriving in the country, calling them “newcomers.” 

Biden will travel to Brownsville, Texas, in an effort to reassure voters who have soured on his handling of the border crisis. Republicans have lambasted the Biden administration for weak enforcement of immigration laws, and a recent poll showed that just 26% of Americans approved of the president’s job on immigration. 

The language the White House used to describe the crisis may not alleviate voters’ concerns. In a fact sheet distributed by the White House press office to advocate for the bipartisan border agreement Biden has endorsed, officials pointed out that the bill includes $1.4 billion “for cities and states who are providing critical services to newcomers.” 

BIDEN’S BORDER VISIT LANDS ON ONE OF THE LEAST TRAFFICKED TOWNS, WHILE TRUMP IS HEADED INTO THE THICK OF IT

The reference to illegal immigrants as “newcomers” — which suggests equal status to migrants who come to the U.S. legally — provoked a swift condemnation from House Republicans.

“The Biden White House is now referring to illegal immigrants as ‘newcomers.’ Joe Biden is not serious about stopping the illegal immigration into the United States. This is a catastrophe by design,” the House GOP conference posted on X. 

White House officials have shot back at their GOP critics several times in recent weeks, asserting that if Republican lawmakers were serious about securing the border, they’d support the bipartisan legislation Biden has endorsed.

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

The border bill negotiated in the Senate would increase Border Patrol staff and tighten asylum rules, expand law enforcement’s authority to tackle fentanyl smuggling and increase funding to cities and states receiving asylum seekers.

Republicans argued the bill would normalize high levels of illegal immigration and do little to stop the flow of people and drugs over the border.

“We have done the work to make sure we’re dealing with a broken immigration system. The Republicans have gotten in the way. They have gotten in the way,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday on CNN.

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

“And so look, this is a serious matter, that‘s why the president is going to the border. The president was at the border a year ago in El Paso, visiting the border back in January 2023. He put a comprehensive, a comprehensive immigration policy on day one,” she added.

Biden’s choice of Brownsville for his border visit is an area that has seen comparatively small numbers of migrant crossings in Texas.

CBP data shows that Brownsville has seen just 46 migrant encounters over the past five days, compared to 2,106 in Eagle Pass. The former averaged 17 migrant encounters per day in February, while the latter averaged 462.

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Brownsville is part of the CBP’s Rio Grande Valley sector, which has seen 87,426 migrant encounters so far in Fiscal Year 2024. The Del Rio sector that encompasses Eagle Pass has seen 182,077 encounters, but even that is far below the busiest sector, which lies around Tucson, Arizona, and has seen 297,380 encounters.

Former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner, will visit Eagle Pass on Thursday in a competing visit, one of the most heavily trafficked areas in Texas and ground zero for Gov. Greg Abbott’s fight with the Biden administration over enforcing immigration law. 

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

Former President Trump’s campaign appealed a ruling from an Illinois judge that removed the 2024 presidential candidate from state ballots on Thursday.

The Trump campaign appeal contests Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter ruling that Trump is disqualified from candidacy under the Constitutional ban on “insurrectionists.”

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.