NationalWatch

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadorian migrant erroneously deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador, was beaten and psychologically tortured while detained in the country, according to court filings – one of many disclosures revealed just days before a major hearing in Maryland.

The status hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland, is all but certain to reignite a closely watched legal fight over Abrego Garcia and his legal status in the U.S., which is currently playing out separately in two federal courts. 

In a new court filing submitted to U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, Abrego Garcia’s lawyers outlined a long list of abuses their client was subjected to at the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, a notorious anti-terrorism prison in El Salvador, including sleep deprivation, psychological torture and severe beatings. 

These abuses allegedly began the moment the migrants arrived at the prison in March. There, they were greeted by a prison guard who said, “Welcome to CECOT. Whoever enters here, doesn’t leave.”

TRUMP’S REMARKS COULD COME BACK TO BITE HIM IN ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION BATTLE

According to court documents, Abrego Garcia was immediately frog-marched to his cell by prison guards, who kicked him with boots and struck him with wooden batons along the way, leaving visible bumps and bruises across his body. 

He and other detainees in the cell slept on metal mattresses, with minimal access to food and satiation. They were also forced to kneel for approximately nine hours, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., “with guards striking anyone who fell from exhaustion.” 

Abrego Garcia’s physical condition deteriorated quickly – within two weeks, his lawyers said, he lost roughly 31 pounds. 

He was also psychologically tortured and received threats of violence during his time at CECOT, according to the filing, where prison guards repeatedly told him they would transfer him to other prison cells housing violent gang members, whom they assured him would “tear” him apart.

In fact, the filing said, Abrego Garcia “repeatedly observed prisoners in nearby cells” violently harm one another “with no intervention from guards or personnel.”

“Screams from nearby cells would similarly ring out throughout the night without any response from prison guards or personnel,” they said.

The filing, in part, appears to undercut administration officials’ repeated assertions that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang – noting that prison officials at CECOT “explicitly acknowledged” his tattoos “were not gang-related,” and told him, “your tattoos are fine.”

RETURNED SALVADORAN MIGRANT KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA ARRAIGNED ON FEDERAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING CHARGES IN TENNESSE

The eye-popping conditions at CECOT described in the filing are among several issues expected to come to a head Monday, when Judge Xinis holds a hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland.

There, she will consider a flurry of recent motions from both the Trump administration and Abrego Garcia’s legal team – including a government motion to dismiss the case as moot, and a request from plaintiffs to sanction officials for allegedly failing to facilitate his return to the U.S.

His lawyers claim the case is not moot, because Xinis can still order his return to Maryland. They asked this week that she order him back to the district from Tennessee, where he was sent upon his return to the U.S. to face criminal charges. They also requested that Xinis block Abrego Garcia’s possible removal from the U.S. without prior notification, pointing to statements from the Trump administration.

“Defendants have repeatedly stated their intent to remove Mr. Abrego Garcia to a third country,” his lawyers said in a Wednesday filing, adding that he could face “persecution or torture if removed directly to various other countries,” including Libya, South Sudan and Eritrea, which are notorious for human rights abuses. 

Adding to the complexity of the matter is the separate criminal case playing out in Tennessee. 

The federal judge overseeing that case on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to comply with rules prohibiting Justice Department and DHS officials from making any public statements about Abrego Garcia that could potentially prejudice a jury or impact the integrity of the court proceedings.

US JUDGE BLASTS TRUMP LAWYERS FOR 11TH-HOUR TACTICS IN MS-13 DEPORTATION CASE

Lawyers for Abrego Garcia told the judge there in a separate filing Wednesday night that the Trump administration has, for months, made “extensive and inflammatory extrajudicial comments about [Abrego] that are likely to prejudice his right to a fair trial,” including “relentlessly” attacking his character and reputation – claiming he is a “gang member, human trafficker, and serial domestic abuser,” and referring to him as a criminal on three dozen occasions after his indictment, despite the fact he has not yet had a trial. 

They noted that U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes, the judge overseeing the criminal case, previously ordered his release pending trial, citing a lack of evidence and “double hearsay” presented by the government in his June arraignment. 

“Thus far, the government’s unabated public disparagement of Mr. Abrego has far outpaced its ability to muster actual evidence, notwithstanding its extraordinary efforts to conjure up such evidence,” they said.

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The next steps here remain deeply uncertain, given the complexity of the cases, and the dual nature of the civil and criminal cases. 

Xinis has previously signaled frustration and impatience with the Trump administration for slow-walking certain requests, or failing to comply with discovery requests from the court. 

She chastised Justice Department lawyers on more than one occasion for what she described as their “vague, evasive and incomplete” responses, which she suggested demonstrate “willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations.”

The two parties will appear in court on Monday at 11 a.m.

U.S. Rep. Mark Green‘s last day in office will be July 20, Fox News has learned.

Green, a Republican from Tennessee, previously announced his intention to resign after the vote on President Donald Trump‘s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

The retired U.S. Army officer voted in favor of Trump’s spending bill, sending it to the president’s desk.

Following his last vote, Green posted to X to share his thoughts.

TRUMP REACTS TO TILLIS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION, SENDS WARNING TO ‘COST CUTTING REPUBLICANS’

“Today was my last vote in Congress,” he wrote. “My time here started with a fire to serve veterans, it continued with leading the historic impeachment of a cabinet secretary, and now it ends with achieving real border security. I am grateful my last vote was for the one Big Beautiful Bill.”

TILLIS’ RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT DRAWS REACTIONS FROM TRUMP CRITIC JEFF FLAKE, BERNIE SANDERS: ‘A CULT’

Green first announced he would retire nearly a month ago, but had not clarified a date.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress. Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up,” he wrote in a June 9 statement. “As a result, today I notified the Speaker and the House of Representatives that I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package.”

“Though I planned to retire at the end of the previous Congress, I stayed to ensure that President Trump’s border security measures and priorities make it through Congress,” he continued. “By overseeing the border security portion of the reconciliation package, I have done that. After that, I will retire, and there will be a special election to replace me.”

THOM TILLIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SENATE AFTER CLASH WITH TRUMP

Green has served as the Republican chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee since 2023.

Before being elected to Congress, he served as a Tennessee senator representing the 22nd district, from 2013 to 2018.

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In 2024, Rep. Green led the effort to impeach former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors. Mayorkas was successfully impeached by the House of Representatives on Feb. 13, 2024.
 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday that he recalled the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim from Bogotá, Colombia, after what he said were “baseless and reprehensible statements from senior Colombian government officials.”

The State Department said in a release that John T. McNamara, the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim for the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, was recalled to Washington for urgent consultations regarding the “baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia.”

“In addition to the recall of the Chargé, the United States is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship,” the press release read. “Despite policy differences with the current government, Colombia remains an essential strategic partner,” the release continued. “We are committed to close cooperation on a range of shared priorities, including regional security and stability, and we remain engaged in efforts that improve the lives of Americans and Colombians alike.”

No further details were available regarding the diplomatic recall, though the decision comes after Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused “right-wing extremists” of plotting to overthrow him.

LEADER OF COLOMBIA SAYS TRUMP ADMIN REVOKED HIS US VISA

The Associated Press reported in May that Petro’s former foreign minister, Alvaro Leyva, accused him of being a drug “addict” for the second time in three weeks.

Leyva also reportedly published a seven-page letter on X calling for Petro to resign, alleging that the president is “dependent on substances that affect emotional and mental equilibrium.”

Petro, who was elected in 2022 and has a year left in office, denied the accusations during a speech in Bogota, in which he claimed to be a “revolutionary” who will not be “enslaved” by drugs.

HOUSE DEMS DEMAND ‘PROOF OF LIFE’ OF ABREGO GARCIA AFTER BEING DENIED MEETING IN EL SALVADOR

Leyva had previously accused Petro of being on drugs in a letter published on April 22. In the letter, Leyva said Petro “went missing” for a couple of days during a state visit in Paris, attributing the absence to purported drug use. Petro, though, said he had taken time off to visit relatives in France.

As for relations between the U.S. and Colombia, the two countries agreed in March to deploy biometric capabilities to help authorities manage migration and stop criminal activity.

The agreement came months after President Donald Trump and Petro clashed over the treatment of Colombians on deportation flights from the U.S.

RUBIO FIRES BACK AFTER DEM SENATOR SAYS HE REGRETS VOTING FOR HIM, SPARKING TENSE EXCHANGE

In January, U.S. officials sent two flights of Colombian illegal aliens back to their country of origin, though Petro rejected the flights, saying the U.S. cannot “treat Colombian migrants as criminals.”

Petro also demanded the U.S. establish protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before his country receives them.

In response, Trump threatened to unleash a slew of punishments, including ordering a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Colombia. After a week, Trump added, the tariffs would rise to 50%. Trump also ordered a travel ban and visa revocations for all Colombian government officials, plus “allies and supporters.”

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Ultimately, the two countries came to an agreement and deportations resumed, though Petro has urged Colombian migrants to return home.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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…

– Pentagon says Iran strikes set back nuclear program by 2 years

– Noncitizens get ‘only limited’ due process rights: Conservative legal expert

– Resurfaced video shows NYC mayoral hopeful saying he wants to replace private homes with communal living

Congress sending Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ to his desk after dramatic all-night House vote

Congress officially passed President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” on Thursday afternoon after back-to-back sleepless sessions for both the House and Senate.

The massive agenda bill now goes to Trump’s desk to be signed into law just in time for Republicans’ self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.

The bill – which advances Trump’s policies on tax, the border, defense, energy and the national debt – narrowly passed the House of Representatives in a mostly party-line vote. All but two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., voted for the bill, which passed 218 – 214… READ MORE.

World Stage

STOCKPILE STRATEGY: Colby’s China-focused Pentagon playbook sparks Ukraine arms freeze

RUSSIAN DEFIANCE: Putin rebuffs Trump in call, vows to press on with Ukraine war

ATOMIC KNOCKOUT: Pentagon says Iran strikes set back nuclear program by 2 years

Capitol Hill

BROUGHT TO JUSTICE: How the DOJ carried out a $14.6 billion healthcare fraud takedown

JUDICIAL OVERREACH: Noncitizens get ‘only limited’ due process rights: Conservative legal expert

‘NEEDED CHANGE’: Rubio-run State Department dumps Biden-era DEI hiring criteria, replaces with ‘fidelity’

ROGUE RULING?: Legal expert reveals how Trump admin can deport major anti-Israel activist

CALLED SHOT: Justice Alito’s warning about nationwide injunction ‘loophole’ looms over Trump cases

Across America 

BORDER BATTLEGROUND: Troops at the border: How the military’s role in immigration enforcement has exploded under Trump

SOCIALISM VISION: Resurfaced video shows NYC mayoral hopeful saying he wants to replace private homes with communal living

CLOSING UP SHOP: From New York to Arizona, migrant facilities shuttering in wake of Trump’s border crackdown

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

Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat, sparked a firestorm during Tuesday’s House Rules Committee hearing on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, accusing pro-life Republicans of caring only about children during infancy.

Frost, who represents Orlando and is the first Gen Z member of Congress, was seated as a witness in the hearing when he described how gun violence shaped his decision to seek public office and made the remark that sparked the uproar.

The situation heated up after ranking member James McGovern, D-Mass., said it “blows my mind there’s more passion and energy” in Congress for Second Amendment advocacy than healthcare access for cancer patients, an apparent reference to Medicaid-centric debate on the budget bill.

ILHAN OMAR QUASHES SENATE BID RUMORS WITH RE-ELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT

“That tells you all you need to know about the difference between Republicans and Democrats on this,” McGovern said, yielding to Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M.

Leger Fernandez said Democrats have been the party of pursuing their “convictions,” citing former Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama knowing he’d be beaten by police for protesting in support of civil rights before ceding the floor to Frost.

Frost said he got involved in politics at age 15 after the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut and was one mile from the Pulse Nightclub when 49 people were murdered there.

“[Shooter Omar Mateen] didn’t like them because they were gay and Latino. Three months later, I survived an instance of gun violence in Downtown Orlando.”

Frost, a progressive who, while not a member of “The Squad,” has said he has “plenty of love and admiration” for the group, went on to claim gun rights groups want to lobby Congress to pass amendments to “sell more guns” even if “more people [are] dying.”

FAR-LEFT LAWMAKER BREAKS SILENCE AFTER UNEARTHED SOCIAL MEDIA POST IGNITES FIRESTORM

He claimed former President Joe Biden worked to reduce gun violence and contrasted that with his pointed allegation of Republicans.

“They say they’re pro-life because they want the baby to be born, go to school and get shot in the school. Die in the schools, die on the streets,” he said, before being cut off by an enraged Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.

Foxx began slamming her gavel and reprimanding Frost, though her initial comments could not be discerned because her microphone was not on.

“You’ve gone over the cliff. We are all going to be quiet now,” she commanded.

“I meant every word,” Frost retorted.

Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., made a motion to strike Frost’s words after Foxx suggested she wanted the same.

But Scott soon relented when Foxx said it “might be better to leave them on” the record for the public to view.

“You are not going to come into this room and impugn our integrity. You will not. We are pro-life people from conception to natural death; most of us are.

“Don’t you come in here and say we want to preserve life so people can get shot,” the Smoky Mountains congresswoman added.

Foxx adjourned the hearing shortly after Leger Fernández used up her remaining time, but the fireworks weren’t over just yet.

As lawmakers and witnesses stood up, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., called out, “I might remind my Democrat colleagues of Proverbs 13:5,” prompting a raised murmur on the left side of the dais.

“You can add [Proverbs] 14:5 to that too,” Clyde added after Rep. Deborah Wasserman-Schultz, D-Fla., reprimanded Scott for using the term “Democrat Party” instead of “Democratic Party.”

The shorter name largely originated as a pejorative from former Rep. Joe McCarthy, R-Wis., during his investigations into the creeping of communism into American society and institutions. 

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The term “Democrat Party” was preferred to “Democratic” by former radio icon Rush Limbaugh and occasionally President Donald Trump.

Proverbs 13:5 says, “The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace.”

Clyde’s second referenced Bible passage said, “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.”

FIRST ON FOX: Vivek Ramaswamy is putting his money where his mouth is.

The multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and business leader fueled his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination with over $30 million of his own money.

And in a Fox News Digital interview Thursday, Ramaswamy revealed that when it comes to his 2026 Republican campaign for Ohio governor, “we are prepared to invest at the same scale or greater.”

“Whatever is required to ensure that we’re successful in really leading the state to the next level,” Ramaswamy said. “Losing this race is not an option. Winning is the only option, and we’re going to win it. And I think that that will require resources of every form.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON VIVEK RAMASWAMY

Ramaswamy was interviewed the day after his campaign announced that he had raised nearly $10 million in a little over four months since he announced his gubernatorial candidacy in late February. Ramaswamy’s campaign touted that the money raked in set a “record for the largest first-quarter fundraising total in state history.”

“I think it says that we have unprecedented support in our state, and that is a beautiful thing to see this early in a Republican race,” Ramswamy said. “And I think that that’s a powerful signal of unity.”

RAMASWAMY LAUNCHES BID FOR OHIO GOVERNOR

Ramaswamy, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, noted he’s the only major Republican candidate right now in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.

“I’m running unopposed in a Republican primary in a state that is certainly leaning reliably red, and I’m proud to say that we have united, not just the Republicans in Ohio, but we are beginning to draw support from a wide range of nontraditional Republican backers, entrepreneurs, younger people,” he added. 

State Attorney General Dave Yost launched a gubernatorial campaign but dropped out of the race in May.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a former longtime Ohio State University head football coach who later served as president of Youngstown State University, said earlier this year he was considering a run for governor. But speculation surrounding Tressel has faded in recent weeks after his initial comments were not followed by any announcement.

Asked if he has any concerns about facing a competitive primary, Ramaswamy said, “None, zero.”

“I like Jim a lot. He and I have had some great conversations, none of which were about this race,” Ramaswamy said. “I actually consider him to be a guy who is bringing a great spirit and tenor to Ohio. And I view Coach Tressel as an asset that I want to see our state continue to use to revive our sense of unity and spirit and ambition and pursuit of success.”

TOP JD VANCE POLITICAL ADVISERS TO PLAY KEY ROLES IN RAMASWAMY CAMPAIGN

In the race for the Democratic nomination in the onetime battleground turned red state, former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton launched a gubernatorial bid in January.

But all eyes are on former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who narrowly lost his Senate seat in last year’s election to GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno.

Brown is thought to be a potential candidate in either the Senate or gubernatorial races.

Ramaswamy said he “would love the Democrats to have a competitive primary while I continue to run unopposed in this race.”

But he suggested it didn’t matter who the Democrats nominate because “it’s not who we’re running against, it’s what we’re actually running for.”

“I think we have incredible strength,” he added before predicting “that we’re going to defeat whoever we are up against by, I believe, a decisive margin.”

The 39-year-old Ramaswamy launched his presidential campaign in February 2023 and quickly saw his stock rise as he went from a long shot to a contender for the Republican nomination, as part of a field of candidates challenging Trump.

He campaigned on what he called an “America First 2.0” agenda and was one of Trump’s biggest supporters in the field of rivals, calling Trump the “most successful president in our century.”

Ramaswamy dropped his White House bid early last year after a distant fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and quickly endorsed Trump, becoming a top surrogate on the campaign trail.

Trump, in the days after his November presidential election victory, named Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, along with Ramaswamy, to steer the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency initiative, better known as DOGE.

But in January, as Trump was inaugurated, the new administration announced Ramaswamy was no longer serving at DOGE. Ramaswamy’s exit cleared the way for Musk, Trump’s top donor and, at the time, a key ally, to steer DOGE without having to share the limelight. Ramaswamy quickly moved toward launching a run for governor.

Ramaswamy was raised in Evendale, Ohio, in suburban Cincinnati by parents who emigrated from India. His father worked as an engineer at General Electric Aviation, and his mother was a geriatric psychiatrist. Ramaswamy and his family live in suburban Columbus.

The candidate noted that “one of my core areas of focus that I think is really resonating, is elevating the standards of educational achievement in our state.”

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“The No. 1 issue that I see resonating across the board, in a non-partisan manner, is the recognition that we are in the middle of this educational achievement crisis,” he added.

And Ramaswamy insisted that “anybody who’s a parent, or even anybody who’s a young person recently graduating from school, recognizes that this is going to be an issue that we have to turn around, to preserve our place, the leading country in the world, and that is the project that we are going to make Ohio ground zero for in the United States.”

Fox News’ Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, identified as “Black or African American” on his 2009 Columbia University application even though he now says he does not consider himself Black, The New York Times reported Thursday.

According to The Times, the internal data came from a leaked database of past Columbia applications which was part of a recent hack targeting the Ivy League school.

Mamdani, then a high school senior, also checked “Asian” and reportedly wrote in “Ugandan” in the space for additional background. He was ultimately not accepted to Columbia even though his father is a professor at the elite school.

Now 33, Mamdani told The Times he identifies as “an American who was born in Africa,” and said checking multiple boxes was an effort to reflect his “complex background,” not to gain an edge in the competitive admissions process.

FORMER CLINTON ADVISOR SOUNDS ‘9-1-1’ ALARM FOR DEMOCRATS AFTER SOCIALIST’S NYC MAYORAL VICTORY

But at the time, Columbia, like many elite universities, used race-conscious admissions, a system the Supreme Court struck down in 2023.

“Even though these boxes are constraining,” Mamdani said, “I wanted my college application to reflect who I was.”

Mamdani told The Times that aside from those college forms, he doesn’t recall ever identifying as Black or African American. 

SHARPTON URGES NYC MAYORAL HOPEFUL TO MEET JEWISH LEADERS, TAKE ANTI-ISRAEL RHETORIC ‘OFF THE TABLE’

His parents are both of Indian descent. His father, Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani, has lived in East Africa for generations, but Mamdani said there had been no intermarriage in the family with native African groups.

Mamdani has leaned into his South Asian and Muslim identity on the campaign trail. During a June speech at Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, he also stressed his African roots: “I was born in Kampala, Uganda… I was given my middle name, Kwame, by my father, who named me after the first Prime Minister of Ghana.”

President Donald Trump brought up Mamdani at a rally Wednesday, saying if he interferes with immigration laws “we’ll have to arrest him.” 

“Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over them very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump added.

Mamdani, a self-identified democratic socialist, dismissed the remarks, accusing Trump of “an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment.

President Donald Trump on Thursday celebrated Congress’ passage of his “big, beautiful bill,” describing the sweeping measure as “the biggest bill of its kind ever signed” and promising, “it’s going to make this country into a rocket ship. It’s going to be really great.”

Earlier in the day, the House narrowly approved the package by a 218-214 vote after a marathon overnight session on Capitol Hill – the final hurdle after the Senate passed the measure earlier in the week.

He noted that only two Republican lawmakers, Reps. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, and Brian Fitzpatrick, of Pennsylvania, voted against the bill. Zero Democrats backed it.

CONGRESS SENDING TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ TO HIS DESK AFTER DRAMATIC ALL-NIGHT HOUSE VOTE

“Well, I was disappointed that [Fitzpatrick] did that. There were two of them that voted down, so I was disappointed that he voted no,” Trump said.

He hailed the outcome as a sign of GOP unity heading into the Independence Day weekend. 

“When you go over the bill it was very easy to get through the House,” Trump said.

TRUMP URGES HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO IGNORE ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ AND DELIVER HIS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ BY JULY 4

Trump touted the bill’s broad scope, adding that it provides the “biggest tax cut in history” along with major investments in border security and the military.

“Great for security, great on the southern border, immigration is covered, we covered just about everything. Again, it’s the biggest bill ever signed of its kind,” the president said.

“We’ll have growth in record numbers,” he added.

The White House stated that the bill will “create historic economic growth to usher in America’s Golden Age.”

“The bill provides Americans with the largest tax cut in history, paired with a host of other pro-growth policies that will slash our deficits and debt. America is going to take off like a rocket ship!” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital.

The president also previewed a patriotic signing ceremony set for Independence Day.

Trump said he will officially sign the bill at the White House on Friday around 5 p.m., with an array of U.S. Air Force jets soaring overhead in celebration.

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“We’re signing at about 5:00 p.m., and at about 5:00 p.m. we’re going to have B-2s and F-22s and F-35s flying right over the White House… so we’ll be signing with those beautiful planes flying right over our heads,” he told reporters on the tarmac.

The Supreme Court on Thursday handed President Donald Trump a key immigration win, clearing the way for the deportation of eight migrants from Djibouti to South Sudan, a country not listed in their original removal orders.

In a short, unsigned opinion, the justices granted the administration’s request to “clarify” a prior ruling, confirming that their June 23 stay of a lower court injunction also blocked a follow-up remedial order issued May 21. 

That remedial order had required the government to give the migrants notice and a chance to raise claims under the Convention Against Torture before being sent to a third country.

SUPREME COURT SIDES AGAINST MIGRANT IN DEPORTATION CASE

“The motion for clarification is granted,” the court wrote. “The May 21 remedial order cannot now be used to enforce an injunction that our stay rendered unenforceable”.

The decision gives the Trump administration a green light to move forward with third-country deportations under its executive order, even to destinations not previously clarified in court-approved removal documents.

Earlier, a district judge had found the government violated its April injunction by failing to provide a “meaningful opportunity” for six of the migrants to make their case against removal. The Supreme Court stayed that injunction in June, and Thursday’s clarification makes clear the lower court’s follow-up order can’t stand either.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented sharply, accusing the court of enabling deportations that could lead to torture or death. 

SUPREME COURT RULES ON TRUMP’S THIRD-COUNTRY DEPORTATIONS, IN MAJOR TEST FOR PRESIDENT

“Today’s order clarifies only one thing: Other litigants must follow the rules, but the administra­tion has the Supreme Court on speed dial. Respectfully, I dissent,” Sotomayor wrote. 

“The Government seeks to nullify [basic rights] by deporting noncitizens to potentially dangerous countries without notice or the opportunity to assert a fear of torture.”

The ruling strengthens the Trump administration’s hand as it enforces its third-country deportation policy.

The Department of Homeland Security celebrated the ruling, releasing a statement Thursday afternoon: “These sickos will be in South Sudan by Independence Day,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “A win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people.”

The eight individuals include violent offenders with convictions for murder, robbery, armed assault, and sex crimes involving minors. Among them are Enrique Arias-Hierro, convicted of homicide and armed robbery, Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Quinones, convicted of attempted first-degree murder; and Kyaw Mya and Nyo Myint, both convicted of serious sex offenses involving minors or vulnerable victims.

DHS referred to them as “barbaric criminal illegal aliens” being removed by ICE under Trump’s executive authority.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X regarding the ruling, writing, “This is another incredible victory for America. Thank you to the Supreme Court for ruling on the side of law and order, and affirming the executive authority of the President.”

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“Today’s decision makes clear it is district court judges who are defying Supreme Court orders, not the Trump administration,” David Warrington, White House Counsel wrote in an email to Fox News Digital. “This decision is a clear rebuke of such judicial overreach.”

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman secretly met with President Donald Trump and other key officials in the White House on Thursday to discuss de-escalation efforts with Iran, multiple sources confirmed with Fox News.

Khalid, also known as KBS, is the younger brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Multiple sources told Fox News Channel’s chief political anchor Bret Baier about the meeting.

TRUMP TAKES WELL-EARNED VICTORY LAP FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE TRIUMPHS

According to sources, the talks included discussions about de-escalation with Iran and getting to the negotiating table.

The talks were also reportedly about ending the war in Gaza and negotiating the release of the remaining hostages – whether dead or alive – and about working toward peace in the Middle East.

Although the talks were not exclusively about the possibility of normalization with Israel, sources said the conversation dealt with steps that need to occur to get there.

Sources also said, “there was progress and optimism on all fronts.”

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The Saudis are in the process of finalizing a defense and trade deal with the U.S., and the message shared between the two allies, sources added, is that they see eye-to-eye on all issues.

The Supreme Court ended its term last week, but the justices aren’t done yet, partly due to a legal blitz President Donald Trump has strategically deployed in his second term, one that’s proven surprisingly effective in advancing his sweeping agenda.

Lawyers for the Trump administration filed their 20th emergency application to the Supreme Court Thursday in just a 23-week period. 

The dizzying pace of applications comes as the administration looks to advance some of Trump’s sweeping policy actions. And, in many cases, the court’s 6-3 majority has given the administration the green light to proceed. 

JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM TARGETING DEMOCRATIC LAW FIRM AFTER ATTORNEYS WARN OF FIRM’S DEMISE

The high court has ruled in Trump’s favor in the majority of emergency applications, allowing the administration to proceed with its ban on transgender service members in the military, its termination of millions of dollars in Education Department grants and its firing of probationary employees across the federal government, among many other actions.

Like most emergency orders, the rulings are often unsigned, giving little indication what the justices might be thinking.

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

Emergency applications — and the Supreme Court’s responses — aren’t meant to offer lasting relief. But Trump has found success using a “move fast and break things” strategy to push key requests through the court’s so-called “shadow” docket.

For context, Trump has filed more emergency applications in five months than his predecessors did in years. Former President Joe Biden submitted just 19 over his entire term, while presidents Obama and George W. Bush filed only eight combined during their time in office.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PAY ‘UNLAWFULLY’ RESTRICTED USAID FUNDS

In the interim, the strategy has allowed him to enforce many of the sweeping executive orders he signed upon taking office. These orders were met with hundreds of lawsuits across the country and blocked by many lower courts, prompting the administration to appeal them, again and again, through the federal judiciary. 

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For now, those near-term wins have energized Trump allies, allowing them to press forward with a blitz of executive actions and claim “victory,” however temporary. The approach allows Trump to advance major policy priorities without relying on a slow-moving Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., touted the close coordination between Congress and President Donald Trump to successfully pass the “one big, beautiful bill,” saying the collaboration is part of the “beauty of unified government.”

Congress officially passed Trump’s multitrillion-dollar bill Thursday afternoon after back-to-back sleepless sessions for both the House and Senate.

The massive agenda package now goes to Trump’s desk to be signed into law just in time for Republicans’ self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.

The “big, beautiful bill’s” passage marks the first major piece of legislation passed under the Trump administration and the first to pass while Republicans have control of the executive branch and both chambers of Congress.

TAX CUTS, WORK REQUIREMENTS AND ASYLUM FEES: HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE THE SENATE’S VERSION OF TRUMP’S BILL

Speaking with reporters after the mega-spending bill’s passage Thursday, Johnson said, “The beauty of unified government is this is exactly how it can work.

“How it’s supposed to work is that you have an interaction between the executive and the legislative branches, because that’s what’s best for the people, and that coordination is going to yield great results for the folks.”

DEMOCRATS FRUSTRATED OVER LACK OF A HEADS-UP FROM HAKEEM JEFFRIES ON DELAYING TRUMP’S SPENDING BILL

The speaker said people inside the Trump administration, including Cabinet secretaries, the vice president and the president, were all willing to take questions from members of Congress.

“President Trump was so generous with his time answering questions himself. Vice President JD Vance was directly engaged. We had Cabinet secretaries at a number of different federal agencies answering questions from members. Some of them even brought their agency attorneys in to get really deep in the weeds on the details,” said Johnson.

“We had a tough four years before this last election cycle,” the speaker added. “We knew that if we got unified government, we’d have to quite literally fix every area of public policy. Everything was an absolute disaster under the Biden-Harris radical woke Progressive Democrat regime.”

2 LONE REPUBLICANS VOTE AGAINST TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ AS IT HEADS TO PRESIDENT’S DESK

The bill, which advances Trump’s policies on taxes, the border, defense, energy and the national debt, narrowly passed the House of Representatives in a mostly party-line vote. All but two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., voted for the bill, which passed 218-214.

It’s a commanding victory for Johnson and for the president, both of whom spent hours overnight trying to persuade GOP critics of the bill.

Speaking after the bill’s passage, Johnson explained his role in getting GOP holdouts to switch their vote to “yes,” saying, “My leadership style is I try to be a servant leader.”

He said that because many members wanted to take time to “go really deep in the weeds” on changes the Senate made to the bill, he felt it was his job as speaker to give each member the time to have their concerns addressed.

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“I knew as the leader that we would have to take the time to do that,” he explained. “And, so, some of that went late into the night, and I was not going to make anybody — I was not going to demand anybody’s vote or their position on the bill until they felt that they had exhausted that opportunity. So, we did it. And that’s how we got everybody to ‘yes.’”

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: With assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement official ssurging over 700% and Democrats pushing a bill to require agents to de-mask during immigration enforcement operations, a special agent voiced concern about escalating violence and the effect de-masking could have on agents’ families.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, the special agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said immigration enforcement officials “wouldn’t wear masks if they didn’t care” about their families. 

The agent said increased protests and resistance from politicians have made carrying out their duties difficult. The agent also said attempts to dox agents have made many worry about their families’ safety.

The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News this week that assaults against ICE officers and federal agents conducting immigration enforcement are up 690% compared to the same time last year. 

TRUMP’S REMITTANCE TAX AIMS TO SLOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BY TARGETING THE MONEY FLOW

DHS recorded 10 assault events from Jan. 21, 2024, to June 30, 2024. From the day after President Donald Trump took office earlier this year until Monday, the department recorded 79 assault events. DHS said the true number is likely higher. They are happening at such a fast pace, some assault reports may not be accounted for yet. 

This comes as Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have called for ICE agents to be de-masked.

TROOPS AT THE BORDER: HOW THE MILITARY’S ROLE IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAS EXPLODED UNDER TRUMP

In June, Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., introduced a bill, the No Masks for ICE Act, to bar ICE agents from wearing face coverings during enforcement actions. Earlier in June, Jeffries declared that all ICE agents who perpetrate “aggressive overreach” and attempt to conceal “their identities from the American people, will be unsuccessful in doing that.” They will all be identified “no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes,” he asserted, saying that is what the law requires.

Speaking on behalf of himself and his partner, the agent said that despite Jeffries’ threats, they believe “the agency or the administration will do their best to protect us.”

“If they don’t, then whatever happens to us, my family, anything outside of that, he’s [Jeffries] responsible for it. He’s directly responsible for it,” the agent said.

“What value do you get from taking masks off federal agents or law enforcement that are afraid and getting doxxed?” the agent asked. “What value does that have for you? What’s your return on investment at that point?”

TRUMP TO BEGIN ENFORCING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER AS EARLY AS THIS MONTH, DOJ SAYS

The agent said in the area of operations, which is run by Democrats who are friendly to sanctuary policies, “almost daily there’s some kind of protest or there’s a group that’s calling out agents or following them around or videotaping them, taking pictures of license plates.”

The agent said protesters have also been following and photographing agents even before they begin an operation, making it difficult to plan and prepare for missions at well-known places such as police departments.

Despite the disruptions, the agent said protesters only give illegals “false hope” that they will be able to evade arrest and deportation.

“They’re telling them, ‘If you fight this, you might win.’ And that’s not good legal advice at all,” he said.

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“If people come out, and it creates more of a problem, a lot of times the ICE agents just say, ‘Hey, this area is too heated up. We’re going to go somewhere else,’” he explained. “We’re not short on targets. So, if I’m in town X, and they’re outside my car yelling and screaming or giving my agents a hard time, they can always go to town Y and look for another target.”

Ultimately, the agent said, all de-masking immigration officials would do is allow them to be doxxed and endanger not only their families but their communities.

“You got people also within my agency and this career field, they work at a church part-time as a clergy person, or maybe they’re involved in Girl Scouts, maybe they’re a baseball coach,” the agent explained. 

“The last thing that these people want is for some angry person or for some agitator to show up at a baseball game that he or she’s coaching and put the attention on them or threaten their families or their way of life.”

Justice Samuel Alito raised concerns about a “potentially significant loophole” in the Supreme Court’s decision to curb universal injunctions, and now his warning is hanging over lawsuits involving President Donald Trump.

Alito said in his concurring opinion in Trump v. CASA that class action lawsuits and lawsuits brought by states leave room for judges to hand down injunctions that, in practice, would function the same way a universal injunction does.

“Federal courts should thus be vigilant against such potential abuses of these tools,” Alito said.

SCOTUS RULES ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER, TESTING LOWER COURT POWERS

Alito’s warning comes as judges continue to hand down sweeping rulings and as plaintiffs begin filing lawsuits tailored to avoid running into the new roadblock established by the high court.

In one major ruling, Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee based in Washington, D.C., found this week that Trump’s proclamation declaring an “invasion” at the border was unlawful.

Trump’s proclamation restricted migrants from claiming asylum when crossing into the United States, a practice the Trump administration says has been abused by border crossers.

Moss “set aside” that policy under the Administrative Procedure Act, which had an effect similar to that of a nationwide injunction. More than a dozen potential asylees brought the lawsuit, and Moss also agreed to certify the case as a class action lawsuit that applied to all potential asylees in the country.

The Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that Moss was a “rogue district court judge” who was “already trying to circumvent the Supreme Court’s recent ruling against nationwide injunctions.”

TRUMP CELEBRATES SUPREME COURT LIMITS ON ‘COLOSSAL ABUSE OF POWER’ BY FEDERAL JUDGES

In his concurring opinion, Alito warned against class action lawsuits that do not strictly abide by Rule 23, which lays out the criteria for certifying a class. He said the Supreme Court’s decision on universal injunctions will have “very little value” if district courts do not adhere to the rule.

“District courts should not view today’s decision as an invitation to certify nationwide classes without scrupulous adherence to the rigors of Rule 23,” Alito wrote. “Otherwise, the universal injunction will return from the grave under the guise of ‘nationwide class relief,’ and today’s decision will be of little more than minor academic interest.”

Alito also noted that another area for exploitation could be states that seek statewide relief from a court.

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For instance, Democrat-led states have filed several lawsuits challenging Trump’s policies. A judge could grant those states statewide injunctions, meaning everyone living in the state would be exempt from the policies. Alito warned that giving third parties widespread standing in cases in that manner required careful scrutiny.

If judges are lax about these statewide lawsuits, states will have “every incentive to bring third-party suits on behalf of their residents to obtain a broader scope of equitable relief than any individual resident could procure in his own suit,” Alito wrote. “Left unchecked, the practice of reflexive state third-party standing will undermine today’s decision as a practical matter.”

Congress has officially passed President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” on Thursday afternoon after back-to-back sleepless sessions for both the House and Senate.

The massive agenda bill now goes to Trump’s desk to be signed into law just in time for Republicans’ self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.

The bill – which advances Trump’s policies on tax, the border, defense, energy and the national debt – narrowly passed the House of Representatives in a mostly party-line vote.

It’s a commanding victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and for the president himself, both of whom spent hours overnight trying to persuade GOP critics of the bill.

148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS

“The President is very engaged. He was very helpful in the process. He helped answer questions and articulate his vision and what this bill will mean for the country, and his agenda, and how urgent it is for us to get it done,” Johnson told reporters the morning ahead of the vote.

The House initially passed its version of the legislation by just one vote in late May.

Senate Republicans took the bill up late last month and passed it after their own marathon voting session, also by just one vote – though the legislation underwent key changes in the upper chamber.

House lawmakers were slated to return to Washington on Wednesday morning to begin debating the bill, which included a procedural hurdle known as a “rule vote.”

But even before the rule vote could begin, it was clear the legislation had been hemorrhaging support from both moderates and conservatives in the House GOP.

Moderate Republicans were among those concerned about the Senate bill shifting even more of the Medicaid cost-burden onto states that expanded their health benefit populations under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), while conservatives were irate that those cuts did not go far enough to mitigate what they saw as excessive spending in other parts of the bill.

But the vote that was initially slated to occur Wednesday morning eventually passed after 3 a.m. on Thursday, after which both Republicans and Democrats hurriedly began to debate.

Among Democrats’ delay tactics included a lengthy speech by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who attacked Republicans for their overnight schedule.

“If Republicans were so proud of this one big, ugly bill, why did debate begin at 3:28 a.m. in the morning? Republicans are once again, which has been the case, Mr. Speaker, through every step of this journey, trying to jam this bill through the House of Representatives under cover of darkness,” Jeffries said.

But even before debate, the legislation’s fate appeared in limbo for much of Wednesday as closed-door negotiations paralyzed the House floor.

Five Republicans had initially voted against proceeding with debate on the bill, while eight GOP lawmakers had not voted at all.

TAX CUTS, WORK REQUIREMENTS AND ASYLUM FEES: HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE THE SENATE’S VERSION OF TRUMP’S BILL

The bill’s future was uncertain on Wednesday evening, but rather than accepting defeat, House GOP leaders kept the vote open for hours as they negotiated with holdouts behind closed doors.

One House Republican told Fox News Digital that Trump was directly involved in trying to persuade holdouts.

The president, meanwhile, aired his frustrations on Truth Social, “FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!”

In the end, they returned to the House floor where nearly all Republicans – save for moderate Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. – voted to begin debating the bill.

Johnson told reporters when asked about Fitzpatrick’s defection, “I talked with him at length. Brian is a very good and trusted friend, and he just has convictions about certain provisions of the bill, he’s entitled to that.”

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters that critics were made to understand the bill is their only option on the table.

“They recognized this is the vote that’s before us and it’s not going to change. There are other things we can do down the road, and we want to do. But we’ve got to get this bill done first,” Scalise said.

The bill would permanently extend the income tax brackets lowered by Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), while temporarily adding new tax deductions to eliminate duties on tipped and overtime wages up to certain caps. It also includes a new tax deduction for people aged 65 and over.

The legislation also rolls back green energy tax credits implemented under former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which Trump and his allies have attacked as “the Green New Scam.”

The bill would also surge money toward the national defense, and to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the name of Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants in the U.S.

The bill would also raise the debt limit by $5 trillion in order to avoid a potentially economically devastating credit default sometime this summer, if the U.S. runs out of cash to pay its obligations.

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New and expanded work requirements would be implemented for Medicaid and federal food assistance, respectively.

Democrats have blasted the bill as a tax giveaway to the wealthy while cutting federal benefits for working-class Americans.

But Republicans have said their tax provisions are targeted toward the working and middle classes – citing measures eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages – while arguing they were reforming federal welfare programs to work better for those who truly need them.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., shattered a speech record in the House of Representatives on Thursday, as lawmakers continue to wrestle with President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

Jeffries has been able to command the House floor via a “magic minute,” a privilege for party leaders in the chamber that allows them to speak for however long they want.

He’s used it as a stalling tactic to delay the final vote on Trump’s massive tax and immigration bill, after a marathon House-wide session considering the bill that began around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

TAX CUTS, WORK REQUIREMENTS AND ASYLUM FEES: HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE THE SENATE’S VERSION OF TRUMP’S BILL

It’s now the longest-enduring “magic minute” in U.S. House of Representatives history, breaking the previously record held by ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

McCarthy spoke for eight hours and 36 minutes in November 2021 to oppose Democrats’ progressive Build Back Better bill.

Like Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, lawmakers were working to pass it via the budget reconciliation process – which fast-tracks certain pieces of fiscal legislation by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51.

The New York Democrat began speaking minutes before 4 a.m. on Thursday and broke McCarthy’s record about 1:30 p.m.

“I feel the obligation, Mr. Speaker, to stand on this House floor and take my sweet time,” he said at one point.

The first part of Jeffries’ speech saw him read from a binder that he said contained accounts of people who could lose their Medicaid coverage under the GOP bill, taken from residents of states with Republican lawmakers.

“This Congress is on the verge of ripping food out of the mouths of children, veterans and seniors as a result of this one big ugly bill in order to reward billionaires with massive tax breaks and exploding the debt in the process,” he said at one point.

Jeffries said this “one big, ugly bill” that “our Republican colleagues are trying to jam down the throats of the American people will undermine their quality of life.”

At another point in the wide-ranging speech, he accused Republicans of cutting federal benefits to pay for tax breaks for wealthy Americans like Elon Musk – who notably opposes the bill.

THOM TILLIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SENATE AFTER CLASH WITH TRUMP

“I think it’s important for the American people to process… SNAP on average provides $6 per day. At the same time, Elon Musk, his federal contracts, as we understand it, amount to $8 million per day. Mr. Speaker, if Republicans were really serious about targeting waste, fraud and abuse in the United States of America, start there – $8 million per day, start right there,” Jeffries said.

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“Don’t take it. Don’t rip it from the mouths of children, seniors or veterans. If Republicans were really serious about targeting waste, fraud and abuse, start right there with Elon Musk.”

House Republicans are expected to hold their vote.

FIRST ON FOX: The State Department has changed its hiring and promoting criteria for foreign service officers to eliminate any diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) considerations. 

Before now, the second of five core precepts used in State Department hiring and promotion emphasized promoting DEI, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. That precept has now been replaced with one focused on “fidelity.”

A senior State Department official said it was “unbelievable” fidelity was not already part of the promotion criteria. 

“This is a commonsense and needed change. U.S. Foreign Service Officers represent America overseas and should be judged on their ability to faithfully and dutifully represent and champion our country abroad.” 

WHITE HOUSE VOWS TO IMPLEMENT ‘SYSTEM OF MERIT’ IN US, DISMANTLE DEI ‘STRANGULATION’

The department’s previous hiring guide for 2022–2025 required foreign service employees to “demonstrate impact in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility,” according to the internal documents.

Entry-level applicants were expected to proactively seek to “improve one’s own self-awareness with respect to promoting inclusivity.” Mid- and senior-level supervisors were told to recruit and retain diverse teams, respond immediately to non-inclusive workplace behaviors, and “consult with impacted staff before finalizing decisions.”

That guidance is now out.

READ THE NEW GUIDANCE BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE

The department’s new document for 2025–2028 lists “fidelity” as the first of five core precepts, followed by communication, leadership, management and knowledge. Under the new policy, mid- and senior-level Foreign Service Officers must demonstrate loyalty by “zealously executing U.S. government policy” and “resolving uncertainty on the side of fidelity to one’s chain of command.”

DOGE HELPS STATE DEPARTMENT ELIMINATE BIDEN ADMIN’S DEI PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REQUIREMENT

The move comes amid a government-wide effort to eliminate DEI within federal agencies, and root out those who they believe to be working to undermine President Donald Trump’s agenda. 

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The State Department has also frozen the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) – typically administered three times a year – as it moves to restructure and potentially downsize its workforce. In May, the department submitted a plan to Congress outlining a 15% reduction of its 19,000 employees and the consolidation of over 300 bureaus and agency offices.

While a court order has temporarily paused mass layoffs across federal agencies, a recent Supreme Court ruling determined that nationwide injunctions issued by federal district courts “likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has granted.”

FIRST ON FOX: Courts have repeatedly stymied President Donald Trump‘s efforts to quickly remove noncitizens living illegally in the country, but a conservative think tank is warning that the judiciary branch could, at times, be overstepping.

The Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the organization and a former Department of Justice official, detailed in a new memorandum how noncitizens’ due process rights are minimal when they are facing deportation.

“As provided by Congress and by some court decisions interpreting the Constitution, aliens have only limited due process rights in immigration proceedings,” von Spakovsky wrote in the document, reviewed by Fox News Digital in advance of its publishing.

The document makes clear that noncitizens, including illegal immigrants, have the same rights as citizens when it comes to criminal proceedings. If a noncitizen has been charged with a crime, that person is entitled to a lawyer, just like a citizen would be, for example.

SEN CHRIS COONS: YOU MIGHT GET DEPORTED IF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUSPENDS DUE PROCESS

Outside of that, the legal processes for noncitizens facing deportation vary widely depending on their circumstances. These cases are often handled in immigration courts rather than federal courts.

Heritage’s document suggests how due process, a contentious topic at the heart of many of the Trump administration’s immigration-related court cases, should apply to noncitizens in various scenarios.

“Those rights differ depending on the status of the aliens and whether they are outside the United States and trying to enter this country or are already in the country, either legally or illegally, as well as their visa or other status,” von Spakovsky wrote.

Immigration law allows for near-immediate deportations in cases when a migrant has crossed into the country illegally but is apprehended within two years. 

“That alien can be removed without a hearing or any other proceeding,” von Spakovsky said. However, he added a caveat that has become a major source of frustration among border control advocates: “unless the alien requests asylum or asserts a credible fear of persecution if returned to his or her native country.”

If a migrant requests asylum, a form of protection for a person who fears they will be persecuted if sent back to their home country, an immigration officer, immigration judge, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and even the federal circuits and Supreme Court could all end up having a say in that migrant’s case before their asylum claim is fully vetted.

Critics of the asylum system say it has been roundly abused and that migrants making bogus asylum claims is common practice. They say such claims allow migrants to be released into the country and fall off the government’s radar.”

That concern came to a head on Wednesday, when a federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued a 124-page order blocking the administration from severely limiting asylum claims. The judge said Trump attempted a “wholesale rewriting” of immigration laws. Attorney General Pam Bondi has signaled an appeal is imminent.

TRUMP CLAPS BACK AT COURTS FOR ‘INTERFERING’ WITH JOB, ASKS ‘HOW YOU CAN GIVE DUE PROCESS’ TO ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

The Heritage Foundation has been a presence in Republican politics for decades and has significant influence over government policy. The organization creates playbooks for presidential administrations, called the “Mandate for Leadership” series, and its most recent one, Project 2025, became a source of controversy during Trump’s campaign.

Heritage’s new memorandum comes as due process has become the bane of the administration as it attempts to deliver on Trump’s vows to deport all illegal immigrants.

Stephen Miller, Trump’s immigration adviser and White House deputy chief of staff, has been railing against the courts and immigration rights groups, who he claims have overplayed their hand and are illegally derailing Trump’s agenda.

“The only process illegals are due is deportation,” Miller wrote online in May.

The topic has cropped up in numerous heated, high-profile court cases, many of which remain pending.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia alleged he was wrongly deported to El Salvador despite an immigration judge forbidding it. A group of deportees bound for Sudan, but held up in inhumane conditions in Djibouti, argued in court that they got no due process. Additionally, numerous men deported under the Alien Enemies Act to a Salvadoran megaprison have claimed in courts that they were not afforded a chance to contest their removal.

Von Spakovsky indicated that the Supreme Court would ultimately continue to decide where lower courts were, or were not, overstepping.

JUDGE DENIES REQUEST TO KEEP KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA IN CUSTODY

“Federal courts that assume jurisdiction over banned, prohibited, or limited claims by aliens are violating federal law, and the Supreme Court should tell them so,” he wrote.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed noncitizens are entitled to some form of due process.

“It is well established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process of law in deportation proceedings,” Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in Reno v. Flores in 1993.

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In an order in April, the Supreme Court cited Scalia’s words when it directed the Trump administration to give “reasonable” notice to the alleged transnational gang members at risk of being deported under the Alien Enemies Act.

The high court said those who are subject to the Alien Enemies Act must be given a chance to “seek habeas relief” before they are deported. Habeas corpus petitions are a form of legal recourse for those who believe they have been wrongly detained.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was mocked by conservatives online after posting a picture holding a baseball bat and promising to push back against President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

“House Democrats will keep the pressure on Trump’s One Big Ugly Bill,” Jeffries posted on Instagram on Wednesday, along with a photo of himself holding a Louisville Slugger and standing in his office. 

The post was widely criticized by conservatives.

“Low energy,” Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., posted on X. 

HAKEEM JEFFRIES SAYS NYC HOPEFUL MAMDANI NEEDS TO ‘CLARIFY’ HIS POSITION ON ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’

“I guess, ‘union thug,’ is a vibe choice,” author Chad Felix Greene posted on X. 

“Nah, we beat the Dems at that too,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., posted on X along with a photo of him helping the Republicans beat the Democrats at the annual congressional baseball game. 

“I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say he may be the worst congressional leader in modern history,” GOP communicator Matt Whitlock posted on X. 

PELOSI’S STOCK TRADING LEGACY HAUNTS DEMOCRATS AS JEFFRIES SLAMS GOP FRESHMAN’S ‘THIEVERY’

“Incitement to violence is all they have left,” Security Studies Group President Jim Hanson posted on X. 

“What exactly does he mean by this? Is this a threat?” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Marone posted on X.

“Beta,” Rep. Tony Wied, R-Wis., posted on X. 

“The gap between how much charisma he has and how much he thinks he has could fill the Grand Canyon,” Targeted Victory President Matt Gorman posted on X. 

“Sir, please put the Louisville Slugger DOWN,” Sean Southard, communications director for Montana GOP Gov. Greg Gianforte, posted on X. 

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Jeffries’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

After posting, Jeffries appears to have changed the photo’s caption to, “Protecting your healthcare is as American as baseball, motherhood and apple pie.”

Republicans and Democrats debated Trump’s signature reconciliation package all night on Wednesday, and the discussions continued into Thursday morning, where Republicans are expected to have the necessary votes to pass the legislation. 

Jeffries gave a marathon speech on the House floor that was given a standing ovation from Democrats but criticized by Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, who posted on X that the speech was actually driving undecided Republicans to support the bill.

“GOP Congressman just texted me: ‘I was undecided on the bill but then I watched Hakeem Jeffries performance and now I’m a firm yes,’” Vance posted.

Fox News Digital’s Kiera McDonald and Olivia Patel contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s administration released its annual report revealing the salaries for every staffer inside the White House on Thursday.

The report shows employees’ earnings in a range of $59,070 at the lowest to $225,700 at the highest, though a few aren’t accepting salaries at all.

The top-paid staffer at the White House is Jacalynne Klopp, a senior adviser and the sole staffer earning $225,700. Behind her is Edgar Mkrtchian, an associate counsel making $203,645.

Behind them comes a group of 33 staffers making $195,200, which includes many well-known names. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt takes in this level of salary, as does border czar Tom Homan, chief of staff Susan Wiles, trade adviser Peter Navarro, communications director Steven Cheung, and homeland security adviser Stephen Miller.

‘ONLY THE BEGINNING’: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RELEASES DATA SHOWING FEDERAL WORKFORCE SLASHED SINCE JANUARY

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

According to the report, there are 108 employees who make between $59,000 and $80,000, while Trump’s speechwriters earn between $92,500 and $121,500.

Eight employees do not receive salaries at all, though some of those are due to overlapping roles in other sections of government.

ELON MUSK’S FORMER FRIEND WARNS EX-DOGE HEAD WILL DO ‘EVERYTHING’ TO DAMAGE TRUMP

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is chief among these, not receiving any compensation for his White House role as national security adviser. Special envoy Steve Witkoff also receives compensation from the state department rather than the White House.

Trump’s own compensation is not listed in the report, but the pay scheme for the president is laid out in federal law. As president, Trump earns a base salary of $400,000, as well as a $50,000 expense allowance, $100,000 for travel, and $19,000 for entertainment.

INTERIOR CANCELS $14 MILLION ANNUAL FISHING GRANT CITED IN FOX REPORT AFTER DOGE HIGHLIGHTS DISNEY ADS, SALARIES

Trump donated his salary to government agencies during his first term in office, but he has not clarified whether he will do the same during his second term.

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The White House did not immediately respond when asked about Trump’s compensation.

Read the full list of White House salaries below (App users click here)