FIRST ON FOX: The Small Business Administration announced a series of reforms on Thursday aimed at ensuring illegal immigrants don’t receive taxpayer benefits and removing offices from sanctuary cities.
The SBA, led by administrator Kelly Loeffler, said in a press release that it will "put American citizens first by ending taxpayer benefits for illegal aliens."
The agency says that in the coming days it will implement a new policy that requires SBA loan applicants to include citizenship verification provision that will ensure only legal citizens are accessing its programs. The press release explains that lenders will also need to confirm that businesses are not owned in "whole or in part by an illegal alien" in order to be consistent with President Trump’s executive order that prohibits "taxpayer subsidization of open borders."
Six regional offices located in sanctuary cities will also be relocated, according to the press release.
Those offices include locations in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, and Seattle. The agency says that the new locations will be less costly, more accessible, and in areas that "better serve the small business community and that comply with federal immigration law."
"Over the last four years, the record invasion of illegal aliens has jeopardized both the lives of American citizens and the livelihoods of American small business owners, who have each become victims of Joe Biden’s migrant crime spree," Loeffler said.
"Under President Trump, the SBA is committed to putting American citizens first again – starting by ensuring that zero taxpayer dollars go to fund illegal aliens."
Loeffler continued, "Today, I am pleased to announce that this agency will cut off access to loans for illegal aliens and relocate our regional offices out of sanctuary cities that reward criminal behavior. We will return our focus to empowering legal, eligible business owners across the United States – in partnership with the municipalities who share this Administration’s commitment to secure borders and safe communities."
The announcement comes shortly after four Democrat mayors were grilled by Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill over their sanctuary city policies.
President Donald Trump will likely extend his battle against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies into changes of an often overlooked visa program.
"Clearly, we are in a paradigm shift; the manner in which ‘national interest’ is defined, is dynamic and evolving," Joshua Bratter, one of country’s leading authorities on immigration, told Fox News Digital.
The comments come as Trump has continued to fight against DEI policies across the federal government, a battle that is likely to extend into Trump’s revamp of U.S. immigration policies.
Bratter believes part of that shift will be seen in how potential migrants are vetted under the EB-2 Visa National Interest Waiver category, a type of visa that Bratter said "surged" during the Biden administration.
"This category was designed originally for a highly skilled engineer who was building infrastructure in the United States, and it was for an architect and designer of bridges. So you look back to the legislative intent, and it was to provide a category that was expedited and free of the traditional job offers based on advancing a U.S. national interest," Bratter said.
What exactly defines the national interest is likely to change from administration to administration, Bratter noted, arguing that Trump is likely to shift away from the DEI and climate focus of the previous administration.
"This administration, as they had in their prior term, reflected interest in areas like space exploration, military defense, military exploration, space exploration, emerging technologies, use of artificial intelligence for the purposes of optimization and efficiency in the workplace," Bratter said.
That is a shift away from Biden, who focused more on "sustainable energy, renewable energy, areas of climate."
"These are areas that this administration has indicated do not reflect U.S. national interests. And national interest is a very niche, specialized area that focuses on a unique class of individuals," Bratter said.
Bratter also pointed to the Trump administration’s interest in cryptocurrency and its broader move toward overall efficiency in government overall with the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
"When you have an administration that has included in issues like DOGE and efficiency and emerging technology and the idea of potentially a crypto reserve within the dialog of their goals, you begin to see that the national interest may begin to shift to reflect goals that are consistent with those objectives," Bratter said.
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., has filed a resolution to punish the Democrats who derailed House floor proceedings as Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was censured on Thursday.
"We have a country to run. The failed policies of Joe Biden is why they lost the House, why they lost the Senate, why they lost the presidency. They can lick their wounds all day, but they still have to behave on the House floor," Ogles told Fox News Digital in a brief interview.
"We can disagree on issues and politics, but we're gonna respect one another, and I'm tired of this crap."
Ogles' resolution is aimed at stripping committee assignments from the Democratic lawmakers who temporarily plunged the House into chaos on Thursday.
He told Fox News Digital that he intends to deem the resolution "privileged," meaning House leaders will have two legislative days to take the measure up.
It could be voted on as early as next week, when Ogles is planning on broaching the matter with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
All but 12 House Democrats voted against censuring Green for disrupting President Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. Ten Democrats voted with Republicans to reprimand Green, while two, including the Texas lawmaker himself, voted "present."
Before the formal censure could be read out to Green, however, Democrats upended House floor proceedings by gathering with the Texas Democrat and singing "We Shall Overcome." Johnson was forced to call the House into a recess after failing multiple times to quell the protest.
The House floor briefly descended into chaos as a small group of Republicans and Democrats continued confronting each other, with one Republican heard calling Democrats "embarrassing" for their behavior.
Ogles' resolution, first obtained by Fox News Digital, directs the House Sergeant-at-Arms to "provide a determination" of "which members ignored the speaker's directive to leave the well of the House."
"Upon submission of that list to the speaker," they would be "removed from any standing committee on which they currently serve for the remainder of the 119th Congress," the text said.
Ogles first posted his intent to file his resolution on X.
"The speaker, he's a good man, he's a Christian man. He has a kind heart. With grace gave them the opportunity to stop and they refuse to do so," Ogles told Fox News Digital. "So, look, if you wanna act like a petulant child on the House floor and you're giving a warning and a reprimand, and you choose not to stop, then actions need to be taken."
Green was removed from Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday night after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of the president's speech.
He shouted, "You have no mandate!" at Trump as he touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House.
Johnson had Green removed by the Sergeant-at-Arms.
The 77-year-old Democrat was unrepentant when given the chance to speak out in his defense on Wednesday.
"I heard the speaker when he said that I should cease. I did not, and I did not with intentionality. It was not done out of a burst of emotion," Green said. "I think that on some questions, questions of conscience, you have to be willing to suffer the consequences. And I have said I will. I will suffer whatever the consequences are, because I don't believe that in the richest country in the world, people should be without good healthcare."
The U.S. military is having trouble carrying out President Donald Trump's order to hold 30,000 migrants in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, U.S. defense officials tell Fox News.
None of the 195 tents set up at the U.S. Naval Station in Guantánamo Bay have been used to house migrants, because they do not meet ICE standards, two U.S. defense officials said.
During his second week in office, Trump ordered the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to prepare a migrant detention facility to house 30,000 migrants at Guantánamo Bay. "We have 30,000 beds in Guantánamo to detain the worst criminal aliens threatening the American people," Trump said.
Since that announcement, 256 total illegal migrants have passed through the base, according to U.S. Southern Command. Many of these migrants were labeled as the "worst of the worst" and a threat to the U.S. population, according to the Trump administration. Most of those migrants have been sent back to their home countries.
As of Wednesday, only 20 migrants were being held at the base. Sixteen "high threat illegal aliens" are being held at the detention facility part of the base, also known as Camp 6, and four migrants are being held at a back-up facility due to the inadequacy of the tents. DHS and ICE have not responded to inquiries regarding what criteria is used to evaluate if a migrant is high threat.
The U.S. military was told to set up the tents without clear guidance on what the standards for holding migrants are, two U.S. officials said. The U.S. military has not received specific guidelines on what the tents need to be certified to hold the migrants. The operation to build more tents was halted in February, just several weeks after it started.
"The Department of Defense, in close coordination with our Department of Homeland Security partners, is continuing to prepare the facilities for use. The Department of Defense is committed to ensuring that all individuals housed in these temporary facilities are treated in accordance with DHS/ICE standards," a U.S. defense official said in a statement to Fox News.
U.S. military aircraft have not been used to transport migrants since March 1, and there are currently no flights on U.S. military aircraft scheduled to Guantánamo. However, several migrants were scheduled to arrive in an ICE-chartered aircraft Wednesday night, two U.S. defense officials said. U.S. Transportation Command has C-17’s and C-130’s ready to support the migrant mission, but has not been asked to conduct any flights in recent days, a U.S. defense official tells Fox News.
"Military airlift is only one option available to DHS to relocate illegal aliens and the DoD stands ready to continue support with additional fights if they are requested," one U.S. defense official said in a statement to Fox News.
Fox’s Laura Ingraham had an exclusive interview with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Maj. Gen. Phil Ryan, the commanding general for the operation at Guantánamo Bay on Feb. 25. While Ingraham was reporting, a C-130 flight arrived from Fort Bliss, Texas, carrying nine "high value" detainees from Guatemala, Honduras, Guinea, Venezuela and Vietnam.
When Ingraham asked why the U.S. military was using such a big plane for nine migrants, Ryan explained there is at least one ICE officer for each migrant, as well as a medical team on board. Hegseth assured, "we have had groups with more than that."
One reason the use of military aircraft has slowed could be due to high cost. A C-17 costs about $28,500 to fly per hour, according to U.S. transportation command. An ICE aircraft costs about $8,500 per flight, per hour, according to a government website.
Notably, a day after Ingraham’s interview, on Feb. 26, nine migrants were sent back to the U.S. Both DHS and ICE have not responded as to why these migrants were sent back or if these were the same migrants that had arrived the day prior.
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump reflected on his first address of his second administration to a joint session of Congress, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that he "felt very comfortable there" and that "even the fake news said good things."
"I felt very comfortable there," Trump told Fox News Digital Thursday morning. "I was very comfortable with the subject matter."
"People liked the delivery," the president continued. "So, it all ended up well."
The president told Fox News Digital that he "got wonderful reviews."
"Even the fake news said good things," Trump told Fox News Digital.
The president spoke for about an hour and 40 minutes – the longest address a president has delivered before a joint session of Congress, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
The president used the address to highlight the accomplishments of his administration thus far, using his infamous "art of the weave" technique to tie each section together.
The theme of the president’s speech was "the Renewal of the American Dream," focusing on border security, the economy, energy, the end of "woke" America, his plans for peace around the world and a strengthened military, and more.
"To my fellow citizens, America is back," Trump declared at the start of his Tuesday speech, prompting the audience to break into chants of "USA, USA, USA."
A CBS News poll found that a large majority of those who watched the president’s address, 76%, approved of his speech.
A CNN poll also showed that at least 7 in 10 Americans who watched said they had at least a "somewhat positive" reaction, with 44% saying they had a "very positive" reaction.
The New York Times also published a piece titled: "What Some Reluctant Trump Voters Thought of His Speech," featuring interviews with a number of Americans – some of whom said his address brought "confidence," "hope" and "empathy."
Meanwhile, the president’s address was interrupted by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who eventually was thrown out of the House Chamber by the Sergeant-at-Arms.
The House of Representatives Thursday, in a bipartisan vote, censured Green for repeatedly disrupting the president’s address.
"He should be censured," Trump told Fox News Digital.
"He should be forced to pass an IQ test because he is a low IQ individual and we don’t need low IQ individuals in Congress," Trump told Fox News Digital, further blasting Green as "a fool and a clown."
"Nobody takes him seriously," Trump told Fox News Digital. "He is an embarrassment to Congress but a much bigger embarrassment to the Democrats."
Green did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The newly minted president of the Kennedy Center, Richard Grenell, took the Broadway star behind the creation of "Hamilton," Lin-Manuel Miranda, to task over a "publicity stunt" he said discriminates against Republican voters and will likely "backfire."
"The American people need to know that @Lin_Manuel is intolerant of people who don’t agree with him politically. It’s clear he and ('Hamilton' producer Jeffrey Seller) don’t want Republicans going to their shows. Americans see you, Lin," Grenell posted to X Wednesday.
Seller and Miranda spoke to the New York Times in a piece published Wednesday afternoon detailing that they canceled a planned production of "Hamilton," a popular rap musical on the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, slated for 2026 due to the Trump administration's policies.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts serves as the national cultural center of the U.S. and is now led by President Donald Trump as its chairman, Grenell and its board of trustees.
"This latest action by Trump means it’s not the Kennedy Center as we knew it," Miranda and Seller told the New York Times in a joint statement. "The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we’re not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center. We’re just not going to be part of it."
Seller claimed that Trump "took away our national arts center for all of us."
"It became untenable for us to participate in an organization that had become so deeply politicized," the musical's producer said. "The Kennedy Center is for all of us, and it pains me deeply that they took it over and changed that. They said it’s not for all of us. It’s just for Donald Trump and his crowd. So we made a decision we can’t do it."
Grennel shot back at the Broadway chiefs, saying they need to "be clear on the facts."
"Seller and @Lin_Manuel first went to the New York Times before they came to the Kennedy Center with their announcement that they can’t be in the same room with Republicans," he wrote on X. "This is a publicity stunt that will backfire."
"The Arts are for everyone — not just for the people who Lin likes and agrees with," he continued.
"Americans see you, Lin."
Fox News Digital reached out to Miranda's press team for additional comment, but did not immediately receive replies. The press office representing "Hamilton" provided Fox Digital with Seller's statement canceling the production at the Kennedy Center when approached for additional comment.
Trump fired a handful of the Kennedy Center's previous board members in February, arguing that they did "not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture." He indicated that the motivation behind firing the former board members was due to the Kennedy Center's drag show performances under the Biden administration that targeted children.
The new Kennedy Center board elected Trump as chairman Feb. 12. Trump appointed Grenell — who became the U.S.'s first openly gay Cabinet member under the first Trump administration when he served as acting director of national intelligence — as interim executive director amid the board shakeup.
Grenell — as well as Trump — has since vowed that he and the Kennedy Center team will usher in the "Golden Age of the Arts."
He previewed during his remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February that the Kennedy Center will now focus on performances "the public want to see," such as Christmas-focused productions in December.
"We have to do the big productions that the masses and the public want to see, we want to have really good programming," Grenell said in February at CPAC. "So the first thing that we’re doing … you’ve got to be at the Kennedy Center in December, because we are doing a big, huge celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. How crazy is it to think that we’re going to celebrate Christ at Christmas with a big traditional production to celebrate what we are all celebrating in the world during Christmastime, which is the birth of Christ."
Miranda has not shied away from slamming the Trump administration in previous years, including saying on X in 2017 that Trump would be "going straight to hell" amid the administration's response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico that year.
Following the Trump-Pence election win in 2016, the cast of "Hamilton" also came under fire when it performed before then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Trump demanded the "Hamilton" cast apologize after calling on Pence to "uphold our American values" from the stage.
"We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights," a cast member said in comments aimed at Pence. "We truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. All of us."
Seller told the New York Times in 2016 that he and Miranda and other cast members wrote the curtain call statement aimed at Pence after they struggled with how to "cope" with Trump's first White House win.
"We had to ask ourselves, how do we cope with this?" Seller said. "Our cast could barely go on stage the day after the election. The election was painful and crushing to all of us here. We all struggled with what was the appropriate and respectful and proper response. We are honored that Mr. Pence attended the show, and we had to use this opportunity to express our feelings."
In 2025, conservatives are celebrating Grenell's response to the "Hamilton" leaders.
The Houston Young Republicans announced on social media Thursday that conservatives in the area should boycott attending productions of the show in March in light of the Kennedy Center cancelation.
"Hamilton canceled its Kennedy Center run, with producer Jeffrey Seller stating, ‘Our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,’" the group wrote in an Instagram post. "Yet somehow, they have no issue bringing that same production to Houston."
"If they don’t want to perform for conservatives, conservatives don’t need to show up for them," the Republican group added.
A handful of left-leaning performers and celebrities have pulled out of shows at the Kennedy Center since Trump's reelection and serving as the center's board chair.
The center came under scrutiny in February as the media and liberal critics spotlighted that a performance by the Gay Men's Chorus and National Symphony Orchestra slated for May as part of Washington, D.C.'s gay pride celebrations was canceled, with critics attempting to tie the cancelation to the Trump administration. The chorus and orchestra were scheduled to perform a show titled "A Peacock Among Pigeons," based on an LGBT-themed children's book.
The performance, however, was put on the chopping block weeks before the center's leadership change and was canceled due to lack of ticket sales, Fox News Digital learned.
Grenell told Fox Digital in February that the Kennedy Center has no cash on hand, and that he would work to roll out shows that actually sell tickets.
"The Kennedy Center has zero cash on hand and zero dollars in reserves – while taking tens of millions of dollars in public funds," Grenell told Fox News Digital in February. "We must have programs that sell tickets. We can’t afford to pay for content that doesn’t at least pay for itself right now. I wish we didn’t have to consider the costs of production, but we do."
"The good news is that there are plenty of shows that are very popular, and therefore the ticket sales will pay for themselves," Grenell added.
A federal judge blocked New York City’s request for President Donald Trump's administration to return $80 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds allocated for migrant shelters and services.
Judge Jennifer Rearden, from the Manhattan bench on Wednesday, refused to issue New York City a temporary restraining order to claw back the funds because the city did not prove it would suffer irreparable harm without the money.
"We’re disappointed the court did not grant the emergency relief we were seeking while the case continued, and we are evaluating next steps," a New York City Law Department spokesperson told Fox News.
The City of New York filed the lawsuit on Feb. 21 against Trump, FEMA, the Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), arguing the $80 million was already approved and paid out by FEMA.
"This morning, our office learned about the federal government clawing back more than $80 million in FEMA grants applied for and awarded under the last administration, but not disbursed until last week," Mayor Eric Adams, D-N.Y., said in an X post the day the lawsuit was filed.
The lawsuit said the funds were revoked on Feb. 11, after Elon Musk said the Department of Government Efficiency found a $59 million FEMA payment to New York City for luxury hotels used to house illegal migrants. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she rescinded the funds over concerns that the Roosevelt Hotel is the "Tren de Aragua base of operations."
"I have clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels. FEMA was funding the Roosevelt Hotel that serves as a Tren de Aragua base of operations and was used to house Laken Riley’s killer. Mark my words: there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people," Noem said in a X post.
NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, a mayoral candidate vying for Adams’ seat, said the Trump administration "stole" the funds.
"Let’s be clear: Donald Trump and his loser lackies—Elon Musk and Kristi Noem—acted illegally when they stole $80 million from New York City’s bank account. Seizing our Congressionally-authorized, FEMA-approved money was nothing more than attempted retribution against immigrants seeking asylum, many of them sent here on buses by Governor Abbott from Texas. Like all of Trump’s illegal efforts to freeze and seize Congressionally-authorized funds, this action harmed taxpayers and working families and would force the City to cut services if not reversed," Lander said in a statement following the ruling on Wednesday.
The ruling came as Adams and his fellow "sanctuary city" Democratic mayors testified about their response to the migrant crisis on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
"I’m here today to testify on how New York City can continue to reduce crime, even as a sanctuary city," Adams told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
"To be clear: A sanctuary city classification does not mean our city will ever be a safe haven for violent criminals. It also does not give New York City the authority to violate federal immigration laws. To the contrary, New York City will always comply with city, state, and federal laws, as it does now," Adams added.
Adams vowed to protect law-abiding New York City residents, regardless of immigration status, while also directing NYPD officers to comply with DHS and ICE. The mayor’s comments reflect his ongoing effort to strike a balance between protecting New Yorkers and coordinating with the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown.
As New York City struggled to keep up with the busloads of migrants entering the city's overwhelmed shelter system, Adams was critical of former President Joe Biden's handling of the migrant crisis.
In his plight against the migrant crisis, Adams has developed a relationship with Trump – holding a private meeting with the president in West Palm Beach, Florida, and then meeting with border czar Tom Homan to discuss the migrant crisis in New York City.
Homan said he would hold Adams to his commitments, telling "Fox & Friends," "If he doesn't come through, I'll be back in New York City, and we won't be sitting on the couch. I'll be in his office, up his butt, saying, 'Where the hell is the agreement we came to?'"
Adams' office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
As a correctional officers' strike stretches into its 17th day, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has deployed more than 3,000 National Guard soldiers to guard duty in 41 of the state's 42 prison facilities with no firm end date in sight, a situation some close to the situation say is more perilous in some respects than a combat assignment.
"My husband has done a combat deployment, like he got shot at, and he never once on his combat deployment has he called me up and said, 'Oh my God, I've got to get out of here,'" one wife of a National Guard soldier told Fox News Digital in an interview. "But within like, days, he was like, 'I've got to get out of here.'"
A state Republican legislator whose district includes impacted prisons also shared his concerns with Fox News Digital, complaining that the Guardsmen were thrown into the situation without proper training and fearing that, if injured, they would be ineligible for federal VA benefits.
Hochul assigned National Guard troops to facilities after 15,000 correctional officers (COs) across nearly all of New York's prisons walked off the job on Feb. 17, citing "unsafe" working conditions they blame on the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature in 2022, which they say have led to a surge in inmate-on-guard assaults.
The HALT Act restricts solitary confinement and instead focuses on other rehabilitation methods. Protesters have also been mandated to work 24-hour shifts in some cases, they say, while dealing with violent inmates who are a constant threat of both violence and smuggling in weapons and contraband.
Now, National Guard soldiers who have been thrown into the mix are experiencing long hours without proper training to deal with the inmates – placing them in essentially similar conditions that COs have been protesting – according to a Republican lawmaker who has seven prisons in his district.
"So there's one unit that's a unit of military police, but none of them are trained COs, and a lot of them are very young," state Republican Sen. Daniel Stec told Fox News Digital. "And again, they're strong backs, and they're young and alert, but they're not trained to do this work, and it is intimidating for them."
"They're not in the Middle East doing that, but I've heard anecdotally, a lot of them saying, ‘the situation I was in, I felt less threatened when I was deployed overseas than in a prison in New York state,'" Stec recalled. "And they know that they're walking among criminals, and a lot of them are very dangerous people, and they're not trained for it."
Stec added that the "orders that they're on are indefinite," and he said he is worried because they are "activated on state orders, which means that if they're injured inside one of these facilities, they are not eligible for care from the VA."
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the state's National Guard said the soldiers have received "basic training in the task they're required to conduct" but did not provide details.
Meanwhile, Hochul has threatened legal action and terminations for the thousands of strikers who refuse to return to work. Since the strike was not sanctioned by the government-run COs' union, the strikers are in violation of the state's Taylor Law. The union has encouraged officers to return to work.
In response, hundreds of officers staged a rally in Albany on Tuesday, calling on strikers to "hold the line." It is unclear how many officers have returned to work, but a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision told Fox News Digital that "Notices of termination and cancellation of insurance have begun to be issued to correction officers who have failed to return to work."
One correctional officer who spoke with Fox News Digital said he was terminated and had his health insurance revoked and backdated to Feb. 17, the first day of the protest.
"I would love to be able to have all of this settled, and I can say wholeheartedly talking with all of my fellow employees, we're all in the same boat," the officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said. "We want this done and over with. We don't want to be here. We don't want to do this, but we have spoken out. We have filed grievances. There has been lawsuits all put forth on the state by our union, and the state has ignored all of it. They have ignored our cry for help over the last three years, and now it's gotten to the point that individuals are being assaulted inside of the facilities, having feces and urine thrown at you on a regular basis is not something anybody should have to deal with."
The former CO said strikers want HALT repealed, which can only be done through the legislature. However, Stec said he and his Republican colleagues believe Hochul has the power to suspend the law for a year using emergency powers to properly address the workers' concerns.
Last week, a tentative deal was reached between the New York State Correctional Officers, the government-affiliated corrections officers union, Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) and the state's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
Hochul touted the mediated deal – which included some pay bumps and a temporary emergency suspension to portions of the HALT Act – as a success, but the "wildcat" strikers who were not at the negotiation table generally disapproved of the deal. Thousands continue to strike as a result and hope the legislature convenes to propose changes to the law.
In a letter alongside the agreement, mediator Martin F. Scheinman – who has donated thousands of dollars to state Democrats over the last decade, including to Hochul – proposed a binding "Consent Award" that would formalize agreements reached in mediation and be enforceable by court order.
"There are limitations legally to what would be accomplished in negotiations, not withstanding the wisdom/legitimacy of the demand," Scheinman told Fox News Digital. He declined to comment on his history of political donations.
"They are in violation of the law. We have laws in our books that are supposed to protect us in these situations. Therefore, they are violating New York state law at this moment," Hochul said Tuesday morning.
"They've created very unsafe circumstances. There are serious consequences. We have warned them day after day after day. A lot of warnings, that you could lose your healthcare, the healthcare is gone, people are going to be arrested, you could be going to jail. You've lost your job, you've lost your income, you've lost everything," Hochul said.
Since the strike began, The New York Times reported that seven inmates have died. Additionally, the strike is costing the state more than $3.5 million a day according to an audit from Hochul's budget office.
FIRST ON FOX: One of the top pro-life organizations in the country is deploying resources on the ground in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, which has become one of the most closely watched contests in the state's history.
Women Speak Out PAC, a partner of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, announced in a Thursday press release that it is deploying students to contact Wisconsin voters in favor of candidate Brad Schimel, who is the Republican-aligned Supreme Court candidate going up against Susan Crawford, who is aligned with Democrats, in a race that is technically considered nonpartisan.
"Susan Crawford’s track record shows she is an extreme abortion activist, not an impartial judge. She has worked hand in glove with the big abortion industry – led by Planned Parenthood – to wage lawfare against commonsense safeguards for women and babies, including health and safety standards and protections against coercion," Women Speak Out PAC’s political communications director Kelsey Pritchard said in a statement.
Pritchard accused Crawford of using the "same euphemisms" as the abortion industry to mislead voters about her abortion position compared to Schimel, who "has a sound record of respecting the Constitution and checks and balances in our government."
The press release also alleged that Crawford, "defended Planned Parenthood, a multi-billion-dollar abortion business, in their fight against laws requiring abortionists to have hospital admitting privileges and preventing women from being coerced into unwanted abortions."
The student canvassers will be knocking on doors to support Schimel and encourage voter turnout.
"We must defeat Susan Crawford and the radical Left," Pritchard said. "That is why we are deploying our hardworking field team to speak with voters at their doorsteps about the urgency of turning out to vote for Brad Schimel on April 1."
The press release describes Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America as a "network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders."
Although the Supreme Court seats are considered nonpartisan, Crawford, currently a circuit court judge, has earned the endorsement of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, which received $1 million from George Soros in January before then sending $2 million to Crawford and various liberal activist groups.
She has also been endorsed by Reproductive Freedom for All, a group that supports abortion rights.
"Wisconsin’s next state Supreme Court justice may be a make-or-break vote to decide whether or not an abortion ban will cut off access to care," Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju said last month. "Now that Trump has allowed states to ban abortion, state courts are on the front lines of our fight for reproductive freedom more than ever. We need Judge Crawford who recognizes that abortion is a fundamental right, and we are proud to endorse her in this race."
Schimel, currently a Waukesha County judge, has the backing of the Wisconsin GOP, several top Republican donors, including Chicago Cubs co-owner Joe Ricketts and Elon Musk’s Building America’s Future PAC.
The race is expected to have significant implications on the future of Wisconsin politics given that the court’s current 4-3 liberal majority would essentially be set in stone through 2028 or, if Schimel were to win, become a conservative-leaning court with Justice Brian Hagedorn serving as a key swing vote.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Crawford campaign for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump told Fox News Digital Thursday that Rep. Al Green "should be forced to pass an IQ test because he is a low IQ individual, and we don’t need low IQ individuals in Congress," after the Democrat disrupted his joint session address.
The House of Representatives on Thursday, in a bipartisan vote, censured Green, D-Texas, for interrupting the president’s Tuesday joint session address to Congress.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the president reacted.
"He should be censured," Trump told Fox News Digital.
The president also blasted Green as "a fool and a clown."
"Nobody takes him seriously," Trump told Fox News Digital. "He is an embarrassment to Congress but a much bigger embarrassment to the Democrats."
The 77-year-old Democrat was removed from Trump's joint address to Congress Tuesday night after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of the president's speech.
He shouted, "You have no mandate!" at Trump as he touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House.
House Speaker Mike Johnson had Green removed by the U.S. Sergeant-at-Arms.
Green, on Tuesday night, after being thrown out of the House chamber, spoke to the White House press pool and said he was "willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. I didn't say to anyone, 'don't punish me.' I've said I'll accept the punishment."
"But it's worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president's desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security," he said, according to the pool report.
Green did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
FIRST ON FOX: Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are traveling to a Louisiana-based liquefied natural gas exporter Thursday, as the company announces a massive $18 billion expansion of its existing facility — a move the Trump administration says sends a "signal to the rest of the world that American energy dominance is back."
Wright and Burgum will tour U.S. liquefied natural gas exporter Venture Global on Thursday as it announces its investment in expanding its Plaquemines Parish export facility. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry will join the Cabinet secretaries.
The facility was approved by President Donald Trump in 2019 during his first term, along with the company’s first facility, Calcasieu Pass. Both facilities have started liquefied natural gas production in just five years.
U.S. liquefied natural gas exports were able to replace a substantial amount of gas supply to Europe after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Trump lifted former President Joe Biden's pause on new liquefied natural gas export permits. The National Association of Manufacturers conducted a study on the Biden ban that found nearly 1 million jobs would be threatened by the liquefied natural gas pause over the next two decades if the restriction remained in place.
The Plaquemines, Louisiana, liquefied natural gas facility is expected to produce approximately 27 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural gas, but with the additional investment, it is expected to provide a total production capacity of more than 45 MTPA at Plaquemines.
"President Trump’s vision to unleash our energy potential, drive down inflation, and sell energy to our allies is signaling to the world that America is back," Burgum told Fox News Digital. "By investing in American Energy Dominance, the administration is empowering companies like Venture Global and their hardworking employees to Make America Great Again."
Burgum told Fox News Digital that the success of facilities like Plaquemines Parish’s liquefied natural gas export operation "is proof that America’s next ‘Golden Age’ is underway."
Additionally, Wright told Fox News Digital that on day one of Trump’s second term, he and the Department of Energy "ended the Biden-Harris administration’s failed ban" on liquefied natural gas export permits.
"Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, companies are investing in America again," Wright said. "Just 50 days in, the American people are already seeing the impacts of the energy dominance agenda — and this is just the beginning."
The planned Plaquemines expansion is expected to consist of 24 trains and would represent an approximately $18 billion additional investment in Louisiana, bringing Venture Global’s total investment in U.S. projects to more than $75 billion.
Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel told Fox News Digital that the expansion makes Plaquemines "the largest" liquefied natural gas "export facility built in North America," and said supplying liquefied natural gas to U.S. allies will have a "substantial impact on the U.S. balance of trade."
"We believe this flexible incremental capacity will position us to respond rapidly to market growth signals," Sabel said. "In a capital-intensive commodity industry, capital will always flow to the most competitive projects, and we believe that an expansion of Plaquemines is one of the most economically efficient opportunities available to meet growing" liquefied natural gas demands.
Sabel also touted the Trump administration for creating "the best regulatory environment in decades."
The expansion is also expected to support hundreds of new, permanent Louisiana jobs and tens of thousands of indirect subcontractor, part-time and full-time jobs throughout the state, and more than 30 other states across the nation.
"Today’s announcement is a result of President Trump’s dedication to strengthening our energy infrastructure," Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry told Fox News Digital. "Under President Trump, Louisiana is now at the forefront of supplying LNG to our allies, and bringing America to energy independence once again."
The visit and the massive investment come just days after Trump's first address of his second term to a joint session of Congress. The president vowed to "make America affordable again" by reducing the cost of energy.
"A major focus of our fight to defeat inflation is rapidly reducing the cost of energy," the president said during his speech. "We have more liquid gold under our feet than any nation on earth, and by far. … And now I fully authorize the most talented team ever assembled to go and get it."
He added, "It's called drill, baby, drill."
Slashing energy prices was one of Trump's many campaign promises before he was elected in November 2024. At a rally in State College, Pennsylvania, Trump vowed to lift the U.S. pause on U.S. liquefied natural gas export terminals.
