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The city of Denver is shutting several of its migrant shelters and officials are asking local property owners to house some of the “newcomers” who need a place to stay.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston recently announced that the city has started to scale back its migrant services with the goal of reducing the current budget deficit by nearly $60 million and reallocating those funds back into city services. The move sees shelters being shuttered and existing shelters consolidated.

Jon Ewing, with Denver Human Services, told Fox 31 that the city is looking for alternative ways to house its illegal immigrants.

DENVER MAYOR BLAMES REPUBLICANS AND TRUMP FOR $5M CUTS TO PAY FOR MIGRANT CRISIS

The Denver city government’s handling of the illegal immigrant crisis has caused much consternation for local residents.  (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

“We put out a feeler to all the landlords we have connections with,” Ewing said. “Basically said, listen, we’re going to have some newcomers who are going to need housing.”

Fox 31 reports that the city recently emailed Denver rental property owners asking if they would be interested in renting to migrants who need housing.

“We’ve got kind of a rent cap — $2,000,” Ewing said.

He said the effort is being supported by locally operating non-profits who have already connected migrants with various forms of housing, with thousands making their way out of shelters. 

“We’re at below 1,800 right now, which is the first time that number’s been that low since September,” Ewing said.

That number was as high as 4,500 people as recently as January. Before, migrants were posting on social media in search of a home.

“A lot of those posts have now been replaced by, hey, I now need to furnish my apartment, what do I do? And so it’s a good problem to have when that’s what you’re running into,” Ewing said.

Ewing said the city has been able to get many of the migrants work permits, so they can earn an income and pay their way for accommodation.

“1,300 people right now, over the last two weeks or so, that we’ve been able to help get their work permits,” Ewing said. “That’s a huge step.”

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston recently announced that the city has started to scale back its migrant services. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

800 MIGRANT FAMILIES BEING BOOTED FROM DENVER SHELTERS AS CITY NEARS BREAKING POINT

The move comes after a Massachusetts couple last month volunteered to take in illegal immigrants and was surprised when a family of four showed up at the doorstep less than an hour after signing up.
Earlier this year, Johnston predicted that the migrant crisis would cost the city around $180 million. He previously told Fox News that the city was “very close” to a breaking point due to the crisis and announced the city was cutting $5 million from public services while pinning the blame on Republicans and former President Donald Trump. 

The city has supported 38,861 migrants from the southern border at a cost of nearly $58 million so far, Fox 31 reported. Venezuelans make up the vast majority of those that have arrived in the city since 2023, according to the Colorado Sun.

A migrant lies on the sleeping pad at a makeshift shelter in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 13, 2023. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

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The sanctuary city has been struggling to stretch its limited resources to support the growing number of migrants there. Texas has transported thousands of migrants to sanctuary cities like Denver, to showcase the problems that border states face when migrants flood their cities. 

The influx of migrants has also put the city’s health system at a breaking point with about 8,000 illegal immigrants recording about 20,000 visits to Denver Health last year, receiving services such as emergency room treatment, primary care, dental care and childbirth. 

Denver passed laws to become a sanctuary city, but it doesn’t include a right-to-shelter provision, which means there is no official policy that compels the local government to provide shelter indefinitely. 

Fox News’ Stepheny Price, Gabriel Hays and  Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report. 

President Biden is heading into his State of the Union address on Thursday facing dismal approval ratings and looking to reassure voters on issues they find most important, including the economy, inflation and immigration. 

But the president is also battling lingering questions about his age and memory, which have emerged since his last address and could even spell trouble during his delivery. 

Biden will address an American electorate that overwhelmingly sees him as failing to meet their expectations. A February Fox News poll found that 42% of voters approved of his job handling while 58% disapproved. His recent numbers slightly dipped from the same time last year when 44% approved of his job performance while 55% disapproved.

RNC SOCIAL MEDIA BLITZ TARGETS BIDEN’S LOW APPROVAL RATING, AGE CONCERNS AHEAD OF SOTU: ‘NUMBERS DON’T LIE’

Biden will look to reassure voters on issues such as the economy and immigration during his State of the Union address. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“The numbers don’t lie. Americans know that the state of the union is weaker because of Joe Biden,” RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel told Fox News Digital. 

“Biden and Democrats are underwater on key issues that Americans care about the most, from the economy to crime, from the open border to protecting our standing on the world stage,” McDaniel continued. “Voters do not want Biden to ‘finish the job,’ which is why this will be his last State of the Union address.”

Biden is also encountering an American audience that currently views political extremism, the economy, immigration and crime as the most critical issues, according to Reuters/Ipsos.

Recent polls have shown that voters are more optimistic about the economy, but that sentiment is not benefiting Biden, the Wall Street Journal reported. Others have demonstrated that voters believe the economy was better under former President Trump than Biden as the two head for a rematch in the November general election.

WATCH: HISTORIC MOMENTS FROM STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESSES

A recent poll showed voters believe the economy was better under Trump than Biden. (Getty Images)

Biden’s problems heading into his State of the Union address also extend to immigration — an issue that has plagued him for some time. Migrant encounters at the southern border reached a record monthly high of 302,000 in December. During fiscal 2023, the U.S. saw 2.4 million migrant encounters at the border, which was also an all-time high.

But the one new issue that has emerged this year is Biden’s mental acuity. Over the past month, he’s faced a damaging special counsel report questioning his mental sharpness while making several gaffes that added to the problem.

Critics have lampooned Biden over his cognitive abilities for some time. Still, recent events have exacerbated the issue more than at any other point in his presidency, and some Democrats have even stated that his age is a concern.

President Biden (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Due to the emerging problem, some reporters believe that many will latch onto Biden’s State of the Union address more than others in the past.

“The amount of media and social media scrutiny that the address will blast at Biden will likely exceed the power of a billion suns,” Politico senior media writer Jack Shafer wrote on Thursday. “His every handshake coming down the aisle, his every step taken, his every word spoken, will be magnified a hundred times over by the press, his political opposition and voters as they take his measure.”

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

A new White House stance on sanctuary cities has put vulnerable Democratic senators up for re-election in a difficult position as they traverse the issues of border security and illegal immigration. 

On Wednesday, Fox News Digital asked several Democratic senators in competitive states whether they agreed with the White House’s shift toward encouraging local jurisdictions to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This marks a change from President Biden’s previous statements. 

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said in a statement to Fox News Digital: “Wisconsinites have said loud and clear they want real action that fixes our broken immigration system, secures our Southern border, and ensures that anyone who is a violent threat to our communities is prosecuted – and I am committed to working with anyone to do just that.”

Sens. Jon Tester, Tammy Baldwin, Bob Casey and Sherrod Brown (Getty Images)

GOP SENATOR’S BILL WOULD FORCE BIDEN ADMIN TO ALLOW VA FACILITY UPDATES STALLED BY INFRASTRUCTURE LAW

While Baldwin stated her support for addressing both illegal immigration and the border, she did not answer whether she believes local municipalities should cooperate with ICE or turn over illegal immigrants who are detained. 

In a statement last month, Biden’s White House said, “We welcome local law enforcement’s support and cooperation in apprehending and removing individuals who pose a risk to national security or public safety.”

“When a local jurisdiction has information about an individual who could pose a threat to public safety, we want them to share that information with ICE,” the statement continued. 

Sen. Tammy Baldwin attends a news conference after a meeting with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 29, 2022.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The White House’s statement differed from Biden’s previous stance on sanctuary city policies. During a Democratic presidential primary debate in 2020, he notably said “no” when he was asked whether arrested illegal immigrants should be turned over to ICE. After he entered office, Biden attempted to place a moratorium on deportations for 100 days, which was ultimately blocked by a federal judge. 

MCCONNELL ENDORSES TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT AFTER SUPER TUESDAY RESULTS: ‘HE WILL HAVE MY SUPPORT’

“I voted for our bipartisan, Border Patrol Union-supported bill that would staff up our law enforcement, stop fentanyl from coming into the U.S., and invest in border security,” Baldwin said in her statement, referencing a bipartisan border security and immigration measure that was killed by Republicans following former President Donald Trump’s coming out against it. “Republicans need to come back to the table on this compromise because the consequences of inaction are unacceptable.” 

In the past, the Wisconsin Democrat has voted against cloture on motions that would allow the Senate to move forward with bills seeking to withhold federal grants for sanctuary cities. Such occasions occurred in 2018, 2016 and 2015.

Sen. Jon Tester asks questions during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Sept. 12, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester‘s campaign declined to comment, referring Fox News Digital to his office. 

“Senator Tester strongly believes local jurisdictions should cooperate with ICE,” his office said in a statement. “He does not support sanctuary cities and believes anyone who enters the country must be vetted and go through legal channels that keep our nation secure.”

TOP REPUBLICANS RALLY BEHIND TRUMP, CALL FOR UNITY AFTER DOMINANT SUPER TUESDAY SHOWING: ‘PRIMARY IS OVER’

Tester’s strong stance against sanctuary cities presents a contrast with his voting history, however. Similar to Baldwin, the Montana Democrat voted against invoking cloture to proceed with bills aimed at preventing sanctuary city policies and halting federal grants from going to them. 

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., joined Tester’s opposition to sanctuary policies via a statement from spokesperson Maddy McDaniel. “Senator Casey doesn’t support sanctuary cities and believes all jurisdictions must cooperate with ICE and law enforcement at all levels, and has opposed Republican efforts to defund the COPS program which helps law enforcement keep communities safe,” she told Fox News Digital. 

Sen. Bob Casey leaves the Capitol after a vote on April 18, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But on the same cloture motions to move forward with bills to stop federal funding for self-proclaimed sanctuary cities, Casey voted against it. 

A spokesperson for Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “Senator Rosen has consistently fought for commonsense, bipartisan reforms to secure the border, fix our broken immigration system, and keep our communities safe.” Her campaign did not say whether she believes local jurisdictions should cooperate with ICE, however. 

Rosen’s campaign further contended there are no sanctuary cities in Nevada. 

As a member of Congress in 2017, Rosen voted against an amendment which would have prevented federal funds from going to state and local entities that refused to cooperate with ICE. 

BIDEN TO DELIVER STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH AT THE LATEST DATE EVER

U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, speaks during a news conference on June 16, 2023, at the East Vegas Library.  (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, are also up for re-election in states considered competitive, according to the Cook Political Report. Asked about their positions on sanctuary cities, they did not respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

The National Republican Senatorial Committee slammed the group of Democrats in pivotal 2024 races, telling Fox News Digital in a statement, “Senate Democrats have spent decades voting to open America’s borders and give millions in taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants, now cities across the country are paying the price for their radical agenda.”

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“None of their candidates will be able to hide their disastrous records from the public,” added NRSC spokesman Philip Letsou. 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was contacted by Fox News Digital for comment and did not hear back at press time. 

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

FIRST ON FOX: A new report from the House Judiciary Committee and its Weaponization Subcommittee revealed that the federal government conducted “broad” and “unjustified” surveillance of Americans’ private financial data through financial institutions, while suggesting banks use information from anti-conservative organizations’ lists of “hate symbols” to determine potential persons of interest. 

Fox News Digital first obtained the committee’s report, titled “Financial Surveillance in the United States: How Federal Law Enforcement Commandeered Financial Institutions to Spy on Americans.” 

‘ALARMING’ SURVEILLANCE: FEDS ASKED BANKS TO SEARCH PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS FOR TERMS LIKE ‘MAGA,’ ‘TRUMP’

“The Committee on the Judiciary and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government are charged by the House of Representatives with upholding fundamental American civil liberties,” the report states. “As a part of this mission, the Committee and Select Subcommittee have uncovered startling evidence that the federal government was engaged in broad financial surveillance, prying into the private transactions of American consumers.” 

The report states that the “financial surveillance was not predicated on any specific evidence of particularized criminal conduct and, even worse, it keyed on terms and specific transactions that concerned core political and religious expression protected by the Constitution.” 

Fox News Digital first reported that following the events of Jan. 6, 2021, federal law enforcement officials from the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the FBI initiated multiple discussions with financial institutions. 

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on October 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“These meetings were geared toward discussing options for financial institutions to share customer information voluntarily with federal law enforcement outside of normal legal process,” the report states. 

Fox News Digital first reported that federal investigators asked banks to search and filter customer transactions by using terms like “MAGA” and “Trump,” and warned that purchases of “religious texts” could indicate “extremism.” Fox News Digital also first reported that the officials suggested that banks query transactions with keywords like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops and more.

FEDS SUGGESTED BANKS SEARCH TRANSACTIONS FOR TERMS LIKE ‘BIDEN,’ ‘ANTIFA’ AND MORE AFTER JAN 6: SOURCES

Fox News Digital also first reported that additional search terms included: “White Power,” “Camp Auschwitz,” “Antifa,” “Proud B,” “Storm, the,” “Capitol,” “Groyper Army,” “Threepers,” “boogaloo,” “civil war,” “last sons,” “kill,” “shoot,” “gun,” “death,” “murder,” “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Pelosi,” “Schumer” and “Pence.”

“Despite these transactions having no criminal nexus, FinCEN seems to have adopted a characterization of these Americans as potential threat actors and subject to surveillance,” the report states. 

A source familiar with the documents held by the House Judiciary Committee told Fox News Digital that while Jan. 6, 2021, was the “impetus” for the queries and searches, he documents the committee has obtained do not reveal any specific time frames or limitations for banks searching customer transactions with the terms. The source said the federal government used the information for investigations beyond Jan. 6.

It is unclear if the terms are still being used by banks to search private transactions. 

Meanwhile, the report revealed that FinCEN, in a January 16, 2021 email, shared with financial institutions a hyperlink to “relevant terms” from the Anti-Defamation League website. The report refers to the ADL as a “notorious anti-conservative activist group.” 

“In advance of today’s discussion, we have attached a slide from FinCEN containing some key terms applicable to matters related to racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE), which may have application to the capitol riots and related activity,” the email from FinCEN states. FinCEN added that “many additional relevant terms maybe found on the Anti-Defamation League website.” 

The report states the “hate symbols” that ADL recommended monitoring included the “Celtic Cross,” the “Okay Hand Gesture,” “Pepe the Frog,” and “White Lives Matter” as hate symbols. 

The Treasury Department (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)

“It should alarm Americans that FinCEN approved of and distributed a link to a database that considers symbols of faith such as the Christian Celtic Cross and other images opposing Antifa, a violent left-wing anarchist group—as hate symbols,” the report states. “This practice is reminiscent of the FBI’s disdain for ‘Radical Traditionalist Catholics,’ and the FBI’s reliance on the Southern Poverty Law Center—another far-left activist group—as an authoritative source on the Catholic Church.” 

The report states that FinCEN also circulated a hyperlink to a report authored by the ISD. 

“The ISD is a left-wing organization that holds itself out as an ‘independent’ monitor of ‘disinformation’ that promotes the censorship of speech it decrees as false or extreme,” the report states. “FinCEN’s distribution of the ISD report amounts to an approval of its content, its methods, and its conclusions. Such an endorsement is concerning because the ISD report labels and demonizes various right-of-center groups in America as ‘hate groups.'” 

The ISD report “incorrectly characterizes several conservative groups such as the Center for Immigration Studies, Numbers USA, the Alliance Defending Freedom, along with several others, as ‘hate groups,'” the report states. “In fact, the ISD’s report draws a false equivalency between certain conservative civil society groups and the American Nazi Party and the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, suggesting FinCEN views them equally.” 

The report added: “Still, FinCEN circulated the ISD report to some of the largest financial institutions in the world, including the very financial institutions that are likely responsible for providing financial services to many of the listed ‘hate groups,’ without regard for the chilling effect it would have on protected speech and its potential to be weaponized against the groups by financial institutions.”

When asked for comment, a Treasury Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “FinCEN’s mission is to safeguard the financial system from illicit use, combat money laundering and its related crimes including terrorism, and promote national security through the strategic use of financial authorities and the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence.” 

“FinCEN is deeply committed to fulfilling this important national security and criminal justice mission in accordance with the law,” the spokesperson said. 

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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan told Fox News Digital that the committees’ report “shows that the surveillance of Americans’ private financial data was broad, unjustified, and jeopardized fundamental civil liberties.”

The committee’s investigation is ongoing. 

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

What’s Happening? 

-Trump sweeps Super Tuesday

-The House tries to avoid a looming government shutdown

-Nikki Haley drops out of 2024 race

Biden’s ‘uncommitted’ problem

President Joe Biden handily won nearly every contest on Super Tuesday, but some voters preferred no one. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Tens of thousands of Democratic voters sent a message to President Biden, after they chose to mark “uncommitted” on their Super Tuesday ballots over voting for him. 

With 99% of the expected votes counted in Minnesota, nearly 1 in 3 voters backed someone other than the president. And nearly 46,000 voters, or nearly 19% of Democrats, marked their ballots “uncommitted,” or willfully deciding not to back any named candidate, to protest his support for Israel.

The sizable protest vote in Minnesota extended to six other states — Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee — where tens of thousands of voters also refused to support Biden, undoubtedly raising questions for his re-election campaign. Michigan primary voters last week also used the uncommitted ballot line to protest Biden.

Progressive groups have backed the “uncommitted” vote to protest Biden’s support for Israel and its continued war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza, which has resulted in millions of Palestinians becoming displaced from their homes and the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. 

Capitol Hill

‘HE WILL HAVE MY SUPPORT’: McConnell endorses Trump for president after Super Tuesday …Read more

SUMMONING CUOMO: House committee subpoenas former NY Governor over COVID-19 nursing home policies …Read more

WHO IS SHE?: Everything you need to know about Katie Britt, the senator giving the SOTU GOP response …Read more

SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: House takes step toward ending messy government shutdown fight …Read more

‘PEDDLING LIES’: Rep Katie Porter swipes at opponent Adam Schiff after Super Tuesday upset …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail: 

‘ANYTIME, ANYWHERE’: Trump challenges Biden to debate after Super Tuesday sweep …Read more

‘DOGGONE HARD WORK’: Trump-endorsed NC governor nominee says underdog story is ‘just like North Carolina herself’ …Read more

MAGA MOVEMENT: Trump invites Nikki Haley supporters to join MAGA movement, celebrates historic Super Tuesday victories …Read more

THE BIDEN ALTERNATIVE: Marianne Williamson surprises by coming in second in multiple states, leapfrogging Dean Phillips …Read more

LESS THAN SATISFACTORY: Fox News Power Rankings: Trump leads a dissatisfied electorate …Read more

TOUGH TERRITORY: American Samoa voters send clear message to Biden after rejecting him in 2020 and 2024 …Read more

‘VERY CONFIDENT’: RFK Jr’s campaign says he has enough signatures to get on ballot in key swing state …Read more

‘PRIMARY IS OVER’: Republicans erupt on social media after Trump’s dominant Super Tuesday wins …Read more

BREAKING NEWS: Nikki Haley drops out of 2024 race …Read more

‘MUST BEAT JOE BIDEN’: Ernst joins McConnell in endorsing former President Donald Trump …Read more

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, left, and former President Donald Trump, right (Getty Images)

Across America

SAFETY FIRST: Kentucky Senate passes bill for armed guardians, mental health training in schools …Read more

TO BE CONTINUED: Primary election in new Alabama US House district goes to runoffs … Read more

‘YOU LIE’: WATCH: Historic moments from State of the Union addresses …Read more

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

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

The White House said Wednesday that President Biden will be ready for anything during Thursday night’s upcoming State of the Union address, including hecklers.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during Wednesday’s briefing whether Biden was prepared for hecklers during the State of the Union.

Last year, chaos erupted briefly in the House chamber when Biden repeated an old Democratic talking point that has long been debunked, saying, “Some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset.”

Biden said that stance was not from the majority, though he invited anyone who doubted his claim to contact his office and he would provide them with a copy of the proposal.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE BATTLES PRESS OVER BIDEN’S RELIANCE ON NOTECARDS: ‘THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INTERJECTING’

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., gives a thumbs down during President Biden’s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 7, 2023. (Win McNamee / Getty Images / File)

Still, after making the statement, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, shouted, “Liar!”

The hecklers became so bad, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., shushed them when they interrupted the president’s tribute to a fentanyl victim.

So, when asked whether Biden would be prepared for hecklers this year, Jean-Pierre referred the reporter to how the president handled the hecklers last year.

BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: TOP 5 MOMENTS

President Biden speaks during his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 7, 2023. (Jacquelyn Martin / Bloomberg via Getty Images / File)

“Look, you saw the president last year when some Republican members behaved in a way that was, I would say, disrespectful. And he handled that, and he did that on his own and he held them to account as it related to important programs that matter to the American people: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid,” Jean-Pierre said. “He called them out on it as they were obviously heckling at him. And so, the president’s ready for anything.”

She was asked again about the president’s preparation, and said he knows how to manage hecklers, as he showed in February 2023.

“Nobody was expecting that,” Jean-Pierre said. “And he took them on and laid out and fought for the American people on programs that matter to them. And so, he, you know, he got this. The President’s got this.”

WHITE HOUSE REPORTERS FEEL HEAT FROM ADMINISTRATION OVER COVERAGE OF BIDEN, TRUMP: ‘NAGGING AND COMPLAINING’

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday that President Biden would be ready for anything, including hecklers, during the State of the Union address on Thursday. (The White House)

Jean-Pierre gave a preview of what Biden is expected to talk about during Thursday’s annual speech to the nation.

“He’s gotten more done in the first three years than most presidents have accomplished in two terms,” said Jean-Pierre, who added Biden will talk about the success of lowering drug prices and getting rid of junk fees.

Biden will also talk about his plan to “improve the lives of all Americans,” by lowering costs on health care premiums, taking on Big Pharma to lower drug prices and making the wealthy and corporations pay their “fair share” in taxes.

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Additionally, Jean-Pierre said the president will speak about protecting women’s reproductive health despite attacks from Republican elected officials, and ending cancer as we know it, among other things.

An attorney for a co-defendant in the sweeping case against former President Donald Trump testified in a Georgia state senate hearing Wednesday that special prosecutor Nathan Wade’s cellphone data shows 1 a.m. trips to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ home prior to his hiring.

Willis last year indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants, including Michael Roman, a GOP political operative, who first filed motions alleging that Willis was having an “improper” affair with Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute the case against Trump.

Roman, who is represented by Ashleigh Merchant, alleged that Willis financially benefited from hiring Wade because of their extra-marital, romantic relationship.

In a hearing Wednesday before a committee formed this year by the GOP-controlled state senate, Merchant testified that information on Wade’s cellphone data indicates he visited the condo Willis was renting a number of times before he was hired.

“It’s pinging from his house all the way down to the condo at midnight 1 a.m. And then he calls her when he gets there. And then it goes silent for four or five hours. And then, you know, early in the morning hours, he starts pinging again, driving back, and then he texts her when he gets home,” Merchant said, describing the geolocation data from Wade’s cellphone. 

TRUMP LAWYERS MAKE CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN DA FANI WILLIS ‘IMPROPER’ AFFAIR ALLEGATIONS: ‘IRREPARABLE STAIN’

Fani Willis — the district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia — previously said the allegations brought against her of having an “improper” romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade were made because she is Black. (Getty Images)

Attorneys for the state in the proceedings in Fulton County Superior Court last month testified that geolocation data is unreliable as evidence. But Merchant noted Wednesday that the state is “currently using the same data in another courtroom to prosecute someone, but in their defense in ours was that it’s not reliable.”

A state judge is currently weighing evidence against Willis’ alleged impropriety and whether she and her team should be disqualified from the case. 

In the meantime, state lawmakers formed a special committee with subpoena power to investigate the Fulton County district attorney. 

During Wednesday’s committee hearing, Merchant also testified that Willis awarded a $780,000 increase in the DA’s budget on Sept. 15 2021, through the end of that year, with the next year not to exceed $5 million. Merchant said that the DA claimed this money was to hire extra people to help with the backlog of homicide cases the office was seeing at that time. 

The budget increase was just a few months before Wade was hired in November 2021, and roughly eight months before the special grand jury in this case was impaneled in May 2022.

FANI WILLIS, NATHAN WADE REFERRED TO GEORGIA STATE BAR FOR MISCONDUCT BY WATCHDOG GROUP

Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade. (Getty Images)

Merchant testified that when she made open records requests to confirm that her office hired new employees and not special contractors, her request was denied by the DA’s office. 

Merchant went on to say that the key witnesses in the allegations against Willis — Terrance Bradley, a former law partner and divorce attorney and “best friend” to Wade — told her that he “did not like the way” Wade treated his wife.

“I remember specifically him saying, ‘You know, I handle my business,’ things like that, like, ‘You know, that I don’t leave my wife without alimony,’” Merchant said. 

“Ms. Wade had been a stay-at-home mom for, you know, they’d been married almost 30 years. And literally it was right after they dropped their youngest off in college that he said, ‘Move out,’” Merchant said of Wade’s marriage. 

Merchant said it was Bradley who recommended she try to find Willis’ former “bestie” — Robin Yeartie — who testified in court last month that Willis and Wade had been in a “romantic” relationship since 2019. This contradicts both Willis and Wade’s claims in court that their relationship started after Wade was hired by the DA in 2021.

Merchant said that when her client filed the motion alleging the affair, it “shocked” the world because “very few people” knew about the relationship.  

GEORGIA PROSECUTOR ALLEGES FANI WILLIS ASKED BRADLEY NOT TO TESTIFY ON AFFAIR: ‘THEY ARE COMING AFTER US’

Ashleigh Merchant, attorney for Michael Roman, listens next to her husband John Merchant, who also represents Roman, during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump. (Alyssa Pointer-Pool/Getty Images)

Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert probed Merchant’s knowledge of phone calls made to Bradley after news of the affair broke, trying to determine if he was the source of the information. One from Gabe Banks, an attorney connected to Wade, and another call from Bradley’s best friend, who Wade allegedly asked to call Bradley and “remind” him of his attorney-client privilege, having once been Wade’s divorce lawyer. 

According to Merchant, Bradley was one of the few people who knew of the affair. 

Merchant said Bradley took the calls as “intimidation.”

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Merchant also testified that in February 2023, Willis met with Vice President Harris at the White House, along with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. 

A White House official said Wednesday that at the February reception held at their residence, the vice president did not get the opportunity to speak directly with the majority of guests, including Willis.

Fox News Digital reached out to Willis and Wade for comment but did not get a response prior to publication.

Fox News’ Claudia Kelly-Bazan contributed to this report.

Senate candidate Katie Porter, D-Calif., on Wednesday suggested that the California primary race was rigged by “an onslaught of billionaires” after losing to her Democratic opponent, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. 

The progressive Democrat did not win a single county, earning a statewide total of just under 14%. She finished nearly twenty points behind both Schiff and Republican candidate Steve Garvey and came in third place in Orange County, which she has represented since 2019. 

L-R: Katie Porter and Adam Schiff (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Porter said her supporters “had the establishment running scared – withstanding 3 to 1 in TV spending and an onslaught of billionaires spending millions to rig this election.” 

She said the results demonstrated that Californians were “hungry for leaders who break the mold, can’t be bought, and push for accountability in government and across our economy.” 

TRUMP SENDS MESSAGE TO HALEY SUPPORTERS AFTER SHE SUSPENDS 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

“Special interests like politics as it is today because they control the politicians,” she said. “As we’ve seen in this campaign, they spend millions to defeat someone who will dilute their influence and disrupt the status quo.” 

Former President Trump was frequently criticized for throwing around the word “rigged” after losing the 2020 presidential election to President Biden. 

FILE: Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Adam Schiff, left, and right participate in a debate on stage with other democrats who are running to succeed Sen. Feinstein at Westing Bonaventure Hotel on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Los Angeles, CA. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to the campaign offices of Porter and Schiff for additional comment. Garvey declined to respond. 

Porter herself has received millions of dollars from big donors to boost her campaign, despite touting her record of not accepting corporate PAC money. She has reportedly accepted thousands of dollars in donations from big Wall Street donors, according to federal campaign finance disclosures.

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California, in which Republicans are outnumbered by registered Democrats by about 2-to-1, puts all candidates, regardless of party, on the same primary ballot and the two who get the most votes advance to the general election. A Republican hasn’t won a statewide race for any office in California since 2006.

FIRST ON FOX: Republicans on the Senate Commerce Committee are expanding their investigation into the sheltering of migrants at airports in “sanctuary” jurisdictions – seeking information from two additional port authorities on how many migrants have been kept at airports, how it is being funded and the potential risks it may pose.

In letters to the Port Authorities of New York/New Jersey and Massachusetts, the lawmakers, led by Ranking Member Ted Cruz, ask for more information about the sheltering of migrants – specifically at John F Kennedy International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport.

In New York, where migrants are kept in Building 197, the housing was in the spotlight in February when an Ecuadorian national ran past armed security into a secured area and was arrested with a box cutter and a pair of scissors.

ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ARE SLEEPING IN TERMINALS OF BOSTON AIRPORT ON ‘DAILY’ BASIS AS CRISIS OVERWHELMS SHELTERS

Boston, MA – January 24: Migrants spend the night on the floor at Logan Airport. (Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

In Logan Airport, the lawmakers cite reports that migrants are sleeping on the floors of Terminal E, where migrants are being seen on a “daily basis.”

“Frankly, what you’ve seen at Logan has been the situation, and this is why I said months ago that we are reaching capacity here,” Gov. Maura Healey said in January.

The lawmakers quizzed Chicago on the matter earlier this year, and have warned that federal assistance to airports are conditioned on the airport and facilities being made available for public use as an airport. The lawmakers say the sheltering of migrants brings that into question.

“Housing illegal aliens at airports is unprecedented and far beyond the scope of the FAA’s vision for a nationwide system of airports,” they say in the letter to New York and New Jersey. “FAA policy prohibits the use of aeronautical facilities on airport property for non-aeronautical purposes.”

SENATE COMMERCE REPUBLICANS PROBE MIGRANT SHELTERS AT CHICAGO AIRPORTS

They describe the sheltering of migrants as a “warped repurposing of America’s aviation system” and link it to “open border policies” pursued by the far-left and the Biden administration, as well as “sanctuary” policies embraced by those states.

They cite statistics showing that ICE detainers – requests to transfer an illegal immigrant charged with crimes – are frequently ignored in New York, NYC, Massachusetts and Boston – including those charged with assault, rape, sexual assault and other violent crimes.

The lawmakers sent lengthy lists of questions to both port authorities, seeking copies of licenses and waivers, requests for numbers of migrants living or sheltering in the facilities, information regarding security breaches and information about any consultation with ICE or other federal authorities. Fox reached out to both port authorities. NY/NJ said it was reviewing the letter.

CHICAGO’S O’HARE AIRPORT USED AS A MIGRANT SHELTER AS CRISIS OVEWHELMS CITY: ‘LIKE A SCENE FROM MAD MAX’

They also ask about funding and whether the authorities have been reimbursed, whether taxpayer funding has been used and whether elected officials directed or encouraged the housing of immigrants at the airport. Senators on the letters include Cruz as well as Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, Todd Young, R-Ind., and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.

The letters come as the three-year border crisis remains a fiery political topic, and comes days after both President Biden and former President Donald Trump visited the southern border.

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Republicans blame the border crisis on the policies of the Biden administration, including reduced interior enforcement, the reversal of Trump-era policies and releases into the interior.

Biden has called on the Senate to pass a bipartisan bill that includes funding and resources to the border, as well as limits on entries into the U.S. But conservatives say it would normalize an excessive level of crossings.

President Biden faces two opponents heading into the election.

Former President Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.

And then Mr. Biden must square off against Democrats who are despondent at the president’s performance. 

Anemic poll numbers are driving loyal Democrats away from President Biden.

“The challenges that Joe Biden has with his own party, his own base, are the biggest challenges he’s facing in this election,” said David Cohen, a political scientist at the University of Akron. “He has a lot of issues with younger voters in the party. I think that can be directly linked to what’s happening overseas in the Middle East.” 

CONGRESS TRIES TO AVOID A SHUTDOWN—AGAIN

Consider how progressives are hectoring the president over how his administration is handling the war between Israel and Hamas.

“We are requesting a meeting with President Biden,” said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., “We are demanding an immediate, lasting ceasefire.”

Michigan is a state which is critical to Mr. Biden’s reelection campaign. It boasts 15 electoral votes. More than 100,000 voters marked their ballot as “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary last month rather than cast a ballot for President Biden. The president only captured the state by about 154,000 votes in 2020 over former President Trump. There are about 200,000 Muslim voters in Michigan. 300,000 voters say they have ancestral ties to the Middle East or North Africa. That bloc of voters was key to President Biden winning the state four years ago. 

“The results in Michigan this week made it plain voters are not happy with the United States’ handling of the war in Gaza. And President Biden must change course,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a member of the Squad.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 5: President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with his Competition Council in the State Dining Room of the White House on March 5, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden announced new economic measures during the meeting. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is a Palestinian-American. She implored the president to alter his course on the Middle East.

“Listen to us! Listen, not only to Michigan. But so many people. The majority of people are supporting a ceasefire,” beseeched Tlaib.

A reporter then asked Tlaib if she will “vote for President Biden in November.”

“Thank you very much,” replied Tlaib. “Thank you.”

WHO IS JASON PALMER, THE OBSCURE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO DELIVERED BIDEN’S FIRST 2024 LOSS?

Tlaib then walked away.

“A lot of younger voters, Gen Z, millennials are very unhappy with the Biden administration’s full support of Israel,” said Cohen. “He cannot afford to have any slippage in the Democratic coalition and lack of enthusiasm. I don’t think those young Biden supporters that voted for him in 2020 are going to vote for Trump. But the worry for the Biden campaign is that they’re going to stay home.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sidestepped when yours truly asked if President Biden should make a pivot away from Israel in his State of the Union speech to satisfy the left.

“I’m not speculating about what the President should say in the State of the Union,” replied Schumer.

Democratic squad member Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., left and President Biden, right (Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via AP, left, Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images, right.)

Vice President Harris first called for a ceasefire. The President said he’d like a ceasefire by the start of Ramadan – March 10 or 11. But it’s unclear if the administration can get what it wants from the Israelis, despite taking a harder line stance.

But it’s just not Middle East policy which is turning off key sectors of the Democratic coalition. 

Via executive order, President Biden has erased a staggering $138 billion in student loan debt for 3.9 million borrowers. But that hasn’t been enough to placate some Democrats. They want it all wiped out.

And then there is the border.

Democrats are exasperated at Republicans incinerating a bipartisan border package earlier this winter after months of negotiations. But the administration’s approach to securing the border is nearly as galling to the left. 

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have long been outraged that the administration and other Democrats failed to engage them in border talks. Some liberal Democrats are angry that the now-dead bipartisan plan went too far modifying asylum and parole. 

WHO’S LEADING IN BIDEN-TRUMP ELECTION REMATCH AFTER SUPER TUESDAY

Then there are mainstream Democrats and swing voters. They fear a surge of undocumented migrants racing across the southern border into the U.S. High-profile deaths like nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia only amplify their worries. The murder suspect – Jose Ibarra – was cited for shoplifting and endangering a child. Republicans quickly drafted a bill to require the detention of illegal migrants if they have brushes with the law.

“If we can we put a national spotlight on this thing, we’ll do it,” said Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., who represents the district where Ibarra was killed. “If we can just prevent one of these (deaths) from happening again, we’ve done our job.”

That’s why the House planned a vote on the “Laken Riley Act’ just before President Biden’s State of the Union speech Thursday. This is an effort to focus attention on the border amid the president’s address.

Collins asked Riley’s parents to attend the speech. But they are home grieving. Collins says he’ll leave his guest seat in the public gallery overlooking the House chamber vacant in honor of Riley.

But it’s not just Republicans who are infuriated about the border – even if many on the right incinerated a bipartisan border security package President Biden endorsed earlier this winter. Democrats of all stripes are now demanding enhanced border security.

Out of desperation, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., told Fox that he now supports a chunk of the House GOP’s strict border bill, known as H.R.2. That bill cracks down on illegal immigrants in the country and mandates that employers document their workers.

US Senator John Fetterman (C), Democrat of Pennsylvania, arrives at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 21, 2023.  (Photo by PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images)

Fetterman is so focused on tightening up the border that he wants H.R.2 – with an exception for “DACA” – a delay in the deportation of persons who came to the U.S. without documentation as children.

“Anything other than that can be on the table for me,” said Fetterman.

The Pennsylvania Democrat referred to the Republicans’ plans on DACA as his “kill switch.” But he was game for anything else. 

“As a Democrat, I’m willing and eager to go stronger than the border deal that was here,” said Fetterman. “It might actually be appropriate, given the circumstances here at the border.”

So, pick your issue. President Biden is struggling to connect with lawmakers who should be in his corner.

“The party’s all over the place,” said Cohen. “Many Members of Congress are thinking about their own re-elections.”

In other words, Democrats might cut Mr. Biden some slack if the President boasted approval ratings of 50 percent. But with his subterranean numbers, Democrats are putting distance between themselves and President Biden.

“It’s all about political survival,” observed Cohen.

This is the challenge for President Biden.

It’s one thing to get hammered by former President Trump and rock-ribbed Republicans.

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It’s another thing to have members of your own party upbraid you on a daily basis.

With friends like these, President Biden doesn’t need an enemy.

FIRST ON FOX: Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is making it clear that the Republican National Committee (RNC) will not be covering a penny of the legal fees associated with his four pending criminal cases or other civil cases.

Speaking with Fox News Digital on Wednesday just hours after Nikki Haley ended her presidential bid, officially making Trump the presumptive nominee, a spokesman for the former president’s campaign said the RNC would “absolutely not” be providing any of its funds to alleviate his legal costs.

“Hard no. Absolutely not. Asked and answered,” the spokesperson said.

TRUMP DOMINATING, HALEY WINNING HER FIRST STATE ROUND OUT TOP MOMENTS FROM SUPER TUESDAY

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump arrives for an election-night watch party at Mar-a-Lago on March 5, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

A report published by CNBC earlier in the day said there was a growing number of RNC committee members believing the organization should help pay Trump’s legal bills, and, according to one committee member, they represented “more than a majority” of those on the committee.

A proposed resolution to prohibit any funds being used on Trump’s legal defense failed to garner enough support to be considered at the RNC’s upcoming spring meeting in Houston this week, where the organization’s current chair, Ronna McDaniel, is expected to step down from her role.

McDaniel’s resignation comes after the RNC began the election year facing a shortage of cash compared to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which held nearly three times the cash-on-hand reported by the former in its filings with the Federal Election Commission.

LARA TRUMP, OUT WITH NEW KIDS BOOK, STRESSES NEED TO KEEP FIGHTING FOR AMERICA AND BEDROCK VALUES

Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, speaks during the Republican National Committee winter meeting in Dana Point, California, US, on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. McDaniel won a fourth term as RNC chair, a status quo choice by party faithful even after a series of stinging election defeats with Donald Trump as GOP standard-bearer. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Last month, Trump endorsed Michael Whatley, the current chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, to replace McDaniel, as well as his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to be co-chair, and senior campaign advisor Chris LaCivita to be chief operating officer.

None have expressed plans, or even a desire, for the RNC to cover Trump’s legal costs should they be elected by members of the committee to those respective roles, and Lara Trump said following her father-in-law’s endorsement, that “every single penny” of RNC funds should go to ensuring he is elected president in November.

The narrative that Trump would rely on the RNC to cover his legal expenses appears to have originated with Haley following Trump’s endorsement of McDaniel’s potential successors, when she told CNN during an interview that he planned to make the organization his personal “piggy bank.”

DEMS MOCK RNC FOR ‘DESPERATE’ FUNDRAISING DRIVE THAT INCLUDES STARK ADMISSION ON DNC’S MONEY ADVANTAGE

Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, speaks to the media following a rally in North Charleston, South Carolina on February 21, 2024. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)

A number of liberal media organizations reported last month that Lara Trump, during a campaign stop in South Carolina in support of her father-in-law, said she believed Republican voters would “absolutely” be okay with contributions going toward those bills. However, she stated she was not familiar with the RNC’s rules on paying such costs, and appeared to be referencing Republicans in general supporting Trump financially, rather than the RNC.

It’s unclear, however, how Trump’s fundraising apparatus might continue to cover his legal costs after it shelled out nearly $50 million to pay them last year, according to FEC filings, or how that massive outflow, combined with the RNC’s money woes, could affect the former president’s path to winning in November.

The $50 million spent by Trump’s fundraising entities on his legal defense last year goes up to north of $90 million if spending in 2022 and 2021 is included. Combining that with Trump’s fundraising costs — which reach nearly half of the $282 million he’s raised — his cash burn rate amounts to a whopping 81%, leaving him just $0.19 per dollar raised.

TEXAS DEMOCRAT’S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION POSITIONS COULD COME BACK TO HAUNT HIM IN BID TO OUST TED CRUZ

President Joe Biden speaks at Abbotts Creek Community Center during an event to promote his economic agenda in Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 18, 2024.  (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

The financial struggles of the RNC and Trump campaign have attracted the attention of both the DNC and Biden campaign, who enjoy a joint fundraising agreement, allowing them to raise money collectively and capture a massive advantage heading into the election year.

“The RNC is already cash-strapped and chaotic, and trading one extreme out-of-touch Trump loyalist for another is not going to fix their problem. Donald Trump is going to be their nominee, and they clearly can’t afford it financially or electorally,” DNC spokesperson Alex Floyd told Fox News Digital, referencing the likelihood Trump’s RNC picks could end up in leadership roles.

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“How Trump and his allies burn through what little cash they have is up to them – our campaign is investing our record-setting haul where it counts: reaching out to voters early and often,” Biden campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika told Fox News Digital.

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

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

The parents of Laken Riley, a college nursing student who was recently killed on the University of Georgia campus, will not attend President Biden’s State of the Union speech on Thursday, choosing instead to stay home and give the loss of their daughter, said U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.

Collins said he invited Riley’s parents but that they chose not to attend. 

“Therefore, the seat reserved for my guest will remain vacant to honor Laken and all American victims of illegal alien crime,” he posted on social media Wednesday.

Riley, 22, was killed while jogging on trails around the college campus. Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national who was living illegally in the United States, has been charged with her murder.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER: ATHENS-CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF CAMPAIGNED ON NOT ‘COOPERATING’ WITH ICE: ‘CULTURE OF FEAR’

Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on campus at the University of Georgia on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Facebook)

The killing has prompted outrage and scorn against Biden over his immigration policies. 

“As Joe Biden attempts to paint a rosy picture of the crime-ridden country he has created, he will look up at an empty seat that memorializes those we’ve lost because of his open border policies,” Collins wrote.

In response to the murder, the Republican lawmaker introduced the Laken Riley Act, which would require immigration authorities to detain illegal immigrants charged with theft or burglary. Collins has said the bill would work to prevent similar tragedies as a result of open southern border policies. 

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

Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on campus at the University of Georgia on Feb. 22. An illegal immigrant has been charged with her murder.  (Laken Riley/Facebook)

A combined rule for the consideration of a financial services bill and the Laken Riley Act was passed by a narrow 214-211 vote on Wednesday. No Democrats voted in favor. 

The legislation now moves to the next phase of voting in the House where it will be debated. 

Before being charged with felony murder, Ibarra was once arrested in New York for endangering a child, and he was cited in Georgia for misdemeanor shoplifting in October 2023 along with his brother, Diego Ibarra, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

Jose Ibarra was arrested on Feb. 23 in connection with Laken Riley’s Feb. 22 murder in Athens, Georgia. (Clarke County Sheriff’s Office)

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Under the terms of the bill, the Laken Riley Act would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue a detainer for illegal aliens charged or cited with local theft or burglary. 

It will head for a general debate in the House on Thursday. 

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, attempted to force a floor vote Wednesday on a law that would require illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the hope of preventing avoidable attacks and resulting deaths. 

The Iowa Republican’s unanimous consent request was thwarted by Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who objected to the request. 

Ernst requested unanimous consent from her colleagues in order to advance Sarah’s Law to the floor for a vote, asking during a floor speech, “How many young Americans must die? How many families must be ripped apart for this administration to wake up and take border security seriously?”

HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNSON LAUNCHES FUNDRAISING HUB TO GROW GOP HOUSE MAJORITY AFTER TRUMP SUPER TUESDAY VICTORIES

The bill would require ICE to take into custody of illegal immigrants who are arrested and charged with causing the deaths or serious injury of another. This was reiterated by Ernst during her speech. “It would merely require ICE to detain, just to detain, otherwise deportable illegal immigrants charged with killing or seriously injuring another person,” she said. 

Durbin claimed the bill would detain victims of trafficking or domestic abuse who were charged with crimes. According to him, the bill would “deprive immigrants of the due process that everyone is afforded.”

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon in the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 14, 2023 in Washington, D.C.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The measure’s namesake, Sarah Root, was a 21-year-old Iowa woman who was killed by a drunk driver who was also in the country illegally. Ernst noted that the suspect, Edwin Mejia, was able to post bond and ultimately escape facing the court. 

HOUSE GOP RELENTS ON LGBT CENTER FUNDING IN $460B PACKAGE AS DEMS CHEER LACK OF ‘POISON PILLS’

“Citing the Obama administration’s November 2014 memo on immigration enforcement priorities, ICE declined to take custody of Mejia, despite his repeated driving offenses and history of skipping court dates,” the senator explained. 

Immigrants wait to be processed by the U.S. Border Patrol after crossing the border from Mexico, with the U.S.-Mexico border barrier in the background, on August 6, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona.  ((Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images))

She also referenced the recent death of University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, in which another illegal immigrant, Jose Ibarra was arrested and has been charged with several crimes, including malice murder and felony murder, among others. 

News of Riley’s killing made headlines across the country last month and has prompted congressional Republicans to demand answers. According to Ernst, both Root and Riley’s deaths are “doomed to be repeated,” under the current policies. 

MCCONNELL ENDORSES TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT AFTER SUPER TUESDAY RESULTS: ‘HE WILL HAVE MY SUPPORT’

Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Facebook)

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The senator pointed to the immigration practice known as “catch and release,” during which illegal immigrants seeking entry on the basis of asylum are released during the processing period. “Instead of being detained while he was processed, he was released into our country — never to be heard from again,” she said. 

While Ibarra may have been prevented from allegedly killing Riley had he been detained upon entry to the country, Sarah’s Law would not have stopped the attack, as Ibarra’s criminal record doesn’t include crimes in which others were killed or injured.  

Former President Trump is calling for debates between himself and President Joe Biden ahead of the 2024 general election, saying he is willing to participate “anytime, anywhere, anyplace.” 

Trump, the 2024 GOP frontrunner and presumptive nominee, posted his offer on his Truth Social Wednesday afternoon — just hours after former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, his last-standing Republican opponent, suspended her campaign. 

“It is important, for the Good of our Country, that Joe Biden and I Debate Issues that are so vital to America, and the American People,” Trump posted Wednesday. “Therefore, I am calling for Debates, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE! The Debates can be run by the Corrupt DNC, or their Subsidiary, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).” 

President Trump is about four years younger than President Biden.  (AP)

“I look forward to receiving a response. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump added. 

The Republican National Committee in 2022 unanimously voted to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates. 

The RNC clarified that it is not moving away from the presidential debate format, but is rather objecting to the CPD’s control over the process. The CPD has organized presidential and vice presidential debates for more than 30 years.

“Debates are an important part of the democratic process, and the RNC is committed to free and fair debates,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement at the time. “The Commission on Presidential Debates is biased and has refused to enact simple and commonsense reforms to help ensure fair debates including hosting debates before voting begins and selecting moderators who have never worked for candidates on the debate stage.”

The RNC, at the time, also added that a majority of the CPD’s board members had publicly disparaged former President Donald Trump prior to the 2020 debates.

As for whether Biden would participate in debates against Trump, his re-election campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked if Biden would debate Trump, but she did not directly respond. 

“That’s something for the campaign to speak to,” Jean-Pierre said. 

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether former President Trump is immune from prosecution in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case on April 25. 

The Supreme Court last week agreed it would review whether Trump has immunity from prosecution in Smith’s case and said it would fast-track the appeal. 

SUPREME COURT AGREES TO REVIEW WHETHER TRUMP IMMUNE FROM PROSECUTION IN FEDERAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE

A ruling from the high court is expected by late June. 

Trump’s criminal trial has been put on hold pending resolution on the matter. 

Trump and his legal team, in requesting the Supreme Court review the issue of presidential immunity, said that “if the prosecution of a President is upheld, such prosecutions will recur and become increasingly common, ushering in destructive cycles of recrimination.” 

FILE – The U.S. Supreme Court is seen, Nov. 15, 2023, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

“Criminal prosecution, with its greater stigma and more severe penalties, imposes a far greater ‘personal vulnerability’ on the President than any civil penalty,” the request states. “The threat of future criminal prosecution by a politically opposed Administration will overshadow every future President’s official acts — especially the most politically controversial decisions.”

Trump’s request states that the president’s “political opponents will seek to influence and control his or her decisions via effective extortion or blackmail with the threat, explicit or implicit, of indictment by a future, hostile Administration, for acts that do not warrant any such prosecution.”

Smith charged the former president with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. Those charges stemmed from Smith’s investigation into whether Trump was involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and any alleged interference in the 2020 election result.

TRUMP SAYS SUPREME COURT RULING IN COLORADO CASE IS ‘UNIFYING AND INSPIRATIONAL’

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in August.

This will be the second time this term the Supreme Court will hear a case involving the presumed Republican presidential nominee. 

On Monday, the Supreme Court sided unanimously with the 2024 GOP frontrunner in his challenge to Colorado’s attempt to kick him off the 2024 primary ballot. 

Donald Trump and Jack Smith (Getty Images)

The high court ruled in favor of Trump’s arguments in the case, which will impact the status of efforts in several other states to remove the likely GOP nominee from their respective ballots. 

The court considered for the first time the meaning and reach of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office again. Challenges have been filed to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot in over 30 states.

TRUMP SPEAKS AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING, TELLS BIDEN TO ‘FIGHT YOUR FIGHT YOURSELF’

In reacting to that ruling on Monday, Trump shifted his sights to the issue of presidential immunity. 

“A great win for America. Very, very important!” Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Monday morning. 

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“Equally important for our country will be the decision that they will soon make on immunity for a president — without which, the presidency would be relegated to nothing more than a ceremonial position, which is far from what the founders intended,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “No president would be able to properly and effectively function without complete and total immunity.” 

He added, “Our country would be put at great risk.” 

Fox News’ Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report. 

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, endorsed former President Donald Trump to be the Republican presidential nominee on Wednesday, becoming the final member of the Senate GOP leadership conference to do so. 

“We must beat Joe Biden and get this country back on track,” Ernst wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. “Donald Trump has my support.”

Ernst’s endorsement comes a day after Trump swept nearly 1,000 Super Tuesday delegations, inching closer to securing his spot as the GOP presidential front runner in November. Trump’s only primary opponent, Nikki Haley, suspended her presidential campaign on Wednesday morning.

Last month, Ernst criticized Trump’s use of the word “hostages” to describe his supporters who were arrested for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Host Kristen Welker asked Ernst if she was bothered by Trump’s description of the Jan. 6 prisoners.

MCCONNELL ENDORSES TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT AFTER SUPER TUESDAY RESULTS: ‘HE WILL HAVE MY SUPPORT’

“It does in this context because we do have American hostages that are being held against their will all around the globe, and especially if you look at the innocents that were attacked and kidnapped on Oct. 7,” Ernst responded. “We are approaching nearly 100 days. These are people that have been taken. They’re held in tunnels with terrorists, they are being tortured, they have been raped, they have been denied medication. So, equating the two, there is no comparison.”

Ernst later said in the interview she would not be opposed to pardoning those who were involved on Jan. 6 and that it would be at the president’s discretion. 

Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has refused to comment over the last few months on whether he would endorse the former president, also endorsed Trump on Wednesday. 

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“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States. It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support,” McConnell said in a statement. 

He continued: “During his Presidency, we worked together to accomplish great things for the American people including tax reform that supercharged our economy and a generational change of our federal judiciary, most importantly, the Supreme Court.”

More GOP lawmakers in both chambers are rallying behind former President Donald Trump. Over 100 House Republicans and over two dozen Senate Republicans have endorsed the former president. 

Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report. 

California Democrat Katie Porter took a swipe at Rep. Adam Schiff and special interest groups after losing the open Senate primary, suggesting that Schiff’s campaign spent millions “peddling lies” and ultimately boosted the Republican in the race, former baseball player Steve Garvey, on Super Tuesday.

“We’re standing three to one in TV spending and an onslaught of billionaires who spent millions peddling lies,” Porter said in her concession speech Tuesday night. “And our opponents spending more to boost the Republican than promoting his own campaign.”

“While the votes are still coming in, we know that tonight we’ll come up short,” Porter said just after 9 p.m. Tuesday. “Our opponents threw everything – every trick, millions of dollars, every trick in the playbook – to knock us off our feet. But I’m still standing in high heels.”

She added, “Because of you, we have the establishment running scared.” 

TREY GOWDY FIRES BACK AT KATIE PORTER, CNN WRITER’S RESPONSE TO LAKEN RILEY MURDER: ‘DO NOT LECTURE US’

Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Adam Schiff participate in a debate on stage with other democrats who are running to succeed Sen. Diane Feinstein at Westing Bonaventure Hotel on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Porter, a progressive Democrat who has been representing Orange County since 2019, later said in her speech she “never considered” running for office “until Trump was elected” in 2016. She rose to popularity helped by viral moments questioning big Pharma CEOs during congressional hearings and publicly defied big corporate campaign backing.

However, Porter herself has received millions of dollars from big donors to boost her campaign, despite touting her record of not accepting corporate PAC money. She has reportedly accepted thousands of dollars in donations from big Wall Street donors, according to federal campaign finance disclosures.

Additionally, according to Open Secrets — a nonprofit that tracks government campaigns — Porter received just over $50,000 in PAC donations, more than $32,000 from Apple and Google, more than $58,000 collectively from the Universities of California San Francisco and Irvine, just under $16,000 from Kaiser Permanente and over $600,000 from lawyers and law firms. 

ADAM SCHIFF COULD UNITE CALIFORNIANS IN SENATE BID, BUT TO GOP CANDIDATE’S BENEFIT: KEVIN MCCARTHY

Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey are likely to face off against one another in California’s Senate election in November. (Getty Images)

Porter raised just under $28 million in her Senate campaign, trailing slightly behind Schiff’s $31 million. Rep. Barbara Lee, another Democrat seeking the open Senate seat, raised $4 million, and Republican Garvey raised just over $2 million. Under California’s primary system, the top two candidates in the primary election will face off in the general election in November.

According to a Washington Post report last month, Porter also redirected at least half a million dollars in ads attacking another GOP contender, Eric Early, describing him as a “100% pro-Trump candidate” who is “way more dangerous than Steve Garvey.”

The highly contested seat was held for more than 30 years by former Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., until her death last year, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint Democrat Sen. Laphonza Butler to fill the vacancy.

Ahead of Tuesday’s election, Schiff, a Burbank Democrat and congressman since 2001, spent millions of dollars on campaign ads describing Garvey as someone who “voted for Trump, twice, and supported Republicans for years, including far right conservatives,” according to one ad.

The move to paint long-shot Republican opponent Garvey as a staunch Trump ally was seen as an effort to squeeze out Porter and Lee from the race — giving Schiff a higher likelihood of winning the general election instead of splitting the vote between Democrats in the deep blue bastion.

ADAM SCHIFF ENDORSED FOR SENATE AS ‘TEAM PLAYER’ BY LA TIMES: ‘PRACTICED IN THE ART OF COMPROMISE’

 Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) passed away last year. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Garvey and Schiff will face off in the fall. Schiff is expected to win, but Garvey said during his victory speech on Tuesday, “They say in the general election we’re going to strike out. That’s from the crowd that believes in the status quo.”

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Schiff, whose victory speech was interrupted by protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Palestine conflict, said, “We are so lucky, so lucky to live in a democracy where we all have the right to protest.”

“We are so lucky to live in that kind of democracy, and we want to make sure we keep this kind of democracy,” he said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Schiff, Lee, Porter and Garvey’s campaigns for comment. 

Thousands of voters in a new congressional district of Alabama received incorrect voting instructions leading into Super Tuesday. 

More than 6,500 voters in the 2nd Congressional District of Alabama received postcards ahead of the Tuesday primary with information intended for voters in the 7th Congressional District. 

The county sent out 2,000 notices informing affected voters of the mistake on Tuesday and an additional 4,000 on Wednesday. 

James Snipes, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Registrars, said that affected voters were still able to vote for their candidates. 

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Tuesday marked the first time that Alabama voters could vote in the newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“Everyone who came to their precinct was able to vote for the correct candidates,” Snipes said. “This was a good-faith effort.”

He attributed the mistake to a “software glitch” that misidentified the thousands of voters’ geographic region.

ALABAMA FEDERAL JUDGE RULES BIDEN ADMIN’S SMALL BUSINESS REPORTING REQUIREMENT UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Voters enter and exit a polling facility at the Seale Courthouse in Russell County during a primary election in Seale, Alabama. About 6,000 voters in a new congressional district formed to boost Black representation received postcards with incorrect voting information ahead of Tuesday’s primary election. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The 2nd Congressional District’s boundaries were redrawn last year by federal judges who ruled its prior borders likely violated the Voting Rights Act. 

The new boundaries were redrawn to stretch from Mobile to the state border with Georgia so that the 27% of the population that is Black would be able to have a larger influence in elections.

The election proved crowded after 11 Democrats and seven Republicans entered the primary race.

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Rebecca McGhee and Randy Robinson speak with arriving voters as they enter the parking lot at the Macedonia Worship Center polling place in Montgomery, Alabama. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Democratic candidates Anthony Daniels and Shomari Figures received enough votes to qualify for a run-off later this year.

Republican candidates Caroleene Dobson and Dick Brewbaker similarly secured spots in a future run-off to decide the party candidate.