A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, Cubans and Haitians who were initially granted parole.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said on Thursday the Department of Homeland Security incorrectly read the law when it made a decision to end a two-year parole given to them by the Biden administration.
Talwani, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, said the revocation of temporary legal status would open up around 450,000 individuals to an expedited deportation process.
"What you're prioritizing is not people coming over the border but the people who followed the rules," Talwani said.
Justice Department lawyer Brian Ward argued during a Thursday hearing that parole programs were always discretionary.
"The nub of the problem here is that the secretary, in cutting short the parole period afforded to these individuals, has to have a reasoned decision," Talwani said, according to Time magazine. "There was a deal and now that deal has been undercut."
Immigration advocacy groups initially sued the Trump administration for its plan to end the parole program which began under the Biden administration.
The Trump administration attempted to revoke the temporary legal status of migrants from the four countries on March 25.
They flew to the United States after submitting their application under a Biden-era policy that was closed by Trump when he took office for a second time.
The program let migrants and their immediate family members fly to the United States as long as they had sponsors in America, then they would be placed on parole for two years.
Fox News' Landon Mion and Reuters contributed to this report.
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., announced a gubernatorial bid on Friday, becoming the second Democrat to jump into the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis.
Phil Weiser, Colorado's Democratic attorney general, has already announced a bid. Weiser has emerged as a high-profile opponent of the Trump administration, joining with other state attorneys general to file lawsuits over a series of policies and executive orders.
"From expanding the Child Tax Credit to securing $7B for Colorado’s infrastructure, we’ve made real progress together," Bennet said on X. "Now, it’s time to keep building a future in Colorado that works for all of us."
A group of California Republican lawmakers is asking for a formal audit of the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, after its costs have gone up significantly after a law went into effect last year allowing illegal immigrants to enroll.
The Medi-Cal program is $2.8 billion over budget, as it was originally expected to cost $6 billion this fiscal year. Since then, the governor’s office has requested $6.2 billion in two separate loans.
"On March 12, 2025, the Governor informed the legislature that Medi-Cal was insolvent and could not continue to pay all of its obligations to healthcare providers," the letter states.
"Despite the alarming nature of this problem, the Governor has failed to provide an explanation for why Medi-Cal costs are far greater than what was budgeted. Many are concerned that continued growth in the cost of Medi-Cal benefits for undocumented immigrants is a major driver of the cost overruns," the letter continues.
Specifically, the letter asks what the "future estimates for enrollment of undocumented immigrants" are in the program, as well as "cost containment strategies" to make sure that it does not harm Californian’s healthcare access.
The lawmakers are also seeking answers about why the forecast of the cost was incorrect.
The letter was led by Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, who went viral for questioning a state budget official amplifying the spending issue earlier this year. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and Republican Reps. Kate Sanchez, Leticia Castillo, Stan Ellis, Tom Lackey, Phillip Chen, Heath Flora and David Tangipa.
Gov. Gavin Newsom previously said illegal immigrants being allowed to enroll in Medi-Cal is a "partial" part of the problem, but his office argues that overall rising healthcare costs led to higher than expected Medicaid program costs in other states as well.
"With tough fiscal choices ahead, Governor Newsom, jointly with Pro Tem McGuire and Speaker Rivas, will evaluate proposals to rein in long-term spending — including in Medi-Cal — while working to protect the core health and social services Californians rely on," Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon told Fox News Digital in a statement last month.
Newsom's office was not immediately available for comment.
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler's opinion of Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is crystal clear.
"I think Kathy Hochul is the most feckless, incompetent governor in America," Lawler said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Lawler, who's in his second term representing the state's 17th Congressional District, which covers a large swath of New York City's northern suburbs, is mulling a 2026 GOP run for governor.
"I'll make a decision at some point – middle of the year. Obviously, you know if we're going to do it, you got to get out there, and you got to campaign hard," Lawler said.
He added, "I haven't made a decision yet. I think, obviously, there's a number of factors in play, but you know, we're working through that right now."
Lawler is one of three Republicans mulling a gubernatorial run. So are Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman and longtime Bethany town supervisor Carl Hyde Jr.
It's been 23 years since a Republican won a gubernatorial election in heavily blue New York. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. George Pataki's second re-election victory in 2002.
But Hochul's approval ratings and favorable ratings remain underwater, giving Republicans hope the losing streak will come to an end next year. The governor also faces potential primary challenges from her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, as well as Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York City.
"There's a reason New York leads the nation in out-migration. It has nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with the high cost of living and the declining quality of life from the migrant crisis to the crime epidemic in New York to the overall cost of living," Lawler said.
And the former political strategist and adviser-turned-politician said "people can't afford to live in New York. They want balance and common sense, and I think that's where there is an opportunity, if you articulate the vision to New Yorkers. They're pragmatic, they're commonsense, and they understand the need for change."
In 2022, then-Rep. Lee Zeldin had the best performance by a GOP gubernatorial candidate in New York since Pataki's 2002 victory. Zeldin, who now steers the Environmental Protection Agency in President Donald Trump's second administration, lost to Hochul by less than six and a half points.
And Trump lost the state to then-Vice President Kamala Harris by 13 points in last November's presidential election, but that was a 10-point improvement from his loss margin to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
While Republicans have been more competitive statewide in New York the last two cycles, Lawler said next year's elections will "be determined by a few things."
"No. 1, does the economy take off?" he said. "And with the tax bill, with energy production increases, you know, if the economy takes off, then I think people are going to be very willing and open to change in New York."
"Obviously, what we're doing at the border matters," Lawler said. "New York has borne the brunt of some of the disastrous decisions of the Biden administration and Kathy Hochul, spending billions of dollars of taxpayer money on free housing, clothing, food, education and health care for illegals."
And Lawler pointed to his push to raise the cap on the state and local tax deduction, known by its acronym SALT, which is a pressing issue for many New Yorkers.
"Do I deliver on things like SALT and lifting the cap on SALT? And so, if we get these things done, and you know, things are looking up, I think New Yorkers can be very open to a change," he said.
Lawler grabbed attention in 2022 by narrowly defeating incumbent Sean Patrick Maloney, the then-chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
But he's currently one of only three House Republicans who represent districts carried by Harris in November.
Asked if he needs to keep his distance from the president if he seeks statewide office in New York, Lawler told Fox News, "Look, he's the president of the United States, and [I] certainly would welcome his support."
But he also said "New Yorkers will make a determination, though, based on the choice before them" rather than on Trump.
"If you present a viable alternative vision to New Yorkers and explain how you're going to deal with housing, how you're going to deal with infrastructure, how you're going to deal with crime, how you're going to deal with the fact that Wall Street is leaving New York in droves, these are significant issues that we have to tackle," Lawler said. "And it requires leadership. It requires a plan. And I think if that is presented to New Yorkers, they'll make a determination based on that."
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans passed a key hurdle to move forward President Donald Trump’s "big, beautiful" tax agenda on Thursday without the support of a single Democrat, prompting the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) to launch ads against over a dozen vulnerable Democrat incumbents.
"The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) launched a paid digital advertising campaign targeting 25 vulnerable House Democrats for voting against the budget resolution, leading to higher taxes for Americans by slashing the child tax credit in half and making families pay thousands more," the NRCC said in a press release on Friday morning.
The paid digital ad campaign will target 25 House Democrats identified as vulnerable heading into next year’s midterms. The list of Democrats targeted includes: (CA-09) Josh Harder, (CA-13) Adam Gray, (CA-27) George Whitesides, (CA-45) Derek Tran, (CA-47) Dave Min, (FL-09) Darren Soto, (FL-23) Jared Moskowitz, (IN-01) Frank Mrvan, (ME-02) Jared Golden, (MI-08) Kristen McDonald Rivet, (NC-01) Don Davis, (NJ-09) Nellie Pou, (NM-02) Gabe Vasquez, (NV-01) Dina Titus, (NV-03) Susie Lee, (NV-04) Steven Horsford, (NY-03) Tom Suozzi, (NY-04) Laura Gillen, (NY-19) Josh Riley, (OH-09) Marcy Kaptur, (OH-13) Emilia Sykes, (TX-28) Henry Cuellar, (TX-34) Vicente Gonzalez, (VA-07) Eugene Vindman and (WA-03) Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
"Once again, House Democrats made their priorities crystal clear: They’re taking a wrecking ball to America’s economy and sticking the working class with higher taxes just to ram their radical agenda down the throats of all Americans," NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital.
"Voters will consistently be reminded of this betrayal all the way through next Fall."
The NRCC ad campaign makes the case that by voting against the resolution, Democrats are supporting raising taxes on Americans at every income level and supporting the lowering of key tax credits.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spokesperson Viet Shelton said, "This is what happens when the same people who want to eliminate the Department of Education write political ads."
"If they actually read the bill, they would realize their budget takes away health care, cuts off food assistance, and raises costs to pay for massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy while sticking working families with the bill. The Republican budget is exhibit A of their failure to make life affordable for Americans."
While the party in power, which clearly is the Republicans, traditionally faces serious political headwinds in the midterm elections, the NRCC chair told Fox News last month he is optimistic.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., emphasized in an interview on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" that 13 of the 26 House Democrats they are targeting are in districts that "were carried by President Donald Trump in the last election."
Hudson characterized the upcoming midterms as an "opportunity election for House Republicans."
Additionally, Hudson, who is steering the House GOP's campaign arm for a second straight cycle, added, "We are bullish. Republicans are on offense thanks to Donald Trump."
The Cook Political Report unveiled its first rankings for the next midterm elections in February and listed 10 Democrat-held seats and eight Republican-controlled seats as toss-ups.
Courtney Rice, communications director for the rival DCCC, emphasized that "voters will hold House Republicans accountable for failing to lower costs while fostering a culture of corruption that benefits their billionaire backers."
"The political environment is in Democrats’ favor heading into 2026 — and with stellar candidates who are focused on delivering for their districts, House Democrats are poised to take back the majority in 2026," Rice predicted.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris took to social media this month to cheer on the growing resistance by Democrats to President Donald Trump.
"Today in every state across our nation, Americans are standing up to the administration," Harris wrote.
Also taking aim at Trump's most visible advisor and the world's richest person — Elon Musk — the former vice president emphasized that "the voices of working people will always be louder than the unelected billionaires."
Harris, in a possible tease of potential future political plans, spotlighted on social media a clip from the closing line of a speech from earlier this month.
Railing against moves by the Trump administration and vowing to remain active in the fight, Harris said, "I'll see you out there. I'm not going anywhere."
And earlier this year, Harris, in a video message to the Democratic National Committee as it huddled for its winter meeting, pledged to be with the party "every step of the way."
But five months after losing the presidential election to Trump, Harris' public appearances are still few and far between.
And unlike her 2024 running mate — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — and other top Democrats, she has not appeared at rallies or town halls to directly address a Democratic Party base that is increasingly angry and energized over Trump's sweeping and controversial upending of the federal government during the first three months of his second tour of duty in the White House.
Harris has also avoided doing any television interviews or taking part in any podcasts, ceding the spotlight to others in the party.
But her every public word is quickly dissected.
"I’m not here to say I told you so," Harris said on April 3 in Dana Point, California, to a gathering of Black female business leaders, politicians and other prominent people, as she pointed to her warnings about Trump on the campaign trail last summer and autumn.
The clip, during which both Harris and the crowd cracked up, instantly went viral.
And there's intense speculation over what may be Harris' next political move.
Two potential options are launching a gubernatorial run next year in her home state of California, in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, or seeking the presidency again in 2028.
Extremely early polls in the next Democratic Party presidential nomination race — which are heavily reliant on name recognition at this point — indicate that the former vice president holds a significant lead over other potential White House contenders.
It is very unlikely she could do both. Running and winning election in 2026 as governor of heavily blue California, the nation's most populous state and home to the world's fifth-largest economy, would likely take a 2028 White House run off the table, allies and political analysts have indicated.
Harris previously served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general, and represented the Golden State in the U.S. Senate before joining former President Joe Biden's 2020 ticket and winning election as vice president.
A source in the former vice president's political orbit confirmed to Fox News Digital last month that Harris has told allies she will decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a gubernatorial campaign. The news was first reported by Politico.
But other California Democrats aren't waiting, as the gubernatorial field is growing.
Some of the candidates are criticizing Harris for waiting until the summer to decide. Among them are former Los Angeles Mayor Anotonio Villaraigosa.
"The challenges facing California are too great for us to wait for a candidate who wants to come in late in the game," Villaraigosa, who launched his 2026 campaign last summer, recently told the Los Angeles Times. "California is not a steppingstone to higher office."
"This will not be a coronation," he said in his interview. Pointing to Harris' three-and-a-half-month-long presidential campaign — she succeeded Biden as the party's nominee after he dropped his bid last July — Villaraigosa said, "You can’t run at the end of the rainbow. We saw a 100-day campaign. Look what that brought us."
Two other Democrats running for California governor — former Rep. Katie Porter and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra — made similar arguments.
But polls indicate Harris would be the clear front-runner if she entered the 2026 race in California, and other candidates already in the field have indicated they would defer to the former vice president if she ends up running.
One of those candidates who would likely drop their bid is California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a close friend and ally of the former vice president.
Harris has reportedly received encouragement from top Democrats to run for California governor. Among them is former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a former DNC chair, according to a report from The New York Times.
Harris also received some unexpected encouragement — and a bit of advice — from her 2024 opponent.
"Let her run," Trump said in a recent podcast interview. "One thing she’s going to do, she’s got to start doing interviews."
Babydog is back on Capitol Hill — and this time, she’s weighing in on America’s energy future.
On Thursday, the beloved English bulldog and constant companion of Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., made her official debut before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where Justice delivered remarks focused on energy policy, national unity and, yes, a few lighthearted barks from Babydog herself.
"She humanizes us," Justice told the committee as he lifted Babydog into view. "She makes us absolutely get off our pedestals... She makes you smile... She still loves you." The moment ended with applause from the room and a unanimous motion to enter the pooch's "testimony" into the Senate record.
In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Justice said: "From committee appearances to TV appearances, Babydog is always around to bring a smile to everyone’s face. She worked hard this week as the 101st senator to make sure all canine priorities were spoken (or barked) for when the microphone was on."
The moment drew attention from both lawmakers and social media.
"@BabyDogJustice’s testimony will be admitted into the record without objection," declared the official Senate Energy Republicans account.
Babydog's big day didn't stop there.
Before heading to FOX Business for her "Bottom Line" appearance, Babydog shared a behind-the-scenes moment from the Fox News D.C. Bureau, tweeting a glammed-up photo with the caption, "I’m ready for my close up."
Justice joined "The Bottom Line with Dagen McDowell" on FOX Business, where he discussed his priorities for America’s energy sector, including support for President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aimed at bolstering domestic energy production.
"President Trump has made us proud in regard to coal," Justice said. "We’ve got to have coal."
Asked about concerns that tariffs may be hindering international energy markets for West Virginia, Justice pushed back, saying, "It’s so premature to think such a thought... He will adjust when adjusting needs to be made."
Justice warned that America faces serious decisions within the next 18 months if energy production isn’t scaled to meet demand.
"There could be a possibility that it could have expanded just a little bit more than that, but really and truly, within a year-and-a-half, we’re going to have to make some really, really tough decisions," he said. "It could very well be an electricity demand of double what it is today."
Justice also addressed budget and entitlement reform, tying economic growth directly to energy: "The ticket to growing... is energy. Energy. Energy. Period."
Babydog has previously appeared at Senate Agriculture Committee hearings and remains a constant presence in the halls of Congress. As Fox News Digital has reported, she continues to resonate with lawmakers and staff alike across party lines for her ability to, as Justice puts it, "bring people together."
"She loves everybody," he said. "Rich, poor, a kid or an adult, or God forbid, a Democrat or a Republican."
Her bipartisan appeal and growing public profile have helped Babydog carve out a unique role in Washington—part mascot, part morale booster, and now, a regular presence in policy settings. As Thursday’s hearing showed, she’s not just along for the ride—she’s helping shape the tone in the room.
Now heading into April recess, the Senate adjourns with energy questions unresolved, but bipartisan agreement that Babydog is always welcome.
The Senate has voted to confirm the general who told President Donald Trump that ISIS could be eradicated "very quickly" with loosened rules of engagement during his first term to the role of chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
The vote came in the wee hours of Friday morning after Democrats rejected a GOP attempt to quickly confirm Caine on Thursday and get out of town.
The vote tally was 60 to 25, with 15 Democrats supporting the Trump nominee.
An Air Force F-16 pilot by background, Caine will be the first National Guard general to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Trump plucked him from retirement to reactivate and serve as his top military advisor after firing Gen. C.Q. Brown in February.
Brown had been behind a 2022 memo laying out diversity goals for the Air Force.
Caine will be the first Joint Chiefs chairman who was not a four-star and the first to come out of retirement to fill the role. He hasn’t been a combatant commander or service chief, meaning Trump had to grant him a waiver to serve in the role.
Caine acknowledged his unconventional nomination during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee: "In our family, we serve. When asked, we always say yes. Senators, I acknowledge that I'm an unconventional nominee. These are unconventional times."
He worked as the associate director of military affairs for the CIA from 2021 to 2024 and founded a regional airline in Texas. He was a White House fellow at the Agriculture Department and a counterterrorism specialist on the White House’s Homeland Security Council.
Caine was among a group of military leaders who met with the president in December 2018 at the Al Asad airbase in Iraq. Trump was there to deliver a Christmas message and hear from commanders on the ground, and there Caine told Trump they could defeat ISIS quickly with a surge of resources and a lifting of restrictions on engagement.
"'We’re only hitting them from a temporary base in Syria,'" Trump said Caine told him. "'But if you gave us permission, we could hit them from the back, from the side, from all over – from the base that you’re right on, right now, sir. They won’t know what the hell hit them.'"
Trump had claimed Caine was wearing a red MAGA hat the first time he met him – a claim Caine repeatedly denied during the hearing.
"Sir, for 34 years, I've upheld my oath of office and my commitment to my commission, and I have never worn any political merchandise," Caine told Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
Trump, when he picked Caine, praised him as "an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience."
Caine vowed his duty would be to advise the president on defense considerations without any political influence.
The role, he said, "starts with being a good example from the top and making sure that we are nonpartisan and apolitical and speaking the truth to power," Caine said.
Trump's first chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley, has now become a top foe – the president recently stripped him of his security clearance and had his portrait taken down at the Pentagon.
