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Today — 4 July 2025Latest Political News on Fox News

President Trump to honor Iran strike flight team at the White House

Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Iowa on Thursday night, President Donald Trump announced that the military flight team that launched the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities will be honored at the White House on Independence Day.

Trump said that he took issue with early media reports suggesting that the strikes on Iran only partially damaged the targets because he considered it an insult to the "great" American military members who executed the mission.

"Remember when CNN said it wasn't obliterated? It was maybe damaged or damaged badly, but obliterated is too strong a word. No, it was obliterated. That's now been proven," said Trump.

"They were trying to demean me by saying that, but they were really demeaning those great pilots and people and mechanics that got those planes over there and were able to shoot from high up in the air, going very, very fast, with potentially a lot of things being shot at them, and hit every single one," he said. "They're trying to demean me, but to me, they were demeaning them. And they got out of the plane, and they said, ‘What? We hit every single target.’ They know better than anybody."

TRUMP TOUTS CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF MAJOR BILL AHEAD OF WHITE HOUSE SIGNING

"These people did one of the greatest military hits and maneuvers in the history of our country, and I want them to be appreciated for it," the president went on. "So, they're coming. They're coming to the White House tomorrow night."

"They're going to be in Washington tomorrow at the White House, and we're going to be celebrating."

Trump said the White House will host not only the pilots, but the entire flight crew, including "the people that flew the other planes" and "the mechanics that had these planes going for 37 hours without a stop."

"China, Russia, they were all watching. Everybody was watching," he said. "We have the greatest equipment anywhere in the world. We have the greatest people anywhere in the world, and we have the strongest military anywhere in the world."

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

During his address on Thursday, Trump also claimed that Iran called ahead of their retaliatory strike on the U.S. military base in Qatar to clear the attack with the White House.

"They called me to tell me they have to take a shot at us. This was Iran. Very respectful. That means they respect us because we dropped 14 bombs. They said we'd like to take 14 shots at you. I said, ‘Go ahead, I understand,’" he said.

"They said where they would do it. I said, ‘Good.’ We emptied out the fort. It was a beautiful military base in Qatar who treated us really fantastically well," he said.

SAUDI DEFENSE MINISTER SECRETLY MEETS WITH TRUMP TO DISCUSS IRAN DE-ESCALATION, ISRAEL: SOURCES

Trump claimed that Iran went so far as to ask what time of day would be acceptable for their retaliatory strike.

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"They said, ‘Sir, is 1:00 okay?’ I said it was fine, [they said], ‘We could make it later.’ And we had nobody but four gunners," he said. "So, all of a sudden, they said, ‘We're ready.’ And they were a little nervous about doing it. I want to tell, you can you imagine, they were nice enough – this is Iran – to call me and tell me that they would like to shoot me at 14 times, so they want to shoot us. And I said, go ahead. And they shot 14 high grade, very fast missiles every single one of them was shot down routinely by these four unbelievable gunmen. And they did their job. And that was the end of that."

Trump pitches plan allowing farmers to vouch for illegal immigrant workers facing deportation

The Trump administration plans to implement a process whereby farmers in Iowa can vouch for hard-working, law-abiding migrant farmworkers who may be facing deportation, so that they can remain in the U.S.

The proposed process was shared by President Donald Trump during an event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday night, kicking off a year of patriotic celebrations meant to honor the nation's 250th birthday. Trump said the new plan will take place in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and that legislation for the measure is currently being drafted, while speaking Thursday evening from Iowa. 

"You know, they've had people working for them for years. And we're going to do something … we're going to sort of put the farmers in charge," Trump told the crowd of people in attendance. "If a farmer has been with one of these people that worked so hard – they bend over all day, we don't have too many people that can do that, but they work very hard, and they know him very well, and some of the farmers are literally, you know, they cry when they see this happen – if a farmer is willing to vouch for these people, in some way, Kristie, I think we're going to have to just say that's going to be good, right?"

TRUMP 'WORKING ON' DEPORTATION EXEMPTIONS FOR ILLEGAL FARM AND HOSPITALITY WORKERS 

"We don't want to do [border security] where we take all of the workers off the farms," Trump added. "We want the farms to do great."

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Iowa is the nation's second-largest agricultural exporting state. 

While announcing the new plan, Trump cited cases he had heard of when migrants who have worked on farms for 15 years "get thrown out pretty viciously."

DAVID MARCUS: AMERICANS GET IT. TRUMP'S MOVES TO CLEAN UP BIDEN'S OPEN BORDER CHAOS WILL BE MESSY

"We can't do that," Trump added. "We got to work with the farmers and people that have hotels and leisure properties."

Earlier this week, when Trump previously hinted at the new immigration exemption for farmers, he also suggested the move could be implemented for workers in the hospitality industry, as well. 

While sharing the new immigration proposal with the crowd at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday night, Trump spoke to potential criticisms of the move by "serious radical-right people" within the GOP, asking the crowd rhetorically if they think these folks "will understand."

After the president first brought up the proposal earlier this week, critics have already started sounding off.

"So, if I’m to understand this correctly, we should look the other way regarding illegal immigration as long as it’s in the construction, hotel, or restaurant industries? This is far beyond disappointing, it’s infuriating," California Republican state Sen. Melissa Melendez wrote on X.

The president noted Thursday evening that the move will put farmers "in charge" and ultimately the responsibility for any problems that arise will fall to their feet.  

"If the farmers don't do a good job, we'll throw them the hell out of the country. We'll let the guys – we'll let the illegals stay, and we'll throw the farmers the hell out," Trump said. "Okay, get ready, farmer, I'm telling you."

Yesterday — 3 July 2025Latest Political News on Fox News

NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani identified as Black, Asian on Columbia application: report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ICE director says progressive Dem should apologize to voters after calling agency a 'terrorist force'

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is calling out the hypocrisy of progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who said the agency is "acting like a terrorist force," pointing to an earlier attempt by the congresswoman to shift blame away from an actual terrorist.

In a social media post this week, Jayapal claimed "ICE is acting like a terrorist force" and that "people across the country of all legal statuses — including U.S. citizens — are being kidnapped and disappeared off the street by masked men."

Jayapal asserted that the federal operations are being carried out with "no oversight, no accountability" and are "completely lawless."

During an interview with Brianna Keilar on "CNN News Central," Jayapal doubled down on her statement, saying, "What is deranged and cruel and outrageous is that, literally, we are seeing ICE agents, I assume they’re ICE agents. They say they are. They don’t have any identification. They’re wearing masks. They’re in plain clothes. They are coming and kidnapping and disappearing people on the streets of the United States.

ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS TAKE OVER LOS ANGELES BRIDGE AS ACLU FILES LAWSUIT

"I never in a million years thought that that is something that I would see here in America," she added. "And so I think it is the administration that has to apologize to U.S. citizens that have been rounded up to legal, permanent residents, to people with legal statuses across the country who are getting swept up, people who have been here for 20 years and committed no crimes, getting swept up by masked men who are kidnaping them and deporting them."

LA OFFICIALS CHARGE OVER 40 ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS WHO ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED OFFICERS, HORSES AND THREATENED CHILD

In response, Lyons said after "an actual Antifa terrorist tried to blow up ICE’s Northwest Processing Center in Rep. Jayapal’s home state of Washington in 2019," she "tried to blame the violent attack on rhetoric from the right, in defense of an actual terrorist who tried to murder detainees and employees alike!

"Now, she labels ICE officers enforcing immigration law set by Congress ‘terrorists,’" said Lyons. "This, at a time when officers are facing a nearly 700% increase in assaults, is in part due to the type of rhetoric she spews."

"Never in a million years did I think I would witness a sitting member of Congress prioritize regard for violent criminals over the law enforcement officers protecting her community from actual public safety threats," he said. "The only apology needed is from the congresswoman to the people who voted for her."

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

In an interview with Fox News Digital, a special agent working deportations voiced concern about the escalating violence and the effect of Democrats pushing policies to de-mask officials, which they said threatens their families and communities.

ICE AGENT SHARES FEARS ABOUT FAMILY SAFETY AS ASSAULTS ON OFFICIALS SURGE

The agent said that "whatever happens to us, my family," Democratic leadership is "directly responsible for it."

Trump says economy will ‘rocket’ after signing 'big beautiful bill': ‘It’s going to be really great’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"We'll have growth in record numbers," he added.

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

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

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

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

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

Trump touts promises kept at America250 kickoff event at Iowa State Fairgrounds

President Donald Trump touted "promise[s] kept" during his address at the America250 kick-off event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday, after Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier in the day.

"There could be no better birthday present for America than the phenomenal victory we achieved just hours ago when Congress passed the one big, beautiful bill to Make America Great Again," Trump told the crowd shortly after jumping on stage. "With this bill, every major promise I made to the people of Iowa in 2024 became a promise kept."  
The bill is expected to be signed by the president during an official signing ceremony Friday afternoon on the Fourth of July holiday.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES HE WILL KICK OFF INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND WITH 'VERY SPECIAL' PATRIOTIC EVENT

Trump's speech in America's heartland kicks off a series of events that will take place over the next year, focused on celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The celebrations are being spearheaded by the America250 commission, a bipartisan cohort of private citizens and lawmakers.

"This momentous gathering in the heartland signals the beginning of an extraordinary year ahead – one where America250 will unite our nation through events in every state and territory, culminating in the most monumental celebration our Country has ever known," America250 said of Trump's visit on Thursday.

The celebration comes after Trump held a military parade honoring the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary on June 14, which included tanks chugging down the streets of Washington, D.C., military flyovers and a grand fireworks display over the National Mall. The parade was held on Flag Day, which also marked Trump's 79th birthday. 

Other patriotic events are already on America250's schedule as a year of celebration kicks off on July 3, including an ongoing Department of Transportation’s Great American Road Trip initiative, which encourages Americans to explore the nation’s highways and byways, as well as a 4th of July celebration at President George Washington's Mount Vernon, and historical battle reenactments.

TRUMP TO HOST MILITARY PARADE TO CELEBRATE ARMY'S 250TH BIRTHDAY, HONOR ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS

During the president's address in Iowa Thursday night, he praised Iowans for their support, noting "we won so much here." 

"We love Iowa, and we won all three times. So that's pretty good –  and won by a lot," Trump said. "But I'm thrilled to be back in a state that I love, and I really do love it too. With thousands of proud, hard working patriots at the world famous Iowa State Fairgrounds. Thank you."

Attendees for Thursday's America250 kick-off event have been lining up outside the Iowa State Fairgrounds since this morning to get inside where Trump is speaking, despite hot summer temperatures in the mid-90s ahead of the event.

TRUMP WHITE HOUSE RELEASES VIDEO SERIES LEADING UP TO AMERICA'S 250TH BIRTHDAY: 'ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE'

In attendance at the event are members of President Trump's cabinet, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Energy Secretary Doug Burgum, as well as numerous members of the GOP's Iowa congressional delegation. 

Lee Greenwood, known for his song titled "God Bless the USA" that is frequently used by the president at his rallies, performed for the president as he walked out and there will also be fireworks following Trump's address.

Saudi defense minister secretly meets with Trump to discuss Iran de-escalation, Israel: sources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trump administration scores win as Supreme Court approves deportations to third countries

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

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

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

SUPREME COURT SIDES AGAINST MIGRANT IN DEPORTATION CASE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scoop: Ramaswamy pledges to spend at least $30M of his money in Ohio's race for governor

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

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

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

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

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON VIVEK RAMASWAMY

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

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

RAMASWAMY LAUNCHES BID FOR OHIO GOVERNOR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fox News' Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report

Trump administration swarms SCOTUS with emergency requests and sees surprising success

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trump administration torpedoes SCOTUS with emergency rulings and sees surprising success

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dem ignites showdown after declaring GOP is only pro-life so kids can grow up and 'get shot in school’

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

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

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

ILHAN OMAR QUASHES SENATE BID RUMORS WITH RE-ELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You've gone over the cliff. We are all going to be quiet now," she commanded.

"I meant every word," Frost retorted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

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

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

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

Fox News Politics Newsletter: 'Big, Beautiful Bill' passed by Congress

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fox News Poll: Voter sentiment on AI improves, but skepticism remains

As large tech companies continue to take the lead implementing artificial intelligence (AI) into their platforms and workplaces, the latest Fox News national survey finds that while positive reviews of AI have increased, many remain skeptical about its role in society.

The survey, released Thursday, finds 43% view AI technology as a good thing for society, up 5 points from April 2023. Still, nearly half of voters, 47%, think AI is bad for society -- about where it was two years ago (46% bad in April 2023). 

FOX NEWS POLL: 6 IN 10 ARE PROUD OF US TODAY – THE MOST IN MORE THAN A DECADE

Overall, urban voters (60%), nonwhite voters (56%), voters under age 45 (53%), and men (52%) are those most likely to say AI is a good thing, while rural voters (55%), White voters (51%), voters ages 45 and over (49%), and women (55%) are likely to say it’s a bad thing.

Views are mixed among Democrats (44% good, 46% bad), while Republicans are more likely to say AI is good (47%, 42%). A majority of Independents think it’s bad (34% good vs. 58% bad).

When voters are asked what their first reaction is to AI, without the aid of a list, 43% offer a negative response, up 8 points since 2023. The most common answers include fear (15%), distrust (15%), or general negativity (13%). Only 3% of voters say the possibility that AI will threaten jobs is their first reaction.

Positive feelings also increased, as 26% react warmly, up 8 points since 2023. Those responses include innovation (11%), general positivity (10%), and cautious optimism (5%).

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS VIEW LEGAL IMMIGRATION AS HELPFUL, FAVOR DEPORTING THOSE WHO ARE HERE ILLEGALLY

Others have mixed feelings about AI (9%), or point out the potential for abuse (4%), confusion surrounding AI (2%), the need for regulation (2%), privacy concerns (2%), the similarity between AI to science fiction (1%), and the need for more research (1%).

"Voters are all over the map when it comes to artificial intelligence," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. "But there has been a slight increase in comfort and positivity as people come to grips with a world with A.I."

Overall, 27% say they use AI platforms regularly, either daily (11%) or weekly (16%), while another 15% say monthly. A majority (57%) says they use it rarely (19%) or never (38%).

Those most likely to use AI regularly are nonwhite men (48% daily/weekly), Hispanic voters (45%), urban voters (43%), and voters under age 45 (40%). Those least likely are rural voters (13% daily/weekly), Independents (15%), women ages 45 and over (16%), and Whites without a degree (17%).

Voters who see AI as bad for society are more likely to say they use it rarely (77%) than those who consider AI as a good thing to say they use it regularly (47%).

By a 21-point margin, more feel confident they can determine whether something they read, see, or hear was created by AI rather than a human (60% confident, 39% not).

The opposite is true when it comes to government regulation. A majority lack confidence that the government can properly regulate AI (38% confident can regulate, 62% not confident).

More Republicans (52%) think the government can properly regulate AI than Democrats (30%) and Independents (25%), while majorities of each group are confident they can identify artificial intelligence content.

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Conducted June 13-16, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,003 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (149) and cellphones (566) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (288). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.

Mike Johnson touts 'beauty of unified government' after Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' sails through Congress

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rubio recalls top US diplomat from Colombia after 'baseless' statements from officials

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

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

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

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

LEADER OF COLOMBIA SAYS TRUMP ADMIN REVOKED HIS US VISA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Congressman's last day in office revealed after vote on Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THOM TILLIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SENATE AFTER CLASH WITH TRUMP

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

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

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

ICE agent shares fears about family safety as assaults on officials surge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abrego Garcia says he endured beatings, torture in Salvadoran prison ahead of criminal trial

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

White House wants Obama intel officials 'held accountable' for role peddling 2016 Russia hoax

Intelligence agency officials like former CIA Director John Brennan must be held accountable for their role in advancing allegations about President Donald Trump’s connections with Russia during the 2016 election, according to the White House.

"President Trump was right — again," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Those who engaged in this political scandal must be held accountable for the fraud they committed against President Trump and the lies they told to the American people."

EX-OBAMA INTEL BOSS WANTED ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER INCLUDED IN ‘ATYPICAL’ 2016 ASSESSMENT DESPITE PUSHBACK

Leavitt’s comments come after a new lessons-learned review that CIA Director John Ratcliffe declassified Wednesday determined that the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency's Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) examining Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election deviated from intelligence standards that led to some "procedural anomalies."

The review determined that the "decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment." 

The "Steele dossier," composed by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele as part of opposition research on Trump during the 2016 campaign, featured salacious material and unfounded allegations about Trump's connections to Russia. Trump has denied the allegations included in the document. 

TRUMP ‘MISREPRESENTED’ HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP LETTER, JOHN BRENNAN COMPLAINS AFTER LOSING SECURITY CLEARANCE

Specifically, the CIA’s new review found that the CIA’s deputy director for analysis said in a December 2016 email to Brennan that including the dossier in any capacity jeopardized "the credibility of the entire paper."

"Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness," the new review stated. "When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier by the two mission center leaders – one with extensive operational experience and the other with a strong analytic background – he appeared more swayed by the Dossier's general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns. Brennan ultimately formalized his position in writing, stating that ‘my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report.’"

DNI DECLASSIFIES BRENNAN NOTES, CIA MEMO ON HILLARY CLINTON ‘STIRRING UP’ SCANDAL BETWEEN TRUMP, RUSSIA

Brennan served as director of the CIA from March 2013 to January 2017 under the Obama administration. 

Brennan could not be reached for comment by Fox News Digital. 

Likewise, the review said Brennan had sent a note to intelligence community analysts one day before their only session coordinating on the ICA that he had met with then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and then-FBI Director James Comey. 

In that message, Brennan told the CIA workforce that "there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our recent Presidential election."

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

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