FIRST ON FOX: United States Senator Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, called out Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum in a scathing letter addressing the large amount of raw sewage and waste the neighboring country has dumped in the Tijuana River.
The letter outlines Sheehy’s concern not only for the health and safety of local residents, but also points out that the toxic leak could potentially be jeopardizing U.S. national security.
"This continuous discharge is sickening thousands of Americans annually, including U.S. Navy SEALs and Marine special forces who train in the affected waters," the letter to the president of Mexico reads. "In February 2025, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General concluded that, absent action, Navy Special Warfare Command would be advised to cancel or relocate up to 75 percent of water training exercises at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado due to elevated bacterial contamination levels."
Last week, the International Boundary and Water Commission stated that Mexico is dumping 5 million gallons of sewage a day into the Tijuana rRver. The toxic waste then flows up into the United States, and can even make its way into the Pacific Ocean.
"For decades, Mexico has been dumping toxic waste into the water where our most elite servicemen train, causing serious health issues and harming our readiness," Sheehy told Fox News Digital. "The problem is only getting worse, and their failure to do anything about it is harming our troops and our national security. Mexico needs to put a stop to this toxic tide immediately."
While Sheehy is sounding the alarm from Congress, local leaders have also confirmed that the Mexican government’s intentional waste dump has left residents with dangerous and harmful environmental conditions.
"This sewage isn’t just disgusting — it’s dangerous. It contains E. coli, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, arsenic and other toxic chemicals," San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond explained in a recent Fox News op-ed. "Our water is contaminated. Our air is polluted with aerosolized waste. Residents are reporting everything from skin infections to viral pharyngitis — and even family pets have gotten sick after exposure."
Next Tuesday, Fox News Digital reported that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is very aware of the issue, and intends to visit a local treatment facility in San Diego to assess the harmful flow of poisonous waste entering the U.S. from Mexico. A source close to Zeldin told Fox that this is a top priority for President Donald Trump’s environmental leader.
"We have heard far too many horror stories of Navy SEALs – some of the bravest and brightest service members in the military – falling ill from training in waters that have been contaminated by Mexican sewage that has flown into our nation," Zeldin told Fox on Friday. "This has been a human health crisis that has lingered for decades."
The president of a prominent Christian college in Michigan reacted Thursday to President Donald Trump’s battle with Harvard University — and the billions it stands to lose due to a federal funding freeze over its response to on-campus antisemitism.
"We all have a right to free speech, but if you join the academic community, you don't get to say whatever you want. You can't go to physics class and talk about English Lit. Also, you can't spit on people because they're Jews or denounce them… because that breaks down the friendship that is necessary to the partnership of a college," Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"Now, having said that, of course — you shouldn't say ‘dirty Jew.’ It's perfectly legitimate to say, 'I don't agree with it.' But to say, ‘Israel took that land, and they don't have a right to it,' and the response would be, ‘OK, see if you can prove that.’ That's an academic undertaking," he said.
"Shouting, preventing people from going to class, threatening them personally. That breaks down the academic community. They shouldn't be doing that. And it's, you know, because the [1964] Civil Rights Act is written in a certain way; if they permit that kind of activity, Harvard is in violation of that act, and that act applies to every organization in America."
A college, being an incubator of learning, should especially be an organization to prohibit such virulent behavior outright, Arnn added.
Earlier this month, the Trump antisemitism task force froze $2 billion in grants to Harvard, and Trump later floated stripping its tax-exempt status after the school’s administration released a statement saying it would not comply with demands.
Arnn said that, antisemitic behavior or not, there are thousands of stipulations a college must agree to in order to receive funding from the federal Department of Education.
"The government has changed so much since 1960, and it's all over everything now, including education. And Harvard doesn't like some recent things it's been demanded to do, but it's obeying hundreds of pages of rules that are detailed, and they have to comply with because they have a lot of money from the government," he said.
"So the obvious solution would be, don't take the money from the government, which is what we do," he said, referring to Hillsdale.
Arnn said Hillsdale, founded in the mid-19th century in part by friends of then-Illinois attorney Abraham Lincoln, has never been as wealthy as Harvard but remains an exceptional institution.
"The fact that they are defending [themselves] is good, and maybe they should have the complete courage of their convictions and just give [the funding] up," he said.
If the frozen funds account for the school’s annual federal contribution, it would calculate to $90,000 per student, Arnn added, noting the school also has a large endowment.
"Maybe they could make it on their own," he said.
"Every transaction at Hillsdale College… is a voluntary transaction… [N]obody comes here unless they want to, they have to sign an honor code to come."
Arnn compared Hillsdale’s connections to a politically budding Lincoln to Harvard’s title as the oldest college in the country, and Princeton University’s ties to Founding Fathers like President James Madison.
"If James Madison had come to college here, I would never shut up about it, right? Frederick Douglass spoke on our campus twice. I never shut up about that," he said.
Arnn cited how the first Trump administration investigated Princeton after figures there publicized its supposed racist structures.
"[Madison] personally took pride in the fact they had kept the word ‘slave’ out of the Constitution, because although they had to make a compromise and not abolish it in certain ways, and that compromise is for a very big reason," he said.
"The problem is, we have a set of principles that are perfect, but we will never serve them perfectly," said Arnn. "[T]he attempt to do so can do a lot of harm depending on what the attempt is."
"My suggestion [to Harvard] would be to go in the right direction. It's written in your own history. And you should probably do it with your own resources if you don't like bureaucrats in Washington telling you what to do," he said.
In a statement, Harvard President Alan Garber said Harvard will "not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights," and "no government… should dictate what private universities can teach, who they can admit and hire…"
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., claimed in a post on X that he altered the name plaque outside the office of Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. The Republican lawmaker’s post included a photo in which the plaque outside Van Hollen’s office says that he represents El Salvador.
"Hey [Sen. Van Hollen], I went ahead and changed your office plaque for you," Collins wrote.
Collins has repeatedly criticized Van Hollen for traveling to El Salvador to meet with accused MS-13 member and illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego-Garcia. In another post on X, Collins slammed Van Hollen as "traitorous."
Additionally, when Van Hollen first announced his trip to El Salvador, Collins responded by saying, "If you’re going to advocate harder for illegal gang members than you do American citizens, don’t come back."
Abrego-Garcia’s deportation sparked an uproar among Democrats, many of whom say that the El Salvadorian national was a hard-working Maryland resident whose right to due process was violated.
However, Abrego-Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2011, remained in the country unlawfully despite being issued a deportation order back in 2019.
Prince George's County Police Gang Unit identified Abrego-Garcia as a member of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang in 2019, according to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The HSI report also noted that Abrego-Garcia was suspected of human trafficking after a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper encountered him in December 2022.
According to the HSI report, on Dec. 1, 2022, a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper stopped Abrego-Garcia after he was "observed speeding," and noticed eight individuals in the vehicle, but no luggage. Abrego-Garcia said he began driving three days prior from Houston, Texas, to Temple Hills, Md., so the individuals could "perform construction work." Additionally, the individuals in the car reportedly gave the same address as Abrego-Garica's home. The report states that the trooper suspected it was a human trafficking incident.
This past week, President Donald Trump hosted Angel Mom Patty Morin, a Maryland resident, at the White House. Morin’s daughter, Rachel, was beaten, raped and killed in Maryland by an illegal migrant from El Salvador in 2023. Patty Morin claims Van Hollen never contacted her after Rachel’s murder.
Fox News Digital reached out to Rep. Collins' office for comment.
WASHINGTON, DC - Ohio Republican Attorney General Dave Yost, who is running for governor against tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in the primary, spoke to Fox News Digital about his campaign and what he sees as the key difference between the two campaigns.
"We do agree on an awful lot of things," Yost, who was in Washington to celebrate with the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes college football team at the White House, told Fox News Digital about the gubernatorial race.
"The difference is that I'm running on a record of results, not just rhetoric."
Part of that record, Yost explained, is his time as the state auditor in Ohio, where he helped uncover $260 million of efficiency savings.
"I was DOGE before DOGE was cool," Yost said, adding later that "virtually nobody" he talks to in Ohio is opposed to the fraud and waste spending that is taking place with DOGE amid vocal Democratic pushback.
Yost also touted his record on crime and public corruption as the state’s attorney general since 2019 and suggested his experience differentiates him from Ramaswamy.
"We've been fighting for the Constitution, for the rights of Ohioans, fighting public corruption," Yost said. "More than 170 people have gone to jail because of my work and the work of my team. So, we've been in the trenches. We don't need on-the-job training, and I think that that record of results is going to make a difference for Ohioans."
Recent polling shows that Ramaswamy, who has been endorsed by President Trump, Elon Musk, Rep. Jim Jordan and others, holds a commanding lead in the race, but Yost remains optimistic.
"Obviously, there's a long way to go, but I love Ohio," Yost said. "I've been getting back out and talking with folks. The reception has been amazing. People are eager for a new America First kind of leadership in Ohio. And I am really excited about where we're heading."
One specific issue that Yost believes he has been clearer on where he stands is the death penalty.
"I don't know where my opponent is on that," Yost said. "He hasn't spoken about it. I imagine that that's why we have campaigns, and we'll find out. But look, I support the death penalty."
Yost explained that "safeguards" must be used, and he emphasized that there are "no do-overs" but said that "we need" the death penalty.
"What do you do with a guy who's serving life without parole and then he kills a prison guard or a cook inside?" Yost said. "A family loses a loved one because of this murder. Was that a freebie? What, are we gonna give them another life sentence? So, at least in that circumstance, we need to have the death penalty, and then we're just arguing about when we use it."
"But the death penalty is not working in Ohio right now. We haven't abolished it. We still have the promise of it out there as the ultimate justice. We haven't executed anyone since 2018. The average time that somebody on death row has been waiting for their date with justice is 22 years. That's not due process, it's overdue process, and we need to either man up and say, okay, we're not gonna do this anymore, or we need to go about following the law and bringing the 116 people on death row to their date with justice."
A person close to the Ramaswamy campaign told Fox News Digital that the team is "looking forward to helping Dave Yost be successful in his next venture, whatever he chooses to do."
Another local issue in Ohio that Yost told Fox News Digital he is concerned about is the recent push by professional sports teams to secure taxpayer funds for stadiums.
Yost expressed concerns about taxpayers being on the hook for sums of several hundred million dollars.
"I'm not so sure that the taxpayers ought to be throwing tax money at these big public stadium projects," Yost said. "I mean, those bonds, those taxes are going to be paid for by people that in a lot of ways can't afford to go to a pro game. That strikes me as unfair. But beyond that, we have no limiting principle here."
"We've got all these different sports teams. We already have three of them now, since the Browns said we want $600 million. The Bengals come forward, and they want $350 million, and FC Cincinnati is saying, ‘Well, what about us?’ And pretty soon, we're spending billions of dollars on sports stadiums that are used in one town a few days a year, when we could be spending that money on any number of other things, whether we're talking about roads, bridges, economic development, whether we're talking schools, or we're talking about tax cuts. None of this makes sense to me. We at least need a plan and a limit. Right now, it looks like the candy store is just open."
Fox News Digital asked Yost what he hears most often when he travels the state talking to voters, and he said that the economy and "kitchen table" issues are most prevalent, but pointed out that Trump’s tariff policies, which have been much maligned by the Democrats, are more popular than the media lets on.
"Right now, everybody's watching as the world economy is being reordered, and unlike what I'm hearing from the disaster predicted by the elite press on the coasts, it's a much different situation on the ground in Ohio," Yost said. "I talk to a lot of businesses that think that this is going to be good for them, that the fair and reciprocal kinds of trade are going to bring a new resurgence to Ohio and to their industries, even though they see some pain and that's what everybody's talking about right now."
Ultimately, Yost told Fox News Digital that he believes that his "record of results" shows that he is the candidate with the "experience and the vision and the know-how" to "bring Ohio to the bright future that's out there for us."
FIRST ON FOX: One of the world's leading liberal ecumenical Christian organizations published a post during Holy Week promoting climate change activism, sparking criticism from some experts who spoke to Fox News Digital.
"Training shows climate justice a moral imperative for churches," a post on the World Council of Churches website said on Monday as the billions of Christians worldwide began observing Holy Week and commemorating the seven days leading up to Easter.
The post stated: "Exploring how churches can do more for climate justice, the World Council of Churches (WCC), in cooperation with the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh, organized a climate litigation training in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 11 April."
In a Thursday post on X, WCC again spoke about climate change saying, "Climate crisis isn’t siloed—neither should our solutions be. At a joint seminar in India, experts push for a nexus approach to land, water & food justice."
"Amidst the poly-crises the world is experiencing now, the role of churches and other faith actors in terms of our contributions to climate justice is more important than ever," WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay said in Bangladesh. "Our moral voice is necessary for the urgently needed system changes."
Last week, WCC announced that it has "debuted its new resource on legal tools for climate justice, the focus was on hope for children—a hope strongly backed by knowledge on how churches can hold financial actors accountable for their role in perpetuating the climate crisis."
Fox News Digital reached out to WCC for comment.
Dan Turner, founder and executive director of Power The Future, likened the climate change push to Christianity’s "long history of a battle against paganism."
"It is unsurprising that neo-pagans hide behind climate change to pollute religion and push their agenda," Turner said. "The most Christian countries have the cleanest air and water, and the greatest respect for the Earth."
Gabriella Hoffman, Independent Women’s Forum Center for Energy & Conservation Director, told Fox News Digital that it is not "uncommon" for religious institutions to preach the "biblical" teaching of "stewardship of the land" but that climate justice "strays from this teaching by encouraging its adherents to reject positive human interactions with nature."
"They believe nature supersedes the needs of people. Both interests can be balanced and not at odds with each other," Hoffman said.
Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers and a Senior Advisor for Catholic Vote, told Fox News Digital, "During Holy Week, the church should be focused on reflecting on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, instead of advancing climate hysteria. The church should be spreading the Gospel, not advance divisive legal battles that amplify fear over faith."
The WCC, which claims 352 member church bodies from more than 120 countries, representing over 580 million Christians worldwide, has a long history of political activism on behalf of liberal causes.
The organization has "established several highly biased and politicized subgroups," according to NGO Monitor, some of which have been linked to anti-Israel efforts and BDS activities.
Last year, the WCC issued a statement in support of the International Criminal Court’s controversial decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response to the fallout from the October 7th terror attack.
Shortly after that attack, the WCC issued a statement calling for "underscor[ing] the necessity of addressing the root causes of the current conflict, which are deeply intertwined with decades of occupation, prolonged sieges on Gaza, and the systematic violation of fundamental human rights."
Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., sudden trip to El Salvador to try to free deportee Kilmar Abrego Garcia is getting the attention of critics who believe the Maryland Democrat may have violated a 1799 law prohibiting unauthorized diplomacy.
The Logan Act – named for former Pennsylvania Sen. George Logan – stipulates a fine and/or imprisonment for Americans corresponding with foreign officials "with intent to influence the[ir] measures … in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States."
Logan met with French diplomat Charles de Talleyrand after Paris rebuffed President John Adams, and he attempted to entreat him – in part via a letter from Vice President Thomas Jefferson – to end the Franco-American hostilities of the so-called "Quasi War."
In that way, several prominent conservatives questioned whether Van Hollen’s actions similarly violated the law.
"Why hasn’t this U.S. senator been arrested for violation of the Logan Act? It’s illegal to conduct your own foreign policy," longtime Republican consultant Roger Stone tweeted.
WMAL host Vince Coglianese read the Logan Act statute aloud and asked his audience whether Van Hollen had done what the code outlined.
"Is Chris Van Hollen violating the Logan Act?" Coglianese said. "Because this is what they accused General [Michael] Flynn of doing … the incoming national security advisor … who was merely having conversations with foreign diplomats [after] people had chosen President Donald Trump."
Democrats previously seized on the Logan Act when Flynn contacted Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak prior to Trump being sworn in the first time, which ultimately led to an FBI probe and tanked his public-service career.
Notes from former FBI agent Peter Strzok read, "VP: Logan Act" and suggested then-Vice President Joe Biden floated using it against Flynn, while then-FBI director Jim Comey said the Kislyak correspondence appeared "legit."
Fox News contributor Byron York responded to an X question on the matter by saying that he repeatedly argued during the Flynn matter that the act is a "dead letter."
"But politically, it's useful to know that Sen. Van Hollen traveled to a foreign country to bash the President of the United States."
The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) sent a letter to Senate Ethics Committee Chairman James Lankford, R-Okla, asking to probe for violations, according to the New York Post.
AAF’s Thomas Jones said Garcia "is essentially an enemy combatant in the ongoing invasion … by transnational gangs."
Fox News Digital reached out to Lankford for comment.
The act was last invoked by Trump critics after a book by Watergate journalist Bob Woodward claimed the mogul held several calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin between his terms in the White House.
Trump was lambasted by the "Never-Trump" Lincoln Project and Kamala Harris over Woodward’s book’s claims.
Agents also considered getting Flynn to admit to breaking the Logan Act:
"What is our goal?" one of the notes from ex-FBI counterintelligence chief Bill Priestap read: "Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?"
After that situation, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., unsuccessfully sought a Logan Act repeal.
In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan suggested it be used against Rev. Jesse Jackson for his travels and communications to Cuba and Nicaragua.
Trump previously accused both ex-Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., of violating the Logan Act via their contact with Iran in 2019 and 2020.
"It’s literally my job to meet with foreign leaders," Murphy shot back, citing his position on a Senate Mideast subcommittee.
Ultimately, no one has been successfully prosecuted under the Logan Act, as the namesake Philadelphian himself was essentially grandfathered out.
Fox News Digital reached out to Van Hollen for comment.
A San Francisco drag queen group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a self-professed "order of queer and trans nuns," is sparking controversy in the days leading up to their annual transgender Easter event.
This year’s event, which is being called "No Easter without the T," is meant to honor transgenderism and features a children’s Easter egg hunt and a costume contest encouraging attendees to come dressed in drag as "Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary."
The event’s invitation poster includes a depiction of a tattooed "Jesus" surrounded by men in drag. Pictures posted from the event in previous years include men dressed as Jesus in high heels, dresses and minimal clothing, and holding signs that say "can I get a gaymen?" and "Haus of Jesus."
According to the group’s website, past winners of the contest include "Barbie’s Ken Jesus", "Historically Accurate Jesus," "Transgender Maria de Guadalupe," "Pro-Choice Mary" and "Black Woman as God."
Libs of Tiktok, a popular conservative social media account, slammed the event, especially calling attention to the drag group for encouraging children to attend while simultaneously admitting that "parents are advised that some may find the latter portion of the show inappropriate for young children."
"They literally say that their show is inappropriate for children while still encouraging children to attend," said Libs of TikTok.
"Disgusting," commented Catholic Vote senior advisor Steve Cortes, adding, "The ruling class abides bigotry, as long as it’s targeted against faithful Christians generally, & Catholics specifically."
Logan Church, political director of CatholicVote, told Fox News Digital the group is "disgusted, though sadly not surprised."
"The so-called 'Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence' have made it their mission to mock Christianity with open hostility, and this blasphemous Easter event is just the latest example," he said.
"This is not bold, it’s not brave, and it’s certainly not art. Its bigotry dressed in costume, and Americans are right to be outraged," he went on. "Let’s be clear: Sacrilege is not a religion, and it is not protected under the banner of religious freedom. While we live in a country that defends free speech, that does not mean Christians are required to sit silently while our faith is ridiculed. We have every right, and every reason, to push back."
A Democratic congresswoman from Oregon is the latest lawmaker to announce she will travel to El Salvador to advocate for the release of deported illegal migrant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia.
Rep. Maxine Dexter, said late Friday she would jet to the South American country following Sen. Chris Van Hollen's, D-Md., highly publicized visit there this week when he met with Abrego Garcia, who was deported to the country’s "Terrorism Confinement Center" (CECOT) megaprison with other suspected illegal migrant gang members last month.
"A legal U.S. resident has had his due process rights ripped away and is now being held indefinitely in a foreign prison," Dexter said in a statement.
"This is not just one family’s nightmare; it is a constitutional crisis that should outrage every single one of us. I will travel to El Salvador to confront this crisis head on. Our constitutional rights are on the line."
The case has drawn a wedge between Democrats and Republicans.
The Trump administration argues Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 gang member who is suspected of human trafficking and has a violent history of abusing his wife.
A 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report identified Garcia as a member of MS-13 and a suspected human trafficker. A 2021 domestic violence filing, written by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, claimed, "I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me."
Democrats say he is a hard-working Maryland resident who has had his due process rights stripped away after being sent to the notorious prison.
The Supreme Court acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was "therefore illegal." The Court stressed that the government must facilitate his release from custody in El Salvador and treat his case as if he were never deported.
Trump administration officials acknowledged in court that his deportation had been an administrative error, although now some top Trump officials say he was correctly removed and contend he's a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.
One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang. This is called a withholding order.
On Friday, Trump released an image of Abrego Garcia’s hand showing purported MS-13 gang tattoos.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on Monday said that two courts found Abrego Garcia to be an MS-13 gang member, and he was deported after Trump declared the violent gang a terrorist organization.
Miller said that when Trump declared MS-13 a terrorist organization, Abrego Garcia was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief in the United States.
Critics, including Republicans and Trump allies, have questioned why Van Hollen would travel abroad to advocate for someone with alleged gang ties and a record of domestic abuse while remaining silent on victims like Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2023.
The White House released a split-screen image to underscore what it says is the stark contrast between where Republicans and Democrats stand on illegal immigration.
One image featured distraught Angel Mom Patty Morin, mother of Rael Morin, being comforted by President Trump in the Oval Office. The other image showed Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., sitting and talking with Abrego Garcia, 29, in El Salvador.
"We are not the same," the White House captioned the image while tagging Van Hollen.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner, Kerri Urbahn and Jasmine Baehrcontributed to this report.
President Donald Trump met with foreign leaders from El Salvador and Italy this week, advancing negotiations on both trade and immigration issues at the White House.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Washington during a pause in steep tariffs against the European Union and other countries that could go into effect in June. But both Trump and Meloni voiced optimism that the two countries would secure a deal before then.
"There will be a trade deal, 100%," Trump told reporters at the White House Thursday. "Of course there will be a trade deal, they want to make one very much, and we’re going to make a trade deal. I fully expect it, but it’ll be a fair deal."
When asked whether she still considered the U.S. a reliable trading partner due to changes related to tariff policy, Meloni said that she wouldn’t have made the trek to the White House unless it were so. Meloni said her objective for the trip was to invite Trump to meetings on behalf of Italy and Europe to foster a trade negotiation between the two states.
"I think the best way is that we simply speak frankly about the needs that every one of us has and find ourselves in the middle for that's useful for all," Meloni told reporters Thursday.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance met with Meloni Friday in Rome to continue discussing economic policies between the two countries.
Here’s what also happened this week:
Trump kicked off the week meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele Monday, launching a debate about whether El Salvador should return Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego-Garcia after he was deported there.
On Monday, Trump administration officials and Bukele agreed that they didn't have the authority to return Abrego-Garcia to the U.S., even though the Trump administration admitted in court filings that he was deported in an "administrative error." Even so, the Trump administration has accused Abrego-Garcia of being a member of the MS-13 gang, a designated terrorist group.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court upheld in April a lower court's order that "requires the government to 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador."
While Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Monday that El Salvador would call the final shots on whether it would return Abrego-Garcia, Bukele said it was "preposterous" for El Salvador to do so.
"How can I smuggle a terrorist into the U.S.? I don't have the power to return him to the United States," Bukele said.
Additionally, the Justice Department unveiled documents Wednesday detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego-Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. Vasquez alleged in the filing that Garcia beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her.
The Trump administration also continued to go after federal funding at higher education institutions.
After Harvard refused to comply with a series of requests from the Trump administration to reform various practices on campus, the administration revealed Monday that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funding for the institution.
Harvard University President Alan M. Garber said in a Monday statement that the Trump administration included additional requests unrelated to tackling antisemitism on campus. As a result, Garber said the institution would not bend to those requests, claiming they were unconstitutional.
Garber said the new requests "direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard," including auditing viewpoints of student, faculty and staff members on campus, and eliminating all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, offices and initiatives at Harvard.
"It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner," Garber said. "We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement."
Trump also signed an executive order Tuesday seeking to combat soaring prescription drug prices.
The directive instructs Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to standardize Medicare payments for prescription drugs, including those used for cancer patients, no matter where a patient receives treatment. This could lower prices for patients by as much as 60%, according to a White House fact sheet.
The order also includes a provision to match the Medicare payment for certain prescription drugs to the price that hospitals pay for those drugs. That amounts to up to 35% lower than what the government pays to acquire those medications, the White House said.
Drug prices have significantly risen in recent years. Between January 2022 and January 2023, prescription drug prices rose more than 15% and reached an average of $590 per drug product, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Of the 4,200 prescription drugs included on that list, 46% of the price increases exceeded the rate of inflation.
FIRST ON FOX: The White House is launching a new "Road to Independence" video lecture series leading up to America's 250th birthday, and the Trump administration has planned a year of festivities to commemorate it.
The series, launched the same day as the first engagement of the Revolutionary War in 1775, will commemorate important moments in American history ahead of the Trump administration's commencement of a full year of festivities that will launch on Memorial Day in honor of America's 250th anniversary.
The videos are being produced in a partnership between the Department of Education and Hillsdale College, whose president appeared in an introductory video launching the series.
"President Trump wishes to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year with an open heart," Hillsdale President Larry P. Arnn said in his introductory video. "One of the things we must do to commemorate anything — commemorate just means to remember together — first we have to know the thing. We can't remember it very well if we don't know it very well. So, part of the purpose of this series of lectures is to remember."
The "Road to Independence" video series will culminate with the start of the Trump administration's year-long festivities honoring America's 250th birthday.
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a White House task force to lead the planning and execution of this "extraordinary celebration." The White House plans to engage with the entire federal government, state and local governments, the private sector, nonprofits and educational institutions.
Arnn's introductory message, launching the video series on Saturday, was also paired with the video series' first episode commemorating the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Additional episodes, which will be shared on the White House website, will be released regularly to commemorate significant events related to America's founding.
The Battle of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, was the first military engagement leading to America's independence from Great Britain and the eventual signing of the Declaration of Independence. The 10-minute video shares the story of this pivotal moment in history from the perspective of Hillsdale College history professor Wilfred M. McClay
In addition to the two videos in the series, the White House is also commemorating the start of America's fight for independence this weekend with a reading of the poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, which will be posted across social media. The poem commemorates the midnight ride of Paul Revere on April 18, 1775, when he rode his horse through the night to warn Massachusetts colonists of advancing British troops.
"President Trump signed an executive order to create the America 250 task force because he feels strongly about honoring our nation’s heritage ahead of this monumental anniversary," Leavitt told Fox News Digital. "The ‘Road to Independence’ video series will bring the incredible story of our country to the public as we prepare to celebrate America together in July 2026."
During President Trump's first term, he held a unique "Salute To America" event on the Fourth of July in 2019, which was different from typical Independence Day celebrations put on by past presidents. The event included a prominent display of military hardware with tanks parked near the National Mall and military flyovers by an array of aircraft. It also included an address on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial from the president and the typical fireworks display.
A Democratic congresswoman from Oregon is the latest lawmaker to announce she will travel to El Salvador to advocate for the release of deported illegal migrant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia.
Rep. Maxine Dexter, said late Friday she would jet to the South American country following Sen. Chris Van Hollen's, D-Md., highly publicized visit there this week when he met with Abrego Garcia, who was deported to the country’s "Terrorism Confinement Center" (CECOT) megaprison with other suspected illegal migrant gang members last month.
"A legal U.S. resident has had his due process rights ripped away and is now being held indefinitely in a foreign prison," Dexter said in a statement.
"This is not just one family’s nightmare; it is a constitutional crisis that should outrage every single one of us. I will travel to El Salvador to confront this crisis head on. Our constitutional rights are on the line."
The case has drawn a wedge between Democrats and Republicans.
The Trump administration argues Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 gang member who is suspected of human trafficking and has a violent history of abusing his wife.
A 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report identified Garcia as a member of MS-13 and a suspected human trafficker. A 2021 domestic violence filing, written by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, claimed, "I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me."
Democrats say he is a hard-working Maryland resident who has had his due process rights stripped away after being sent to the notorious prison.
The Supreme Court acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was "therefore illegal." The Court stressed that the government must facilitate his release from custody in El Salvador and treat his case as if he were never deported.
Trump administration officials acknowledged in court that his deportation had been an administrative error, although now some top Trump officials say he was correctly removed and contend he's a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.
One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang. This is called a withholding order.
On Friday, Trump released an image of Abrego Garcia’s hand showing purported MS-13 gang tattoos.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on Monday said that two courts found Abrego Garcia to be an MS-13 gang member, and he was deported after Trump declared the violent gang a terrorist organization.
Miller said that when Trump declared MS-13 a terrorist organization, Abrego Garcia was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief in the United States.
Critics, including Republicans and Trump allies, have questioned why Van Hollen would travel abroad to advocate for someone with alleged gang ties and a record of domestic abuse while remaining silent on victims like Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2023.
The White House released a split-screen image to underscore what it says is the stark contrast between where Republicans and Democrats stand on illegal immigration.
One image featured distraught Angel Mom Patty Morin, mother of Rael Morin, being comforted by President Trump in the Oval Office. The other image showed Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., sitting and talking with Abrego Garcia, 29, in El Salvador.
"We are not the same," the White House captioned the image while tagging Van Hollen.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner, Kerri Urbahn and Jasmine Baehrcontributed to this report.
Due to a security law passed 20 years ago, many Americans are now required to update their driver’s license or identification cards to become REAL ID-compliant — or they won’t be able to board U.S. flights.
With the deadline fast approaching on May 7, some conservatives have called on President Donald Trump to do away with the inconvenient requirement that they say violates civil liberties.
On May 7, federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will no longer accept driver’s licenses or ID cards that do not have a star in one of the upper corners to represent their REAL ID verification. To become REAL ID-verified, applicants have to provide additional verifying information like Social Security numbers.
Flyers who don’t have REAL ID verification on their license should plan to use a passport, a passport card, a permanent resident card, military ID or an enhanced driver’s license offered by some states.
The TSA says it will begin "phased enforcement" on May 7, but it’s unclear whether that means turning away travelers without proper documentation or subjecting them to additional security screening.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in an FAQ on its website that travelers without "a REAL ID-compliant license or acceptable alternative beginning May 7, 2025, will not be permitted through the security checkpoint."
In a federal rule established this year, the TSA says its "phased approach" could last two years, with the potential to issue warnings to people without REAL ID verification.
Access to other federal facilities and nuclear power plants will also require a REAL ID, according to DHS.
Drivers who have recently renewed their driver’s license may already have a REAL ID. Check for the star in the upper right or left corner. Otherwise, check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles office on how to get a REAL ID or make an appointment to get a new license.
You’ll need documentation to show your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number and lawful status, as well as two proofs of address. If you don’t have your Social Security card, you can provide a W-2 or pay stub with your name and Social Security number on it.
Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed the REAL ID Act in 2005 after the 9/11 Commission warned that it was too easy for bad actors to obtain a driver’s license.
Implementation of the law has been marred by delays in getting all 50 states and U.S. territories to implement the new requirements and start issuing advanced identification, which the federal government estimated would cost $11 billion in 2007.
The 2020 deadline was pushed back multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
TSA senior official Adam Stahl said recently in an announcement that REAL ID "bolsters safety by making fraudulent IDs harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists."
Some on the right have cried foul, and questioned why, if previous administrations have delayed the implementation, it is necessary now.
When Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a video reminding Americans of the May 7 deadline, former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin responded: "Or what?? Evidently, existing ID requirements for American citizens just aren’t adequate now, so Big Brother is forcing us through more hoops for the ‘right’ to travel within our own country."
Palin continued: "Other administrations delayed this newfangled, burdensome REAL ID requirement. Are you curious why its implementation is imperative now?? And who came up with this?"
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., argued in an X post, "As long as the pilot’s door is locked and no one has weapons, why do you care that someone who flies has government permission? REAL ID provides no benefit, yet presents a serious risk to freedom. If a person can’t be trusted to fly without weapons, why are they roaming free?"
Massie took shots at Trump in a follow-up post: "REAL ID is a 2005 George Bush-era Patriot Act overreach that went completely unenforced until Trump got into office. Let me guess: he’s playing 4D chess and I should just go along with it?"
Trump ally Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., rebuked REAL ID critics in his own public statement.
"The REAL ID Act was passed way back in 2005, 20 years ago!!!! It’s about time everyone stop dragging their feet. Quit scrolling through social media, quit complaining, get your info together, and get down to the DMV to get your REAL ID," Alford said Wednesday.
The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on the criticisms of REAL ID.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has been crisscrossing the country the past couple of months, taking a lead in amplifying the Democratic Party's message in resisting President Donald Trump's aggressive and controversial actions in overturning long-standing government policy and slashing the federal workforce.
But Khanna, the California Democrat who's in his fifth term in the House and who likely harbors national ambitions in 2028, is not only turning up the volume in his broadsides against Trump and Vice President JD Vance, Trump's heir apparent, but also against his own party.
"We have to have a whole rebrand of the Democratic Party with a coherent platform and a future-oriented platform, and many leaders need to do that. New leaders, not the old guard. And I hope to be part of that," Khanna said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
When asked if party leaders need to be more vocal in pushing back against the Trump administration, Khanna quickly said yes.
"We need more from our leadership. And you know, if you're not willing to speak up about someone being snatched away from their home and deported without due process, you probably shouldn't be in elective office as a Democrat right now," he said. "We need Democrats speaking out, not just on the economy. We need them speaking out on civil liberties, on the rights of immigrants and on the rights of universities."
But Khanna also praised the recent record-breaking marathon Senate floor speech by Sen. Cory Booker D-N.J., and the large rallies across the country being co-headlined by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
The Democratic Party is currently in the political wilderness, following last November's election setbacks, when Republicans won back control of the White House and the Senate and defended their fragile House majority. Republicans also made gains among Black and Hispanic voters, as well as younger voters, all traditional members of the Democratic Party's base.
Democrats have become increasingly angry and very energized in response to Trump's moves. That anger is directed not only at Trump and Republicans, but also at fellow Democrats. Many in the party's base feel their leaders in Congress haven't been effective or vocal enough in pushing back against the president.
And the energy has been evident at town halls this winter and early spring held by both Democratic and Republican members of Congress.
National polls conducted in February by Quinnipiac University, and last month by CNN and by NBC News, indicated the favorable ratings for the Democratic Party sinking to all-time lows.
And a Gallup poll released on Thursday spotlighted that confidence in the Democratic Party's congressional leadership has sunk to an all-time low.
Looking ahead to next year's midterm elections, when House Democrats aim to topple the GOP's razor-thin majority in the House, Khanna said he will continue his brisk pace on the campaign trail.
"I'm already going out to more red districts. We did three red districts in California. I'm headed out to Pennsylvania. Was invited to go out to Nebraska, to Nevada, down south to South Carolina," he said. "So we will be campaigning in red districts. Thousands of people are showing up. I'm very, very confident that we're going to succeed."
This past week, Khanna trained his verbal fire on Vance as he delivered two high-profile speeches in the vice president's home state of Ohio on Monday and on Tuesday at Yale Law School, where both politicians earned their legal degrees.
In his interview with Fox News Digital in New Haven, Connecticut, ahead of the Yale speech, Khanna was asked if his attacks on Vance were an early 2028 positioning move.
Khanna responded that "what I'm doing is providing an intellectual foundation for the Democratic Party."
FIRST ON FOX— Pro-life activist Mark Houck, who sued the Justice Department over his arrest and prosecution under the Biden administration, said his family has been blocked from settling their lawsuit by an "activist" federal judge.
Houck filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department last year, seeking restitution for what he called "a faulty investigation" and "excessive force" after a SWAT team of around 25 people arrested him in front of his children.
Now, Houck is appealing the judge's decision to the Third District Court and calling on the Trump administration to follow through on ending the weaponization of the DOJ against pro-lifers such as him once and for all. He discusses the case with his wife and 40 Days for Life founder Shawn Carney in a new video shared with Fox News Digital.
"You live in fear of it happening again, not only to yourselves but to others, and you want to know that this administration, which rode this message to the White House, is willing to step in," Houck said in the video, adding, "and they're doing it for other organizations, they're doing it in the DOGE, they're doing it with all the things, they're cleaning house."
In an interview with Fox News Digital, 40 Days for Life President Shawn Carney said: "I just think, Democratic or Republican, we're tired of activist judges on both sides of the political aisle."
"Nobody likes it – and just, this guy's a victim," Carney said, adding that the Justice Department "needs to fix this."
News of the appeal, which is slated to be filed by 40 Days for Life on behalf of Houck, was shared exclusively with Fox News Digital. The group has already filed a Notice to Appeal to the courts.
At issue are the settlement negotiations that 40 Days for Life entered into with the Justice Department in early 2025, following Trump's inauguration.
U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond, a Bush appointee, abruptly issued a motion to dismiss the case last month, effectively ending the negotiations that had been playing out between Houck and the Trump-led Justice Department.
It appears that the motion to dismiss the case had originally been filed by the Biden-led Justice Department, which charged Houck in 2021 for allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE Act.
In the video, Carney and Houck discussed the judge's decision as well as changes in the law enforcement community more broadly, and what they hope to be new priorities of the second Trump administration.
Houck said his family is disappointed by the judge's actions and added that "it reflects poorly against the Trump administration."
Speaking with Fox News Digital, Carney lamented the dismissal of their lawsuit by Diamond, whom he called an "activist" judge and accused of political bias. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the Trump administration would make it right.
"We are appealing the decision of the judge to continue the lawsuit against the DOJ," Carney said. "And of course, if we could get back on track with that, the idea is that then we would be able to settle with DOJ, since they want to settle."
"We have a very strong appeal," he said of their yet-to-be-filed brief. "We're very confident about the appeal."
The FBI and Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.
Houck, a longtime volunteer with 40 Days for Life, was arrested in 2021 for his actions outside a Planned Parenthood clinic, which prosecutors said violated the so-called Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act.
He was acquitted by a Philadelphia jury, but could have faced up to eleven years in prison if convicted.
Both his high-profile arrest at home, and the lengthy prison sentence he could have faced if convicted, prompted outrage from pro-life groups, including 40 Days for Life, where Houck has volunteered since 2007.
In 2023, after Houck's acquittal, 40 Days for Life joined Houck in suing the Justice Department over the ordeal, accusing law enforcement personnel of conducting a "faulty investigation" against him, and accusing law enforcement of using "excessive force" in the FBI raid of his family home.
Carney has weighed in on the topic before, saying in a post on X this year that 40 Days for Life was "targeted constantly by the Biden DOJ."
"With 1,000,000 peaceful volunteers we will always fight for free speech for pro-life and pro-abortion Americans alike. God bless Trump and Vance for backing us up," said Carney.
And this year, Congressional Republicans converted tax season to "sales" season. Republicans and President Donald Trump are pushing to approve a bill to reauthorize his 2017 tax cut package. Otherwise, those taxes expire later this year.
"We absolutely have to make the tax cuts permanent," said Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., on FOX Business.
"We've got to get the renewal of the President's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That's absolutely essential," said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., on FOX Business.
Rates for nearly every American spike if Congress doesn’t act within the next few months.
"We are trying to avoid tax increases on the most vulnerable populations in our country," said Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee which determines tax policy. "I am trying to avoid a recession."
If Congress stumbles, the non-partisan Tax Foundation estimates that a married couple with two children – earning $165,000 a year – is slapped with an extra $2,400 in taxes. A single parent with no kids making $75,000 annually could see a $1,700 upcharge on their tax bill. A single parent with two children bringing home $52,000 a year gets slapped with an additional $1,400 in taxes a year.
"Pretty significant. That's an extra mortgage payment or extra rent payment," said Daniel Bunn of the non-partisan Tax Foundation. "People have been kind of used to living with the policies that are currently in law for almost eight years now. And the shift back to the policy that was prior to the 2017 tax cuts would be a dramatic tax increase for many."
But technically, Republicans aren’t cutting taxes.
"As simple as I can make this bill. It is about keeping tax rates the same," said Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, on Fox.
Congress had to write the 2017 tax reduction bill in a way so that the reductions would expire this year. That was for accounting purposes. Congress didn’t have to count the tax cuts against the deficit thanks to some tricky number-crunching mechanisms – so long as they expired within a multi-year window. But the consequence was that taxes could climb if lawmakers failed to renew the old reductions.
"It sunsets and so you just automatically go back to the tax levels prior to 2017," said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
A recent Fox News poll found that 45% of those surveyed – and 44% of independents believe the rich don’t pay enough taxes.
Democrats hope to turn outrage about the perceived tax disparity against Trump.
"He wants his billionaire buddies to get an even bigger tax break. Is that disgraceful?" asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., at a rally in New York.
"Disgrace!" shouted someone in the crowd.
"Disgraceful! Disgraceful!" followed up Schumer.
Some Republicans are now exploring raising rates on the wealthy or corporations. There’s been chatter on Capitol Hill and in the administration about exploring an additional set of tax brackets.
"I don't believe the president has made a determination on whether he supports it or not," said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
"We’re going to see where the President is" on this, said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent while traveling in Argentina. "Everything is on the table."
A Treasury spokesperson then clarified Bessent’s remarks.
"What’s off the table is a $4.4 trillion tax increase on the American people," said the spokesperson. "Additionally, corporate tax cuts will set off a manufacturing boom and rapidly grow the U.S. economy again."
Top Congressional GOP leaders dismissed the idea.
"I’m not a big fan of doing that," said House Speaker Mike Johnson on Fox. "I mean we're the Republican party and we're for tax reduction for everyone."
"I don’t support that initiative," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., on FOX Business, before adding "everything’s on the table."
But if you’re President Donald Trump and the GOP, consider the politics of creating a new corporate tax rate or hiking taxes on the well-to-do.
The president has expanded the GOP base. Republicans are no longer the party of the "wealthy." Manual laborers, shop and storekeepers and small business persons now comprise Trump’s GOP. So maintaining these tax cuts helps with that working-class core. Raising taxes on the wealthy would help Republicans pay for the tax cuts and reduce the hit on the deficit. And it would shield Republicans from the Democrats’ argument that the tax cuts are for the rich.
Congress is now in the middle of a two-week recess for Passover and Easter. GOP lawmakers and staff are working behind the scenes to actually write the bill. No one knows exactly what will be in the bill. Trump promised no taxes on tips for food service workers. There is also talk of no taxes on overtime.
Republicans from high-tax states like New York and Pennsylvania want to see a reduction of "SALT." That’s where taxpayers can write off "state and local taxes." This provision is crucial to secure the support of Republicans like Reps. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. But including the SALT reduction also increases the deficit.
So what will the bill look like?
"Minor adjustments within that are naturally on the table," said Rounds. "The key though, [is] 218 in the House and 51 in the Senate."
In other words, it’s about the math. Republicans need to develop the right legislative brew which commands just the right amount of votes in both chambers to pass. That could mean including certain provisions – or dumping others. It’s challenging. Especially with the slim House majority.
"There were trade-offs and offsets within that bill that many people are dissatisfied with," said Bunn of the 2017 bill. "And it's not clear how the package is going to come together with those various trade-offs."
Johnson wants the bill complete by Memorial Day. Republicans know this enterprise can’t drag on too late into the year. Taxpayers would see a tax increase – even if it’s temporary – if working out the bill stretches into the fall when the IRS begins to prepare for the next tax season.
It’s also thought that finishing this sooner rather than later would provide some stability to the volatile stock markets. Establishing tax policy for next year would calm anxieties about the nation’s economic outlook.
"The big, beautiful bill," Trump calls it, adding he wants the legislation done "soon."
And that’s why tax season is now sales season. Both to the lawmakers. And to the public.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling early Saturday morning blocking, at least for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law.
The justices instructed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center "until further order of this court."
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the majority opinion.
The court's ruling comes after an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union arguing that federal immigration authorities appeared to be working to resume the removal of migrants from the U.S. under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
Two federal judges earlier declined to step in and the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has not made any decision.
The Alien Enemies Act has only been invoked three previous times in U.S. history, with the most recent being during World War II to hold Japanese-American civilians in internment camps.
The Trump administration claims the act gave them the authority to swiftly remove immigrants they accuse of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, regardless of their immigration status.
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…
-Gabbard announces RFK files released months after Trump's order: 'Light on the truth'
-Top Dem asks Noem how TSA will prevent 'major disruptions' as many travelers still lack REAL ID
-Biden's vax-focused COVID-19 website obliterated by White House, replaced with 'true origins' virus guide
The White House released a splitscreen image overnight to underscore the stark contrast between where Republicans and Democrats stand on illegal immigration.
One image featured distraught Angel Mom Patty Morin being comforted by President Trump in the Oval Office. Morin’s daughter, Rachel Morin, was savagely beaten, raped and killed in Maryland by an illegal migrant from El Salvador in 2023.
The other image showed Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., sitting and talking with deported illegal alien Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, in El Salvador…Read more
HOMELAND SECURITY REPORT: Kilmar Abrego Garcia suspected of human, labor trafficking in Homeland Security report
'LOOKED LIKE A FOOL': Trump calls Sen. Van Hollen a 'fool' after meeting with deported MS-13 suspect in El Salvador
POLL POSITION: How Trump's approval rating compares to his presidential predecessors
PUT THAT ON HOLD: Federal judge bucks Trump admin, delays dismissal of of MS-13 leader's case
CROWN OF THORNS: LGBTQ Christians crusade against Trump's religiously 'hostile' policies during Holy Week
'BIG HONOR': Trump announces a conservative media star, a GOP governor, and others for Homeland Security Advisory Council
CENTURY-OLD LAW: When did the US stop keeping up with the Joneses? The maritime law at the crux of US shipbuilding
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., says the margaritas were fake. The outrage, he says, is real.
Returning from a highly publicized trip to El Salvador to meet with deported illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Van Hollen addressed reporters Thursday after landing at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. He attempted to set the record straight on what’s now being dubbed "margarita-gate," a viral photo posted by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele that appeared to show the senator and Garcia sitting casually at a table with two salt-rimmed drinks.
"Let me just be very clear," Van Hollen said. "Neither of us touched the drinks that were in front of us. And if you want to play a little Sherlock Holmes, I’ll tell you how you can know that. … If you sip out of one of those glasses, some of whatever it was — salt or sugar — would disappear. You would see a gap. There’s no gap.
"Nobody drank any margaritas or sugar water or whatever it is."
Van Hollen claimed the glasses were placed after the meeting began as a staged photo-op, adding that earlier footage shows the table without drinks. Van Hollen accused both El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and the Trump administration of trying to distract from what he described as a constitutional crisis.
"This is a lesson into the lengths that President Bukele will do to deceive people," Van Hollen said. "And it also shows the lengths that the Trump administration and the president will go to, because when he was asked by a reporter about this, he just went along for the ride."
Trump had his own take, posting on Truth Social Friday, "Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!"
The controversy stems from the case of Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national deported from Maryland last month and placed in the country's notorious CECOT prison.
Federal officials have called the deportation an "administrative error" in court. Van Hollen and other Democrats have since argued it violated Garcia’s constitutional right to due process.
But the Trump administration has pushed back, pointing to Garcia’s alleged domestic abuse, gang ties and suspected involvement in human trafficking.
A 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report identified Garcia as a member of MS-13 and a suspected human trafficker. A 2021 domestic violence filing, written by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, claimed, "I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me."
Despite these reports, Van Hollen insists no evidence has been presented in court and that the removal was unlawful. He cited rulings by a federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court ordering Garcia’s return.
"The government in this case, the Trump administration, is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process," Van Hollen said, quoting a recent Fourth Circuit decision. "That is the foundation of our constitutional order."
He added that Judge Paula Xinis, the federal judge who first reviewed the case, found the administration "offered no evidence linking Abrego Garcia to MS-13 or any terrorist activity."
Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador this week after the Salvadoran government initially denied him access to Garcia. After press coverage, he said, officials arranged a meeting at a hotel, which was filmed. He said Salvadoran soldiers had previously stopped him from approaching the prison and that he was surprised by the last-minute permission to meet.
He also revealed that the U.S. had committed $15 million to El Salvador to support detention operations and said over $4 million had already been paid. Van Hollen claimed this funding was unauthorized and pledged to oppose future appropriations.
"I won’t support the use of one penny of taxpayer dollars to keep Abrego Garcia illegally detained in El Salvador," he said.
Critics, including Republicans and Trump allies, have questioned why Van Hollen would travel abroad to advocate for someone with alleged gang ties and a record of domestic abuse while remaining silent on victims like Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2023.
The White House drew a sharp contrast, posting side-by-side photos of Trump meeting with Morin’s mother and Van Hollen meeting with Abrego Garcia. The caption: "We are not the same."
Asked about the comparison, Van Hollen said his "heart breaks" for Morin’s family but defended his actions as grounded in the Constitution.
"The reason we have courts of law is to punish the guilty, but also to make sure that those who have not committed crimes are not found guilty and arbitrarily detained," he said.
Fox News' Rachel Wolf, David Spunt, Greg Norman, Greg Wehner, and Bill Mears contributed to this report.
The American Civil Liberties Union appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, asking for an emergency injunction against the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan nationals held in Texas back to South America under the rarely used Alien Enemies Act.
The Supreme Court previously ruled there are restrictions on how the government can use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, including that those targeted under it are entitled to a hearing before being deported.
Hours before appealing to the Supreme Court on Friday, the ACLU had asked two federal judges for an injunction on the deportations.
One of the judges, James E. Boasberg, scheduled a Friday evening hearing over the request.
Boasberg, who originally ruled on the Alien Enemies Act, previously found probable cause that the Trump administration committed criminal contempt in disobeying his ruling on the deportations.
The Supreme Court then ruled that only judges in the areas from where migrants are set to be deported have jurisdiction over their cases.
Boasberg is in Washington, D.C.
Judges in Colorado, New York and south Texas have temporarily halted deportations in those areas, but there’s no ban for the Venezuelan nationals facing possible deportation from the Bluebonnet Detention Center in northern Texas.
The ACLU has called for a deportation ban on two Venezuelans being held at the center2, saying the administration is accusing them of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and any immigrants in the region.
President Trump on Friday also commented on the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who had been living in Maryland and had protections against deportation, who was mistakenly deported to a prison in the county last month.
"This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person,’" Trump wrote on Truth Social with a picture of him holding a photo that shows tattoos on Garcia’s knuckles. The photo says the symbols on Garcia’s knuckles spell out MS-13.
He continued: "They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc. I was elected to take bad people out of the United States, among other things. I must be allowed to do my job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
FIRST ON FOX: Days of highly publicized departures at the Pentagon appear to have come from weeks – if not months – of simmering tensions and factional infighting, Fox News Digital can reveal.
According to multiple defense officials, the three employees put on leave this week were never told what they were accused of leaking, were not read their rights and were given no guidance on who they could or couldn’t speak to. They were also not asked to turn over their cellphones as part of the leak probe.
At least one of the former employees is consulting with legal counsel, but none have been fired and all are awaiting the outcome of the investigation.
Top aides to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were placed on leave and escorted out of the building this week as the Pentagon probes unauthorized leaks: senior adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg.
On Friday evening, those three employees were fired, two defense officials confirmed to Fox News Digital, along with chief of staff Joe Kasper.
Another press aide, John Ullyot, parted ways with the Pentagon because he did not want to be second-in-command of the communications shop.
Officials denied that the three men were placed on leave because of their foreign policy views and said they saw no connection to their positions on Iran and Israel – even as reports surfaced that President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Pentagon would not intervene if Israel attacked Iran.
Selnick was focused on operations, administration and personnel matters; Carroll was focused largely on acquisitions; and Caldwell advised mostly on the Europe portfolio.
But the trio were united, according to one defense official with knowledge of the situation, in the fact that Kasper had a "deep vendetta" against them. Kasper issued a memo in late March directing the Pentagon to investigate unauthorized disclosures to reporters and to go so far as using lie detector tests if necessary.
The three had raised concerns to Hegseth about Kasper’s leadership, and Kasper believed they were trying to get him fired, according to the official.
Those tensions had boiled into "shouting matches in the front office," the official said.
Another Pentagon official disputed those claims and insisted that any accusation the leave had to do with anything other than the unauthorized leak investigation was "false."
"This is not about interpersonal conflict," that official said. "There is evidence of leaking. This is about unauthorized disclosures, up to and including classified information."
Legal experts say the employees don't need to be notified of what they're accused of doing until the investigation is concluded.
"Being placed on paid leave is not considered a disciplinary decision. It's considered a preliminary step to conduct an investigation, so if they think they're being railroaded or hosed, they'll have some due process opportunity to respond when there's a formal decision," said Sean Timmons, a legal expert in military and employment law.
"They've been humiliated in the media to some extent. However, this happens every day in the federal government. Generally speaking, what's happened so far is not necessarily considered discipline. It's just considered a security protocol step to suspend their authorization, suspend their access to their emails, and a full, thorough independent investigation can be conducted."
The three aides are civilian political appointees, meaning they could be fired at-will regardless of the investigation. But if they are found to have engaged in unauthorized leaking, they could have their security clearances yanked away.
"There are very few protections when it comes to political appointees versus career civilian staff," said Libby Jamison, an attorney who specializes in military law. "For appointees, there is very broad discretion to be placed on administrative leave or reassigned."
If employees are accused of leaking, a report is sent to the Defense Information System for Security, and then there is an independent review of their eligibility for access to sensitive information.
"They'll get a chance, potentially, to try to keep their clearance and show that they didn't violate any security clearance protocols when it comes to handling sensitive information," said Timmons. "If it is found they were leaking information in violation of the rules, and then there's a guideline violation for personal misconduct and for breaching of sensitive information. So they could be possibly criminally prosecuted and certainly terminated from their employment and have their clearance stripped and revoked."
Or, if the independent officer does not find sufficient evidence to tie them to the leaks, they could return to their positions and maintain clearances.
Ullyot, meanwhile, said that he had made clear to Hegseth from the beginning that he was "not interested in being number two to anyone in public affairs."
Ullyot ran the public affairs office on an acting basis at the start of the administration, leading a memo that yanked back workspaces for legacy media outlets and reassigned them to conservative networks. Ullyot also took a jab at former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, saying his "corpulence" set a bad example for Pentagon fitness standards.
But as his temporary chief role came to a close and Sean Parnell took the Pentagon chief spokesperson job, Ullyot said he and Hegseth "could not come to an agreement on another good fit for me at DOD. So I informed him today that I will be leaving at the end of this week."
Ullyot said he remains one of Hegseth’s "strongest supporters."
The office of the secretary of defense and the three aides who were placed on leave this week either declined to comment or could not be reached for this story.
