NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is renewing the call for DNA testing for migrants to prevent trafficking at the southern border in a letter sent to the Department of Homeland Security on Friday morning.

Blackburn noted the recent passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” contains funding for the practice in the billions intended for border security and immigration enforcement.

“As an essential component of that commitment, this landmark legislation provides critical resources to prevent child trafficking and child recycling—specifically allocating funds for ‘collecting fingerprints’ and ‘collecting DNA’ in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act,” the senator wrote in the letter.

YOUNGKIN CREDITS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WITH BOLSTERING ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING EFFORTS

“Implementation of this critical provision will be a significant step forward in our fight to protect these innocent children—many of whom were trafficked into the United States during the Biden border crisis,” she added.

There have been mounting concerns over unaccompanied migrant children who have entered the United States but did not have properly vetted sponsors. 

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Millions of individuals entered the country illegally during the Biden administration, and encounters have since taken a nosedive. Still, long-term discussions about the future of border security have been top-of-mind for lawmakers after the crisis, whether it’s filling gaps at the wall or fighting back against drug cartels.

FORMER ICE CHIEF TORCHES ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ BIDEN-ERA POLICIES AS TRUMP’S DHS FINDS MIGRANT CHILDREN

“Familial DNA testing and fingerprinting have served as proven, effective tools that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can utilize to combat child trafficking, identify dangerous criminals, verify familial relationships, and protect these innocent children from exploitation,” the letter continued.

The Trump administration announced late last month that 13,000 children had been located who had “lost or unvetted sponsors,” and was nearly completed working through a 65,000-case backlog from the Biden-era border crisis. 

DHS said at the time it has led to 4,000 “investigative leads” related to possible criminal activity.

BORDER CRISIS UNDER BIDEN REVEALS SHOCKING ABUSE OF MIGRANT CHILDREN PLACED WITH UNVETTED SPONSORS: DHS

“The evil of human trafficking cannot be overstated. It’s modern-day slavery. By leaving our borders open and even encouraging people to come here illegally, Biden enabled the largest human-trafficking operation in modern history,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a July 25 statement. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to eradicate human trafficking operations targeting the United States. Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, and working together at every level of government, we can win this fight. And we will.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the letter.

“I urge you to use those funds to: (1) continue to utilize DNA verification technology—including rapid DNA testing3—to confirm familial relationships at the border; and (2) ensure that all migrants are fingerprinted upon seeking admission into the United States, including migrant children younger than 14 years of age,” Blackburn further added.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fired back after Democratic state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith decried the state’s move to nix rainbow colors from a crosswalk in Orlando near the site of the 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub that left 49 dead and others wounded.

In a video that he posted on Thursday, the state lawmaker said “the Florida Department of Transportation, in the middle of the night, ripped the rainbow colors off of this city crosswalk.”

Responding to a media outlet’s post on X which featured Smith’s video, DeSantis asserted, “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”

DESANTIS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDS GOVERNOR’S MEDAL OF FREEDOM TO JIMMY BUFFETT, POLITICIANS: ‘GREAT FLORIDIANS’

“The rainbow crosswalk was APPROVED by FDOT years ago to honor the 49 + enhance pedestrian safety for those who come to pay their respects. You looked survivors in the eye + promised they would never be forgotten– then betrayed them for political ambition. They won’t be erased,” Smith fired back in a post.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has also decried the Sunshine State’s move.

“We are devastated to learn that overnight the state painted over the Pulse Memorial crosswalk on Orange Avenue. This callous action of hastily removing part of a memorial to what was at the time our nation’s largest mass shooting, without any supporting safety data or discussion, is a cruel political act,” Dyer said in a statement issued on Thursday.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS FLORIDA FROM FURTHER EXPANSION OF ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ IMMIGRATION DETENTION FACILITY

“The City of Orlando’s safety crosswalks were all installed in close coordination with the state and adhere to national safety standards. In fact, the crosswalk that is part of the Pulse Memorial was installed by the state,” he continued.

FDOT provided Fox News Digital with a lengthy statement on Friday.

The department asserted that it must “ensure the safety and consistency of public roadways and transportation systems,” which “means ensuring our roadways are not utilized for social, political, or ideological interests.”

LONGTIME TRUMP ALLY FORMALLY SUCCEEDS WHATLEY AS REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR

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“Earlier this year, the Department completed a months-long process of updating the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) with input from representatives of state and local governments. This update included a prohibition on non-uniform traffic control devices, such as pavement markings on state and local roads,” the statement continued. “In June, FDOT notified all local governments of these updates and revised provisions of Florida Statutes that give the Department authority to withhold state funds for noncompliance. This was followed by similar policy updates from USDOT Secretary Duffy.

“Last week, local governments not in compliance for local roads began receiving notifications to bring their roadways up to state standards to ensure locals govern themselves accordingly,” FDOT added. “In addition to ensuring all local governments comply, FDOT completed a review of all state-maintained roadways and is now correcting pavement markings not in compliance. That includes street art previously installed on state right of way, such as the intersection of Orange Avenue in question.

FDOT’s statement concluded, “Transportation infrastructure is for the movement of people and goods. In this case, while the crosswalk has been restored to its proper form, local efforts are underway to construct a permanent memorial on adjacent properties funded by the State of Florida. Any attempt to suggest otherwise is false.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson criticized on Thursday what she said were the “recent tendencies” of the Supreme Court to side with the Trump administration, providing her remarks in a bitter dissent in a case related to National Institutes of Health grants.

Jackson, a Biden appointee, rebuked her colleagues for “lawmaking” on the shadow docket, where an unusual volume of fast, preliminary decisionmaking has taken place related to the hundreds of lawsuits President Donald Trump’s administration has faced.

“This is Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist. Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixed rules. We seem to have two: that one, and this Administration always wins,” Jackson wrote.

The liberal justice pointed to the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of Calvinball, which describes it as the practice of applying rules inconsistently for self-serving purposes.

WHY JUSTICE JACKSON IS A FISH OUT OF WATER ON THE SUPREME COURT

Jackson, the high court’s most junior justice, said the majority “[bent] over backwards to accommodate” the Trump administration by allowing the NIH to cancel about $783 million in grants that did not align with the administration’s priorities.

Some of the grants were geared toward research on diversity, equity and inclusion; COVID-19; and gender identity. Jackson argued the grants went far beyond that and that “life-saving biomedical research” was at stake.

“So, unfortunately, this newest entry in the Court’s quest to make way for the Executive Branch has real consequences, for the law and for the public,” Jackson wrote.

The Supreme Court’s decision was fractured and only a partial victory for the Trump administration.

TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE STRIKES DOWN ANTI-DEI MEASURES FROM EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

In a 5-4 decision greenlighting, for now, the NIH’s existing grant cancellations, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the three liberal justices. In a second 5-4 decision that keeps a lower court’s block on the NIH’s directives about the grants intact, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, sided with Roberts and the three liberals. The latter portion of the ruling could hinder the NIH’s ability to cancel future grants.

The varying opinions by the justices came out to 36 pages total, which is lengthy relative to other emergency rulings. Jackson’s dissent made up more than half of that.

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley observed in an op-ed last month a rise in “rhetoric” from Jackson, who garnered a reputation as the most vocal justice during oral arguments upon her ascension to the high court.

“The histrionic and hyperbolic rhetoric has increased in Jackson’s opinions, which at times portray her colleagues as abandoning not just the Constitution but democracy itself,” Turley said.

Barrett had sharp words for Jackson in a recent highly anticipated decision in which the Supreme Court blocked lower courts from imposing universal injunctions on the government. Barrett accused Jackson of subscribing to an “imperial judiciary” and instructed people not to “dwell” on her colleague’s dissent.

Barrett, the lone justice to issue the split decision in the NIH case, said challenges to the grants should be brought by the grant recipients in the Court of Federal Claims.

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But Barrett said “both law and logic” support that the federal court in Massachusetts does have the authority to review challenges to the guidance the NIH issued about grant money. Barrett joined Jackson and the other three in denying that portion of the Trump administration’s request, though she said she would not weigh in at this early stage on the merits of the case as it proceeds through the lower courts.

Jackson was dissatisfied with this partial denial of the Trump administration’s request, saying it was the high court’s way of preserving the “mirage of judicial review while eliminating its purpose: to remedy harms.”

Republicans in the state of Ohio, and across the country, have been rallying around freshman Sen. Jon Husted this week after Democrat Sherrod Brown, who represented Ohio in the Senate for almost 20 years before being unseated last year, announced he is running for Husted’s seat.

“Sherrod Brown’s recent announcement means Ohioans will face a clear choice in 2026,” Jon Husted for Senate Communications Director Tyson Shepard told Fox News Digital. 

“For 30 years, he has imposed Washington’s problems on Ohio, pushing radical liberal policies that have left a lasting burden on the next generation. Jon Husted offers the opposite approach, applying Ohio’s values and solutions to fix a broken Washington. The challenges our nation faces are the same ones Husted has helped our state confront and overcome, championing the values he learned growing up in northwest Ohio: hard work, personal responsibility, family, faith, freedom and patriotism.”

Republicans across the Buckeye State have echoed similar sentiments this week, expressing optimism that Husted, who was appointed to the Senate earlier this year by Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to fill the seat vacated when J.D. Vance left the Senate to become vice president, will defeat Brown next year.

GOP SENATOR REVEALS WHY TRUMP’S ‘COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT’ WILL BE CRUCIAL FOR HIS MIDTERM RACE

Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, who defeated Brown last year despite entering the race as an underdog in the polls, said on X this week, “After 50 years of living off the tax payer, losing an election by a wide margin with $300 million in out of state money, abandoning working Ohioans to be Chuck Schumer’s lap dog, and sucking up to coastal elites, it’s time for @SherrodBrown to just go away.”

“Ohio is lucky to have @SenJonHusted in the Senate!,” Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan posted on X after Brown’s announcement.

DeWine has commented on the race as well, calling Brown a “formidable” candidate but saying that he believes Husted “will win.”

Ohio Republican Congressman Max Miller told AM 1420 The Answer this week that he has “no idea what Brown is thinking getting back into this race” adding, “Men in women’s sports, open borders, selling out to China? Ohioans don’t like that.”

Republican leaders outside the state of Ohio are lining up behind Husted as well, including Senator and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott, who said about Brown on X, “We beat him once. We’ll beat him again.”

TRUMP URGES TEXAS REPUBLICANS TO SWIFTLY PASS REDISTRICTING MAPS WHILE NEWSOM, CALIFORNIA DEMS COUNTER

Support for Husted has also come from some corners of Ohio that historically would have been fond of Brown, who has championed himself as a candidate of the working class over the past 20 years, as evidenced by endorsements he received this week from the sheriff of Brown’s home county and an endorsement from the Northwest Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council (NWOBCTC), which represents 18 affiliated local unions and thousands of skilled workers across eight Ohio counties.

“More momentum for @JonHusted,” Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who ran in the Republican primary to unseat Brown last year, posted on X in response to the Northwest Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council endorsement. 

“While Sherrod Brown talks a big game his record tells a different story. He has toed the line for coastal elites focusing on their radical leftist agenda and ignoring the needs of Ohios working families. Jon actually fights for Ohio workers and this is a well earned endorsement!”

Brown, who spent over three decades representing Ohio in the House and later the Senate, was highly recruited by top national Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who made two trips to the Buckeye state to try and convince Brown to run again.

4 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN 2026 MIDTERMS TO EXPAND THEIR MAJORITY

Husted, who has served as Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, has Trump’s endorsement as he runs next year to fill the final two years of Vance’s six-year term.

“I didn’t plan to run for office again, but when I see what’s going on, I know I can do something about it for Ohio,” Brown, who served as chair of the Senate Banking Committee during his tenure in D.C., said in a campaign launch video.

Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), argued in a statement that “no one fights harder for Ohio than Sherrod Brown. From securing Ohioans’ retirement and Social Security benefits to cracking down on fentanyl from China and Mexico, Sherrod will always do what’s right for Ohioans.”

The X account belonging to the DSCC has been actively touting Brown’s announcement, labeling Brown as a candidate who is “looking out for Ohio workers’ and accusing Husted of “selling out Ohioans’” with his support for Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Ohio was once a top general election battleground state, but has turned increasingly red over the past decade. Trump carried the state by 11 points over then-Vice President Kamala Harris. But Brown outperformed the top of the ticket, losing to Moreno by less than four points.

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The party not holding the White House typically experiences strong turnout in midterm elections and Democrats are optimistic about a strong showing with Trump not on the ballot to boost Republican turnout but Republican Vivek Ramaswamy running for governor of Ohio in 2026 could help alleviate that issue along with lingering negative attitudes toward the Biden administration. 

“Having Sherrod on the ticket and asking Ohio voters who were strongly supportive of President Trump and the mission of our party, whether they want to go backwards, that’ll be a strong turnout argument for us with our party faithful in Ohio,” Ohio Republican Party Chair Alex Triantafilou told Spectrum News. “Because we cannot return to the days of Sherrod Brown and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”

Brown is the second top recruit Senate Democrats have landed this year, in addition to Gov. Roy Cooper in North Carolina, as they work to try and win back the chamber’s majority next year. The GOP currently holds a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is lauding FBI Director Kash Patel and other Trump administration officials for their promises to take down the “deep state” as federal agents raided John Bolton’s home and office.

“I don’t know what John Bolton did. Obviously, he deserves due process,” Comer told “America’s Newsroom” on Friday.

“But I do believe that Kash Patel and [Attorney General] Pam Bondi and [CIA Director] John Ratcliffe and [Director of National Intelligence] Tulsi Gabbard are serious about holding the deep state accountable for all the mistakes and all the abuses of power that we’ve witnessed from the deep state over the past decades.”

Comer pointed to Patel’s post on X early on Friday morning that said “NO ONE is above the law.”

COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’

“I think today’s a positive day. We’ll see what Bolton had in his possession,” Comer said.

Meanwhile, the chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said in a statement that he was “monitoring the situation closely.”

“While all accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, the news of this situation is incredibly troubling. Nobody is above the law,” Crawford said, adding that he was grateful for Patel and Bondi’s “professionalism” in the matter.

A spokesperson for the committee told Fox News Digital that the FBI gave Crawford, as well as the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., prior notice before executing the raid. Fox News Digital reached out to Himes’ office for comment.

LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION

Federal agents raided Bolton’s Maryland home in the early hours of Friday morning. Agents were also seen going into Bolton’s Washington, D.C., office.

A source told Fox News that the raid was related to potential classified documents in Bolton’s possession.

Bolton served as President Donald Trump’s national security advisor from April 2018 through early September 2019, during the Republican leader’s first term.

He was previously ambassador to the United Nations under former President George W. Bush, from August 2005 through December 2006.

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Since leaving the first Trump administration, however, Bolton has not shied away from criticizing the president on matters of national security and other issues.

Bolton, a lifelong Republican, made headlines in late 2024 when he announced he would not be voting for Trump in the November election, but rather writing in former Vice President Dick Cheney’s name.

Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for Rep. Robert Garia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, for a response to Comer.

EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security announced that $12 billion in savings have been made as a result of a contract review process and other cuts over the past two hundred days.

DHS says Secretary Kristi Noem is personally reviewing and signing off on or declining any contract over $100,000, resulting in a $10.7 billion reduction, the department says. She’s reviewed over 5,000 contracts and DHS says decisions are made within a day.

“It is stunning that for years, career bureaucrats were unilaterally signing off on hundred-million-dollar contracts leading to massive waste, fraud, and abuse of U.S. taxpayer dollars,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated.

DHS SAYS NOEM IS TEMPORARILY STAYING IN MILITARY HOUSING AFTER FACING ‘VICIOUS DOXXING,’ DEATH THREATS

“While lobbyists and special interests are fighting for government contracts, Secretary Noem is fighting for the American taxpayer. In less than seven months, she’s saved the U.S. taxpayer $12 billion–that’s more than $50 million a DAY since she took office,” Noem continued.

In addition, the move of “eliminating career bureaucrats” resulted in $1.3 billion in cuts, without taking out roles that had a public safety element, according to DHS.  

Another notable cut was scrapping Air Force reheatable coffee cups with a price tag of nearly $1,300 each, according to the Air Force Times.

$94 MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED TO JEWISH FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO PREVENT ‘VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM’: DHS

When it comes to money coming into the department, the recent passage of the Trump-backed reconciliation bill, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” included $165 billion toward DHS, including $46.5 billion for the southern border wall, $14.4 billion to for removing people from the U.S., $12 billion to pay back states that had to foot the bill for the border crisis, and funding for new ICE and Border Patrol agents.

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“President Trump’s signing the One Big Beautiful Bill is a win for law and order and the safety and security of the American people,” Noem said in a July 4 press release. 

“This $165 billion in funding will help the Department of Homeland Security and our brave law enforcement further deliver on President Trump’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!” she continued.

NOEM UNCOVERS AND KILLS MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR, BIDEN-ERA DEI, LGBTQ PROGRAM

As spending cuts were happening across the federal government earlier in the Trump administration under the Department of Government Efficiency, many Democrats were critical of the efforts.

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“Since hijacking the U.S. Digital Service to establish DOGE, Elon Musk’s unqualified staff have fanned out across the Federal government. They have embedded themselves within departments and agencies, including DHS, to seize sensitive data, purge civil servants, and gut programs with no regard to the critical services they provide everyday Americans,” Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a March 20 statement.

FBI agents raided the Maryland home of former National Security Advisor John Bolton on Friday morning, Fox News Digital has learned.

Fox News Digital later spotted agents at Bolton’s Washington, D.C., office removing boxes and Bolton was seen in the lobby.

The searches are focused on potential classified documents agents believe Bolton may still possess, according to one source.

Bolton, who served as President Donald Trump’s national security advisor from 2018 to 2019, is not in custody or under arrest.

BIDEN DOJ DROPS LAWSUIT AGAINST JOHN BOLTON OVER 2020 BOOK RELEASE

Federal agents reportedly busted into Bolton’s house in Bethesda, Maryland, at around 7 a.m. local time in an investigation ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, who took to X with a cryptic post minutes later. 

“NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission,” he wrote without directly referencing the raid. 

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino shared the post and wrote, “Public corruption will not be tolerated.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi also warned, “America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always.”

The probe was first launched years ago but later shut down by the Biden administration “for political reasons,” according to a senior U.S. official.

TRUMP REVOKES JOHN BOLTON’S SECRET SERVICE DETAIL AMID IRANIAN DEATH THREATS: FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR

The Justice Department under Trump’s first administration argued that Bolton’s 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” contained classified material and sought to block its publication. A federal judge ultimately allowed the book to be published.

Justice Department lawyers argued the book contained classified national security information covering areas like U.S. intelligence sources and methods, foreign policy deliberations and conversations with foreign leaders.

In June 2021, the Biden Justice Department abandoned both a criminal inquiry and civil lawsuit against Bolton over the memoir, ending the legal battle at that time.

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Bolton’s attorney said at the time that a senior career official in charge of the NSC’s prepublication review process conducted a four-month prepublication review of the book and, after requiring a number of revisions, concluded that it contained no classified information.

The book contained a damning account of the Trump White House, alleging that Trump once “pleaded” with Chinese President Xi Jinping to aid his re-election campaign, among other missteps.

Trump ousted Bolton from his first administration in 2019 because they “disagreed strongly” on policy. 

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to begin turning over documents related to Jeffrey Epstein to the House Oversight Committee Friday.

Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters Thursday that he had no timeline for when materials would be sent over, but confirmed he still expected files Friday.

Comer suggested that documents would be made public at some point after being assessed by the committee.

“We’ll work as quickly as we can…this is sensitive information,” the Kentucky Republican said in response to Fox News Digital asking about a timeline for a wide release. 

“We want to make sure we don’t do anything to harm or jeopardize any victims that were involved in this. But we’re going to be transparent. We’re doing what we said we would do. We’re getting the documents. And, I believe the White House will work with us.”

GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISIS

Comer was directed to subpoena the DOJ for materials related to Epstein’s case via a bipartisan vote by committee members last month.

The subpoena deadline, originally set for earlier this week, was moved to Friday in an effort to accommodate the Trump administration – which Comer said was complying with his request.

“There are many records in DOJ’s custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted,” Comer said on Tuesday. “I appreciate the Trump administration’s commitment to transparency and efforts to provide the American people with information about this matter.”

GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE PUSHES REDISTRICTING TO OUST STATE’S LONE HOUSE DEM

He told reporters Thursday that he believed there were “hundreds and hundreds of pages” of documents in existence.

“It’s just a matter of getting it together and reviewing it, which I’m sure the Department of Justice is doing as we speak,” Comer said.

Requested materials included all documents and communications in the DOJ’s possession relating to both Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as files “further relating or referring to human trafficking, exploitation of minors, sexual abuse, or related activity,” according to a subpoena viewed by Fox News Digital.

Documents relating specifically to the DOJ’s prosecutions of Epstein and Maxwell, Epstein’s 2007 non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida, and any materials related to Epstein’s death were requested.

Renewed furor over Epstein’s case engulfed Capitol Hill after intra-GOP fallout over the Trump administration’s handling of the matter.

The DOJ effectively declared the case closed after an “exhaustive review,” revealing Epstein had no “client list,” did not blackmail “prominent individuals,” and confirmed he did die by suicide in a New York City jail while awaiting prosecution.

In response to the backlash by some on the right, President Donald Trump and his DOJ have sought to take steps to make more information public.

Democrats seized on the backlash with newfound calls for transparency in Epstein’s case, prompting some on the right to accuse them of hypocrisy for not pushing the matter earlier.

When asked about that divide, House Oversight Committee member Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told reporters that Epstein’s case was not a priority for Democrats in the same way it was seen by the GOP.

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“I can tell you that Democrats, when they went out there and campaigned, they campaigned on costs, whether it was housing costs, whether it was food costs or whether they were campaigning on children, being able to get the education that they deserve in this country. This wasn’t a promise that we made. So this was not something that was front and center,” Crockett said. 

“I don’t see anything wrong with the fact that we were trying to do everything that we could to prevent our economy from being where it is right now. But ultimately, when people voted, they’re telling us that they voted for this particular reason. It’s important that we follow up.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment but did not hear back by press time.

An illegal immigrant who is facing three counts of vehicular homicide in Florida was extradited from California to the Sunshine State on Thursday.

“We’re here today because of tragedy. Three lives lost, three Floridians’ lives ended early,” Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins told reporters. “We’re here in California because when this tragic accident happened and three Floridian lives were lost, he fled back to California, where, in 2018, he illegally crossed the border, came here and ended up getting a commercial driver’s license, a CDL.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER ACCUSED OF KILLING THREE PEOPLE FAILED ENGLISH, ROAD SIGN TESTS: DOT

On Aug. 12, Harjinder Singh allegedly made an illegal U-turn in an unauthorized area on the Florida Turnpike, colliding with a minivan and killing three people. He was arrested in California, where he fled after the deadly crash.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) said that after the crash Singh failed English and road sign tests.

“During [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s] interview with the driver, investigators administered an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment in accordance with FMCSA guidance. The driver failed the assessment, providing correct responses to just 2 of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identifying 1 of 4 highway traffic signs,” DOT’s statement read.

DESANTIS: STATE LINE WON’T PROTECT CRIMINAL ILLEGALS; SENDS ‘CHUCK NORRIS’ DEPUTY TO NAB FUGITIVE TRUCKER

Collins did not hold back in his criticism of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s immigration policies during a news conference in the Golden State. 

“How many more lives have to be lost because of Gavin Newsom’s failed policies? How many more lives have to be lost because of fentanyl, because of gangs, because of rampant disregard for American citizens?” he asked.

He also questioned how California could have issued the CDL to someone who “didn’t have basic English proficiency” and “didn’t know the road signs.”

During the news conference, Collins responded to a charge from Newsom that he was there for media attention, calling it “a bunch of hogwash.” He then took the opportunity to blast Newsom, saying that he doesn’t understand “the first thing about leadership.”

“I am out here answering questions in California because I believe in protecting our citizenry that much,” Collins said.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF KILLING 3 IN FLORIDA HIGHWAY CRASH CROSSED BORDER INTO CALIFORNIA IN 2018: DHS

Singh crossed into the U.S. illegally in 2018 through the southern border and was able to obtain a CDL in California. The first Trump administration rejected his request for work authorization in September 2020, according to Tricia McLaughlin, Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs.  

McLaughlin has tangled with Newsom in recent days as the two argue over responsibility.

“Hey, genius: the federal government (TRUMP ADMIN) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements – YOU issued him a work permit (EAD). As usual, the Trump Administration is either lying or clueless,” Newsom’s office said in a post on X after being criticized by McLaughlin.

EXPERT REVEALS HOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER MAY HAVE GOTTEN COMMERCIAL LICENSE BEFORE FATAL FLORIDA CRASH

McLaughlin fired back saying the claim was “false” and that Singh’s work authorization was rejected in September 2020.

“It was later approved under the Biden Administration [on] June 9, 2021. The state of California issues Commercial Driver’s Licenses. There is no national CDL,” McLaughlin wrote.

A spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital that Singh was reissued a work permit on April 9, and once again blamed Trump.

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Collins vowed that Florida would ensure Singh is “brought to justice,” echoing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ sentiment.

“Fleeing to a sanctuary state will not prevent him from facing justice in Florida, and we will make sure of that. He will be held accountable for his criminal actions,” DeSantis told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. 

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca, Charles Creitz and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump threatened a full “Federal takeover of” the nation’s capital, accusing Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser of disseminating “inaccurate crime figures.” 

In an early Friday morning post on Truth Social, the president declared, “Washington, D.C. is SAFE AGAIN! The crowds are coming back, the spirit is high, and our D.C. National Guard and Police are doing a fantastic job. They are out in force, and are NOT PLAYING GAMES!!! As bad as it sounds to say, there were no murders this week for the first time in memory. 

“Mayor Muriel Bowser must immediately stop giving false and highly inaccurate crime figures, or bad things will happen, including a complete and total Federal takeover of the City! Washington D.C. will soon be great again!!!” he added.

DOJ INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE DC CRIME DATA MANIPULATION AMID TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON VIOLENCE

Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office early on Friday morning to request a comment from Bowser.

Trump has mounted a bid to crack down on crime in D.C.

Last week he issued an order directing the mayor “provide the services of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes” and issued a memorandum directing the Defense Secretary “to mobilize the District of Columbia National Guard and order members to active service” to tackle the city’s crime problem.

TRUMP JOINS POLICE AND MILITARY FORCES IN WASHINGTON STREETS

President Trump previously threatened a federal takeover in D.C in a Truth Social post earlier this month.

“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore,” he declared in part of an Aug. 5 post.

Back in August of 2023 when President Joe Biden was still in office, Trump promoted the idea, noting in a post that he was “CALLING FOR A FEDERAL TAKEOVER OF THIS FILTHY AND CRIME RIDDEN EMBARRASSMENT TO OUR NATION, WHERE MURDERS HAVE JUST SHATTERED THE ALL TIME RECORD, OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES HAVE NEVER NEEN [sic] WORSE, AND TOURISTS HAVE FLED.”

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SCREAMS DURING VIRAL DC ARREST: ‘WHAT I VOTED FOR’

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“Violent crime in DC is at its lowest level in 30 years,” Mayor Muriel Bowser asserted in social media posts last week. “We had an unacceptable spike in 2023, so we changed our laws and strategies. Now, crime levels are not only down from 2023, but from before the pandemic. Our tactics are working, and we aren’t taking our foot off the gas.”

Vice President JD Vance touted the gospel of President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” in Peachtree City, Georgia — and continued to take shots at those from the state who opposed the measure. 

Vance’s visit to Georgia comes as he has visited several key districts around the country and has lauded the “big, beautiful bill” while Republicans seek to preserve their slim House majority and potentially pick up a few seats in the high-stakes 2026 midterm elections.

The domestic policy bill included key provisions to permanently establish individual and business tax breaks included in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and incorporated new tax deductions to cut duties on tips and overtime pay.

VANCE WARNS OF ‘PENALTY’ FOR DEMS WHO OPPOSED THE ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

“If you’re working hard every single day right here in the United States, or if you’re building a business right here in the United States, you ought to have a tax code that rewards you, instead of punishing you,” Vance said Thursday. “And that’s what happened when we passed the working families tax cut just a couple of months ago.”

All Democrats and five Republicans in both the House and the Senate voted against the massive measure — including Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia. However, Trump signed it into law July 4. As a result, Vance took aim at Ossoff during his visit. 

“While Jon Ossoff pretends to be a moderate when he comes to Atlanta, he is a far-left liberal in Washington, D.C., and that’s the only place that it actually counts if you’re a United States senator,” Vance said. “So why don’t we ask Jon Ossoff, why did you vote to raise taxes? Why did you vote to keep illegal aliens on Medicaid? Why did you vote to bankrupt Medicare?”

In July, Vance visited Canton, Ohio, and said that anyone who opposed the “big, beautiful bill” should face consequences ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Among those who voted against the measure in Ohio was Rep. Emilia Sykes, who represents the city. 

“Anybody who voted against it, I think they ought to pay a penalty,” Vance said July 28. “Because they voted against all those great things for the people of Akron and the people of Northeastern Ohio.”

TRUMP SIGNS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL’ BILL IN SWEEPING VICTORY FOR SECOND TERM AGENDA, OVERCOMING DEMS AND GOP REBELS

Vance faces a similar situation in Georgia, where Ossoff has voiced criticism of the measure and is up for reelection in 2026. Critics of Trump’s tax and domestic policy measures have pointed to Medicaid and SNAP reforms included in the bill, which reports suggest would remove millions of beneficiaries from the programs.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Ossoff referred Fox News Digital to the senator’s comments at a press conference Thursday, where he cited a local news report claiming that the CEO of a Georgia hospital said it must cut millions from its budget due to Trump’s bill. 

JD VANCE POISED TO CLINCH VICTORY FOR TRUMP’S LANDMARK BILL AS GOP FINALIZES STRATEGY

“I think it is embarrassing for the Vice President to be coming to Georgia to sell a policy that is already resulting in harm to hospitals in the state of Georgia, that’s projected to throw more than 100,000 people off of health care in the state of Georgia,” Ossoff said. “Just this week, Evans Memorial Hospital in Southeast Georgia said that because of the bill that the Vice President is here to defend, they’re going to have a $3.5 million financial hole next year. That hospital here in Georgia is now warning that they may have to cut the ICU.”

A Fox News poll released in July found a majority of voters oppose the “big, beautiful bill.” The poll, conducted between July 18 and July 21, found that 58% of all registered voters oppose the measure, while 39% approve of it. 

No Democrats supported the “big, beautiful bill,” along with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

Social media erupted on Wednesday and Thursday after an illegal immigrant was arrested in Washington, D.C., on child sex crime charges in a video that’s gone viral.

Mexican national David Perez-Teofani exited his vehicle when officers approached him, and he was tackled when he tried to make a break for it, according to the video from an NBC Washington reporter.

In the video, he’s heard yelling in Spanish while being held on the ground.

ICE LODGES DETAINER AGAINST ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING, SEXUALLY ASSAULTING NEIGHBOR IN TEXAS

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin explained what happened, saying the individual allegedly entered the country illegally three times, had a final order of removal and was arrested in Fairfax County in January.

“Yes this illegal alien from Mexico was previously arrested in January 2024 in Fairfax County for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13. Glad he is off of Washington DC’s streets thanks to [President] Trump, [Noem] and [ICE],” she posted to X.

The video made rounds on the app with a wide range of reactions.

“Turns out he IS a criminal…,” actor Dean Cain, who recently announced he’s joining ICE, posted on X.

DHS SCOOPS UP TRANS ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH HEINOUS CRIME ON CHILD IN SANCTUARY CITY: ‘WORST OF THE WORST’

“Are we supposed to be offended by this? He entered the country illegally three times. When he tried to flee, he was subdued with reasonable force. Seems like textbook law enforcement,” lawyer Matt Martens wrote.

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“Every time,” lawyer Payton Alexander posted with an image showing the charges.

“He’s an illegal alien from Mexico who was previously arrested in January 2024 in Fairfax County for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13. So yes, this is what I voted for,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson wrote.

DHS ARRESTS FIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF SERIOUS CRIMES, INCLUDING MURDER AND CHILD ABUSE

On the flip side, others expressed concerns with the clip, perhaps before knowing the additional context.

“Also curious on what grounds they approached him in the first place,” one user wrote.

“Fascism is here, folks. We have arrived. This is no longer a cautionary tale or a fate we can avoid. We are a fascist state,” “On Democracy” podcast host Fred Wellman wrote.

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“I do wonder how the images of people screaming and crying out that they just want to work and take care of their families, while being tackled and dragged away by masked men comport with anybody’s vision of a safer city. Unusual times,” another user posted.

Many of the arrests in the nation’s capital have been immigration-related since the federal takeover was announced earlier this month.

“We’ve now made a total of 630 arrests and seized 86 illegal guns in DC. 53 arrests were made yesterday, plus 24 ICE arrests and 10 guns taken off the streets. Our incredible [U.S. Marshals Service] even helped recover a missing child. Our mission to make DC safe again isn’t slowing down,” Attorney General Pam Bondi tweeted on Thursday.

Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins on Thursday blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom for the deaths of three Floridians, allegedly caused when an illegal immigrant trucker who obtained a CDL in California made an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike and struck a van.

Collins declared his visit to California “isn’t business as usual” as he prepared to depart for Tallahassee with Indian national Harjinder Singh in tow.

Collins claimed Newsom is the culprit for systemic issues, particularly on the illegal immigration front, that he said led to Singh wrecking in St. Lucie County Aug. 12.

“I don’t want to be here today. We’re here today because of tragedy. Three Floridians’ lives ended early. “Three lives lost because of Gavin Newsom, because of California’s failed policies. We’re done with that s—.”

DESANTIS: STATE LINE WON’T PROTECT CRIMINAL ILLEGALS; SENDS ‘CHUCK NORRIS’ DEPUTY TO NAB FUGITIVE TRUCKER

Collins said Singh illegally crossed the border, got a CDL in California and later could only answer three of 16 questions properly due to English illiteracy when he was interrogated by Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) following the deadly crash.

“That thug fled back here because he knew these policies would defend him.”

Collins spoke of allegations against Singh in the broader context of illegal immigrants putting citizens in danger.

“How many more lives have to be lost because of Gavin Newsom’s failed policies? How many more lives have to be lost because of fentanyl, because of gangs, because of rampant disregard for American citizens?” Collins said.

“The fact of the matter is Gavin Newsom continues to care more about tweets and what goes out on social media than taking care of the American citizens and the citizens of California.”

In recent days, Newsom’s press office’s official X feed has mimicked the “ALL CAPS,” stream-of-consciousness style and at times verbiage — like “your favorite governor” — of President Donald Trump’s Truth Social posts.

Newsom returned fire on X, with his press office’s account claiming Florida “let a murder suspect walk.”

“California police had to step in and arrest him, and now Florida’s new LG is staging a photo op to pick him up.”

In comments to Fox News Digital, Newsom spokeswoman Diana Crofts-Pelayo rejected Collins’ claims.

“So, let’s get this straight: Florida let a murder suspect walk, California police had to step in and arrest him and now Florida’s new LG is staging a photo op to pick him up?” Crofts-Pelayo said.

ILLEGAL TRUCKER ‘DEPORTED HIMSELF TO CA,’ LAWMAKER SAYS, WHILE REVEALING SYSTEMIC CRISIS IN TRANSPORTATION

“The guy who lost to Mickey Mouse is now proving that California’s so-called ‘sanctuary’ laws actually work. Thanks, Ron,” Crofts-Pelayo said.

Newsom’s account went on to call DeSantis “Meatball Ron” and claim he “lost to Mickey Mouse” in an apparent reference to the battle over the “Reedy Creek Improvement District” in which Walt Disney World sits. The district has special authorizations to self-govern in some ways, including maintaining its own highway network.

“[DeSantis] is now proving that California’s so-called ‘sanctuary’ laws actually work. Thanks, Governor.”

Collins, whom Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dubbed “The Chuck Norris of Florida Politics” for his eagerness to go into dangerous or tenuous situations like retrieving Singh as well as Jewish Americans trapped in Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack, said he was out of his element in the Golden State but undeterred from the mission at hand.

“This isn’t politics as usual. I am not your run-of-the-mill lieutenant governor,” Collins told reporters at Stockton Airport, south of Sacramento.

“In the words of what I would say, some left-leaning Californians, I don’t identify as a politician. I identify as a God-fearing, gun-loving, freedom-defending, one-legged, retired Green Beret,” said Collins, a former Tampa state senator who lost his leg in the War on Terror.

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Collins claimed Newsom had said he only came to California for the media attention.

“What a bunch of hogwash. I don’t think he understands the first thing about leadership. Leadership is getting on the ground and saying the hard things,” Collins said, quipping California is not a Florida Republican’s “home turf.”

The reliably liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the West Coast handed the Department of Homeland Security a win on Wednesday after a panel of judges ruled to allow DHS to revoke refugee status for illegal immigrants from three key countries.

The judges unanimously sided with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who had been sued by a group called the National TPS Alliance over the July revocation of TPS for Honduran, Nicaraguan and Nepalese migrants.

Noem’s chief spokeswoman remarked that TPS in its name is supposed to be temporary and made a reference to the “unvetted immigration” aspect of the program.

“This is yet another huge legal victory for the Trump administration, the rule of law, safety of the American public. Temporary Protected Status was always meant to be just that: temporary,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.

VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS, PROGRESSIVE GROUP SUE TRUMP ADMIN AFTER NOEM NIXES BIDEN-ERA ‘PROTECTED STATUS’

“TPS was never meant to be a de facto asylum system, yet that is how previous administrations have used it for decades while allowing hundreds of thousands of foreigners into the country without proper vetting. This unanimous decision will help restore integrity to our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe.”

Temporary Protected Status, a formal designation within the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990, prescribes that people from countries facing armed conflict or environmental disasters may be present in the U.S. for a short time.

Such migrants can obtain work and travel authorization and are protected from deportation for as long as the federal government decides.

Tens of thousands of migrants collectively depended on that particular granting of TPS. DHS has also worked to revoke a separate designation for Venezuelan migrants.

FED COURT OF APPEALS GRANTS TRUMP ADMIN PAUSE ON PROTECTIONS FOR 60K IMMIGRANTS

Originally, a lower court in July blunted DHS’ effort to rescind TPS for Nicaraguan, Nepalese and Honduran migrants for a four-month period, so the court could fully investigate the case.

The three-judge panel then intervened Wednesday. There are about 60,000 migrants who fall under this particular TPS group, according to CBS News.

On Thursday, the American Civil Liberties Union collected several comments from TPS holders from the affected countries, expressing a mix of outrage and worry over the move.

“I am heartbroken by the court’s decision. I’ve lived in the U.S. for years, and my kids are U.S. citizens and have never even been to Nepal,” said Sandhya Lama, a Nepalese TPS holder. 

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“We are not an ‘emergency.’ We are families, workers and neighbors who have built our lives here. Despite this setback, we will continue to fight for justice. This decision will not silence us. Our voices will be heard.”

“I can’t believe that the government wants to rip away my legal status and separate me from my child. I have not been to Honduras since I was a baby,” added Jhony Silva, a Honduran native and plaintiff in the case.

A 19-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he rammed his truck into an agent and government vehicles during an immigration operation in San Diego.

The case comes the same week another illegal immigrant, Harjinder Singh, was accused in a Florida crash that killed three people, underscoring renewed scrutiny of Biden-era immigration enforcement.

According to an ICE statement, the illegal, Rolando Nava Pacheco, is facing up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines for striking a federal agent and government vehicles in an attempt to flee.

FLORIDA OFFICIAL SLAMS CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM AFTER DEADLY CRASH INVOLVING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DRIVER

Homeland Security agents stopped Pacheco during an immigration operation in San Diego for suspected immigration violations on Aug. 11. According to a DOJ statement, after the federal agents identified themselves as law enforcement, Pacheco attempted to flee by accelerating his white truck and striking an agent and a government vehicle.

The DOJ statement says the agents “verbally announced themselves as federal agents and requested identification from (the) vehicle’s driver.”

“As the white truck recklessly tried to flee the area, a federal agent driving a government vehicle attempted to block the path of the white truck,” the DOJ statement said.

As a result, “the driver of the white truck proceeded to strike the federal agent’s vehicle head on.”

Pacheco is now facing charges of assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury and destruction of federal property.

Fox News Digital reached out to Pacheco’s attorney for comment.

Patrick Divver, San Diego field office director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, commented that the operation “demonstrates the commitment of ERO officers to enforcing federal immigration laws and protecting public safety.

“Despite the challenges encountered, our officers remain dedicated to carrying out their duties with professionalism,” he said.

TRUMP EXPANDS DEPORTATION DEALS AS MORE COUNTRIES AGREE TO TAKE MIGRANTS

“The arrest of this individual for assaulting our officers or agents underscores our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the safety of law enforcement personnel and holding offenders accountable,” said Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson.

“We will not tolerate violence against law enforcement, and we are resolute in our pursuit of justice,” added Gibson.

This comes as another illegal Indian national, Harjinder Singh, is accused of causing a crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, that killed three people.

Singh, who crossed into the United States illegally in 2018 via the southern border, obtained a commercial driver’s license in California. He attempted to obtain work authorization, but it was rejected by the first Trump administration on Sept. 14, 2020, according to Tricia McLaughlin, Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs.

TRUMP DEPORTATION POLICIES SPOOK PENNSYLVANIA CITY INTO SCRAPPING IMMIGRANT PROTECTION VOTE

The Department of Transportation said in a statement that Singh failed his English proficiency and road signs tests, “providing correct responses to just 2 of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identifying 1 of 4 highway traffic signs.”

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According to the DOT, Singh was issued a regular full-term commercial driver’s license in the state of Washington in July 2023, but illegal immigrants are not allowed to obtain this type of license. 

A year later, Singh was issued a limited-term/non-domiciled commercial driver’s license in California. The DOT is investigating further whether the issuance of that license followed federal regulations. 

According to a new study by Pew Research, the illegal immigrant population in the United States reached a record 14 million in 2023 under the Biden administration.  

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

A day after a local news outlet exposed an Eric Adams aide for allegedly handing a reporter a wad of cash stuffed inside a bag of potato chips, a handful of folks from Adams’ inner circle, including one of his former top advisers, have been indicted in their own alleged bribery scandal. 

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced four new indictments Thursday, alleging a pay-to-play scheme and other charges against multiple Adams’ associates, including one of his former chief advisers and her son, local business owners and two of Adams’ reported political donors.

Meanwhile, in light of the news, Adams’ opponent in the upcoming race for New York City mayor, Andrew Cuomo, took a jab at Adams Thursday when he handed out bags of chips to reporters at a press conference. 

“Sometimes a bag of chips is just a bag of chips,” Cuomo told those in attendance.

ADAMS, CUOMO TRADE JABS IN INTERVIEWS AS DEMS-TURNED-INDEPENDENTS COURT ANTI-MAMDANI VOTE

“Frankly, it is embarrassing for the City of New York,” Cuomo, who is no stranger to scandals, added Thursday.

The fresh corruption-related allegations follow an incident Wednesday, when, according to local New York City paper The City, one of Adams’ aides, who has since been suspended, allegedly attempted to give money to one of its reporters hidden inside a bag of potato chips. The now-suspended Adams adviser, Winnie Greco, later called the move a “mistake,” according to The City.  

The indictments Thursday alleged a former chief adviser to Adams, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who resigned in 2024 amid other accusations related to a different pay-to-play scheme, received $75,000 in bribes between March 2022 and November 2024. 

Among the alleged bribes was a $50,000 cash payment “diverted from a City contract and other benefits” that was directed to her son’s bank account, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Other allegations laid out in the indictments include improper steering of government contracts and policy decisions spurred by monetary incentives.

ERIC ADAMS HIT WITH ACCUSATION OF OPERATING ‘CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY’ AT NYPD

“We allege that Ingrid Lewis-Martin engaged in classic bribery conspiracies that had a deep and wide-ranging impact on city government,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “As alleged, Lewis-Martin consistently overrode the expertise of public servants so she could line her own pockets.”

On Thursday, after news of the indictments, an Adams’ spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, contended the mayor “has not been accused of any wrongdoing.”  

“While Ingrid Lewis-Martin no longer works for this administration, she has been a friend and colleague of the mayor for over 40 years, and he knows her as a devoted public servant; she has declared her innocence, and his prayers are with her and her family,” Shapiro added. 

“Mayor Adams also recognizes that Jesse Hamilton has pleaded not guilty, and like anyone accused, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. His commitment to New Yorkers is unwavering. No distraction will ever take his eyes off the ball or his dedication to this great city we all call home.”

Despite Shapiro’s claims that Adams was not involved, the mayor’s opponents in his upcoming race to keep his position have capitalized on the incident.

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“While New Yorkers struggle to afford the most expensive city in America, Eric Adams and his administration are too busy tripping over corruption charges to come to their defense,” the Democratic Party candidate for New York City mayor, self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani, said Thursday. 

“Corruption isn’t just about what a politician gains, it’s about what the public loses. And right now, New Yorkers are paying the price as another flurry of indictments continue to erode their trust in our democracy and distract from the affordability crisis that demands action and urgency.”

Cuomo, who has not been the subject of any major bribery scandals himself, did resign from his position as governor amid numerous sexual assault allegations in 2021. He called the latest incidents involving Adams and his confidants “sad,” “embarrassing” and “depressing.” 

“We were talking about how people feel frustrated with government, and alienated from government and that government isn’t working for them. And, then, there seems to be this never-ending series of government corruption that just continues,” Cuomo said Thursday. 

“And it’s sad. It’s embarrassing. It’s depressing. And then you wonder why people don’t believe in government.”

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

–Boasberg cleared to rule on CECOT migrant deportations after appeals court decision

-Trump reveals plan to patrol Washington streets with police and military forces

-Ex-Biden spokesman who called mental fitness doubts a ‘conspiracy’ only met with him twice: Comer

Newsom’s ‘Failures’ Under Fire as Florida Extradites Crash Suspect

An illegal immigrant who is facing three counts of vehicular homicide in Florida was extradited from California to the Sunshine State on Thursday.

“We’re here today because of tragedy. Three lives lost, three Floridians’ lives ended early,” Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins told reporters. “We’re here in California because when this tragic accident happened and three Floridian lives were lost, he fled back to California, where, in 2018, he illegally crossed the border, came here and ended up getting a commercial driver’s license, a CDL.”…Read more

White House

DUTY CALLS: Trump’s tariff revenue has skyrocketed in just a few months, soaring past 2024 levels

PAPER TRAIL: Biden’s auto-pen pardons disturbed DOJ brass, docs show, raising questions whether they are legally binding

POWER TO THE PARENTS: Trump Department of Education rolls out latest step to expand school choice nationwide

‘TOTAL VICTORY’: NY appeals court throws out $500M penalty against Trump in Letitia James civil case

World Stage

STRATEGIC BETRAYAL: India strengthening ties with China, Russia after steep US tariffs

Capitol Hill

‘SO DESPERATE’: Jasmine Crockett disparages MAGA voters, Trump as ‘most unpatriotic people’

Across America 

HEALTHCARE HUSTLE: Trump-aligned legal group probes Biden-era organ transplant program over ethical concerns

ICE HEAT: Trump deportation policies spook Pennsylvania city into scrapping immigrant protection vote

BALLOTING BATTLE: Swing-state gov slams Trump plan to nix mail-in voting: He ‘can sign whatever the hell he wants’

BACKFIRED: Expert turns tables on key Mamdani claim about his policing platform: ‘So much wrong’

CALL OF DUTY: Pentagon taps civilian employees to assist Trump administration immigration enforcement

BATTLE LINES: Newsom, California Democrats move to counter Texas redistricting with partisan map

FEDS TAKE CHARGE: Trump admin assigns military attorneys to prosecute DC crimes amid federal crackdown

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

The Trump administration scored a major victory at the Supreme Court Thursday as the justices, in a 5-4 order, cleared his administration to slash more than $783 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants tied to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, LGBTQ issues and other hot-button areas.

The unsigned majority order said NIH “may proceed with terminating existing grants” while leaving in place a partial block on issuing new directives. 

The move delivers a political win for Trump’s broader push to roll back DEI programs across the federal government.

TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE STRIKES DOWN ANTI-DEI MEASURES FROM EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

The decision overturns rulings by lower courts that had blocked the cuts. In June, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley of Massachusetts called the administration’s actions “arbitrary and capricious” and said NIH had “failed to provide a reasoned explanation” for cutting grants midstream. The First Circuit upheld her injunction in July, setting up Trump’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Justice Department argued in its July 24 filing that leaving the injunction in place “forces NIH to continue funding projects inconsistent with agency priorities” and warned the order “intrudes on NIH’s core discretion to decide how best to allocate limited research funds.”

Opponents framed the cuts as ideological. The American Public Health Association warned that “halting these grants would devastate biomedical research across the country, disrupting clinical trials and delaying urgently needed discoveries” and said “the administration has offered no scientific basis for these cancellations — only ideology.” 

FEDERAL JUDGE SLAPS TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER ON MISSISSIPPI DEI BAN

A coalition of Democrat-led states led by Massachusetts argued that “patients should not be collateral damage in a political fight.”

News outlets stressed the stakes of Thursday’s decision. The Associated Press described the ruling as the Court letting Trump cut $783 million in research funding “in an anti-DEI push.” Reuters reported that “the Supreme Court in a 5–4 order cleared the way for the Trump administration to cut diversity-related NIH grants, though it left in place part of the ruling blocking new restrictions.”

Research groups warned of the cuts’ fallout. The Association of American Universities said the cuts “risk chilling scientific inquiry by discouraging researchers from pursuing politically sensitive topics.” 

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Scientists cautioned the decision could derail progress on diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, even as the broader legal fight continues in the First Circuit and may return to the Supreme Court.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said “effective immediately” he would pause the issuance of worker visas for commercial drivers after an illegal immigrant truck driver allegedly caused a crash that killed three people in Florida. 

In a post on X, Rubio cited public safety for the move. 

“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” he wrote. 

BLUE STATE INVESTIGATES HOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER GOT LICENSE BEFORE DEADLY FLORIDA CRASH

Concerns about foreign workers driving commercial trucks began after Harjinder Singh, 28, who entered the U.S. illegally, was driving a commercial truck with a trailer on the Florida Turnpike in Fort Pierce when he allegedly attempted a U-turn in an unauthorized area.

The turn resulted in the trailer jackknifing and colliding with a minivan, which left all three of the minivan’s passengers dead, authorities said. 

Further scrutiny of Singh revealed that he didn’t pass English and road tests before obtaining a commercial driver’s license.

EXPERT REVEALS HOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER MAY HAVE GOTTEN COMMERCIAL LICENSE BEFORE FATAL FLORIDA CRASH

He was granted a full-term commercial driver’s license in Washington in July 2023, despite not being legally eligible. He was also given a limited-term commercial driver’s license in California in 2024.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have been in a heated war of words with the Trump administration over Singh. 

This week, Newsom’s press office said on X that Singh obtained a work permit during President Donald Trump‘s first term. 

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Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, responded, saying Singh was denied in September 2020, under Trump, but was granted one in June 2021, under the Biden administration. 

Singh has been extradited to Florida from California to face three counts of vehicular homicide.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons vowed to “flood” Boston with agents after Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu doubled down on her pledge to uphold the city’s sanctuary policies and resist the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

Speaking on the local radio program “The Howie Carr Show,” Lyons responded to Wu by saying, “Now you’re going to see more ICE agents come to Boston to make sure that we take these public safety threats out that she wants to let go back into the communities.”

He pointed to the Trump administration’s “Operation Patriot,” which surged federal agents in the Boston area in March and yielded over a thousand arrests.

“We are going to keep doing it in Boston,” he said. “We’re going to continue to do our mission. We’re going to keep making Boston safe as she’s failing to do with these sanctuary city policies.”

LARGEST EVER ICE OPERATION RESULTS IN NEARLY 1,500 ILLEGALS ARRESTED IN BLUE STATE

Pressed on whether ICE will surge agents to the Boston area, similar to how agents are currently in Washington, D.C., Lyons responded, “100 percent you will see a larger ICE presence.”

“We’re definitely going to, as you’ve heard the saying, flood the zone, especially in sanctuary jurisdictions,” he went on. “And obviously Boston and Massachusetts decided that they wanted to stay sanctuaries and sanctuary does not mean safer streets it means more criminal aliens out and about in neighborhoods.”

Lyons pointed out that during Operation Patriot, ICE pursued “targeted enforcement operations” of criminal aliens released by the city of Boston and Massachusetts.  

Operation Patriot resulted in the arrest of nearly 1,500 illegal immigrants, including murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and child sex predators.

Sources at ICE told Fox News that 790 of those arrested had criminal convictions or charges, and 277 had final removal or deportation orders. The sources said that all the targeted criminals were roaming the streets of Massachusetts cities freely before being apprehended.

BIKE-RIDING YOUTHS TERRORIZE DEM-RUN CITY AS MOBS SWARM ROADS, WHILE MAYOR STAYS SILENT ON CHAOS

The operation ran throughout May and involved ICE teams from other states in the Northeast, as well as authorities from the FBI, DEA, and ATF.

Speaking on Wednesday, Lyons said, “There’s so many of these criminal aliens that keep getting released to go out and commit more crimes that local law enforcement have to deal with and we can take that, you know, violent criminal illegal alien instantly out of the neighborhood.”

This follows U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi setting a deadline of Tuesday for sanctuary jurisdictions to drop their policies that block cooperation with federal authorities.

Speaking on Fox Business, Bondi said she sent letters to 32 mayors and seven governors, “telling them you better comply or you’re next.”

Bondi highlighted a letter she sent to California Gov. Gavin Newsom in which she warned that “individuals operating under the color of law, using their official position to obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts and facilitating or inducing illegal immigration may be subject to criminal charges.”

SANCTUARY CITIES DEFY BONDI’S DEADLINE TO COOPERATE: ‘NO INTENTION OF CHANGING’

The letter, shared on social media, said cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including on immigration enforcement, “is vital to enforce federal law and protect national security.”

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Wu publicly rejected Bondi’s demands during a press conference, calling the ultimatum a political stunt.

“Stop attacking our cities to hide your administration’s failures. Unlike the Trump administration, Boston follows the law,” Wu said Tuesday. “This is our city. This is our country, and I’m so proud and grateful to show the world who our community is here in Boston and what we’re made of.”

In response to Lyons’ comments, Wu’s office shared a statement from the mayor who was answering another reporter’s question. Wu reiterated, “In Boston, we comply and follow all of the laws, city, state and federal. And we will not back down from communities that have made us the safest major city in the country. 

“This is a beautiful, diverse, incredible city and I have said it now very directly this administration needs to stop attacking cities to hide their own failures,” she added. 

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Madison Colombo contributed to this report.