Amid claims that President Joe Biden declined mentally while in office, Golden State gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa has suggested that former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Health And Human Services Secretary Xavier Beccerra were involved in a cover-up.

Becerra is also running for governor, while the prospect of a potential Harris bid looms large over the field. 

Current California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is not eligible to run again because he's currently serving his second term, and the state constitution stipulates that, "No Governor may serve more than 2 terms."

"What I’ve seen in news coverage and excerpts from the new book ‘Original Sin’ is deeply troubling. At the highest levels of our government, those in power were intentionally complicit or told outright lies in a systematic cover up to keep Joe Biden’s mental decline from the public," Villaraigosa said in a statement.

DEM SENATOR SAYS ‘NO DOUBT’ BIDEN DECLINED COGNITIVELY DURING PRESIDENCY

"Now, we have come to learn this cover up includes two prominent California politicians who served as California Attorney General – one who is running for Governor and another who is thinking about running for Governor," he declared. 

Becerra and Harris have both previously served as California state attorney general.

"Those who were complicit in the cover up should take responsibility for the part they played in this debacle, hold themselves accountable, and apologize to the American people. I call on Kamala Harris and Xavier Becerra to do just that – and make themselves available to voters and the free press because there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered," Villaraigosa declared in another portion of his statement.

BIDEN'S ‘LAST KNOWN’ PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING WAS OVER A DECADE AGO, AS QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER DIAGNOSIS

Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Kamala Harris and the Office of Joe and Jill Biden but did not receive responses from either office by the time of publication.

"It’s clear the President was getting older, but he made the mission clear: run the largest health agency in the world, expand care to millions more Americans than ever before, negotiate down the cost of prescription drugs, and pull us out of a world-wide pandemic. And we delivered," Becerra noted in a statement, according to reports.

During an appearance on "The View" earlier this month, Biden rejected the notion that he suffered significant decline in his cognitive abilities during his last year in office.

BIDEN AIDE INTIMIDATED REPORTER INVESTIGATING FORMER PRESIDENT'S MENTAL DECLINE WITH ‘TACIT THREAT:' BOOK

Biden has been "diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone," a statement from his personal office recently noted.

Fox News' Peter Doocy contributed to this report

The Justice Department on Wednesday said it is dismissing Biden-era lawsuits against the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments and is in the process of unwinding investigations into several other police departments, describing the actions as sweeping and overly broad.

Speaking to reporters on a press call Wednesday, Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said DOJ is taking all necessary steps to dismiss "with prejudice" the Louisville and Minneapolis lawsuits, and to close the investigations into the departments – describing them as expensive and overly broad.

The Civil Rights Division will also be closing its investigations into, and retracting, the Biden administration’s findings of constitutional violations on the part of police departments in Phoenix, Trenton, Memphis, Mount Vernon, Oklahoma City, and Louisiana state police.

"In short, these sweeping consent decrees would have imposed years of micromanagement of local police departments by federal courts and expensive independent monitors, and potentially hundreds of millions of dollars of compliance costs, without a legally or factually adequate basis for doing so," Dhilon said.

"Overbroad police consent decrees divest local control of policing from communities where it belongs, turning that power over to unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats, often with an anti- police agenda," she added. 

 "Today, we are ending the Biden Civil Rights Division’s failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders and police departments with factually unjustified consent decrees."

This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.

EXCLUSIVE: A Biden-appointed federal judge could decide Wednesday morning that a plane carrying illegal immigrants convicted of serious crimes to South Sudan has to return. 

The plane is carrying eight men – all of whom convicted of crimes ranging from homicide to robbery, according to details exclusively provided by the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS unveiled details of the crimes after U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy threatened to order the return of the migrants at a Wednesday hearing.

"No country on earth wanted to accept [the migrants] because their crimes are so uniquely monstrous and barbaric," Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said at a press conference Wednesday. "These heinous individuals have terrorized American streets for too long."

"While we are fully compliant with the law and court orders, it is absurd for a district judge to try to dictate the foreign policy and national security of the United States of America," McLaughlin said.

INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES

Thongxay Nilakout, a Laos citizen who was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery and was sentenced to life behind bars, is also on the flight. He was arrested in January by ICE. Mexican citizen Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez is convicted of second-degree murder, and was taken into ICE custody earlier this month.

Dian Peter Domach of South Sudan is convicted of a DUI, "possession of burglar’s tools and possession of defaced firearm; sentenced to 18 months confinement" and "robbery and possession of a firearm; sentenced to 8 years confinement." He was arrested by ICE earlier this month.

TRUMP ADMIN MAKES NEW MOVE TO BRING SOUTH AFRICAN REFUGEES TO US AS PRESIDENT BLASTS NATION'S RULERS AGAIN

Two Burmese citizens, Kyaw Mya and Nyo Myint, are also headed to the African nation on the flight. Mya is convicted of "Lascivious Acts with a Child-Victim less than 12 years of age." He was sentenced to 10 years behind bars, but he was paroled after four years. Myint is convicted of "first-degree sexual assault involving a victim mentally and physically incapable of resisting" and faced 12 years behind bars. He was also charged with "aggravated assault-nonfamily strongarm." Both were arrested by ICE in February.

Vietnamese citizen Tuan Thanh Phan, a citizen of Vietnam is convicted of "first-degree murder and second-degree assault."

DHS officials noted at Wednesday's briefing that the home countries of each of the illegal immigrants refused to take them back to their home soil. The migrants remain in DHS custody, the officials added.

Murphy, a Biden appointee, ruled on Tuesday night that the Trump administration must maintain custody of the migrants in case he rules their removal unlawful, and they must be transferred back to the U.S.

TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR MASSIVE NUMBER OF VENEZUELANS AMID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

Lawyers for illegal immigrants from Myanmar, also called Burma, and Vietnam accused the Trump administration of illegally deporting their clients to third-party countries. They argue the deportations violated Murphy's previous court order mandating that migrants be granted "meaningful opportunity" to establish that sending them to a third country would make them unsafe.

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.

EXCLUSIVE – As House GOP leaders advance President Donald Trump’s so-called "big, beautiful bill" toward a floor vote this week, Democrats, who are in the minority, are sounding a warning.

"We’re going to hold Republicans accountable and there will be a price to pay," Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington State, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, emphasized as she pointed to next year's midterm elections during a Fox News Digital interview.

Republicans are holding onto an extremely razor-thin majority in the chamber right now, and Democrats only need a three-seat pickup to win back the House majority in the 2026 elections.

Additionally, they view the sweeping and controversial GOP-crafted measure stocked full of Trump's second-term priorities on tax cuts, immigration, defense, energy and the debt limit – which is currently making its way through numerous votes and hurdles in the House – as political ammunition.

INCHING CLOSER: HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNSON REACHES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH SOME HOLDOUT GOP LAWMAKERS

"This is a terrible piece of legislation," DelBene argued.

Democrats from across the party are shining a spotlight on the Republicans' restructuring of Medicaid, the nearly 60-year-old federal government program that provides health insurance for roughly 71 million adults and children with limited incomes.

"Let’s be clear, all Republicans are talking about right now is how many people and how fast they’re going to take away healthcare. They have these huge cuts to Medicaid, 14 million people lose healthcare across the country, and they’re talking about how fast they can do that," DelBene charged on Tuesday.

She claimed that House Republicans are "all blindly following the president and going to blindly follow him off the cliff."

Rep. Ted Lieu of California, another member of the House Democrat leadership, argued as he took questions from reporters that the bill "has the largest cut to healthcare in U.S. history."

GOP HOLDOUTS UNMOVED BY TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL' TRIP TO CAPITOL HILL

The cuts to Medicaid, being drafted in part as an offset to pay for extending Trump's 2017 tax cut law, which is set to expire later this year, include a slew of new rules and regulatory requirements for those seeking coverage. Among them are a new set of work requirements for many of those seeking coverage.

"When you go across the country and talk to folks, folks are outraged, and they’re scared. They’re scared about the cuts to healthcare, not only cutting 14 million people off of healthcare but then raising costs beyond that for everyone and things like rural hospitals closing," DelBene argued. "This would have devastating impacts across the country. This is policy that Republicans are fighting for, cutting nutrition health programs so that families don’t even have healthy food."

House Republicans push back against the Democrats' attacks and say what they are doing is putting an end to waste, fraud and abuse currently in the Medicaid system, so the program can work for the public in the way that it was intended.

They call any talk that they are cutting aid to mothers, children, people with disabilities and the elderly a "flat out lie."

FIRST ON FOX: THESE REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS SAY THEY ‘STAND UNITED’ IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP'S ‘ONE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

DelBene countered, saying, "we’re not buying the argument because what we’ve seen in committee, what they’ve written down on paper is massive cuts in healthcare and all to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest in our country. This isn’t a bill about helping working families. This bill is devastating for working families."

However, her counterparty, Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "Republicans are ending waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid so the most vulnerable get the care they need."

Additionally, Hudson argued that "Democrats are lying to protect a broken status quo that lets illegal immigrants siphon off billions meant for American families. We’re strengthening Medicaid for future generations by protecting taxpayers and restoring integrity."

Dating back to last year's presidential campaign, Trump has vowed not to touch Medicaid. On Tuesday, as he made a rare stop on Capitol Hill to meet behind closed doors with House Republicans in order to shore up support for the bill, Trump's message to fiscally conservative lawmakers looking to make further cuts to Medicaid was "don't f--- around with Medicaid."

While there are divisions between Republicans over Medicaid, and a chasm between the two major parties over the longstanding entitlement program, there is one point of agreement – this issue will continue to simmer on the campaign trail in one form or another long after the legislative battles on Capitol Hill are over.

Limited civil rights enforcement resources were prioritized to resolve cases related to pronoun usage and alleged book banning under the Biden administration, while hundreds of civil rights cases pertaining to antisemitism went unresolved, according to a senior Education Department official who spoke to Fox News Digital.

Almost 200 antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), either in the early evaluation stages or in later investigatory stages, were left unresolved under the Biden administration, according to the official.

More than 150 of those unresolved complaints, according to the official, were filed after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack that killed nearly 1,200 innocent people and sparked an Israeli military campaign in Gaza that led to an uptick in anti-Israel sentiment across the United States, especially on college campuses.

"The Biden administration placed an undue burden on OCR by stretching the scope of civil rights law beyond its statutory purview," said Julie Hartman, a Department of Education spokesperson. "The Trump OCR is cleaning that up daily. By enforcing the law as it is written, the Trump administration’s OCR is using its personnel and resources responsibly and eliminating wasteful and unfounded investigations."

DOJ LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO BLUE STATE CITY OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED HIRING

So far, the Trump administration has dismissed at least 11 complaints related to so-called "book bans" across the country, which alleged that school districts' removal of content deemed by parents as age-inappropriate violated students' civil rights.

The Trump administration also reversed the Biden administration's decision to include "gender identity" within the scope of Title IX and instructed educational institutions receiving federal funds to halt the continuance of what the Trump administration has called racially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

"[The Biden administration] expanded the sex-based protections of Title IX to include gender identity, thereby creating a whole avenue of issues, such as pronoun misgendering cases, which would be pursued by OCR investigators as possibly constituting discrimination," Hartman said. "Similarly, the previous administration’s OCR stretched Title VI to its breaking point by claiming DEI, which is often racially discriminatory, was consistent with Title VI, incentivizing educational institutions to double down on DEI programming and policies lest they risk meritless Title VI investigations."

CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICIALS PROBE 4 US MEDICAL SCHOOLS OVER ANTISEMITISM AT 2024 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES

Under Biden, civil rights officials also let a complaint against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas languish without any resolution, the senior agency official confirmed. In March 2022, Thomas became the first transgender woman swimmer to win a Division I national championship after tying a biologically female opponent, setting off a firestorm over whether transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women's sports.

Shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order withholding federal funding from any schools allowing biological males, such as Thomas, to compete in women's sports.

Trump also signed an early executive order to combat the rise in antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023, and established a Justice Department task force to help hold educational institutions accountable. In March, the Education Department announced it had sent letters to 60 institutions of high education warning them of potential civil rights violations if they do not adequately protect their Jewish students as required under Title VI.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration's effort to dismantle the Department of Education has led critics to claim its civil rights enforcement, in particular related to students with disabilities, has tanked. 

But according to a senior OCR attorney, the Trump administration's disability-related OCR resolutions have been on par with the pace of the previous administration.

So far, since the Trump administration took over, more than 200 disability-related complaints have been opened, the official indicated. The administration has also closed 100 disability-related civil rights cases filed with the Education Department since Trump's inauguration in January.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ashley Moody will roll out a measure on Wednesday that will expedite the removal of criminal illegal immigrants from the United States involved in gangs, foreign terrorist organizations or convicted of any felony on U.S. soil, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Moody, R-Fla., is expected to introduce her legislation Wednesday morning, titled "The Expedited Removal of Criminal Aliens Act." 

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is co-sponsoring the legislation. 

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

Moody’s team told Fox News Digital that the legislation is "critical" to supporting the Trump administration’s immigration priorities.

"Following four years of systematic dismantlement of our country’s immigration and national security structure under Joe Biden, the American people gave President Trump a mandate to clean up Biden’s mess," Moody told Fox News Digital. "Democrats and lower-level partisan judges, however, have sought to block his efforts at every turn." 

Moody told Fox News Digital that they have claimed that "dangerous criminal illegal aliens and MS-13 gang members like Kilmar Abrego Garcia are just family men living quiet lives in America, and they couldn’t be more wrong."

"Democrats have fought against the quick removal of illegal aliens who have committed atrocious crimes against children or even those that have been convicted of murder," Moody said. "It makes no sense." 

Moody’s bill authorizes the expedited removal of an immigrant who is a member of a criminal gang or organization; a member of a foreign terrorist organization or has provided material support to such an organization; or has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. 

Those potential felony or misdemeanor convictions include any assault of a law enforcement officer, any sexual offense, any crime of domestic violence, any stalking offense, any crime against children or any violation of a protection order. 

"Today we are finally putting common-sense immigration policies first by introducing legislation to authorize the expedited removal of dangerous criminals and prevent activist-judges from keeping known terrorists, criminals and gang members on American soil and endangering our communities," Moody told Fox News Digital. 

Moody’s bill comes amid a court battle over Abrego Garcia — the Salvadorian migrant and alleged MS-13 member who was deported from Maryland to El Salvador in March. 

DOJ INDICTS ALLEGED HIGH-RANKING TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBER ON TERRORISM CHARGES FOR THE FIRST TIME

Abrego Garcia was suspected of partaking in labor/human trafficking, according to a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report obtained by Fox News. The report also stated that "official law enforcement investigations" revealed that Abrego Garcia was a member of the notorious gang MS-13, which Trump has designated as a terror organization.

A Homeland Security Investigations report also notes that in October 2019, the Prince Georges County Police Gang Unit identified Abrego Garcia as a member of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang.

Abrego Garcia was also recently revealed to have a record of being a "violent" repeat wife beater, according to court records filed in a Prince George’s County, Maryland, district court by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez.

The Trump administration has continued to maintain it was right to deport Abrego Garcia to CECOT, despite many Democrats suggesting he was wrongly deported, even going as far as to say he was kidnapped by the administration.

China is concerned by President Donald Trump's proposal for a new U.S. missile defense system, called the Golden Dome, which is designed to protect against adversarial attacks on America.  

Golden Dome has a "strong offensive nature and violates the principle of peaceful use in the Outer Space Treaty," Chinese Foreign Minister Mao Ning said Wednesday. 

"The project will heighten the risk of turning space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control system," Mao said. "We urge the U.S. to give up developing and deploying global anti-missile system."

Both China and Russia have placed offensive weapons in space, like anti-satellite capabilities that could potentially be used to try to take the U.S. offline, American intelligence officials have warned.  

‘MIND-BOGGLING’: SPACE FORCE CHIEF FIRES OFF DIRE WARNING ABOUT CHINESE CAPABILITY TO KNOCK OUT US SATELLITES

However, China said it was the U.S. that was "obsessed" with offensive space dominance. 

"The U.S., by putting itself first, and being obsessed with pursuing absolute security, violates the principle of, and diminishes, the security for all and undermines the global strategic balance and stability," Mao said.

"China is gravely concerned about this," she added. "We urge the U.S. to give up developing and deploying the global anti-missile system at an early date and take concrete actions to enhance strategic mutual trust between major countries and safeguard global strategic stability." 

Trump laid out a broad overview of the Golden Dome plan from the White House on Tuesday, projecting the cost figure at $125 billion. The current government funding bill working its way through Congress includes an initial $25 billion to kick off the project. 

Trump also offered an ambitious timeline for the project to be completed before he leaves office. 

LASERS, SPACE RADARS, MISSILE INTERCEPTORS: DEFENSE LEADERS LAY OUT VISION FOR TRUMP'S 'GOLDEN DOME' PROJECT

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on China's reaction. 

The Kremlin, meanwhile, said the Golden Dome project could prompt talks on strategic arms control between Russia and the U.S. 

The U.S. withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019 and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002, citing Russian violations which Moscow denied. 

"Now that the legal framework in this area has been destroyed, and the validity period has expired, or deliberately, let's say, a number of documents have ceased to be valid, this base must be recreated both in the interests of our two countries and in the interests of security throughout the planet," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

China’s space-based targeting capabilities have "grown most impressively" in recent years, according to Space Force Vice Chief Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, with hundreds of satellites now dedicated to tracking U.S. assets in orbit. He called China’s rapid advances "mind-boggling" during a hearing on Capitol Hill last month and said the U.S. was at risk of losing its dominance in orbit.

Weeks before that, Space Force Vice Chief of Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein revealed that China has been practicing satellite "dogfighting," a sign of its growing ability to conduct complex operations in orbit.

Space Force has observed "five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchronicity and in control," he said.

"That’s what we call dogfighting in space," Guetlein said. "They are practicing tactics, techniques and procedures to conduct on-orbit operations from one satellite to another."

We are now in the range where the House could potentially debate and vote on the "big, beautiful bill." 

A vote could come as early as later today or tonight. That may still be a little optimistic, but when things are ready, the House could vote at any time of the day or night between now and Sunday. 

The goal of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is to vote on the plan before Memorial Day. Fox is told that slamming this up against the holiday recess actually helps the GOP get votes, because members really want to get away for events, graduations and Memorial Day parades. 

SPEAKER JOHNSON REACHES TENTATIVE DEAL WITH BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS TO BOOST CAP ON ‘SALT’ DEDUCTION

The House Rules Committee – which serves as the gateway to the House floor for legislation – began its meeting at 1 a.m. ET. It could go all day, but what we’re waiting for is a final "manager’s amendment" from Johnson to make all of the fixes to court the votes of skeptical Republicans. The key to that amendment is to repair things – and not break something else. 

REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS SAY THEY ‘STAND UNITED’ IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP'S ‘ONE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

There appears to be an agreement to raise the SALT cap (state and local taxes) for high-tax states. 

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., has passed away following a bitter cancer battle, his family announced on Wednesday.

The lawmaker announced his initial diagnosis with esophageal cancer more than six months ago. He was 75 years old.

"It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and loving father, husband, brother, friend, and public servant, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, passed away peacefully at his home this morning surrounded by family," his family announced in a statement.

"Gerry lived his life to give back to others and make our community better. He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless. He always stood up for what is right and just. He was a skilled statesman on the international stage, an accomplished legislator in Congress, a visionary executive on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a fierce defender of democracy, an environmental champion, and a mentor to so many. But more important than his accomplishments in elected office, Gerry lived by the ethos of ‘bloom where you are planted.’ From the Silver Line to the Oakton Library, Mosaic District to the Cross County Trail and beyond, his legacy now colors our region," the family added.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for allegedly lying to Congress about his decisions made during the COVID-19 pandemic while serving as governor, a source familiar with the probe confirmed to Fox News.

The New York Times first reported that the U.S. attorney's office in Washington opened the inquiry into Cuomo about a month ago after senior officials in the DOJ demanded an indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams for corruption charges be dismissed.

The DOJ declined to comment to Fox News.

The Trump administration is now in an unusual spot of ending a criminal case against Adams while opening a new case into Adams’ main rival within months of each other.

Cuomo is running in the Democratic primary to serve as the next mayor of New York City, while Adams is seeking re-election as an independent candidate.

HOUSE REPUBLICAN ASKS TRUMP DOJ TO CRIMINALLY PROSECUTE EX-NEW YORK GOV ANDREW CUOMO

"We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now? The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple—something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against," Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo’s spokesperson told Fox News. "Governor Cuomo testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the Subcommittee — but from the beginning this was all transparently political."

The former governor was grilled by Republican lawmakers last year about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. House Republicans subsequently recommended the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against him. They accused him of intentionally lying to Congress during the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the excessive number of nursing home deaths.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., referred Cuomo to President Donald Trump's Justice Department for criminal prosecution. 

BILL MAHER SUGGESTS ANDREW CUOMO'S NURSING HOME SCANDAL MAY COST HIS NYC MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

Cuomo – the Democratic scion now considered the current frontrunner in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary in June – was first referred to the Biden Justice Department for criminal prosecution in October 2024. 

Former Rep. Brad Wenstrup, then-chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, said Cuomo made "multiple criminally false statements" to Congress about his handling of the 2020 COVID-19 nursing home death scandal. 

Cuomo, who was governor at the time, issued a March 2020 directive that initially barred nursing homes from refusing to accept patients who had tested positive for COVID-19. The directive was aimed at freeing up beds for overwhelmed hospitals. 

More than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients were released from hospitals into nursing homes under the directive, which was later rescinded amid speculation that it had accelerated outbreaks. 

SECOND COVID NURSING HOME DEATH'S CASE AGAINST CUOMO TOSSED

The eight plaintiffs in the case argued that their loved ones contracted COVID-19 in nursing homes and died as a result of the directive. They accused Cuomo and his administration of being civilly liable for their deaths as well as being liable for failing to accurately report the number of nursing home deaths in New York state that resulted from the virus. 

Cuomo has previously said that the directive was based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidance at the time.

A report released in March 2022 by the New York state comptroller found Cuomo's Health Department "was not transparent in its reporting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes" and it "understated the number of deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%" during some points of the pandemic. 

In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi last month, Comer said "to our knowledge, the Biden Administration ignored this referral despite clear facts and evidence." He requested that Bondi review the referral and "take appropriate action." 

"Andrew Cuomo is a man with a history of corruption and deceit, now caught red-handed lying to Congress during the Select Subcommittee’s investigation into the COVID-19 nursing home tragedy in New York," Comer said in a statement Monday. "This wasn’t a slip-up – it was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility for the devastating loss of life in New York’s nursing homes. Let’s be clear: lying to Congress is a federal crime. Mr. Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The House Oversight Committee is prepared to fully cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s actions and ensure he’s held to account." 

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver will make her first court appearance Wednesday after being charged with assaulting two federal agents at an immigrant detention facility in Newark earlier this month. 

McIver was there with two other members of Congress on May 9 to conduct what they claimed were their congressionally-mandated oversight duties, as was Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was subsequently arrested following the incident but later had his charges dropped. 

The Democrat will now appear in front of a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey at 11 a.m. and be read her rights and charges. The judge will then decide her bail package. 

"I think the charges are absurd. You know, it's ridiculous. I was there to do my job along with my other colleagues. We have done this before. This is our obligation to do. It's in our job description to have oversight over a facility. And the entire situation was escalated by ICE," McIver said during an appearance on CNN Tuesday. 

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SAYS DEMOCRAT LAMONICA MCIVER ‘BROKE THE LAW,’ SHOULD BE CHARGED FOR ICE CLASH 

"They caused the confrontation. Homeland came and caused this chaos that we see. It was a very tense situation, but it could have been easily not, it could've easily not happened. They had every opportunity to not allow this to happen. It was very unnecessary. And it just, once again, we were there to do our jobs," she added. "And if I'm going to be charged with a crime for doing my job, it just speaks to where we're headed in this country and what we are dealing with as leaders and as congress members, you know, here in this country." 

A charging document cites bodycam footage from law enforcement officers who recorded events as McIver and two other New Jersey lawmakers stormed the ICE facility. Prosecutors say the first officer McIver allegedly assaulted was a Homeland Security Investigations agent, and the second was an ICE agent. 

The Justice Department accuses McIver of having "slammed her forearm into the body of a uniformed HSI agent and reached out and tried to restrain the agent by forcibly grabbing him." 

The charging document also states that McIver "pushed an ICE officer & used her forearms to forcibly strike the agent." 

DEMOCRAT LAWMAKER CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING FEDERAL AGENTS LAUGHS OFF FUNDRAISING QUESTIONS 

McIver rejected the charges in a public statement, arguing they are "purely political." 

"Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall in my district," she wrote. "We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka." 

Witnesses told The Associated Press that the arrest happened after Baraka attempted to join McIver and New Jersey Reps. Robert Menendez and Bonnie Watson Coleman when entering the facility. When federal officials denied Baraka access, an argument then broke out, the AP reported, citing an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. 

Prosecutors said McIver helped create a "human shield" and blocked agents from handcuffing Baraka after he ignored numerous warnings to leave the property and was told he would be arrested. 

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report. 

A federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump's administration must maintain custody of illegal immigrants deported to South Sudan in case he rules the removals unlawful and they must be transferred back to the U.S.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Massachusetts issued the ruling Tuesday night after lawyers for illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Vietnam accused the Trump administration of illegally deporting their clients to third-party countries. They argue there is currently a court order blocking such removals.

Murphy's ruling said the government must "maintain custody and control of class members currently being removed to South Sudan or to any other third country, to ensure the practical feasibility of return if the Court finds that such removals were unlawful."

Attorneys for the immigrants argue that the deportations violated a court order mandating that migrants be granted "meaningful opportunity" to establish that sending them to a third country would make them unsafe.

INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES

The attorneys asked Murphy for an emergency court order to prevent the deportations. Murphy, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, previously found that any plans to deport people to Libya without notice would "clearly" violate his ruling, which also applies to people who have otherwise exhausted their legal appeals.

Murphy said in his Tuesday order that U.S. officials must appear in court on Wednesday to identify the immigrants impacted, address when and how they learned they would be removed to a third country and what opportunity they were given to raise a fear-based claim. He also ruled that the government must provide information about the whereabouts of the migrants apparently already removed.

TRUMP ADMIN MAKES NEW MOVE TO BRING SOUTH AFRICAN REFUGEES TO US AS PRESIDENT BLASTS NATION'S RULERS AGAIN

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in April that the U.S. would revoke visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and no others would be issued, effective immediately. Rubio attributed the change to "the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner," according to a statement posted on X.

TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR MASSIVE NUMBER OF VENEZUELANS AMID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

The U.S. has third-party deportation agreements with only a handful of countries, the most prominent of which is El Salvador, which has accepted hundreds of Venezuelan illegal immigrants from the Trump administration.

The East African country, founded in 2011, is on the verge of civil war, with escalating armed conflict, mass displacement and severe food insecurity.

Previously, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, suspended its operations to include visa, passport and other routine consular services on April 22, 2023.

Fox News' Alexandra Koch and The Associated Press contributed to this report

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced a bill to punish those who perform gender transition measures on minors.

"Left-wing activists and medical institutions are targeting America’s children with dangerous drugs, disfiguring surgeries, and permanent sterilization," Greene said, according to a press release. "My bill stops the mutilation of kids and holds those responsible for performing or facilitating these barbaric procedures accountable."

The bill would punish those who commit chemical castration of minors, or perform or attempt to perform "genital or bodily mutilation" on minors in circumstances linked to "interstate or foreign commerce," or when it occurs "within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or any territory or possession of the United States." 

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE AIRS FRUSTRATIONS, WARNS THAT SHE REPRESENTS A ‘NOT HAPPY’ REPUBLICAN BASE

The bill indicates that chemical castration refers to puberty blockers and supraphysiologic doses of testosterone and estrogen.

The "Protect Children's Innocence Act of 2025" would slap offenders with a fine, imprisonment of not over a decade, or both.

The proposal would allow exceptions in certain circumstances, one of which would be if necessary for the minor's health, though the measure stipulates that this "does not include a mental health disorder." 

NEW HOUSE BILL WOULD MAKE TRUMP BAN ON TRANSGENDER TROOPS PERMANENT

Markup for the measure in the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled for Tuesday.

The proposal is supported by dozens of other House Republican cosponsors, Greene's press release indicates.

President Donald Trump issued an order earlier this year to help protect children from radical gender-ideology-related measures.

US MASTERS SWIMMING UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER TRANS ATHLETE TAKES FIVE WOMEN'S GOLD MEDALS AT TEXAS EVENT

The order declares that "it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures."

Are there any Democrats out there who aren’t running for president? Sure doesn’t seem that way.

Back in the day, potential candidates would deny even thinking about it.

I remember interviewing Marco Rubio in a Senate hallway about whether he might run in 2016. He denied even contemplating it. I knew it was bull. He knew it was bull. And, of course, he ran–and lost to Donald Trump.

It’s like when candidates or officeholders say they never look at polls, or offer some bromide on how the only poll that counts is Election Day. Hogwash. They all look at polls, erratic as they may be, or talk to consultants who look at the surveys for them.

LESS THAN 4 MONTHS INTO TRUMP'S 2ND TERM, DEMS ARE ALREADY EYEING THE 2028 RACE

But now a new dynamic is taking hold, one that might be summarized as: Hell yeah, I’m running!

I mean, there are obligatory nods to focusing on next year’s midterms. But there is no longer the Kabuki dance of pretending a lack of interest.

The New York Times has a nice piece on this. 

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is telling reporters he "would consider" a White House run. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says if he’s "asked to serve" – by whom? – he will do "whatever it takes" to run. Excuse me, how does Walz’s big flop as Kamala’s running mate qualify him for the top spot?

HEATING UP: NEWSOM, PRITZKER, BUTTIGIEG MAKE EARLY MOVES IN 2028 PRESIDENTIAL RACE 

Arizona’s Ruben Gallego, who’s been a senator for about 12 minutes, said he’s awaiting the birth of his third child but added: "Babies get older."

Many of these White House wannabes have little name recognition, which means they have nothing to lose by running, which can at least lead to a cable news contract.

Pete Buttigieg, having been bitten once by the bug, is obviously running again, but the former Transportation secretary is playing coy–"Right now I’m not running for anything" – right – but it’s nice to hear from people who backed him.

My favorite quote is from Gallego, who told NBC: "Has it ever crossed my mind? Of course," adding an expletive. "I’m an elected official. It crosses my mind."

DEMOCRATS ARE MAKING EARLY MOVES TO LINE UP 2028 PRESIDENTIAL BIDS

The prognosticators have counted at least 19 potential contenders. Many of them won’t make it to Iowa. Or won’t make it to the debate stage because their polls are too low. Or are forced out of the race when their fundraising dries up.

The Great Mentioner was openly replaced by the media, which in turn yielded to social media and podcasters. But the good old legacy media – now deemed a grievous insult – still have the chance to do the most original reporting.

It’s expensive to cover campaigns. Media organizations are charged for riding on Air Force One or private charters. Their bosses must pay for their food and lodging for days on end. Some expense account dinners are legendary.

But it’s fun, largely a young person’s game. They’re not sitting in some air-conditioned studio. Which is why you’re reading about this now, over 3½ years before the next presidential election. 

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, a Democrat, signed a bill Tuesday legalizing physician-assisted suicide for certain terminally ill patients, arguing that the measure is about "compassion, dignity, and respect for personal choice."

The End-of-Life Options Act, which takes effect next year, allows mentally capable adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to request a prescription to self-administer and end their lives.

"We're acknowledging today that even in the last moments of life, compassion matters," Meyer said at the bill signing. "Every Delawarean should have the right to face their final chapter with peace, dignity and control."

NEW YORK ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL TO LEGALIZE ASSISTED SUICIDE FOR THE TERMINALLY ILL

"This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms, without unnecessary pain, and surrounded by the people they love most," he continued.

Delaware is now the 11th state to allow medical aid in dying, joining California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Washington, D.C., also permits physician-assisted suicide.

"Today, Delaware joins a growing number of states in recognizing that end-of-life decisions belong to patients—not politicians," Meyer said. "This law is about compassion, dignity, and respect. It gives people facing unimaginable suffering the ability to choose peace and comfort, surrounded by those they love. After years of debate, I am proud to sign HB 140 into law."

Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, have also legalized so-called death with dignity.

The Delaware Legislature narrowly rejected the measure last year, but Meyer pushed for it this session and it passed last month. The governor's signature now ends nearly a decade of debate on the issue.

Under the new law, sponsored by Democrat state Rep. Eric Morrison, patients considering assisted suicide in the state must be presented with other options for end-of-life care, including comfort care, palliative care, hospice and pain control. The bill requires two waiting periods and a second medical opinion on a patient's prognoses before they can obtain a prescription for lethal medication.

MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE CONTROVERSIAL MEDICALLY-ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL

State Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, a Democrat, said the law "is about honoring the autonomy and humanity of those facing unimaginable suffering from terminal illness."

"This legislation exists due to the courage of patients, family members, and advocates who have shared deeply personal stories of love, loss and suffering," he said in a statement.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has reached a tentative deal with blue state Republican lawmakers to boost the cap on state and local tax deductions, or SALT, to $40,000 in President Donald Trump’s so-called "big, beautiful bill," Republican sources confirmed to Fox News late Tuesday. 

The proposed cap – which is up from $30,000 – would be per household for taxpayers making less than $500,000 per year. 

GOP HOLDOUTS UNMOVED BY TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL' TRIP TO CAPITOL HILL

 It remains unclear whether GOP hardliners who oppose raising the SALT cap deductions will sign off on the measure. 

The tentative agreement, first reported by Politico and confirmed by Fox News, comes as House GOP factions have been engaged in high-stakes debates on taxes, Medicaid, and green energy subsidies while crafting the president’s "big, beautiful bill."

SALT deduction caps primarily benefit people living in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, Los Angeles, and their surrounding areas. 

BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS THREATEN MUTINY OVER STATE AND LOCAL TAXES IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'

Republicans representing those areas have framed raising the SALT deduction cap as an existential issue, arguing that a failure to address it could cost the GOP the House majority in the 2026 midterms. 

Meanwhile, Republicans representing lower-tax states are largely wary of raising the deduction cap, believing that it incentivizes blue states’ high-tax policies. 

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

The U.S. Senate has passed a new bill that would offer a tax deduction on tips worth up to $25,000.

This bill, if enacted into law, would also extend to business tax credits for payroll taxes on tips in beauty and spa services.

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, is pushing the proposal – which passed unanimously – an outcome considered rare for substantive legislation.

NEW PROJECTION SIGNALS GOOD NEWS FOR FAMILIES, WORKERS IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'

There are stipulations in the new bill: an employee with compensation exceeding $160,000 in the prior tax year would not be eligible to claim the new tax deduction for tips.

The bill is limited to cash tips received by occupations that are customarily tipped. 

"Tipped occupations" are jobs where tips are common in the U.S., such as waiters, waitresses and professionals providing beauty services like barbering, hair care, nail care, esthetics, body and spa treatments.

'FAILURE'S NOT AN OPTION': TRUMP BUDGET BILL WILL BE 'BIG' HELP FOR SENIORS, TOP HOUSE TAX-WRITER SAYS

The Budget Lab at Yale say they estimate there will be approximately 4 million workers in tipped occupations in 2023. 

They must also be reported by the employee to the employer for withholding payroll taxes. Under the current law, only tips exceeding $20 per month are required to be reported.

According to the report by Budget Lab, a non-tipped worker in 2023 was a minimum of approximately 10 years older than the typical tipped worker.  They also say one-third of the number of tipped workers were below 25, with 13% being teenagers.

This new bill, if passed, would cost $110 billion in federal revenues over 10 years, according to estimates by the center-right Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, pointed out during her floor speech that this bill was one of President Donald Trump's key campaign promises.

"I am not afraid to embrace a good idea, wherever it comes from. So I agreed we need to get this done," she said.

The passing of this bill through the Senate occurs as congressional Republicans attempt to seek advancement of a massive tax cut and spending package that will create a tax break on tips for the next four years.

The next step is the House of Representatives before it becomes law.

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey was ousted Tuesday in a stiff Democratic primary challenge from Corey O'Connor, the son of a former city leader who had the support of the party's "old guard" and some Republicans.

Mayor Ed Gainey, seen as the progressive in the race, began the contest on roughly even footing in terms of campaign funding, but O'Connor, son of the late former Mayor Bob O'Connor, had outraised and outspent the incumbent by April – ultimately putting up a fight in a city that has not been competitive on a partisan level since the 1930s.

O’Connor received support from some Republican donors, as well as the "old guard" Democratic base, according to The New York Times.

"This is an election about Pittsburgh, about how we get our city back on the right track. It’s laughable to make arguments about progressive/not progressive. The outside groups that are meddling, I guarantee you – they haven’t looked at the records of either one of us," O’Connor told the paper.

GOP WINS FIRST PHILADELPHIA STATE SENATE SEAT IN 28 YEARS, AS RED GAINS IN BLUE AREAS CONTINUE

O’Connor’s campaign has also shown support for the resourcing of the police and his own plan to revitalize the downtown area. He has also received large outside contributions from groups like Common Sense Change Action and Democracy Wins, according to the Post-Gazette.

Gainey took office as the Steel City's first Black mayor after defeating incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto in 2021. He has cast himself on the national stage as a critic of President Donald Trump and his agenda, while also working to attract new business to Pittsburgh — including the 2026 NFL Draft, which is estimated to bring a $200 million economic boost to the area, according to a source familiar.

Gainey also previously pledged not to cooperate with federal ICE operations and has called Trump’s budget cuts a "direct attack on working families" and the economy of Western Pennsylvania.

"ICE is not going to end the situation of a failed immigration policy. What it’s going to do is create more situations where people feel scared, where people don’t feel safe," Gainey said in January – a sentiment which earned the rebuke of another Pittsburgh politician, Republican U.S. Sen. David McCormick.

"Gainey needs to follow the law and the lead of some other Democratic mayors working to keep our cities safe," McCormick said, according to WTAE.

PA SEN MCCORMICK THANKS CASEY FAMILY FOR DECADES OF SERVICE AS DEMOCRAT DECLINES TO CONCEDE

Gainey’s campaign has highlighted the mayor’s efforts to increase community policing and mental health professionals to assist in police response, while O’Connor also claims the mantle of the pro-police candidate.

Under Gainey, the city ranks first in state population growth and has increased its affordable housing by 1,600 units.

Working with Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Gainey secured $600 million for downtown revitalization and improvements to the city's iconic Point State Park.

"Thanks to our people-powered movement, our campaign has all of the momentum in this race. We’ve proven again and again since 2021 that when we come together — across race, across class, religion, age, across every line that’s ever been used to divide us — we are unstoppable," Gainey said in a statement.

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On the Republican side, retired Police Det. Tony Moreno – who lost to Gainey last cycle – is running in the GOP primary against clothier Thomas West.

On the other side of the commonwealth, George Soros-backed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner won his primary, and in the state's third-largest city, Allentown, progressive incumbent Matt Tuerk is facing off against another "old guard" Democrat in Councilman Ed Zucal.

Philadelphia Democrat District Attorney Lawrence Krasner survived a primary challenge from Judge Pat Dugan in what was seen as a truly competitive race this year for top prosecutor in the six-to-one Democrat stronghold.

However, if it turns out that Dugan received enough Republican write-in votes in addition to his cache on the Democrat ballot, he will have the opportunity to have a November rematch against Krasner.

Republicans, largely out of power in the city since Mayor Bernard Samuel in the 1950s and two at-large city council seats reserved for minority parties, saw Dugan’s candidacy as an opportunity to oust Krasner whether he won or not on Tuesday.

The city’s Republican Party funded a website advising voters to write-in Dugan on the Republican line. By law, if Dugan receives 1,000 write-ins, he will be named the Republican general election nominee, unless he declines the opportunity. That would give more city voters a chance to turn out Krasner in the November general election.

2024: THE YEAR LAW AND ORDER WAS RESTORED BY VOTERS

"This is about making crime in Philadelphia illegal," PhillyGOP Chair Vince Fenerty told the South Philly Review.

Dugan had the support of several Democrat ward committees and Philadelphia political stalwarts like state Sen. Tina Tartaglione, plus a slew of union groups like IAFF and the Teamsters.

In his pitch to voters, Dugan drafted a "geographic prosecution plan" to crack down on crime in the city.

"This plan is about more than just fighting crime – it’s about rebuilding communities. [It] will hold criminals accountable, provide second chances when appropriate, and ensure every neighborhood feels the impact of a fair and just system they can trust and believe in again," Dugan said in a statement on his campaign site.

PHILADELPHIA DA KRASNER SLAMMED BY MURDER VICTIM'S SISTER: WE'RE FED UP

Krasner, seeking a third term, has been lambasted for his progressive criminal justice policies and faced impeachment proceedings from Republicans in the now-Democrat-controlled state House of Representatives.

In 2023, a Commonwealth Court judge ruled the GOP-controlled Senate cannot hold a trial because the House’s articles of impeachment didn’t meet the bench’s standards.

One top Republican, 2022 gubernatorial nominee Sen. Doug Mastriano, who notably opposed Krasner’s impeachment, quipped, "Philadelphia: They want Krasner – they like him. That’s a huge mandate."

While there was a drop in homicides year over year in 2023, Philadelphia saw a spike from 351 the year he took office in 2018 to 562 in 2021. Krasner also ceased charges for certain offenses like marijuana possession, eliminated cash bail for some offenders and has sought generally more lenient sentences than conservatives want.

In the city where then-Mayor James Kenney did a dance on social media to celebrate its inception as a sanctuary city, Krasner followed up by refusing to honor ICE detainer requests, saying that letting the feds tell him who to jail is unconstitutional. Krasner’s backing from about $1.45 million in political action committee support tied to Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros has also led to criticism.

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Last week, Dugan told PhillyVoice the city is feeling "Krasner fatigue" after eight years.

"Many people come up to me and tell stories about how upset they are with some of the policies with the DA's office," he said.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced new legislation Tuesday aimed at dismantling the multimillion-dollar birth tourism industry that allows foreign nationals to use America’s immigration system to secure automatic citizenship for their children.

The Ban Birth Tourism Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare inadmissible any foreign national seeking a tourist visa for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States.

Those births automatically trigger U.S. citizenship for the child, a long-criticized loophole that opens the door to future family-sponsored migration.

SENATE REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE BILL TO REFORM BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, FOLLOWING TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL ORDER

Blackburn’s bill, which was read twice and referred to committee, includes a provision to protect legitimate medical travelers. If the primary reason for entry is medical treatment rather than citizenship acquisition, those cases would not be blocked.

"For too long, foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation’s immigration laws, taking advantage of the system to come to the United States solely to give birth and obtain citizenship for their children," Blackburn said in a press release. 

"The Ban Birth Tourism Act would prevent foreign nationals, including those from adversaries like Communist China and Russia, from buying American citizenship for their children. As President Trump works to end birthright citizenship, we need to get this bill to his desk."

The push comes as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on restoring immigration integrity in the president’s second term. During his first term, President Trump repeatedly vowed to end automatic citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants and tourists.

CALIFORNIA MAN SENTENCED FOR 'BIRTH TOURISM' SCHEME FOR AFFLUENT CHINESE WOMEN

In 2020, the State Department under his administration began denying visas to suspected birth tourists, a move hailed by immigration enforcement advocates.

Birth tourism is far from a fringe phenomenon. According to conservative immigration policy analysts, the industry accounts for at least 33,000 births annually to women on temporary visas. These children, upon turning 21, can legally sponsor their parents for green cards, offering a backdoor into the U.S. immigration system. 

A 2015 report by the Center for Immigration Studies estimated the practice generates millions of dollars for companies that specialize in bringing pregnant foreigners, primarily from Russia and China, to the U.S. These firms often charge tens of thousands of dollars for packages that include visa coaching, hospital stays, and luxury accommodations.

In one of the largest federal crackdowns to date, the former Trump administration's Department of Justice in 2019 charged nearly 20 individuals in Southern California for operating extensive birth tourism networks targeting Chinese nationals.

Prosecutors accused the businesses of coaching clients to lie to immigration officials about the purpose of their travel, a tactic common among such operations.

Blackburn’s bill would codify into law the inadmissibility of any traveler seeking to exploit this loophole, ensuring that birthright citizenship cannot be used as a ticket to game the system. 

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The Office of Senator Marsha Blackburn referred Fox News Digital to a Tuesday press release.