CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire on Thursday became the first state in New England to ban so-called sanctuary cities.

"There will be no sanctuary cities in New Hampshire, period, end of story," Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte said at a bill signing ceremony at the state Capitol.

Speaking with Fox News Digital minutes later, Ayotte noted that the measures she signed "ban sanctuary cities in New Hampshire but also allow cooperation between all of our law enforcement and federal immigration authorities."

New Hampshire joins a growing number of states in banning sanctuary cities, which is a term used to describe jurisdictions that put some limits on cooperating with efforts by federal authorities to deport illegal immigrants. 

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CRACKING DOWN ON SANCTUARY CITIES 

Ayotte, a former state attorney general who later served six years representing New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate, made banning sanctuary cities a key element in her successful 2024 run for governor. Ayotte's campaign slogan was "Don't Mass up New Hampshire," as she took aim at neighboring Massachusetts' more lenient migrant policies. 

"I campaigned on making sure we would not have sanctuary cities here in New Hampshire, and we don’t want to go the way of Massachusetts that has had a billion-dollar illegal immigration crisis," the governor said in her national digital exclusive interview with Fox News.

Ayotte noted that she supports "legal immigration, but when people aren’t following our laws, we need to enforce our laws and this is about public safety."

"New Hampshire is ranked the safest state in the nation, and I was glad I was able to sign the bill banning sanctuary cities to make sure we remain that way," the governor added.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND COVERAGE OF THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE

The two bills were passed in the GOP-dominated state legislature mostly along party lines.

State Sen. Bill Gannon, the top sponsor in the state Senate, said that the measures would "make us an even safer place to work, live, and raise a family."

And state Rep. Joe Sweeney, the lead House sponsor, said that "we are taking the handfcuffs off our law enforcement officers, and hopefully they’ll be able to work with our federal government, ICE, to put the handcuffs on the criminal illegal aliens that are violating and disobeying our laws."

President Donald Trump repeatedly took aim at sanctuary cities as he made the issue of illegal immigration a key component to his successful 2024 campaign to win back the White House.

And Trump last month signed an executive order putting some muscle behind his threat to pull federal funding from sanctuary cities.

Some Democrats in New Hampshire, who opposed the measure, pointed to Trump's efforts in the nation's capital.

WHAT AYOTTE TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT SECURITY THE NATION'S NORTHERN BORDER

"What this bill does, under the guise of enabling New Hampshire law enforcement to support federal immigration efforts, is to make our state a willing accomplice in a politically manufactured campaign of state terrorism against a group of people, the vast majority of whom came here not to victimize America, but because they love America and they believe America is good," state Rep. David Meuse told reporters. 

But Ayotte, asked about the lack of support from across the political aisle for the two bills, said, "I don’t understand where the Democrats are on these policies."

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According to the New Hampshire Municipal Association, there are no sanctuary cities in the state, while a handful of cities and towns in the state have described themselves as "welcoming cities" that encourage a welcoming environment for all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity or origin.

But state Republican lawmakers pointed to between nine and 12 cities and towns in New Hampshire that they've identified over the years as welcome or sanctuary cities.

FIRST ON FOX: Republican senators John Cornyn and Chuck Grassley and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar are rolling out a bipartisan measure to protect sensitive genetic data in response to privacy concerns sparked by 23andMe's bankruptcy, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Cornyn, R-Texas; Grassley, R-Iowa; and Klobuchar, D-Minn., are introducing the Don’t Sell My DNA Act, which would safeguard customers’ sensitive genetic information when an entity that maintains data files for bankruptcy. The bill would add genetic information to the definition of "personally identifiable information" in the bankruptcy code. 

PROTECT YOUR GENETIC DATA: URGENT STEPS AFTER 23ANDME BANKRUPTCY

Under current law, the bankruptcy code provides protections for personally identifiable information in bankruptcy court proceedings to prevent the possibility of identity theft, harm or other unlawful injury. 

Senate aides told Fox News Digital the current definition of personally identifiable information includes an individual's name, address, email, phone number, Social Security number, credit card numbers and other information that could be used for identification purposes. 

Those aides said the definition is "outdated" and does not include a reference to genetic information, leaving the information vulnerable.

"This legislation would solve this problem by updating the definition of ‘personally identifiable information’ in the bankruptcy code to include genetic information," a Senate aide said. 

The bill also addresses consumer privacy concerns by having consumers affirmatively consent to the sale or lease of their genetic information after a bankruptcy case commences and requiring companies to provide prior written notice of the use, sale or lease of their genetic information during bankruptcy. 

The bill also requires the trustee or debtor in possession to delete any genetic information not subject to a sale or lease. 

"Advances in DNA testing have allowed Americans to have unprecedented access to important insights about their genetics, but these companies must have a plan to protect this data in the event of bankruptcy," Cornyn told Fox News Digital. 

"By updating the bankruptcy code, this legislation would safeguard Americans’ sensitive genetic information to ensure it cannot be weaponized against them or made public without their knowledge and consent."

And Klobuchar said companies "have profited off of Americans’ data while consumers have been left in the dark, which is especially concerning in light of reports that 23andMe plans to sell customer genetic data assets to a large pharmaceutical company." 

"This bill will put new protections in place to safeguard Americans’ privacy while giving consumers greater control over how their sensitive health data is shared," Klobuchar said. 

Grassley told Fox News Digital consumers should "feel confident that any personal information shared with a public company isn't up for grabs when that company files for bankruptcy."

Grassley told Fox News Digital the bill "would fill gaps in current law to help safeguard consumers' genetic information and ensure Americans' DNA isn't treated like any other financial asset." 

On Monday, 23andMe announced Regeneron Pharmaceuticals would purchase 23andMe through a bankruptcy auction. 

Senate aides said Regeneron promises to "protect consumer information, but the data privacy concerns for future bankruptcies remain." 

REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS TO BUY BANKRUPT 23ANDME IN $256M DEAL

The genetic testing company 23andMe, once a pioneer in consumer DNA testing, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March amid financial struggles, a leadership shakeup and growing concerns about the security of its customers' genetic data.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced it will acquire "substantially all" of genetic testing company 23andMe's assets.

The pharmaceutical company said it won the court-supervised auction of the genetic testing company, with Regeneron agreeing to pay $256 million for the assets. The auction for 23andMe was part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection it filed in March to arrange a sale of its business.

In its bankruptcy petition, the company estimated a range of $100 million to $500 million for its assets. Estimated liabilities were the same. 

The pharmaceutical company is buying 23andMe’s personal genome service and its health and research services segments, according to 23andMe. 

FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican is hoping to ensure that families of fallen loved ones can mourn at their gravesides on federal holidays, days they are usually closed to visitation.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., is introducing legislation Thursday that would require the more than 170 cemeteries overseen by the federal government to stay open during legally recognized holidays, including Memorial Day, Christmas, Independence Day and others. 

Cemeteries operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs and National Parks Service are typically closed during major holidays, save for Arlington National Cemetery, which is open on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but closed for all other holidays. 

DEMOCRATS PREDICT PASSING TRUMP'S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ WILL COST MANY REPUBLICANS THEIR SEATS

Daines said in a statement to Fox News Digital that holidays like Memorial Day give Americans "the opportunity to remember all those brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms." 

"Our national cemeteries should be open on these special days, so that family and friends can pay their respects to their loved ones," he said. "I’m proud to introduce this bill to ensure that our fallen service members can receive the tributes and honor that they deserve."

TRUMP SUPRISES 104-YEAR-OLD WWII VETERAN WITH BIRTHDAY MESSAGE AFTER VIRAL TIKTOK INVITE 

The federal government began operating national cemeteries during the Civil War in the early 1860s to offer final resting places for fallen Union soldiers, according to the National Park Service. 

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The practice has since grown into over 170 different national cemeteries operated by three government agencies, the Department of Defense, the VA and the National Park Service. Not every state, however, has a national cemetery. 

Montana, which Daines represents in the Senate, is home to two national cemeteries: the Fort Missoula Post Cemetery and Yellowstone National Cemetery.

A deal to hand Mauritius the Chagos Islands and lease back a key military base has been months in the making.

The move follows political pressure in recent weeks after Labour losses at England's local elections.

One of the nation's most highly ranked high schools is once again in the spotlight over its admissions policies after the U.S. Department of Education announced it would be launching an investigation into the matter. 

The announcement comes after the state's Republican Attorney General, Jason Miyares, said his office has found reasonable cause after a multi-year investigation determining that Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), which is overseen by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system, operates an admissions process that discriminates against applicants of Asian heritage.

"The Fairfax County School Board made clear its intended outcome was to reduce opportunities for Asian American students—and that’s exactly what occurred," Miyares said. "These students are not statistics. They are sons and daughters, neighbors, classmates and Virginians who deserve equal protection and opportunity under the law."

The controversy began in 2020 when TJHSST made changes to its admissions policies to sensibly promote diversity. This was done through the elimination of standardized testing and application fees for interested students, implementing a holistic review process that considers factors like socioeconomic status and geographical location, and seething aside a certain number of spots for students from each middle school in the county.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN MOVES TO DISMANTLE DEPT OF EDUCATION

In response, parents filed a lawsuit against the district, alleging that the new admissions policy discriminated against asian students. A federal district court subsequently ruled in favor of the parents, but that ruling was later overturned by a federal appeals court.

The U.S. Supreme Court eventually declined to hear the case, effectively cementing the appeals court's ruling. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented and warned of the possible implications the appeals court's ruling could have for other admissions policies at other schools across the country.

BIDEN EDUCATION DEPT PUT PRIORITY ON PRONOUNS, LEFT BACKLOG OF NEARLY 200 ANTISEMITISM COMPLAINTS: OFFICIAL

Miyares has been investigating TJHSST's admissions policies since 2023, concluding this week that there was reasonable cause to determine FCPS was "discriminating against Asian American students."

According to Miyares, when TJHSST first implemented its new admissions policy, Asian American students made up over 65% of the school's admitted classes. But over a period of just one year, Asian American admissions dropped 19 points, he noted. 

"Internal communications confirm that this outcome was intentional. The Board reviewed proposal after proposal until it could guarantee the racial ‘diversity’ the Board was after," Miyares office said. "And in the zero-sum game of school admissions, achieving the Board’s preferred racial balance meant that fewer Asian American students would be accepted."

SPARKS FLY BETWEEN EDUCATION SECRETARY LINDA MCMAHON AND DEM REP. WATSON COLEMAN: 'YOU SHOULD FEEL SHAMEFUL'

The Department of Justice said Wednesday it would work with the Department of Education to probe the potential Title VI violation, after Miyares' office referred the matter to them for investigation. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold funding from schools over potentially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, FCPS said the matter has already been adjudicated by the courts, which it said have determined there is no merit behind the allegations that its admissions policies are discriminatory. 

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Nonetheless, the statement said the district was reviewing materials from the Attorney General and will issue a more detailed response in the near future.

"This matter has already been fully litigated. A federal appellate court determined there was no merit to arguments that the admissions policy for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology discriminates against any group of students," the statement read. "Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) division leadership and counsel are currently reviewing the documents released today by the Attorney General and will issue a more detailed response in the coming days. FCPS remains committed to providing a world-class education for all of our students."

The White House pushed back against questions from a reporter challenging statements by the Trump administration regarding the treatment of White South African farmers — after President Donald Trump showed a video allegedly depicting burial sites of them at the White House on Wednesday. 

While hosting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump aired a video in the Oval Office that showed white crosses that Trump said were approximately 1,000 burial sites of White Afrikaner South African farmers. Trump has claimed these farmers are being killed and forced off of their land. 

But Yamiche Alcindor with NBC News questioned White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on the credibility of the video, amid reports that the crosses were from a memorial demonstration following the murder of a White farming couple, not actual burial sites. 

TRUMP CONFRONTS SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT WITH VIDEO ON TREATMENT OF WHITE FARMERS

"We know that that was not true and that the video wasn't true," Alcindor said during the White House press briefing on Thursday. 

Leavitt and Alcindor sparred and talked over one another, with Alcindor asking, "What protocols are in place when there's unsubstantiated information being put out for the world and world leaders?"

Leavitt then stepped in and ended the exchange, claiming the video was not unsubstantiated. 

"What's unsubstantiated about the video?" Leavitt said. "The video shows crosses that represent the dead bodies of people who were racially persecuted by their government. In fact, The Associated Press, of all places, has a picture of that very monument in the caption from The Associated Press is ‘Each cross marks a white farmer who has been killed in a farm murder.’" 

TRUMP TO MEET LEADER OF ‘OUT OF CONTROL' SOUTH AFRICA AT WHITE HOUSE

"So it is substantiated. But it's not just by that video and the physical evidence that everybody saw on display in the Oval Office, but also by another outlet in this from The Associated Press," Leavitt said. "So you should take it up with them if you believe the claim is unsubstantiated. And that's a ridiculous line of questioning." 

The crosses depicted were part of a demonstration that occurred after a white, farming couple was killed in 2020, according to The Associated Press, citing local news reports from South Africa.

Trump told Ramaphosa at the White House that the burial sites by the side of the road are visited by those who want to "pay respects to their family member who was killed." 

"Have they told you where that is, Mr. President?" Ramaphosa said. "I'd like to know where that is. Because this I've never seen." 

"I mean, it’s in South Africa, that’s where," Trump said. 

"We need to find out," Ramaphosa said.

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

Two young Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed in an antisemitic attack in Washington D.C. Wednesday night. 

It was the latest incident being investigated by federal authorities as domestic terrorism.

The U.S. has seen an increase in antisemitic attacks and violent pro-Palestine protests amid the war between Israel and Hamas. 

But the incidents of domestic terrorism aren’t limited to antisemitism. Extremists who hold anti-American sentiment have attempted attacks on vehicles, military bases and more. 

Here is a breakdown of the domestic terrorism incidents in the U.S. this year: 

On Wednesday, May 21, a pro-Palestinian man opened fire outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. 

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two staffers of the Embassy of Israel to the U.S.—a couple set to be engaged—were shot and killed as they left the museum’s event focused on finding humanitarian solutions for Gaza. 

Lischinsky was born in Israel and grew up in Germany. His father is Jewish, and his mother is Christian.

Milgrim was an American employee of the embassy.

TWO ISRAELI DIPLOMATS SHOT, KILLED DURING EVENT AT CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, DC

Authorities took Elias Rodriguez, a 30-year-old man from Chicago, into custody. Upon being taken into custody, Rodriguez began shouting, "Free, free Palestine!" 

The FBI is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime and investigating any ties to terrorism. 

Steven Jensen, the assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington field office, said in a news conference that the federal law enforcement entity is working alongside the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to "look into ties to potential terrorism or motivation based on a bias-based crime or a hate crime."

On May 17, a bombing took place at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, Calif. The bombing killed the suspect and injured four others.

Authorities identified the perpetrator of the incident as a 26-year-old suspect motivated by a fringe ideology known as "pro-mortalism." 

"Pro-mortalism," a radical offshoot of anti-natalism, views human reproduction as inherently immoral and embraces death as a moral corrective.

According to federal and local law enforcement, the suspect targeted the American Reproductive Centers facility specifically to destroy human embryos stored on-site.

FBI IDENTIFIES IVF CLINIC BOMBER AS 'PRO-MORTALIST' WHO OPPOSED BIRTH WITHOUT CONSENT

Surveillance footage and online postings suggest he parked in the rear of the building to remain unnoticed, ingested drugs and then detonated an explosive device – killing himself in the process. 

The FBI has classified the bombing as an act of domestic terrorism, citing the ideological motivation behind the violence. 

Officials have said that it is the first high-profile case linked to the pro-mortalist ideology and are now monitoring it as a potential emerging threat. Authorities have urged families and communities to remain vigilant for signs of ideological extremism, especially among those who may feel disenfranchised. 

Earlier this month, a former Michigan Army National Guard member, Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, was arrested for allegedly planning a mass shooting near the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) center at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan. 

Said planned to carry out the attack on behalf of ISIS. 

Said "launched his drone in support of the attack plan" and told an undercover FBI agent in the lead-up to the foiled plot he recommended that "everyone have about seven magazines because you don’t want to be in there and run out of ammo," according to officials. 

KASH PATEL DELIVERS FIERY WARNING AFTER FBI DISRUPTS MASS SHOOTING TERROR PLOT TARGETING MILITARY

Said is now facing charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years per count if convicted. 

The FBI disrupted the attempted attack, with FBI Director Kash Patel telling Fox News Digital that any individual targeting the U.S. military or conspiring with foreign terrorist organizations will be "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." 

"Let this be a warning: Anyone who targets our military or conspires with foreign terrorist organizations will be found, stopped and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Patel told Fox News Digital on Thursday. "I commend the men and women of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners for their continued dedication to protecting the American people."

Since January, there have been a number of instances of vandalism, arson and targeted shootings against Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations across the nation. 

Tesla vehicles and dealerships have been targeted nationwide amid Elon Musk's involvement with the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been focused on slashing wasteful spending and fraud within the federal government. Musk is the co-founder and CEO of Tesla. 

The FBI launched a task force to crack down on violent Tesla attacks. 

FBI LAUNCHES TASK FORCE TO CRACK DOWN ON VIOLENT TESLA ATTACKS, MITIGATE THREATS

The FBI’s task force was created in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and will coordinate investigative activity.

A threat tag has been created at the FBI to streamline reports and a command post at FBI headquarters has been created. It consists of a joint FBI/ATF task force to mitigate that threat stream. 

TESLA ARSONS PROBED AS 'DOMESTIC TERRORISM' CHEERED BY 'ANTI-CAPITALIST' GROUP LINKED TO 2020 RIOTS

The FBI is treating the attacks as "domestic terrorism." Attorney General Pam Bondi called the attacks on Tesla "domestic terrorism," and the Department of Justice announced charges against suspects in Tesla arson cases. 

Musk spoke out against the "deranged" attacks, suggesting that "there's some kind of mental illness thing going on here, because this doesn't make any sense." The billionaire even alluded to "larger forces" potentially behind the attacks that have sprung up across the nation.

A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of international students while a court case challenging previous terminations is pending amid a crackdown on illegal behavior on college campuses.

California U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White barred the government from arresting or incarcerating the plaintiffs and similar students and from transferring any of them outside the jurisdiction of their residence.

His order also prohibits the administration from imposing any adverse legal effect on students and from reversing the reinstatement of the legal status until the case is resolved. 

However, students can still be arrested for committing violent crimes.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BEGINS NEW WAVE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VISA REVOCATIONS: ‘NO ONE HAS A RIGHT TO A VISA'

The government’s actions "wreaked havoc not only on the lives of Plaintiffs here but on similarly situated F-1 nonimmigrants across the United States and continue to do so," said White. 

More than 4,700 international students had their permission to study in the U.S. canceled this spring as the Trump administration cracked down on foreign nationals protesting on American university campuses. 

Department of Homeland Security officials said they ran the names of student visa holders through an FBI-run database that contains the names of suspects and people who have been arrested, even if the charges were dropped or they were never charged with a crime.

Some students have left the U.S. rather than risk arrest or deportation. 

RUBIO FIRES BACK AFTER DEM SENATOR SAYS HE REGRETS VOTING FOR HIM OVER VISA REVOCATIONS

The government contends it was exercising its ability to enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act. DHS officials said the students don't need the court's protection because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reinstated legal status and was mailing status reactivation letters to affected students.

However, White said the erroneous revocations remained on the students' record, impacting their ability to obtain a new visa or change their nonimmigrant status. 

Trump has targeted college students and universities amid a crackdown on antisemitism and other illegal behavior.  

On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security said it was eliminating the student visa program at Harvard University due to "pro-terrorist conduct" at campus protests. The Ivy League school has failed to comply with its requests for the behavioral records of student visa holders, DHS said. 

"This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments."

"Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused," she added. "They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin had just met with one of the slain Israeli Embassy staffers earlier in May, posting to social media Thursday that he is "heartbroken" over her tragic shooting by a "Jew-hating radical."

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, two staffers of the Embassy of Israel to the United States — a couple set to be engaged — were shot and killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night. 

FBI INVESTIGATING KILLING OF ISRAELI EMBASSY EMPLOYEES AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME

Zeldin posted to X Thursday afternoon that he had met Milgrim, who was an American employee of the embassy, two weeks ago in his office. 

FATAL SHOOTING OF ISRAELI EMBASSY WORKERS IN DC SPARKS OUTRAGE FROM TRUMP, ISRAELI PRESIDENT

"I just met Sarah two weeks ago in my office at EPA HQ," Zeldin posted. "She struck me as a young woman filled with life and positivity."

"Heartbroken to learn she was one of two tragically murdered last night by a Jew-hating radical screaming ‘Free Palestine,’" he continued. "May Sarah and Yaron rest in peace." 

TWO ISRAELI DIPLOMATS SHOT, KILLED DURING EVENT AT CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, DC

Zeldin shared a smiling photo of himself and Milgrim from the day they met. 

Milgrim and Lischinsky were killed as they left the museum’s event focused on finding humanitarian solutions for Gaza. 

Lischinsky was born in Israel and grew up in Germany. His father is Jewish and his mother is Christian.

Authorities took Elias Rodriguez, a 30-year-old man from Chicago, into custody. Upon being taken into custody, Rodriguez began shouting: "Free, free Palestine." 

The FBI is investigating the incident as "an act of terror." 

President Donald Trump has not directed his administration to declassify documents related to former President Joe Biden's health and an alleged "cover-up" of the 46th president's slipping mental acuity while commander-in-chief, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. 

"The president can declassify anything that he wants. Has he looked to see if there are any records here that would contradict what we've been told about Joe Biden's decline?" Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Leavitt during the Thursday press briefing. 

"He has not directed anyone, to my knowledge, to look into that," Leavitt responded. "But surely, I can ask him if he intends to." 

BIDEN'S WOES CONVERGE: LAST-MINUTE PARDONS UNDER FIRE, CALLS FOR PROSECUTION MOUNT FOLLOWING HUR TAPE RELEASE

Biden's health is back under the national spotlight after audio recordings of his interview with special counsel Robert Hur were released Friday. The recordings showed the former president tripping over his words, slurring sentences, taking long pauses between answers and struggling to remember key moments in his life, including the year his son Beau Biden died of cancer. 

Hur led an investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents following his departure as vice president under the Obama administration. Hur announced in February 2024 that he would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after his vice presidency, citing that Biden is "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

Biden's office revealed Sunday that the former president was suffering from "aggressive" prostate cancer that had metastasized. 

Following the election cycle, a handful of books documenting the 2024 election cycle and Biden's apparent health decline have hit store shelves claiming that Biden staffers were aware of and fretted about the president's mental decline, but publicly promoted him as physically and mentally fit to serve as president. Fox News Digital has extensively covered concerns surround Biden's mental acuity and health stretching back to the 2020 election cycle. 

"I think the president has spoken on this pretty extensively," Leavitt continued in the press conference. "And I have spoken about it extensively from this podium as well, how it was truly one of the worst political scandals this country has ever seen, that the previous administration covered up the decline in the former president's mental and physical ability. And it's now all coming out. But the American people knew the truth, and that's one of the many reasons why President Trump won the election on November 5th." 

CRITICISMS MOUNT THAT BIDEN IS A 'SHADOW' OF HIMSELF AFTER DISASTROUS DEBATE: 'NOT THE SAME MAN' FROM VP ERA

Doocy asked Leavitt specifically about the Biden administration's use of an autopen, which Trump has argued was used by Biden staffers to sign official White House documents without Biden's approval. 

"Specifically, (Trump) talks about the autopen. He thinks that staffers were using this autopen. Is there some kind of like a badge that you have to swipe to use an autopen? Is there a record of that?" Doocy asked. 

WHAT IS AN AUTOPEN? THE SIGNING DEVICE AT THE HEART OF TRUMP'S ATTACKS ON BIDEN PARDONS

"I can tell you here at this White House, the president signs any document that has legal implications," Leavitt responded. "The president signs every executive order. He signs every proclamation. He signs pretty much every document that is needed for the president's signature, with the exception of maybe some letters to children. From what we have heard and seen, that was not the case in the previous administration. And the president is raising good questions that are worth looking into." 

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Autopen signatures are automatically produced by a machine, as opposed to an authentic, handwritten signature. 

The conservative Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project first investigated the Biden administration's use of an autopen earlier this year and found that the same signature was on a bevvy of executive orders and other official documents, while Biden’s signature on the document announcing his departure from the 2024 race varied from the apparent machine-produced signature.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared Thursday that the Democratic Party "has never been more radical and out of touch with the needs of the American people" after voting against President Donald Trump’s "one big, beautiful bill." 

Trump's sweeping tax and spending cuts package was passed by the House of Representatives by a razor-thin 215-214 vote early this morning.  

"Every single Democrat in the House of Representatives voted against all of these common-sense and massively popular policies. The Democrat Party has never been more radical and out of touch with the needs of the American people," she said. "The one big, beautiful Bill is the final missing piece toward ushering the Golden Age of America. The Senate should pass this as quickly as possible and send it to President Trump's desk for a final signature." 

Leavitt hailed the legislation as "delivering the largest tax cut in American history for middle-class families, the working class and small businesses." 

The Trump administration and Republicans hope to reduce the national debt with the bill by cutting approximately $1.5 trillion in government spending. The U.S. government is over $36 trillion in debt and has spent $1.05 trillion more than it's collected in the 2025 fiscal year, according to the Treasury Department.

She also said it will "permanently secure the border by delivering the largest border security investment in history, funding at least 1 million annual removals of illegal aliens to carry out the largest deportation campaign ever, finishing the Trump border wall and giving pay raises and bonuses for our incredible ICE and Border Patrol agents." 

DEMOCRATS PREDICT TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ WILL COST MANY REPUBLICANS THEIR SEATS 

Two House Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill – Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio. 

When asked by a reporter Thursday if Trump thinks both lawmakers should be primaried, Leavitt said, "I believe he does." 

WINNERS, LOSERS AND GRAB-BAGS FROM HOUSE GOP’S NARROW PASSAGE OF ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ 

"And I don't think he likes to see grandstanders in Congress. ‘What's the alternative?’ I would ask those members of Congress. Did they want to see a tax hike? Did they want to see our country go bankrupt?" Leavitt continued. 

"That's the alternative by them trying to vote no. And the president believes the Republican Party needs to be unified. And the vast majority of Republicans clearly are, and are listening to the president. They are trusting in President Trump, as they should, because there's a reason he's sitting in this Oval Office. It's because he's the unequivocal leader of the Republican Party, not just a president for Republicans, but all Americans," she added. 

"The president's approval rating is at an all-time high right now. That's because he knows how to deliver, and Republicans like Thomas Massie and others should take note," Leavitt also said. 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Elizabath Elkind contributed to this report. 

Those responsible for the fatal attack against two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington, D.C., Wednesday will be prosecuted to the "fullest extent of the law," according to the White House. 

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were departing an event at the Capital Jewish Museum Wednesday evening when a gunman opened fire and killed them. The two were slated to get engaged next week in Jerusalem, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a White House press briefing. 

A pro-Palestinian man authorities identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago was arrested, according to officials. 

"The evil of antisemitism must be eradicated from our society," Leavitt told reporters Thursday. "I spoke to the attorney general this morning. The Department of Justice will be prosecuting the perpetrator responsible for this to the fullest extent of the law. Hatred has no place in the United States of America under President Donald Trump. Everyone here at the White House is praying for the victims, friends and families during this unimaginable time."

Yaron, born in Israel but who grew up in Germany, has a father who is Jewish. However, his mother is a Christian and the family is considered Christian. Milgrim was an American employee the Israeli embassy employed. 

Leavitt’s comments echo similar sentiments from President Donald Trump and other leaders in the administration, who have asserted that the attack amounts to an act of antisemitism. 

"These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" he wrote on Truth Social post. "Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!"

Likewise, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that those responsible for the attack would encounter consequences. 

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC. Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice," Rubio wrote on X on Thursday.

This is a breaking story and will be updated. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is eliminating the student visa program at Harvard University due to "pro-terrorist conduct" at campus protests, Fox News Digital has learned. 

It's a severe consequence for what DHS claims is Harvard's refusal to comply with its requests for behavioral records of student visa holders. 

"This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," said Secretary Kristi Noem. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country."

Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students in the 2025-2026 school year and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status to reside in the U.S. before the next academic year begins. 

RUBIO FIRES BACK AFTER DEM SENATOR SAYS HE REGRETS VOTING FOR HIM OVER VISA REVOCATIONS

"As a result of your brazen refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas rhetoric, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege," Noem wrote in a letter to Maureen Martin, the university’s director of immigration services. 

Noem offered Harvard 72 hours to provide the information requested for an opportunity to regain its visa program for the next school year. 

She called the move the "direct result of Harvard’s epic failure to comply with simple reporting requirements." 

The records requested include any footage of protest activity involving students on visas and the disciplinary records of all students on visas in the last five years. 

Noem said last month she had requested records related to visa-holding students enrolled in the university and Harvard’s counsel did not provide adequate information to meet the demand. After the DHS general counsel asked again for the information, Harvard provided an "insufficient, incomplete and unacceptable response," she said. 

"Consequences must follow to send a clear signal to Harvard and all universities that want to enjoy the privilege of enrolling foreign students, that the Trump administration will enforce the law and root out the evils of antisemitism in society and campuses. 

Requested records also include footage or documentation of illegal, dangerous or violent activity by student visa holders, any records of threats or the deprivation of rights of other students or university personnel.

Harvard could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Last month, Harvard announced it would allow foreign students to accept admission to both Harvard and a foreign university as backup amid the Trump administration’s threats to move to block Harvard’s authorization to host them. Typically, students must accept enrollment at Harvard by May 1 and can’t commit to another university. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BEGINS NEW WAVE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VISA REVOCATIONS: ‘NO ONE HAS A RIGHT TO A VISA'

At least a dozen Harvard students have had their authorization to study in the U.S. revoked over campus protest activity. 

The Trump administration has already frozen close to $3 billion in federal funding to the university, largely dedicated to research, and launched investigations across the departments of Justice, Education and Health and Human Services. They claim Harvard has failed to address campus antisemitism and eradicate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in its policies.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress this week the State Department had probably revoked "thousands" of student visas by this point and would "proudly" revoke more. 

"We're going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities," he said Tuesday. "A visa is a privilege, not a right." 

The crackdown on university policies comes after a wave of pro-Gaza student protests and encampments swept schools across the nation since the beginning of Israel’s offensive campaign to eradicate Hamas after the October 7 attacks to pressure university administrations to divest from Israel. 

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., says she supports banning stock trading for sitting members of Congress "100%," saying, "we shouldn’t be voting on things we can benefit from financially."

Though supportive of efforts to curb the practice of trading by members of Congress, Mace, a staunch conservative, told Fox News Digital that she is not surprised the effort has been unsuccessful so far.

"It's Washington. Washington is doing what it always does," she said, adding, "The establishment rules and … when you see the kind of returns members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are getting that the average American isn't, something doesn't add up."

According to Quiver Quantitative, Mace has no reported stock trading activity and has a net worth of $3.4 million.

WATCH: Leftist protesters flood Capitol Hill office building as ‘big, beautiful’ budget bill vote looms

"I support it 100%. I don't trade stocks," said Mace. "I think I have learned since I've been up here that we can be market makers, and when we do bills, or we vote on things, or we do legislation, we shouldn't be voting on things that we could benefit from financially."

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meanwhile, declined to comment on her stance.

According to Quiver Quantitative, the former speaker of the House, who has a net worth of a little over $261 million and, as of April 28, was reported as holding $119.9 million in stocks, has been heavily criticized for engaging in lucrative trading.

When asked by Fox News Digital whether she would support banning lawmakers from trading stocks, Pelosi ignored the question and continued walking. 

HAWLEY REIGNITES 'PELOSI ACT' PUSH TO BAN LAWMAKERS FROM TRADING STOCKS

This comes after Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., introduced legislation earlier this month that would ban congressional stock trading, serving as the House companion bill to Sen. Josh Hawley's, R-Mo., "PELOSI Act" in the Senate.

Alford's proposed bill would ban lawmakers and their spouses from holding, purchasing or selling individual stocks while in office, but it allows investments in diversified mutual funds, exchange-traded funds or U.S. Treasury bonds. If passed, current lawmakers would have 180 days to comply with the legislation. Likewise, newly elected lawmakers must achieve compliance within 180 days of entering office.

Under the proposed legislation, lawmakers who continue to make wrongful transactions would be required to hand over any profits they made to the U.S. Treasury Department. The House or Senate ethics committees could also impose a fine on such lawmakers amounting to 10% of each wrongful transaction.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has also endorsed a stock trading ban, saying "a few bad actors" have ruined Americans' trust in lawmakers on the issue. President Donald Trump himself endorsed the same ban for members of Congress in an interview with Time magazine last month.

"I watched Nancy Pelosi get rich through insider information, and I would be okay with it. If they send that to me, I would do it," he said of a trading ban.

CALLS TO BAN CONGRESSIONAL TRADING PERSIST AMID RECENT STOCK MARKET VOLATILITY 

Democrats in the House of Representatives have also expressed support for a ban, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., throwing his weight behind the proposal last week.

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Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., meanwhile, told Fox News Digital that he has an alternate solution that would allow legislators to trade stocks but would mandate that members of Congress wishing to do so to "put their money in escrow and announce the stock trade 24 hours before they make it."

"Then they have to legally go through with the trade. So instead of not using the insider information, let's give it to everybody and let them front run the elected officials here," he said, smiling.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., avoided answering questions from reporters regarding the shooting in Washington, D.C., that killed two Israeli Embassy staffers departing the Capital Jewish Museum Wednesday evening. 

"I’m going to go for now," Omar, the first Somali American elected to Congress, told reporters Thursday when asked if she would react to the shooting. 

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

Later, Omar said she was "appalled" by the shooting and said that violence is not welcome in the U.S.  

"I am appalled by the deadly shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum last night," Omar said in a post on X on Thursday. "Holding the victims, their families, and loved ones in my thoughts and prayers.  Violence should have no place in our country."

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were departing an event at the museum Wednesday evening when they were gunned down and killed. The two were planning to get engaged soon, according to the Embassy of Israel. 

CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS DIGITAL'S COVERAGE OF 'ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED'

A pro-Palestinian man, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was arrested in connection with the case, according to authorities. 

Omar, one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, has been a vocal advocate for the Palestinian cause. She has come under scrutiny for comments toward the Jewish community, including when she appeared at a Columbia University encampment in April 2024 and said that all Jewish kids should remain safe "whether they’re pro-genocide or anti-genocide."

Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, was also arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University that same month. 

Lischinsky, born in Israel, grew up in Germany. While his father is Jewish, his mother is a Christian, and the family is considered Christian. Milgrim was an American employee working for the Israeli Embassy. 

WHO IS THE ANTI-ISRAEL SUSPECT IN THE KILLING OF 2 ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS?

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have been outspoken and labeled the attack an act of antisemitism. 

"These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" he wrote on Truth Social post. "Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!"

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that those responsible for the attack would face justice. 

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC," Rubio wrote Thursday on X. "Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice." 

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have launched a nationwide initiative to begin arresting illegal immigrants at their immigration and asylum hearings, Fox News has learned.

The effort targets illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. fewer than two years. The DHS strategy is to drop their immigration case, arrest the migrant, then place them into expedited deportation proceedings.

The initiative requires the DHS to drop the cases because migrants cannot be put forward for expedited removal if they have a pending case.

ICE sources who spoke with Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity say Americans should expect to see "a lot more" of these kinds of arrests.

HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT

The new policy is likely to lead to a spike in deportations of migrants who have not committed crimes aside from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The Trump administration has so far focused its efforts on deporting illegal immigrants who have been convicted of other serious crimes.

News of the policy comes as the Department of Homeland Security is in multiple court battles regarding its deportation efforts.

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the DHS had violated a court order in sending a plane full of eight illegal immigrants to South Sudan this week.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled that the migrants — all of whom are convicted of crimes ranging from homicide to robbery — were not properly given "credible fear interviews." The interviews allow migrants being deported to a third-party country to argue that being sent there would endanger them.

Murphy said he is investigating whether the deportees can conduct their interviews in South Sudan rather than returning to the U.S. immediately.

Murphy previously found that any plans to deport people to Libya without notice would "clearly" violate his ruling regarding third-party deportations, which also applies to people who have otherwise exhausted their legal appeals.

A new book about President Joe Biden's cognitive decline and his administration's alleged cover-up has forced a reckoning in the Democratic Party. 

Biden's aides worried about his age long before his consequential 2024 presidential debate against then-former President Donald Trump, CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson reveal in their book, "Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," which was released on Tuesday.

"During an eight-day, grueling bus tour in Iowa in December 2019, Biden gave his aides pause. While doing prep, he struggled to remember the name of longtime aide Mike Donilon. ‘You know, you know,’ he said, groping for it. His aides side-eyed one another–Donilon had worked for Biden since 1981," Tapper and Thompson wrote. 

That was not the only time aides worried about Biden on the 2020 presidential campaign trail, according to the book. The journalists described aides "white-knuckling" through debate performances as they "shied away from tough interviews" because Biden no longer communicated the way he did as senator or vice president. 

BIDEN FAMILY MISLED PUBLIC, CONCEALED DETAILS ON SON BEAU’S CANCER DIAGNOSIS, NEW BOOK SAYS

The book details his aides' concerns on the 2020 campaign trail that voters in battleground states were seeing a "diminished man" who was "not always 100 percent" during the relentless campaign schedule. 

YOUNG DEMS BLAME BIDEN AND THEIR OWN PARTY FOR LOSING IN 2024 AS THEY DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THE OLD-GUARD

Without the COVID-19 pandemic, his aides "doubted Biden could have otherwise kept up the pace of campaigning through November."

However, even during the pandemic, Tapper and Thompson described Biden as struggling to stay on message as his aides tried to soften his blunders. Two aides who grew closer to Biden during lockdown, Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, "loaded a written Q&A into a prompter ahead of a local interview – a document that the campaign had used in prep with Biden," according to the book. 

"The team was constantly trying to change the Zoom configurations and production designs to adapt to him. Aides privately noted that they couldn't rely on him to stay on message, and he often had a very short attention span."

Tapper and Thompson describe a turning point during the 2020 campaign when Biden struggled to follow virtual conversations with American voters through a series of monitors for the Democratic National Convention. 

"It was like a different person. It was incredible. This was like watching Grandpa who shouldn't be driving," one Democrat told the journalists. 

After watching the short, overly edited videos of Biden struggling to interact with voters, Democrats told Tapper and Thompson that they did not think Biden could be president. They said Democrats became angry imagining his aides seeing him like this every day. 

A Biden spokesperson, however, pushed back on the narrative of the book, telling Fox News Digital that "there is nothing in this book that shows Joe Biden failed to do his job, as the authors have alleged, nor did they prove their allegation that there was a cover-up or conspiracy."

"Nowhere do they show that our national security was threatened or where the President wasn’t otherwise engaged in the important matters of the Presidency," the spokesperson continued. "In fact, Joe Biden was an effective President who led our country with empathy and skill."

However, those close to Biden told Tapper and Thompson that the "first signs he was deteriorating emerged after the death of his beloved son Beau in 2015."

"Beau's cancer treatment also demonstrated the Bidens' capacity for denial and the lengths they would go through to avoid transparency about health issues, even when the person in question is an elected official, in this case the sitting attorney general of Delaware."

Tapper and Thompson described how the Biden family went through great lengths to downplay or mislead the media about then-vice president Biden visiting his son in the hospital. 

"Beau's wife, Hallie, told people she didn't understand why they had to keep his illness a secret."

Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden's cognitive decline and his inner circle’s role in covering it up.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., avoided answering questions from reporters and refused to condemn the shooting in Washington, D.C., that killed two Israeli Embassy staffers departing the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday evening. 

"I’m going to go for now," Omar, the first Somali American elected to Congress, told reporters when asked if she would react to the shooting. 

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

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were departing an event at the museum on Wednesday evening when they were gunned down and killed. The two were planning to get engaged soon, according to the Embassy of Israel. 

CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS DIGITAL'S COVERAGE OF 'ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED'

A pro-Palestinian man, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was arrested in connection with the case, according to authorities. 

Omar, one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, has been a vocal advocate for the Palestinian cause. She has come under scrutiny for comments toward the Jewish community, including when she appeared at a Columbia University encampment in April 2024 and said that all Jewish kids should remain safe "whether they’re pro-genocide or anti-genocide."

Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, was also arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University that same month. 

Lischinsky, born in Israel, grew up in Germany. While his father is Jewish, his mother is a Christian, and the family is considered Christian. Milgrim was an American employee working for the Israeli Embassy. 

WHO IS THE ANTI-ISRAEL SUSPECT IN THE KILLING OF 2 ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS?

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have been outspoken and labeled the attack an act of antisemitism. 

"These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" he wrote on Truth Social post. "Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!"

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that those responsible for the attack would face justice. 

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC," Rubio wrote Thursday on X. "Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice." 

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

At the High Court in Belfast, the Home Office agreed to pay substantial damages, and reasonable legal costs.