Donald Trump Poll News

President Donald Trump called the U.S.-Canada border an “artificial line” while also declining to say whether Canada would lean right or left if it were to become a state. 

Trump’s Friday comments were made during a press conference in the Oval Office amid controversy over the president speaking of Canada as the “51st state.”

Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked the president whether he would be “concerned” about whether Canada “would be a very, very blue state.”

CANADIAN POLITICIAN CLAIMS TRUMP ADMIN’S ’51ST STATE’ RHETORIC IS AN ‘ACT OF WAR’

“It’s just an artificial line that was drawn in the sand or in the ice,” Trump said. “You add that to this country – what a beautiful landmass. The most beautiful landmass anywhere in the world. And it was just cut off for whatever reason.”

“It would be great,” he continued. 

Trump circumvented the question, saying, “I don’t care who winds up there.”

“Frankly, [it] probably would do better with the liberal than the conservative, if you want to know the truth,” he responded. 

CANADA ‘RAGE ROOM’ LETS VISITORS SMASH TRUMP, VANCE, MUSK PORTRAITS TO RELEASE TARIFF ANGST

Trump referenced former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the exchange, whom he has notably called “Governor Trudeau.”

Trudeau resigned as leader of the Liberal Party and the country’s prime minister in early January, following increased pressure and criticism from within his own party and threats levied by then-President-Elect Trump. 

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney won the Liberal leadership earlier this month, replacing Trudeau. 

“I think Canada is a place like a lot of other places – if you have a good candidate, the candidate’s going to win,” Trump said. 

CANADA’S NEW PM AND TRUMP CRITIC MARK CARNEY ACCUSED OF BEING OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE ‘COMMON MAN’

Canadian MP Charlie Angus recently claimed the Trump administration had committed an “act of war” over Trump repeatedly referring to Canada as the U.S.’ “51st state” and for leveling tariffs on the nation. 

“Well, I think Marco Rubio probably needs to be sent back to school, because when you say that someone doesn’t have a right to have a country, that’s an act of war. When you rip up, arbitrarily, trade agreements and threaten and say you’re going to break a country, that’s an act of war. And Canadians have responded in kind,” Angus said during an interview earlier this week with the MeidasTouch Network.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump leveled a 25% tariff on all imports of steel and aluminum from other nations in early March, while Canada specifically is set to face a 25% tax on all imported goods beginning April 2. The tariffs have sparked boycotts of U.S. goods. 

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

The Trump administration will revoke the temporary legal status of more than half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who entered the U.S. legally, according to a notice posted Friday in the Federal Register.

The roughly 532,000 migrants have been told to leave the country before their humanitarian parole and accompanying work permits are canceled on April 24, giving them a month from when the notice is formally published on March 25.

The migrants were allowed to fly directly to the U.S. after applying from abroad under a policy started during the Biden administration that was designed to open legal migration pathways, but President Donald Trump suspended the program when he returned to office in January.

The program, CHNV, allowed the migrants and their immediate family members to fly into the U.S. if they had American sponsors. They could then remain in the country for two years under a temporary immigration status known as parole.

DHS’ KRISTI NOEM SAYS TRUMP ADMIN WILL RESUME CONSTRUCTION OF 7 MILES OF SOUTHERN BORDER

Launched in 2022, the program first applied to Venezuelans before it was expanded to additional countries.

The Biden administration had argued that CHNV would help reduce illegal crossings at the southern border and allow better vetting of people entering the country amid an influx of migrants entering through the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump’s Department of Homeland Security criticized the Biden administration on Friday, arguing that the program failed to achieve its goals, the BBC reported.

The agency said in a statement that Biden officials had “granted them [migrants] opportunities to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers; forced career civil servants to promote the programs even when fraud was identified; and then blamed Republicans in Congress for the chaos that ensued and the crime that followed.”

But the notice in the Federal Register said some migrants in the U.S. under CHNV may be allowed to remain in the country on a case-by-case basis.

CHNV helped about 213,000 Haitians enter the U.S. amid deteriorating conditions in their home country, as well as more than 120,700 Venezuelans, 110,900 Cubans and more than 93,000 Nicaraguans, according to the BBC.

Last month, DHS announced plans to end another immigration designation, temporary protected status, or TPS, for 500,000 Haitians living in the U.S. legally. TPS was given to migrants from designated countries facing unsafe conditions, including armed conflict.

The agency also ended TPS for Venezuelans living in the U.S., although this is being challenged in court.

JUDGE GIVES MAHMOUD KHALIL LEGAL TEAM MORE TIME TO REVIEW IMMIGRATION CASE

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump’s efforts to remove legal and illegal migrants from the U.S. since taking office in January as part of his immigration agenda have faced numerous legal obstacles.

The Trump administration is also reportedly dismantling internal watchdogs for DHS, including its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which investigated allegations of abuse and discrimination within immigration enforcement, according to Bloomberg News.

And you thought they just wanted to impeach former President Joe Biden.

Maybe former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas – whom the House did impeach last year.

How about former FBI Director Christopher Wray? Former Attorney General Merrick Garland? Former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin?

That is so 2023.

INJUNCTION LIFTED ON TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS SLASHING FEDERAL DEI SUPPORT

This is 2025. The Biden administration is long gone.

But the concept of impeachment hasn’t waned for some House Republicans. And even for President Donald Trump.

D.C. Circuit Court Judge James Boasberg ordered a two-week halt to the deportation of Venezuelan gang members after Trump leaned on the Enemy Aliens Act of 1798 to remove them from the U.S.

The president didn’t mention Boasberg by name, but he whipsawed the jurist on social media.

“This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!” wrote President Trump. He characterized Boasberg as a “Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama.”

Elon Musk has pushed for the removal of judges whose rulings run afoul of the administration. But freshman Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced articles of impeachment for Boasberg, accusing him of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Gill argues that Boasberg “has done exactly what the Supreme Court commanded not be done.” Gill’s resolution asserts that Boasberg “illegitimately tried to substitute his own judgment for the elected President of the United States.”

There are a total of four federal judges who could face articles of impeachment in the House.

It’s unclear whether this effort could pick up steam. If conservatives wanted to go to the mat, they could try to make their impeachment resolutions “privileged” in the House. That would compel the House to consider such a proposal immediately. It also would go over the head of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW BAN ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., filed articles of impeachment for Biden two years ago. After inaction, Boebert attempted to fast-track her plan, circumventing the GOP leadership – to say nothing of hearings and preparation of the articles in committee. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., argued that impeachment was “too serious” to sidestep the rigorous steps usually undertaken. So, Republican leaders intervened.

Once Boebert’s resolution was up, they moved to euthanize the plan by sending it to the Homeland Security Committee. The full House actually voted on the motion to dispatch the resolution to committee – not on impeachment. Otherwise, the House would have voted on impeaching Mr. Biden on the spot – committee investigation or not.

The motion to send the resolution to committee actually inoculated a lot of Republicans from political angst. They wanted to talk about impeaching Biden. But few actually wanted to impeach Biden.

Impeachment works the same with federal judges as it does with presidents or cabinet secretaries. The House has only impeached four federal judges in the past 36 years. The most recent impeachments were for the late Judge Thomas Porteous and former Judge Samuel Kent – both in 2009.

After the House impeached Porteous, the Senate conducted a short trial and convicted him. That removed Porteous from the bench. The House also impeached Kent, but he resigned before the Senate could conduct a trial to remove him.

Porteous was accused of accepting cash and bribes from lawyers arguing cases before him. A court convicted and sentenced Kent to nearly three years in jail for sexually abusing female employees. The Senate removed neither based on their judicial rulings.

But here is what to watch:

How much pressure will Trump and Musk apply on Johnson to advance the articles of impeachment?

Johnson may have to finesse this. But Gill and other conservatives could attempt to go over the head of the Speaker, making their resolution “privileged.” That is what Boebert did, and it would force the House to tangle with the impeachment articles in some fashion. Republican leaders could move to table the resolution or try to send it to committee. Thus, the actual vote would not be on impeachment but on an issue two steps removed from that.

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts took the extraordinary step of publishing a statement about impeachment threats.

“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” said Roberts this week.

Fox is told House GOP leaders are anxious about what to expect from conservative lawmakers, stoked by the possibility of impeachment. GOP leaders simply don’t want to burn valuable time on this issue.

But they’d like to talk about it.

Trump supports a bill crafted by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., titled the “No Rogue Rulings Act.” The bill limits the scope of rulings by U.S. district judges, preventing their decisions from carrying nationwide weight.

“The President wants this,” two White House sources told Fox News’ Liz Elkind.

Issa characterized impeachment as a rather “dull tool” that should be restricted to actual criminality or malfeasance in office – such as the cases with Kent and Porteous. House Republican leaders could also shop the Issa bill to conservatives itching for impeachment as an alternative. However, even if the House were to OK Issa’s legislation, it would likely die in the Senate. It would need 60 votes to clear a filibuster.

By the same token, if the House were to impeach Boasberg or any other judge, pressure mounts on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to hold an impeachment trial. That could chew up valuable floor time as the Senate tries to wrestle with the complex “budget reconciliation” process to avoid a filibuster on President Trump’s plan to cut taxes and reduce the size of government.

Moreover, a Senate impeachment trial certainly would not result in removal. It takes 67 votes to convict a federal judge and extract them from the bench. That is not going to happen.

But the controversy over rulings of federal judges and President Trump’s executive orders won’t dissipate any time soon. Depending on your metric, federal courts have issued around 50 injunctions to halt various administrative moves by the President. There are anywhere from 130 to 140 total legal challenges floating about the court system.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In 2023 and 2024, lots of conservatives chattered actively about the possibility of impeaching then-President Biden. Some saw it as retribution for the dual impeachments of President Trump. Others knew they could fundraise off impeachment. Maybe score some plaudits on social media. Still, others saw it as good politics in their district. They were happy to talk about impeachment for Biden but not necessarily vote for it. That’s why members looked at low-hanging fruit like Mayorkas. They considered targeting Lloyd Austin and the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Some of the loudest voices in the Republican Party will now clamor for the impeachment of “activist judges.” That is what they say publicly, but public conversations are very different from private ones. And that is why “impeachapalooza” is here to stay in the 119th Congress.

More than 1 million Minnesotans own Tesla shares in their retirement funds, but that didn’t stop failed Democratic vice presidential hopeful and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz from mocking Tesla and CEO Elon Musk for its recent downward trend in the stock market.

During a Wisconsin town hall this week, Walz remarked that he checks Tesla’s stock value when he wants to feel better. 

“Some of you know this. On the iPhone, they’ve got that little stock app. I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day — $225 and dropping,” Walz said as the audience erupted in cheers. “And if you own one, we’re not blaming you. You can take dental floss and pull the Tesla thing off.”

SUSPECTED TESLA ARSONISTS HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES IN ACTS OF ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’: AG

But those diving stocks may actually be hurting Walz’s constituents, according to a June 2024 report from the Minnesota State Board of Investment that shows the state held 1.6 million shares of Tesla stock in its pension fund. 

As of March, Tesla’s stock is down 41.4% year-to-date after a series of vehicle vandalism incidents linked to growing backlash against Elon Musk’s role as head of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

ELON MUSK IN ‘SHOCK’ OVER DEMS’ ALLEGED ‘HATRED AND VIOLENCE,’ LAMENTS ‘DERANGED’ ATTACKS ON TESLA PLANTS

In response to Walz’s comments, Trump’s Rapid Response team wrote in a social media post, “When we need a little boost during the day at the White House, we walk around the corner from our office and admire these beautiful portraits.”

The post included portraits of Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Trump also said Friday he views those committing crimes against Musk’s company “as terrorists” and told reporters the crimes are “under very serious investigation.”

Investor Kevin O’Leary called Walz’s comments “beyond stupid” on CNN Thursday.

“That poor guy didn’t check his portfolio and his own pension plan for the state,” O’Leary said of Walz. “It’s beyond stupid what he did.

“What’s the matter with that guy?” he continued. “He doesn’t check the well-being of his own constituents.”

ELON MUSK CONGRATULATES SPACEX, NASA FOR ‘EXCELLENT WORK’ RESCUING STRANDED ASTRONAUTS

Walz is touring Republican-leaning districts across the U.S. and hosting town halls. 

His office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment before publication.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said Friday that the state was returning more than $878 million to the federal government that it had been attempting to give back for the past few years during the Biden administration.

DeSantis’ office informed the U.S. Treasury Department that $878,112,000 would be returned to the federal government.

The governor said the move came after a meeting with billionaire Elon Musk and his team at the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

“For years, Florida has been trying to return federal funds to the federal government due to the ideological strings attached by the Biden Administration—but they couldn’t even figure out how to accept it,” DeSantis wrote Friday on X.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT DOGE, EVEN AS THEY SEE NEEDS FOR CUTS

“Today, I met with @elonmusk and the DOGE team, and we got this done in the same day,” he continued.

DeSantis suggested that other states “should follow Florida in supporting DOGE’s efforts!”

The governor’s office said in its email to the Treasury Department that it will search for additional excess federal funds that can be returned.

“At the direction of Governor DeSantis and following his meeting with Elon Musk today, the State of Florida is formally returning $878,112,000 in taxpayer dollars to the federal government as part of DOGE’s efforts,” the email said. “We will also continue to identify other unused or surplus federal funding granted to Florida and determine if further refunds can be made. We hope our actions serve as a model for other states to follow.”

Musk, who also serves as a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, responded to the governor’s post on X.

“Almost a billion dollars of your taxpayer money saved,” Musk said on the social media platform.

DeSantis announced last month the creation of Florida’s DOGE task force to “further eliminate waste within state government, save taxpayers money, and ensure accountability in Florida.”

TRUMP ADMIN GUTS INSTITUTE OF PEACE OF ‘ROGUE BUREAUCRATS’ AFTER DOGE STANDOFF IN GOVERNMENT OFFICE

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Florida has set the standard for fiscally conservative governance, and our new Florida DOGE task force will do even more to serve the people of Florida,” DeSantis said at the time. “It will eliminate redundant boards and commissions, review state university and college operations and spending, utilize artificial intelligence to further examine state agencies to uncover hidden waste, and even audit the spending habits of local entities to shine the light on waste and bloat.”

President Donald Trump said former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, contributed to the Democrats’ loss in the 2024 election. 

Trump’s comments came in response to statements Walz provided in a podcast with California Gov. Gavin Newsom that aired on Tuesday, in which Walz predicted he could kick the “a–” of most Trump supporters. 

“Well, he’s a loser. Yeah. No, I think so. He lost an election,” Trump said Friday in the Oval Office of the White House. “He played a part. You know, usually a vice president doesn’t play a part. They say. I think Tim played a part. I think he was so bad that he hurt her. But she hurt herself. And Joe hurt them both. They didn’t have a great group, but I would probably put him at the bottom of the group.” 

A spokesperson for Walz did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

WWE LEGEND KANE, NOW A TENNESSEE MAYOR, CHALLENGES TIM WALZ TO CHARITY WRESTLING MATCH AFTER GOV’S BOLD CLAIMS 

Walz’s comments originated during a discussion with Newsom about toxic masculinity. While Newsom discussed why he has brought on conservative figures like Charlie Kirk on his podcast because he believes one shouldn’t write someone off for having different views, Walz questioned how to challenge Trump backers. 

“How do you fight it? I think I could kick most of their a–. I do think that,” Walz said in response. “But I don’t know if we’re going to fall into that place where we want to— okay, we challenge you to a WWE fight here type thing.”

Walz also told Newsom he believes “I scare them a little bit” and that he’s received scrutiny from Republicans, prompting Newsom to laugh. 

“No, I’m serious, because they know I can fix a truck, they know I’m not bulls—-ing on this,” Walz said. 

GAVIN NEWSOM ASKS CHARLIE KIRK TO GIVE HIS PARTY ‘ADVICE’ IN ONE-ON-ONE PODCAST INTERVIEW 

Meanwhile, Walz received some criticism for his comments on the podcast. 

Caitlyn Jenner, a trans woman formerly known as Bruce Jenner and former Olympic gold-medal decathlete, joked in an X post of being more “masculine” than Walz. 

Vice President JD Vance also addressed Walz’ comments in an interview with The Daily Caller’s Vince Coglianese that aired Thursday. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I have to say, Vince, I was never physically intimidated by Tim Walz,” Vance said. 

Vance also addressed speculation that Walz may attempt to run for the U.S. Senate, following his bid as Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election.

“I’m not too worried about Tim Walz as a political talent,” Vance said. 

Oklahoma’s state treasurer is raising concerns about legislation he says could open the door further for the controversial practice of “environmental, social and governance” in the deep red state.

Senate Bill 714 would amend the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act of 2022 to take away the treasurer’s “enforcement authority” of the law and give it to the state Attorney General’s office.

The treasurer maintains a list of several banks that cannot do business with the state government of Oklahoma if the institution has publicly expressed opposition to oil and gas companies. 

Critics argue that wording in the legislation would lower the standards necessary for an institution to be on the list and how agencies enforce it.

RED STATE LEADER CALLS FOR STATES TO STAND BEHIND TRUMP’S BAN ON FUNDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

“The bill actually removes the treasurer from oversight of the investment behaviors of big financial institutions and proposes to put it under the attorney general’s office,” Oklahoma State Treasurer Todd Russ told Fox News Digital regarding Senate Bill 714. “So, I mean, that alone raises a lot of questions.

“As a constitutional officer in the state treasurer in Oklahoma, why would you want someone that doesn’t have the constitutional commitment and obligation to oversee the financial investments and affairs of the state to be under the treasury and move it to a different constitutional office?” he continued.

The 2022 state law is facing “ongoing” legal challenges, which makes its fate unclear. The law is meant to avoid supporting institutions some leaders see as looking to harm the state’s energy industry.

SLASHING ENERGY DEVELOPMENT RED TAPE, BEATING CHINA IN ‘AI ARMS RACE’ TOP PRIORITIES FOR NATIONS’ GOVERNORS

“Over the years, those subject matters have become very politicized. I mean, it’s not a financial issue. It’s a social agenda that they’ve woven into the investments,” Russ said of ESG.

“The state of Oklahoma’s not trying to get on the other side of that behavior. We’re trying to take a stand to say, ‘Look, stay out of the political arena with my investments. Our investments.’ We are solely concerned about the financial performance and profits of our investment, and we don’t want outside people using it for political leverage. So, when it comes to environmental issues, oil and gas is very important to Oklahoma. We don’t want them acting against the interests of the oil and gas industry.”

Fox Business reported in 2023 that the list from Russ resulted from inquiries about energy investment practices to numerous banks, and it bars the banks on the list from partaking in key state investments like pension funds.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office said, “This bill is only necessary because of the treasurer’s dismal failure to successfully defend the Oklahoma Energy Discrimination Act of 2022. That was the real slap in the face to the oil and gas industry.

“The act prohibits state contracts and pension system investments with financial institutions that discriminate against the oil and gas industry.”

ENERGY SECRETARY REVEALS ‘BIGGEST’ CHALLENGE TRUMP ADMIN FACES

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Republican state Sen. Dave Rader, the bill’s sponsor, told Fox News Digital in an email he plans on making some amendments to the legislation, including “further clarifying the definition of boycott energy company to include voting on shareholder proposals which penalize or inflict harm, adding legislative intent to make clear that the purpose of the bill is to protect retirement systems, eliminate the word ‘predominantly’ in the definition of ordinary business purpose to make clear that any pro-ESG action is not allowable [and] eliminate the inclusion of transaction costs when determining a loss which presumably could keep delay divestment indefinitely.” 

However, Rader’s suggested amendments in the email have not yet been made official, according to the Oklahoma State Legislature’s website, where the legislative text is shown.

The legislation would need to go to a vote in the full Senate by March 27 before potentially heading to the state House of Representatives. 

The Justice Department is launching a criminal probe into a leak related to Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang that has been a primary focus of the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts. 

In a statement, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ was opening an investigation related “to the selective leak of inaccurate, but nevertheless classified, information from the Intelligence Community” on the street gang, which was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department in February. 

PUERTO RICO NO LONGER SAFE BET FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS AS TRUMP CRACKDOWN EXPANDS TO US TERRITORY

“We will not tolerate politically motivated efforts by the Deep State to undercut President Trump’s agenda by leaking false information onto the pages of their allies at the New York Times,” said Blanche. “The Alien Enemies Proclamation is supported by fact, law, and common sense, which we will establish in court and then expel the TDA terrorists from this country.”

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump declared that he would use Alien Enemies Proclamation to fast track deportations of TdA members living illegally in the United States. 

HEARING SET FOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FEDERAL JUDGE’S BLOCK OF DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

The proclamation, a wartime law, authorizes expedited removal of Venezuelan citizens ages 14 and older deemed members of the group who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

The last time the act was invoked was during World War II, when it was used to put many noncitizens of Japanese, German and Italian descent in internment camps.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportations of Venezuelans under the wartime act. 

NASA is considering getting rid of its Washington, D.C., headquarters as part of the Trump administration’s effort to shrink the size of the federal government, according to a report. 

The move could affect as many as 2,500 jobs at the space agency and redistribute operations to NASA’s 10 field centers, Politico reported Friday, citing two sources familiar with the matter. 

“The NASA headquarters building lease is up in 2028, and the agency is looking at options to lease a different facility in the Washington, D.C., area,” a NASA spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “NASA does not have plans to build a new headquarters. In compliance with the executive order signed Jan. 20, NASA employees, including at NASA headquarters, returned to full-time onsite work by Feb. 28.”

It also comes after the administration recently let about 20 people go from its D.C. headquarters, including its chief scientist, according to The New York Times. 

EXPERTS REVEAL HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE NASA ASTRONAUTS TO RECOVER AFTER NINE MONTHS STRANDED IN SPACE

Members of Congress earlier this year proposed moving NASA’s headquarters to Florida, where its Kennedy Space Center is located, or to Cleveland, home of its Glenn Research Center. 

“This is a no-brainer for @DOGE,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said of moving NASA’s headquarters there. “Right now the Feds are planning on a building a new, expensive headquarters in DC for NASA — even though very few NASA employees have showed up to the current DC office over the past four years!”

SPACEX TO SEND STARSHIP TO MARS NEXT YEAR, ELON MUSK CONFIRMS 

“To optimize our workforce, and in compliance with an executive order, NASA is beginning its phased approach to a reduction in force, known as a RIF,” Cheryl Warner, a NASA spokeswoman, said in an email, according to The New York Times. “A small number of individuals received notification Monday they are a part of NASA’s RIF.”

Much of the day-to-day work of NASA happens at its 10 field centers in eight states, but its Washington headquarters connects it more to Congress and the federal government, according to Politico. 

In addition to limiting its influence within Washington, the absence of a D.C. headquarters would make coordinating with international partners on matters like the International Space Station more difficult. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

NASA’s 10 field centers include Ames Research Center, Armstrong Flight Research Center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, the Glenn Research Center in Ohio, the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, the Johnson Space Center in Texas, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Langley Research Center in Virginia, the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama and the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. 

A federal judge in Colorado issued an order Friday blocking immigration officials from deporting “abolish ICE” activist and illegal immigrant Jeanette Vizguerra before a hearing scheduled for next week.

The order places a temporary injunction on local ICE officials Johnny Choate and Ernesto Santacruz, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi from ordering Vizguerra’s removal while her case is being considered by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Vizguerra, 53, is a Mexican national illegally present in the country for years. After a deportation order was issued against her, Vizguerra voluntarily left the country in 2012, only to illegally return a year later.

While in the U.S., Vizguerra has become an outspoken advocate for abolishing ICE and reforming immigration laws to be more permissive.

DEMOCRAT MAYOR BLASTED FOR VOWING TO MAKE MAJOR CITY ‘SAFE HAVEN’ FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

She was arrested by ICE in Aurora, Colorado, Monday, a move that created national controversy with many Democrats and media outlets rushing to her defense.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was among those who denounced Vizguerra’s arrest, saying, “This is not immigration enforcement. This is Soviet-style political persecution of political dissidents under the guise of immigration enforcement.”

BUCKING BIG-CITY TREND: MAJOR TEXAS CITIES NOW ALERTING ICE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS

Friday’s order, issued by U.S. District Judge Nina Wang, said, “In light of these unusual circumstances, this Court respectfully concludes that an injunction is necessary to preserve the status quo and permit this Court the opportunity to thoughtfully consider the issues raised by both sides.”

The order states that government officials “shall not remove” Vizguerra until the court or the 10th Circuit vacates the order.

Though the order claims Vizguerra’s case “raises complex issues,” Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and policy expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, told Fox News Digital the case is simple.

“This is a woman who unlawfully entered the United States twice. … She is subject to removal from the United States, and she is removable,” said Arthur. “Simply because she has spoken out against the immigration policies in the United States doesn’t render her immune from removal.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

“It’s almost like a person who robbed the bank, goes to jail, robs another bank and then complains about the penal system in the United States,” he said. “Simply because you have thoughts about incarceration rates in this country doesn’t mean that you’re not still going to be subject to some sort of response because of your subsequent unlawful activity.”

Matt O’Brien, director of investigations at the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a watchdog group opposed to abuses against immigration law, told Fox News Digital that, despite the uproar, he believes Vizguerra’s arrest is “100% justified.”

BLUE SANCTUARY STATE OPERATING AS ‘CONTROL’ CENTER FOR VICIOUS MIGRANT GANG: ACTING DEA CHIEF

He said “the only reason” Vizguerra evaded arrest for so long was “because the State of Colorado and the Biden administration were complicit in helping her to remain in the United States through their application of misguided policies that encouraged more lawless behavior and left Americans less safe and secure.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., a freshman congressman whose district includes portions of north Denver, also commented on Vizguerra’s case, telling Fox News Digital it proves Colorado Democrats are not sincere about wanting to help deport criminal aliens.

Evans said Colorado Democrats “always say they want to work with the federal government to remove criminal illegal immigrants and that they’ll honor court orders signed by federal judges. Jeanette Vizguerra qualifies for both these categories, and yet Democrats are still opposed to her arrest, proving that Colorado is run by sanctuary state apologists who can’t even follow their own statements.” 

A federal judge grilled Trump administration lawyers Friday over the deportation of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador despite an earlier court order explicitly blocking the move. It was the latest in a legal dispute that could reach the Supreme Court.

During a motion hearing, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg questioned Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign about why the Trump administration failed to comply with an emergency court order that temporarily blocked its use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the gang Tren de Aragua, from U.S. soil for 14 days.

At least 261 migrants were deported Saturday from the U.S. to El Salvador, including more than 100 Venezuelan nationals who were subject to removal “solely on the basis” of the law temporarily blocked by the court.

Boasberg used the first portion of Friday’s hearing to press Ensign for details over the government’s deportation flights to El Salvador.

‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO

“Why was this proclamation signed in the dark on Friday, early Saturday morning, and then these people rushed onto the planes?” Boasberg asked Justice Department attorneys. “To me, the only reason to do that is if you know the problem, and you want to get them out of the country before a suit is filed.”

Ensign was also pressed at length over what he knew about the deportations during last week’s court hearing, when Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to temporarily halt any planned removals of Venezuelan migrants subject to the Alien Enemies Act.

Boasberg also issued a bench ruling Saturday ordering the immediate return of any planes deporting the Venezuelan nationals targeted for deportation under the Alien Enemies Act.

JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA

“Can I ask you now how you interpreted that statement when we had a conversation on Saturday?” he asked Ensign. “Did you not understand my statement during that hearing?

“You told me you had no details on the plane flights. Then we held a recess for 38 minutes for you to find details,” the judge reminded Ensign. “And then when you came back — and even though the flights were in the air — you represented that you had no details of the flights?” 

“That’s correct,” Ensign responded, telling the judge no one would give him the information he sought about the deportation flights. “I did not know they were in the air.”

Boasberg has ordered Trump administration officials to explain by Tuesday why they failed to comply with his order requiring the deportation flights to return and whether they knowingly defied his ruling. 

Though the judge acknowledged the Trump administration has “wide latitude” to enforce immigration law, he has repeatedly expressed frustration with the government and its failure to answer major questions about the flights.

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

He reiterated these concerns Friday and raised new concerns about the administration’s apparent defiance of federal judges.

“The hypotheticals are frightening,” Boasberg told Ensign. “If the courts can’t review” the administration’s use of the wartime-era deportation law, “then the president could say anyone is invading. If some foreign fisherman comes into U.S. waters, the president could say that’s an invasion.

“Even you would say that’s alarming.”

“That’s up to Congress,” Ensign responded.

In a court order filed Thursday, Boasberg castigated lawyers for the Justice Department for failing to answer his questions about the deportation flights, even after he let them do so under seal, noting that the government had “again evaded its obligations.” 

It remains unclear whether the Trump administration will invoke the state secrets privilege in the court battle, which could allow it to withhold certain information for national security purposes.

In a court declaration filed Friday morning, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Boasberg he is aware of Cabinet-level discussions invoking that privilege. The administration could present that argument at an appellate court hearing next week.

Invoking that privilege “is a serious matter that requires careful consideration of national security and foreign relations, and it cannot properly be taken in just 24 hours,” Blanche told the court Friday. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

President Donald Trump, for his part, demanded in a social media post Friday that the Supreme Court move to rein in federal judges who have blocked over 300 of his executive orders and actions. 

In a Truth Social post, Trump implored the Supreme Court to “STOP NATIONWIDE INJUNCTIONS NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

“If Justice Roberts and the United States Supreme Court do not fix this toxic and unprecedented situation IMMEDIATELY, our Country is in very serious trouble!” he added.

Columbia University has caved in to demands from the Trump administration in an effort to restore $400 million in federal funding that was yanked over how the school addresses antisemitism on campus.

The Ivy League school agreed to ban masks, empower 36 campus police officers with new powers to arrest students and appoint a senior vice provost with broad authority to oversee the department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies as well as the Center for Palestine Studies, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Columbia became the epicenter of anti-Israel protests following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Students, outsiders and faculty members voiced opposition to Israel during the demonstrations. Meanwhile, Jewish students voiced concerns about antisemitism on the New York City campus, as well as disruptions by protestors. 

Earlier this month, the Trump administration revoked $400 million in grants and contracts from the school over its failure to address antisemitism on its campus.

“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses – only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon said at the time. 

“Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding,” she added. “For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the university.  

EXCLUSIVE: A disruption over the Trump administration’s cost-cutting efforts turned physical after protesters crashed an event in a red New York district, prompting a Republican lawmaker to raise concerns over Democratic efforts to “organize protests” in GOP districts.

Protesters disrupted a private luncheon hosted by the Rockland Business Association on Thursday, targeting one of the speakers, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., over Republican efforts to cut federal spending.

A video obtained by Fox News Digital shows the protesters, who had bought tickets to the event, screaming, “Lawless Lawler” while holding up a sign that read, “Elon’s Puppet” in an apparent reference to cost-cutting efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The disruption quickly turned physical as the protesters wrestled with the event attendees, who were trying to put an end to the disruption.

Lawler’s team, responding to the protest, pointed to comments by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., where he said that Democrats were sending people to Republican districts to oppose their policies and make them “face the consequences.”

CHAOS ERUPTS AT GOP LAWMAKER’S TOWN HALL AFTER LEFT-WING GROUPS PROMOTE PROTESTS

“We are mobilizing in New York. We have people going to the Republican districts and going after these Republicans who are voting for this and forcing them to either change their vote or face the consequences,” Schumer said during a recent interview with PBS. “This is a long, relentless fight that we fight every day. And I am confident that we will bring Trump’s popularity, numbers and strength down if we keep at it, and keep at it, and keep at it.”

Ciro Riccardi, communications director for Lawler, told Fox News Digital, “It’s outrageous that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is inciting far-left activists to harass and intimidate Republican members of Congress.”

“Yesterday, he appeared on PBS and declared: ‘We are mobilizing in NY. We have people going to the Republican districts, going after Republicans who vote for this & forcing them to change their vote or face consequences.’ Earlier that day, a bipartisan Rockland Business Association luncheon was violently disrupted by protesters, including known provocateur Walter Masterson from Brooklyn,” Riccardi said in a statement. 

“They assaulted multiple seniors in the process of reading from scripted remarks on their phones. Are these the kinds of ‘consequences’ Schumer is endorsing?” Riccardi told Fox.

Lawler, in a repost of Schumer’s interview on X, said that “in other words, @SenSchumer admits that he is coordinating with far-left activists and groups like Indivisible to organize protests and gaslight folks.”

The protest is one of several disruptions at congressional events this week. 

A town hall hosted by Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., was disrupted by protesters who heckled for over an hour during the congressman’s event.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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…

–Illiterate high school grads sue school districts as Ivy League professor warns of ‘deeper problem’

-Court order halting deportation flights ‘unconstitutionally impedes’ on executive branch, Trump allies argue

–Bernie Sanders, AOC take aim at Trump and Musk, as well as Democrats, at rallies

A Question of Privilege, Your Honor

The Justice Department said Friday it is considering invoking the state secrets privilege in its ongoing court battle over the Trump administration’s deportation flights to El Salvador, a tool that could allow them to withhold certain information for national security purposes.

In a declaration filed Friday morning, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg that he is aware of the Cabinet-level discussions invoking state secrets privilege. 

Invoking that privilege “is a serious matter that requires careful consideration of national security and foreign relations, and it cannot properly be taken in just 24 hours,” Blanche said…Read more

White House

TRUMP EFFECT: Puerto Rico no longer safe bet for illegal migrants as Trump crackdown expands to US territory

TRUMP CARD: Trump crackdown on transgender athletes in girls’ sports gets GOP backup in House bill

‘LOOKING FOR YOU’: Trump warns of jail time for Tesla vandals, anyone funding the attacks

HAVE GUN, WILL GAVEL: Trump-appointed judge chides colleagues’ ignorance on guns in unique video dissent

F-35 CLUB: Trump eyes lifting sanctions, potential sale of prized fighter jet to Turkey

World Stage

‘STRENGTH AND SWORD’: Israel orders IDF to seize more Gaza territory if Hamas doesn’t release hostages

‘DEEPLY FLAWED’: Ex-Haiti envoy slams ‘deeply flawed’ approach of Biden admin

‘ACT OF WAR’: Canadian politician claims Trump admin’s ’51st state’ rhetoric is an ‘act of war’

FIRST OF ITS KIND: Trump’s hostage envoy Boehler met with Taliban in Kabul in first in person meeting since takeover

Capitol Hill

‘STOP THE COVID-19 VACCINES’: Greene calls for yanking FDA approval of COVID-19 vaccines

SHAM APPLICATIONS: Husband of former Rep. Cori Bush charged with wire fraud linked to COVID relief funds: DOJ

‘IRRESPONSIBLE’: GOP bill would ban use of autopen to sign pardons after Trump deems Biden’s ‘void’

‘DEAL WITH IT’: Fetterman takes swipe at AOC: ‘We kept our government open.’

Across America

BUCKING AUTHORITY: Satanic group defies Kansas officials, plans ‘black mass’ at state Capitol

DOGE MADNESS: ‘Sweet 16’ bracket set up as craziest federal waste competes for championship

SHIFTING RESPONSIBILITIES: Student loans, Pell grants will continue despite DOE downsizing, expert says

‘ACTIVIST JUDGES’: Musk PAC steps deeper into Wisconsin Supreme Court election with $100 offer to voters

‘INCREDIBLY HAPPY’: Tesla arsons probed as ‘domestic terrorism’ cheered by ‘anti-capitalist’ group linked to 2020 riots

BOEING BUILDING: Boeing to build next-gen ‘F-47’ US fighter jet, Trump announces

LONE STAR LEADING: San Antonio police to begin notifying ICE of illegal immigrant encounters

SHIFTING FOCUS: HHS slashes over $350 million in grant funding for gender ideology, DEI research projects

‘HOMICIDE SCHOLARSHIPS’: NM lawmaker whose son was murdered rips Dems for ‘homicide scholarships’ after her crime bill was tanked

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

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump is considering lifting sanctions on and resuming the sale of fighter jets to Turkey after a conversation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Trump expressed an intent to help finalize the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey and is open to the idea of selling Turkey its true prized goal, F-35 jets, if the two sides can come to an agreement that renders Turkey’s Russian S-400 system inoperable, two sources confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

That agreement could look like partially disassembling the machinery or moving it to a U.S.-controlled base in Turkey. 

Congress approved the $23 billion sale of 40 F-16s and modernization kits for 79 in its current fleet to Turkey last year, but there are ongoing negotiations between Turkey’s defense ministry and Lockheed Martin, which builds the jet. 

TURKISH AUTHORITIES ARREST KEY RIVAL OF ERDOGAN

Trump’s team has asked for legal and technical analysis of how it could avoid finding Turkey in violation of Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions, according to one source familiar with the request. 

The State Department and National Security Council could not be reached for comment. 

The U.S. agreed to extend a waiver allowing Turkey to buy Russian natural gas until May, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. 

Trump and Erdogan spoke by phone on Sunday, and the Turkish government is looking to firm up plans to bring Erdogan to the U.S. to visit with Trump in the near future. 

The Turkish embassy pointed to a readout of the call from Erdogan’s office which said the president had expressed to Trump, “in order to develop cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense industry, it is necessary to end CAATSA sanctions, finalize the F-16 procurement process and finalize Türkiye’s re-participation in the F-35 program.”

Erdogan asked the U.S. to lift sanctions on Syria, where a new governing force, HTS, overthrew Bashar al-Assad with Turkish backing. The U.S. side did not provide a readout of the call. 

Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 program following its purchase of a Russian S-400 mobile missile-to-air system due to spying concerns associated with having a Kremlin-operated system so close to a high-level U.S. technology like the F-35.

“The F-35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities,” the White House said in 2019, adding that the purchase would have “detrimental impacts” on Turkey’s participation in NATO. 

Ankara, Turkey’s capital, had brokered the $2.5 billion deal with Russia for the S400s in 2017, despite U.S. warnings that there would be political and economic consequences. In an effort to deter Turkey, the U.S. offered to sell them the Patriot system, but Ankara wanted the system’s sensitive missile technology along with it, and the U.S. declined. 

The U.S. considerations come after the United Kingdom offered a price proposal to Turkey to purchase 40 of its Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets last week. 

A move to sell Turkey F-35s would prove controversial, and prompt concern from U.S. allies like Israel, where Turkey cut off all relations due to the Gaza war last year, and Greece due to disputes over Cyprus and the surrounding waters.

Experts describe the F-35 as a “status symbol.” “The F-35 club is really for trusted allies,” said Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 

“This is a Turkey that supports the Houthis, which President Trump is bombing and supports Hamas and supports Hezbollah,” said Endy Zemenides, executive director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council. “We know that they don’t want to be a customer, they want to be a competitor in the arms market.” 

TRUMP UNIQUELY PLACED TO ‘WHISPER’ IN ERDOGAN’S EAR OVER TURKISH REGIONAL AMBITIONS: GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER

However, isolating Turkey, which has the second-largest standing military after the U.S. in NATO, could push them to go to Russia and China for weapons supplies. 

“Trump’s about making a business deal here, right? We don’t need Turkey with nearly one million soldiers on the other side and leaning more towards Russia and China, right?” said Jonathan Bass, Argent LNG CEO and international trade expert.

“Turkey is an unresolved thorn in the side of the NATO alliance,” said Schanzer, “It certainly seems to be a priority right now for the Trump administration to try to bring them back into the fold.”

However, he added, “There’s the democracy deficit and the autocratic tendencies of Erdogan. All of these things are creating a very cloudy picture for U.S. engagement. So it’s buyer beware.” 

“Turkey is a major economy. We need them to come down on the right side of the fence. We need them from a supply chain standpoint,” countered Bass. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

He added that the U.S. needs to partner with Turkey on mining for rare earths minerals. “Turkey has a lot more mining infrastructure,” he said. “They can help us with mining operations in Africa. We don’t have the people willing to do that.”

“If you don’t give Erdogan a seat at the table, he’s going to make his own table,” Bass warned. 

“He wants to be respected as he should. He’s got 80 million people that he represents. But we need to give him clear lines of engagement.” 

FIRST ON FOX: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is joining President Donald Trump this weekend at the NCAA men’s wrestling championships, a source familiar with his plans tells Fox News Digital.

The White House confirmed Friday that Trump would attend the event with Jordan and Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa.

McCormick previously confirmed that Trump would be in attendance at the event in the senator’s home state of Pennsylvania.

“I’m thrilled to be in Philadelphia this weekend with [Trump] for the [NCAA Wrestling] Championship,” McCormick wrote on X. “I grew up wrestling in small towns across PA and at West Point. It taught me grit, resilience, and hard work.”

‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO

Jordan himself was a noted wrestling champion during his time in high school and later at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he won the NCAA Division I men’s wrestling title twice. 

INJUNCTION LIFTED ON TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS SLASHING FEDERAL DEI SUPPORT

He was later an assistant coach at Ohio State University’s wrestling program from 1987 to 1995.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital emailed Jordan’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.

As President Donald Trump moves to downsize and eventually dismantle the Department of Education, an expert in contact with White House stakeholders assured that the department’s programs, including funding, student loans and civil rights protections, will continue.

“They want to make sure, especially with things like Title I schools for disadvantaged students, and high poverty areas to civil rights protections for girls in sports, to race equality in education through Title Six will continue to be enforced through the federal Department of Education until and unless those burdens, those responsibilities, can be shifted to other departments, and that would take place by congressional action,” Sarah Parshall Perry, top legal expert at Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Trump signed a long-anticipated executive order Thursday to do away with the Education Department and directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to initiate the shutdown process and transfer key functions, such as Pell Grants and Title I funding, to other federal agencies.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY DISMANTLED IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER

Perry said Thursday’s order “is going to be the first step in a very long, consistent, labor-intensive process to be able to continue the work of downsizing.”

“Which is exactly what we’ve seen the Department of Education already do, but also specifically continue enforcing civil rights and financial aid responsibility through the federal government until those particular duties are passed to other agencies,” she said.

For instance, Perry said, civil rights enforcement would shift to the Department of Justice, while student loan processes would be handled by the Department of the Treasury.

“They fully understand, and this is gratifying to hear that the White House has to work with Congress to offload the full responsibilities to other agencies and to ultimately unwind the Department of Education,” she added.

INJUNCTION LIFTED ON TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS SLASHING FEDERAL DEI SUPPORT

Perry said the initial cuts so far within the agency have been narrowly focused on slashing critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, in line with Trump’s other executive orders.

“But the only two provisions in the executive order are taking legal steps to continue narrowing the agency’s focus and continuing to enforce civil rights and administer ongoing federal financial programs, because those duties cannot be offloaded to other agencies without shifting the burden by congressional action,” she said.

Students attending college or private schools with student loans or Pell grants will continue to receive their federal funding under Trump’s order. Perry said there is “a misconception” that schools would be forced to close or raise taxes due to budget shortfalls caused by downsizing the department, but “federal taxpayer spending actually makes up less than 10% per pupil funding in the state, so the remaining amount is generally split between local and state taxpayers, not federal taxpayers.”

Since its establishment in 1979, the Education Department’s budget has grown from approximately $14 billion to about $268 billion in Fiscal Year 2024, accounting for 4% of total federal spending, according to the Office of Management and Budget.

Prior to the department’s creation, federal student loans were administered through the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, established in 1965 under the Higher Education Act. This program involved the federal government guaranteeing loans provided by banks and non-profit lenders to students attending eligible institutions.

SCHOOL CHOICE ACTIVISTS WARN PARENTS ABOUT BLUE STATE’S HOMESCHOOL BILL WITH JAIL-TIME PROVISION

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Perry said the focus should be on strengthening education at the state and local levels, while ensuring continued federal oversight of student loans, civil rights laws, and Title One funding for underprivileged and low-income students.

“So the federal government is always going to have a responsibility to enforce, apply and sort of interpret and send these particular protections and their financial associations,” Perry said.

She suggested that these federal programs could be separated or “divested” from the Department of Education, meaning the department’s role in administering them can be reduced or transferred to other agencies.

Trump’s executive order fulfills a major campaign promise, aiming to restore local control of education and back school choice amid the ongoing culture war.

FIRST ON FOX: America First Legal (AFL) and Texas GOP Rep. Brandon Gill are supporting President Donald Trump‘s invocation of a 1798 wartime law, arguing a previous order blocking Trump’s deportation plans “unconstitutionally impedes” his presidential authority. 

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg came under fire this past week after blocking the Trump administration on Saturday from invoking the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), for 14 days. 

In his order, Boasberg ordered any flights in the air to return to U.S. soil immediately.

‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO

“This law was passed by Congress in 1798,” America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers said in a statement released. “Until now — for more than 226 years — courts have universally held that they do not have the power to interfere with the President’s authority as Commander in Chief to decide when to invoke the Act and expel aliens under its terms.”

In its amicus filing, AFL states that Gill “believes that Tren de Aragua poses a clear and present danger to the United States,” saying he supports the president’s efforts to “neutralize this threat quickly and efficiently.”

“He sees the President’s use of the Enemy Aliens Act as vital to ensuring the safety of his constituents,” the filing reads. 

SCOOP: IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES HIT JUDGE WHO ORDERED TRUMP TO STOP TREN DE ARAGUA DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

AFL argues that the AEA “confers on the President the power to invoke the Act’s provisions in cases of invasion or predatory incursion,” saying such authority is not reviewable by the courts. 

The filing notes the president’s commander in chief post, as vested by the Constitution, saying that the AEA “statutorily grants the President wartime powers,” and courts cannot appropriately “second-guess” the president’s decisions and discretion over the AEA’s implementation.

“At best, the Plaintiffs seek to use the federal courts to deliver a political victory,” the filing reads. “There is no dispute that the Plaintiffs are here illegally. Enjoining implementation of the TdA Proclamation unconstitutionally impedes the President’s ability to respond to national security threats.”

On Thursday, Boasberg said the administration had missed a previously-set court deadline to disclose information on the deportation flights to El Salvador. Boasberg noted in an order issued that day that the government “again evaded its obligations” to submit the requested information even after he had allowed them to submit it under seal. 

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

The filing they submitted hours after the deadline failed to answer his questions.

Boasberg said the court had received a six-paragraph declaration from a regional ICE office director in Harlingen, Texas, that stated Cabinet secretaries are “actively considering whether to invoke the state secrets [act] privileges over the other facts requested by the Court’s order.”

“This is woefully insufficient,” Boasberg said. 

Following Boasberg’s Saturday emergency order siding with the plaintiffs, Democracy Forward and the ACLU, Fox News Digital was first to learn that Gill had filed impeachment articles against Boasberg, saying at the time, “This is another example of a rogue judge overstepping his…authority.”

“For the past several weeks, we’ve seen several rogue activist judges try to impede the president from exercising, not only the mandate voters gave him, but his democratic and constitutional authority to keep the American people safe,” Gill told Fox News Digital. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Gill’s resolution accuses Boasberg of abusing his power in levying an emergency pause on the Trump administration’s deportation plans. 

The resolution text says the order “jeopardizes the safety of the nation, represents an abuse of judicial power, and is detrimental to the orderly functioning of the judiciary. Using the powers of his office, Chief Judge Boasberg has attempted to seize power from the Executive Branch and interfere with the will of the American people.”

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