FIRST ON FOX: A conservative legal group is putting "sanctuary" jurisdictions across the U.S. on notice ahead of an expected mass deportation by the incoming Trump administration.

America First Legal says it has notified nearly 250 officials in jurisdictions which limit or forbid local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that there could be legal consequences for interfering with the feds or for concealing illegal immigrants.

President-elect Trump has promised to launch a "historic" deportation campaign when in office, and his transition team has already been making concrete steps towards that goal. America First Legal’s president is Stephen Miller, who will serve as deputy chief of staff for policy in the Trump White House.

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But a number of Democratic officials in states including in Arizona, Colorado, California and Massachusetts have said they will not cooperate with the operation. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has hinted there could be legal consequences for those who get in the way of the operation.

Proponents of sanctuary policies argue that local jurisdictions cannot be compelled to assist the government, and that barring ICE cooperation encourages otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants to work with police and report crimes, making the area safer. Opponents say that policies result in the release of otherwise-deportable criminals back onto the streets.

AFL’s notice letter to the 249 officials says that the federal government has ultimate authority over immigration, and points to clauses in federal law that prohibit state and local governments from restricting communications with DHS about immigration status, and that make concealing, harboring or shielding an illegal immigrant a federal crime.

The group argues that sanctuary policies can therefore lead to criminal liability, and that victims of illegal immigrant crime may be able to sue for damages.

"We have identified your jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction that is violating federal law. Such lawlessness subjects you and your subordinates to significant risk of criminal and civil liability. Accordingly, we are sending this letter to put you on notice of this risk and insist that you comply with our nation’s laws," the letter says.

The group is also launching a new website that gives users a map of "sanctuary strongholds," identifying jurisdictions with sanctuary policies and giving contact information for elected officials.

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The group also announced that it has also filed a petition with the DOJ’s Office of Violence Against Women to seek data on citizenship status and nationality information against those charged with a slew of crimes against women and children, including domestic violence, murder and child maltreatment. In addition, it is filing requests to officials, including mayors and governors, across the U.S. for information on organizations it believes are undermining federal immigration enforcement.

In a statement, America First Legal's Senior Vice President Reed D. Rubenstein pointed to the recent arrest of an illegal immigrant in New York City in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire and burned to death as "another reminder that open borders and sanctuary jurisdictions are sheer insanity."

"The left-wing politicians who create and run them, and those who support them, put our citizens at risk, undermine our Constitution, and dangerously erode the rule of law. America First Legal will continue working tirelessly to protect our immigration laws and support the brave men and women who enforce them. Today’s actions are but a first step in our fight against sanctuary lawlessness," Rubenstein said.

The new announcements shine a spotlight on what could be a fierce fight between the Trump administration, and its allies, and Democrats and left-wing activists over the deportation push and the extent to which it can be resisted at state and local level.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Some have doubled down on their opposition, with the Boston City Council recently voting to limit ICE cooperation and to ban police from keeping migrants in custody for possible deportation unless there is a criminal warrant.

The resolution adopted by the council states that "proposals for mass deportations represent a direct attack on Boston’s immigrant families, and threaten to tear communities apart."

Some Democratic officials, however, have indicated their willingness to work with the incoming administration. Homan met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams last week to discuss areas of potential cooperation, including the deportation of violent illegal immigrant criminals. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also said he wanted to see "violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime" deported, and said he would welcome a meeting with Homan.

Fox News reported this month on new data provided to Congress that showed there are 1.4 million noncitizens who have deportation orders but are not currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.

• I make Ina Garten's potato-fennel gratin every Christmas.
• I first made it when I barely knew how to cook, and the easy recipe was 100% foolproof.
• The dish is cheesy and comforting and pairs perfectly with any holiday side dish.

There's one "Barefoot Contessa" recipe I make for my family every Christmas, and I think it deserves a spot on everyone's holiday menu.

I originally found Ina Garten's recipe for potato-fennel gratin on the Barefoot Contessa website, but it also appears in her first cookbook, "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook."

"I love to make potato gratin and fennel gratin, so I decided to combine the two," Garten writes in the description. "If you make this in an old French gratin dish, it looks wonderful and can go from the oven to the table with style."

I started making Garten's potato-fennel gratin when I had almost zero cooking skills, so I can attest that it's 100% foolproof. More importantly, it's incredibly comforting — and goes well with nearly everything.

Here's how to make it.

• I paid $1,500 for a three-night stay at a wellness resort called Palmaïa, The House of AïA.
• My king suite with an ocean view was super comfortable and I loved the 24-hour room service.
• I left the resort feeling better than I did when I arrived, so I'd say it was worth the money.

For me, traveling is the ultimate act of self-care. So, when I came across a wellness resort called Palmaïa, The House of AïA, on Hotels.com's Perfect Somewheres list — which highlights some of the top 1% of hotels on the company's app — I booked a trip.

I'd seen some of my favorite influencers raving about their stays at the all-inclusive resort located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, so I had high hopes for my trip to the wellness spot.

As a Hotels.com Platinum One Key member, I got a 36% discount when I booked my trip and paid about $1,500 for a three-night stay.

Here's what my experience was like.

• American Airlines will launch new longer-haul routes from LaGuardia. They'll only fly once weekly.
• LaGuardia's new routes are doable thanks to the "perimeter rule" being waived on Saturdays.
• American and other airlines also use perimeter rule exemptions in Washington, DC.

American Airlines will use a special rule exception to fly longer-than-normal routes out of New York's LaGuardia Airport next year.

An airline spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider on Monday that American will launch new flights to Bozeman and Kalispell in Montana and Calgary in Canada in June 2025 to target leisure travelers.

There is one caveat: The routes will only operate on Saturdays.

This is because, to manage airport capacity, LaGuardia allows flights of only 1,500 miles or fewer from Sunday through Friday. This is known as a "perimeter rule." Longer flights and bigger jets are primarily pushed to the nearby Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy airports.

However, the rule is waived for flights to Denver at all times and for flights operated to all other places on Saturdays. The latter exception gave American the leeway it needed to fly the new Saturday routes to Montana and Canada.

LaGurdia's slot restriction is also waived on Saturdays, meaning American won't need special takeoff and landing permissions for the routes. Cirium data shows all three flights will use a Boeing 737 Max and trek about 2,000 miles.

Operating Saturday-only flights to avoid the perimeter rule at LaGuardia is not new, though airlines have struggled to fill planes because Saturdays are lower-demand days.

Delta Air Lines, for example, cut two Saturday cross-country flights from LaGuardia to Los Angeles and Phoenix in January.

American also uses perimeter exemptions in the US capital

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC, is the only other US airport with a mandated perimeter rule. The restrictions at both airports were established in the 1980s.

Reagan's routes are limited to 1,250 miles. Dulles International Airport, about 30 miles away, gets longer flights.

However, over the past two decades, Congress has increased daily slot allowances to allow for more flights beyond the perimeter on Sunday through Friday.

American and other airlines have taken advantage of the exemptions. Cirium shows American already flies daily to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.

Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines also use exemptions to fly daily from Reagan to cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Denver, and Seattle.

The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill, signed in May, approved 10 additional slots that could operate within or beyond Reagan's perimeter. That equates to five more roundtrip flights.

American was awarded one of the slots on Friday, a daily roundtrip to San Antonio starting in March. It will be the only airline operating the flight.

Meanwhile, Delta was awarded a slot pair to Seattle, Alaska was given one to San Diego, Southwest will use one to serve Las Vegas, and United received approval to San Francisco — which will be the airline's second daily flight to the California city.

There is debate over keeping the perimeter rule at Reagan and LaGuardia.

Some advocates say it reduces noise and airport congestion and ensures airlines don't shift slots to abandon regional routes within the perimeter. A near-miss at Reagan in May also sparked concern that more flights could impact runway safety.

Opponents of the rule say it restricts airline networks, gives travelers less choice, raises airfares, and limits economic growth. For lawmakers, eliminating the rule at Reagan would mean more convenient flights into DC from their home states.

Next year’s iPhone purchase decision will be especially tough for a lot of users. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max both have a lot going for them, but so too will the new iPhone 17 Air. Here are four advantages the iPhone 17 Air will have over the iPhone 17 Pro.

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If you've been too busy fixing your video drivers to take part in this year's Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes, don't worry. You still have time to donate to a good cause and get a chance to win your share of over $4,000 worth of swag (no purchase necessary to win).

In the first week or so of the drive, hundreds of readers have contributed well over $16,000 to either the Electronic Frontier Foundation or Child's Play as part of the charity drive (Child's Play is barely hanging on to a small donation lead at the moment). That's a long way off from 2020's record haul of over $58,000, but there's still plenty of time until the Charity Drive wraps up on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

That doesn't mean you should put your donation off, though. Do yourself and the charities involved a favor and give now while you're thinking about it.

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