Despite fears of first-day chaos over the new REAL ID requirement, airports reported smooth sailing Wednesday, with no major disruptions tied to the rollout, according to security officials.

“We didn’t see long lines,” one passenger arriving at South Carolina’s Greeneville-Spartanburg Airport from Washington-Dulles told a local reporter. “It was a walk in the park.”

TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers said in April that about 20% of the public still lacks REAL ID compliance. When asked whether this could affect travel times starting Wednesday, she said it’s “reasonable” to expect travelers may need to arrive early.

DO WE EVEN NEED THIS? LAWMAKERS GET REAL ABOUT REAL ID MANDATE STARTING TODAY

“I am extremely concerned there will be long lines and a lot of confusion,” Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, added in comments to travel website The Points Guy ahead of the rollout. Meanwhile, Philadelphia International Airport urged passengers to arrive two-and-a-half hours early for domestic flights Wednesday. 

However, reporters at various airports across the country found that the delays some feared never came to fruition, and wait times were minimal. Airport and security officials confirmed their reports.

“We are pleased to share that the TSA lines are moving efficiently,” Nashville International Airport said Wednesday. “Smooth operations this morning,” Baltimore-Washington International Airport reported.    

“Smooth” operations were reported by airports and security officials alike. There was an increased presence of Homeland Security officials at Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, but no complaints were reported to Fox News reporters on the ground there from passengers.

Travelers on social media and in news reports shared stories of getting through airport security without a REAL ID, or its compliant equivalent such as a passport, which federal officials indicated would be possible with additional screening ahead of Wednesday’s rollout.

Several passengers without compliant identification were given a notice indicating their IDs were not REAL ID compliant, and they should expect delays the next time they travel if they don’t have one.

FLIGHT PASSENGERS WARN OF ‘REAL ID APOCALYPSE’ WHILE OTHERS ACKNOWLEDGE AMERICANS CAN STILL FLY

The federal government’s REAL ID requirement is two decades in the making and has faced several delays over the years.

The law stemmed from long-held concerns from federal officials about false identification, but gained momentum and was enacted following the 9/11 attacks.

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“REAL ID will keep us more secure. It gives us more information so that we know who is traveling on our federal transportation systems and our airlines,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday in a video from Washington-Reagan International Airport.

“Thank you everybody for all of your cooperation, and we’re looking to make America more secure in following our federal law.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., criticized Colorado leaders, as the state and the city of Denver are currently being sued by the Department of Justice over their immigration policies, and shared how Congress can step in.

“[Denver] Mayor Mike Johnston was unwilling to change policies that don’t even allow his city employees to coordinate with ICE agents. And that also is a coupling with Colorado state laws as well. And unfortunately, Gov. Jared Polis has not budged on those either. In fact, the Democrats who run our state legislature have gone even further. They want to expedite and make driver’s licenses immediately available for those who are in our state illegally,” Boebert told Fox News Digital in an interview on Tuesday.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Colorado District Court, accuses the state and its most populous city of implementing “sanctuary laws” in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. Colorado has become a national focal point, as it was revealed to be a hotbed for the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. 

CONSERVATIVE FIREBRAND FLIPS SCRIPT ON HOUSE DEM’S ‘GOTCHA’ RESPONSE TO NONCITIZEN VOTING CRACKDOWN

“The United States has well-established, preeminent, and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters,” the lawsuit reads.

ICE enforces federal immigration laws across the country but regularly needs additional support from state and local officials, particularly for large-scale deportations. The agency also asks police departments and sheriff’s offices to flag migrants it wants to deport and hold them until federal agents can take custody.

The Department of Justice has filed similar lawsuits challenging “sanctuary policies” in Rochester, New York, and Chicago.

COLORADO GOV. JARED POLIS POKES FUN AT TRUMP WITH OFFICIAL ‘SOUTH PARK’ PORTRAIT IN APRIL FOOLS’ DAY POST

“At a congressional level, other than codifying what President Trump is doing with his Executive Orders, we do have the power of the purse here in the House,” the Republican said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

“And so we need to begin to withhold funding from these sanctuary cities and really empower those who are obeying federal laws to do that more, incentivizing them with those federal dollars and with programs that benefit their areas,” she continued.  

President Donald Trump recently put forth an executive order threatening to cut federal funding to “sanctuary jurisdictions” if those governments do not make serious changes.

TRUMP ADMIN SUES COLORADO, DENVER OVER ‘SANCTUARY LAWS,’ ALLEGED INTERFERENCE IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

However, Boebert had a straightforward message for Colorado leaders as the federal government continues its immigration crackdown. As the Trump administration marked its first 100 days last month, ICE noted the arrest and deportation of more than 65,000 illegal immigrants, thousands of whom had criminal charges or were already found guilty of a crime.

“Obey federal law. If you want these federal dollars to come back and bless Colorado, Colorado is a beautiful state, and they know that. And we want to encourage people to come to Colorado to be there, to be with us, and to have a safe community.”

“Colorado is not a sanctuary state. The State of Colorado works with local, state and federal law enforcement regularly and we value our partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies to make Colorado safer,” a spokesperson for Polis’ office said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office for comment.

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report. 

Constituents in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s New York district are warning Republicans not to underestimate the firebrand progressive lawmaker who caused a sensational political upset in 2018 – as rumors swirl about the four-term congresswoman running for president in 2028.

Ocasio-Cortez hosted a town hall in New York City on Friday in the same neighborhood where she unseated longtime Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley to become the nation’s youngest congresswoman.

Against all odds and with little money, her spectacular win sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party as she effectively ended the political career of Crowley, who at that point was a 10-term incumbent and eyeing being the next House speaker. 

‘COME FOR ME’ AOC TAUNTS TOM HOMAN AFTER BORDER CZAR THREATENED TO REFER HER TO JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Some political observers say Crowley took Ocasio-Cortez for granted, while her constituents believe attaining the nation’s highest office is not beyond her grasp. Fast-forward to 2025 and Ocasio-Cortez has become one of the biggest voices in a party yearning for political leadership. 

The huge turnouts for her “Fight Oligarchy” tour events alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has fueled speculation she has enough momentum to launch a presidential bid, while she has also raked in $9.6 million in the first three months of the year, beating her own record fundraising haul. 

Mark LaVergne, who’s an independent and was outside Ocasio-Cortez’s town hall but did not attend, told Fox News Digital that he believes she has a winning personality.

“Don’t underestimate her. I mean, that was the mistake Joe Crowley and his people made seven years ago,” LaVergne said. “They underestimated her. That was a fatal mistake.”

Andrew Sokolof Diaz said Ocasio-Cortez’s popularity appears to be growing and said it would be an honor to vote for her.

“Absolutely, we stand with her. I think she absolutely has the support, not only here in her district, but she has the support nationally, maybe even internationally, to run for president.” Sokolof Diaz said.

Aleks Itskovich, who traveled from Brooklyn and moved to the U.S. from Russia when he was three years old, said he was inspired by the “Fight Oligarchy” tour and said it proves she connects with the ordinary person.

“It goes back to the authenticity,” Itskovich said. “I think that she’s able to come across as a genuine individual that is able to channel people’s concerns directly and feel relatable, honest, that she’s not coming from the 1%. She’s one of the most successful politicians of this generation, so I want to keep seeing how that goes.”

HYSTERICAL TOWN HALL ATTENDEE INTERRUPTS AOC, YELLS ABOUT ‘GENOCIDE’ IN GAZA: ‘YOU’RE A LIAR!’

However, not all were keen on the potential move, with Woodside resident Mary Madden saying she felt Ocasio-Cortez is too young, while John Szewczuk, who has lived in Jackson Heights for 44 years, said she may be too left wing to win the presidency outright, but he would still back her.

About 450 people packed into a local school auditorium to hear Ocasio-Cortez talk about a host of issues ranging from local concerns about a major casino to national issues like Medicaid and the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts. Long lines outside the location caused the event to be delayed for nearly 20 minutes while those who couldn’t get in were shuffled into an overflow room across the hall.

Inside, attendees gave Ocasio-Cortez a rousingly warm reception and appeared fully supportive of her legislative agenda and her representation of the district to date. Many questions from the audience centered around local issues, calls for a minimum wage hike, how to improve air quality, as well as asking her how she plans on tackling the Trump administration. 

The loudest applause came when Ocasio-Cortez voiced her opposition to a proposed new casino in Queens, which would be part of new sports and entertainment park. The $8 billion project is being spearheaded by New York Mets’ billionaire owner Steve Cohen and has gotten approval from the New York City Council. The congresswoman admitted, however, she doesn’t have a say in the matter since it’s a state issue and not in her district.

Applause also rang out when Ocasio-Cortez dared border czar Tom Homan to arrest her after he previously threatened to refer her to the Justice Department for giving advice to migrants on how to avoid being deported.    

The town hall went off without a hitch except for an early disruption by a protester who heckled at Ocasio-Cortez about the war in Israel. She was then removed. 

The town hall took place in a leafy section of Jackson Heights, known for its strong progressive leanings. A major avenue adjacent to the school was recently transformed into an “open street,” where traffic was substantially reduced to create more public space for pedestrians, cyclists and community use.

“I love it, it’s a great neighborhood, it is very diverse, probably one of the most diverse in the world,” Szewczuk said.

Conversely, the school is about three blocks away from the Roosevelt Avenue commercial strip, which has become notorious for its open-air sex workers, trash-filled streets, crime, drugs and anti-social behavior.

Roosevelt Avenue runs along the southern border of Ocasio-Cortez’s 14th District, and the strip is shared by Rep. Grace Meng. Fox News Digital observed at least 30 prostitutes soliciting sex along one block of Roosevelt Avenue about an hour after the town hall finished. 

Some sidewalks along the squalid strip are hard to navigate given the sheer number of people – many of whom are migrants – selling hot food, fruit and vegetables, counterfeit goods and what appeared to be stolen goods.   

Ocasio-Cortez never mentioned the strip, nor did any attendee ask about it in the question and answers section. While all questions were submitted in advance and Ocasio-Cortez left out a side door the moment the event ended, it appeared it was way down in the list of priorities for those in attendance. 

Sokolof Diaz and Szewczuk said it’s on local politicians to do more, while LaVergne said that Ocasio-Cortez has failed the neighborhood in that respect. LaVergne said he was also still angry that she helped stop Amazon opening a massive headquarters in Queens a few years ago.

“I feel very sad. Sometimes you walk by, there’s a Dunkin’ Donuts I frequent on Roosevelt and 82nd St., and I noticed that above that, there is some sort of thing going on. And I see the look in the eyes of these sex workers,” LaVergne said. 

“I really feel sorry for them. Some of them are here probably under difficult situations. Maybe they were forced here, maybe they’re forced to do this kind of work. You’ve got to take care of the people that’ll get you elected. I mean, that just seems like the most just thing. That’s justice. Taking care of the people who got you elected.”

FIRST ON FOX: A House Republican is seeking to ensure illegal immigrants who commit murder in the U.S. are eligible for the death penalty in all 50 states.

Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, is introducing a bill on Thursday called the Justice for Victims of Illegal Alien Murder Act, which would establish a new class of federal criminal offenses specifically directed at convicted murderers who are in the country illegally.

It would make those criminals eligible for life in prison or the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder.

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

Such a bill would strengthen federal prosecutors’ claims of jurisdiction over such crimes, even in states where the death penalty is abolished.

“We can hold those individuals accountable at the federal level because they’re here illegally. And here we are with that legislation,” Luttrell told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

He said part of the impetus for the legislation was a case in his home state of Texas in 2023 when a man who had been deported multiple times was arrested for killing five people in the U.S.

“That guy shouldn’t have been here as well. He had been deported a couple times, snuck back across the border, and now this happened. It’s time for us to step in and do this,” Luttrell said.

It’s also spurred partially by President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order in January mandating the death penalty for illegal immigrants who commit “all crimes of a severity demanding its use” and for people who murder police officers.

BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY

Luttrell said he’s hopeful at least some Democrats will support the bill as well.

“I do not run away from those conversations at all, because I think it’s necessary. That shows the American people that we’re working together on this. The American public voted for this administration because of the border,” he said.

Luttrell’s bill is backed by seven House Republican co-sponsors, including Republican Study Committee Chair August Pfluger, R-Texas.

A federal judge is blocking President Donald Trump from shuttering three federal agencies that assist public resources, minority businesses and mediation services.

Nearly two dozen Democratic-led states sued to stop Trump from closing the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). U.S. District Judge John McConnell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, sided with the states on Tuesday, affirming their arguments that the closings violated the separation of powers.

“It … disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated,” McConnell wrote.

Attorneys for the Trump administration had sought to argue that the states had no standing to bring a lawsuit in the case, but McConnell rejected that.

HOCHUL SPURS BIPARTISAN OUTRAGE OVER MASSIVE TOLL REBOOT AS DEMS WORRY TRUMP WILL BLOCK IT

“The States have presented compelling evidence illustrating that the harms stemming from the dismantling of IMLS, MBDA, and FMCS are already unfolding or are certain to occur,” McConnell stated, pointing to “the significant reduction in personnel available and competent to administer these agencies’ funds and services and the elimination of certain programs that served the States.” 

LEAVITT PUSHES BACK ON MEDIA’S ‘UNCERTAINTY’ ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

Earlier this year, McConnell also blocked the Trump administration from implementing a nationwide freeze on federal grants. McConnell sided with 22 states and the District of Columbia in that case on Jan. 31.

McConnell ruled that the Trump administration must “immediately restore frozen funding” until the case could be further litigated.

“The broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country,” the judge wrote.

Two Democrat-run cities in the Rockies are skirting state laws dictating which flags can be flown on government property, according to The Associated Press – and are granting particular attention to the LGBTQ Pride flag.

Utah and Idaho both have laws on the books barring government buildings from flying most flags, save for a select few – like the American flag and military flags. Utah’s law went into effect Wednesday.

UTAH BANS LGBTQ+ PRIDE FLAGS, MAGA FLAGS, OTHER UNAPPROVED FLAGS IN GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, SCHOOLS

In an eleventh-hour bid to circumvent the coming restrictions, Salt Lake City adopted four flags Tuesday: its existing flag, as well as modified versions of the Progress Pride, Transgender Pride and Juneteenth flags – each including the city’s signature sego lily. 

They were presented by Mayor Erin Mendenhall for adoption via ordinance, explained her spokesperson, Andrew Wittenberg, to Fox News Digital. 

“My sincere intent is not to provoke or cause division,” Mendenhall said, according to The AP. 

“My intent is to represent our city’s values and honor our dear diverse residents who make up this beautiful city and the legacy of pain and progress that they have endured,” she continued.

Violators of the Utah law, which Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, allowed to pass without his signature, can be fined $500 per day. The law’s supporters maintain that it’s a matter of institutions maintaining political neutrality.

STATE DEPARTMENT BLOCKS PRIDE, BLM FLAGS FROM EMBASSIES, OUTPOSTS WITH ‘ONE FLAG POLICY’

“This law is about keeping government spaces neutral and welcoming to all,” Republican House Speaker Mike Schultz said. “Salt Lake City should focus on real issues, not political theatrics.”

Meanwhile, in Boise, Idaho, Mayor Lauren McLean issued a proclamation last week retroactively designating the pride flag as an official city flag.

McLean has maintained that the Idaho law is not sound – and has even flown the pride flag over City Hall after it was enacted.

McLean has yet to respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

McLean and Mendenhall spoke Monday night to discuss their cities’ respective plans, though Wittenberg stressed to Fox News Digital that there was “no prior or additional coordination” between the cities’ officials.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A bill aimed at cracking down on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its practice of forced organ harvesting passed with overwhelming support on Wednesday – though one House lawmaker voted against it.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the lone Republican to oppose the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act, which passed 406-1.

“It’s just another example of us trying to stick our nose in another country’s business and write their laws,” Massie told Fox News Digital after the vote. “And at the end of the day, they’re gonna do what they’re gonna do, and it’s just sort of a virtue signal over here.”

Massie, a conservative libertarian, often votes against House bills that weigh in on another country’s affairs.

SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL

The Kentucky Republican pointed out that he opposed the legislation when it was up for a vote during a previous Congress.

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

But his pushback is also notable now given his status as an open critic of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and at times, of President Donald Trump. 

The bill was introduced by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and would authorize the Secretary of State to deny U.S. passports and visitor visas to people involved in organ trafficking circles.

It would also call for sanctions on entities and individuals found to have participated in the gruesome illicit industry.

U.S. lawmakers have accused China of forced organ harvesting of its ideological opponents, including Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghur Muslims. 

A group of blue states joined forces Wednesday to sue the Trump administration after it halted a program that federally funded electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The District of Columbia joined 16 states — including California, Colorado and Washington — in a suit over the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)’s efforts to halt Congress’ $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 mandated that federal agencies pause disbursement of all funds appropriated under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, including NEVI program funding. 

The Federal Highway Administration notified states in February that it was revoking previous state plan approvals and withholding or withdrawing NEVI program funds.

KAROLINE LEAVITT CONDEMNS ‘DANGEROUS ATTACKS ON TESLA: ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’

The lawsuit claims the FHWA is acting unlawfully, devastating the ability of states to build the charging infrastructure needed to make EVs accessible to more consumers, combat climate change and pollution and support the states’ green economies. 

It asks the court to declare Trump’s directives unlawful, vacate the actions and permanently stop the administration from withholding the funds. 

TESLA VEHICLES, CHARGING STATIONS TARGETED AS PROTESTERS DENOUNCE DOGE, ELON MUSK

In addition to the $300 million and $71 million in funding California and Washington stand to lose, respectively, the blue states previously adopted zero-emission vehicle standards that require a percentage of vehicles sold in the states to release zero emissions.

Washington’s laws further require all new passenger cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty vehicles sold in the state to be zero emissions by 2035. 

California’s State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan anticipated that California would need hundreds of thousands of additional EV charging ports to support passenger cars and trucks and “incrementally more” charging ports for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses to meet climate goals, according to a news release from the state.

SUSPECTED TESLA ARSONISTS HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES IN ACTS OF ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’: AG

“When America retreats, China wins,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in the release. “President Trump’s illegal action withholding funds for electric vehicle infrastructure is yet another Trump gift to China — ceding American innovation and killing thousands of jobs. Instead of hawking Teslas on the White House lawn, President Trump could actually help Elon — and the nation — by following the law and releasing this bipartisan funding.” 

The lawsuit comes as Democratic politicians, late-night hosts and political commentators have been touting Tesla’s plummeting stock and acts of vandalism against its vehicles, dealerships and charging stations.

The criminal acts have been linked by the FBI to nationwide protests against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

California, Colorado and Washington are leading the suit, joined by attorneys general from Arizona, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

We’re in the interlude between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

Derby winner Sovereignty won’t run in the Preakness coming up in Baltimore.

But House Republicans aren’t skipping out on trying to finish the big, beautiful bill. And if this were a horse race, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., would dare the pony players to bet against House Republicans when it comes to wrapping things up.

“Stop doubting us. We’re going to get this job done,” said Johnson about the plan to renew tax cuts and slash spending.

REPUBLICANS SQUABBLE OVER TRUMP SPENDING PLAN AS FISCAL YEAR 2026 LOOMS: ‘STAY UNTIL WE PASS IT’

House Republicans aren’t exactly maidens here. But the morning line might suggest House Republicans are due to lose in this sweepstakes.

Like the Triple Crown, there are three steps to this legislative tournament. And Republicans are now on to the final leg of a legislative trifecta.

It was a photo finish in February when House Republicans barely adopted the framework for the tax cut and spending reduction measure. The House GOP leadership appeared to make the vote a late scratch – with Members fleeing the Capitol, only to have them recalled to the House chamber moments later. The Republican leadership brass shored up support for the plan and the House passed it.

It was a repeat in April when House Republicans tried to align with the Senate on their version of the blueprint. Republicans managed to lug the framework across the finish line by a nose, 216-214. Flip one vote and that would have produced a tie. A tie vote would have sent the big, beautiful bill out to a big, beautiful pasture.

House Republicans were only in the money on the Senate framework after conservatives secured some commitments from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that senators would make substantial spending cuts.

But when it comes to actually finishing this version of the bill, House Republicans are barely a furlong into the race.

A debate rages about what Republicans should address in the bill. Passage hinges on what’s in or out.

“Everybody’s going to have to give, including, the SALT provision,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., referring to a potential deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT. “There’s a happy medium that will have to be met to get the cuts.”

Moderate Republicans from high tax states like New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey will demand the deduction in order to secure their votes for the entire plan. Norman noted that “each individual state’s going to have to have some pain” before this goes to the finish line.

“We’re going to find the equilibrium point on SALT that no one will be totally delighted with,” said Johnson. “But it’ll solve the equation and we’ll get it done.”

USER’S MANUAL TO WALTZ’S NSA EXIT AND ITS REVERBERATIONS ON CAPITOL HILL

“We’re in a very good place as it relates to not just the SALT deduction,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., “The people like the ones I represent in Staten Island and Brooklyn desperately need this relief because our mayor and our governor keep hammering us over the head with high taxes.”

There are also items President Trump insists that lawmakers tuck into the bill.

“No tax on tips. No tax on overtime,” echoed House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.

But the toughest decisions of all center around changes – or cuts – to entitlement programs. Republicans have bandied around the idea that they could save up to $550 billion from waste and fraud in Medicaid over a decade. But there’s evidence that figure is markedly lower. Republicans disagree.

“Some of the information we’ve uncovered would indicate that (the improper payments figure) is much higher,” said Johnson. “We’re going to try to eliminate that. And I think we owe that to the taxpayers.”

But Democrats aren’t buying that.

“They’re lying to the American people,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Democrats argue Republicans might cook the books to cover the cost of the tax breaks and shore up possible holes in the deficit.

“They’re going to make up whatever numbers they want,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., the ranking Democrat on Energy and Commerce Committee. “They know they can’t reach these numbers.”

One item expected in the bill: a major hike in the debt ceiling.

“When is X date?” asked Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing.

The “X date” refers to when the federal government exhausts its ability to cover its obligations.

“As an outfielder running for a fly ball, we are on the warning track. When you’re on the warning track, it means the wall is not that far away,” replied Bessent.

Or, coming up the side rail.

But Bessent added that the government “will not default.”

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHERE WE STAND WITH TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

Lawmakers grilled cabinet members about trimming departments at hearings this week. Such was the case when Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins appeared before a Senate panel.

“You are taking a meat cleaver approach. There’s that old adage. Measure twice. Cut once. You guys have been cutting without measuring,” charged Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.

“I’ve not cut anything yet,” responded Collins.

The Secretary added that there was a “goal” to restructure his department and cut significant numbers of jobs.

“Do you want to reach your goal or not?” asked Hassan.

“The goal is not a fact,” replied Collins.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also found herself testifying about efforts to shrink her department before another Senate panel. She conceded that slimming government is hard.

“Have we done it perfectly? No. Any type of scale change and big effort to basically realign an entire government agency is difficult,” said Rollins.

Democrats warn that Republicans will rue the day when they approve deep cuts.

“Each Republican who votes for reconciliation and bad budgets will be left holding that hot potato,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,” D-N.Y.

One senior House conservative told Fox they thought passing the bill would be “easy” compared to the other two rounds. Another conservative and a moderate Republican argued it would be harder. Much harder.

The best gamblers know that it’s best to quit when you’re ahead. House Republicans managed to eke out victories in the first two rounds. One argument is that they have momentum. Horse sense would tell you that the odds are against them.

But this is Capitol Hill. And you never know how things are going to turn out.

Mike Johnson and Republicans have no other choice. They promised the public they would pass the bill. President Trump expects it. There are no other options.

Pacing is everything in horseracing. A good jockey knows how to coax a burst of energy out of their horse at the right minute. When to give them the whip.

We’re looking at you, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.

So the crowd is roaring. The hooves are thundering. Mud and dirt are flying. The stewards are watching.

Johnson contends the House isn’t off the pace with its goal of passing the package by Memorial Day. But Republicans are trying to pass a very complex bill with a tiny majority. It’s like running on a sloppy track. Republicans gallop down the homestretch soon.

The next few weeks will be a wild ride.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg pressed Justice Department lawyers Wednesday evening over public comments President Donald Trump and other Cabinet officials made about deportation proceeding under the Alien Enemies Act— and floated the idea of moving some migrants to Guantanamo Bay.

During the hearing, Boasberg specifically pressed Justice Department lawyers over statements made by Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem about CECOT, the maximum-security prison in El Salvador where the U.S. has deported hundreds of migrants, as well as the White House’s ability to secure someone’s release.

He asked specifically about Trump’s remarks in an interview with ABC News, in which Trump told ABC News that he “could” secure the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian man and alleged gang member,  back to the U.S. from El Salvador if he chose to.

“Is the president not telling the truth?” Boasberg asked Justice Department lawyer Abishek Kambl. “Or could he secure his release?” 

The question goes to the heart of whether El Salvador has custody of the deported migrants, a major question at the heart of the case.

He also grilled Kambli over Noem’s comment that CECOT is “one of the tools in our toolkit the U.S. “can use” against individauls who “commit crimes against the American people,” and comments from as well as comments from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that the U.S. has provided $6 million dollars to El Salvador to house migrants at the infamous CECOT prison.

In response, Kambli said these remarks sometimes “lack nuance.” 

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

“That goes toward the president’s belief about the influence that he has.” “Influence does not equate to constructive custody.”

Trump officials have sought to portray Boasberg, a high-profile judge in D.C., as the face of judicial overreach and today’s hearing could put him back in their crosshairs.

Unlike the previous lawsuit heard by Boasberg in March, which sought to temporarily block Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport certain U.S. migrants, plaintiffs are asking the court to hear a larger request for more lasting relief.

The preliminary injunction was filed as a class, and seeks to protect two classes of migrants: Detainees already removed from the U.S. to the infamous Salvadorian prison, as well as those still detained on U.S. soil at risk of imminent removal.

 TRUMP ADMIN SEEKS EMERGENCY RELIEF OF BOASBERG CONTEMPT THREAT

Plaintiffs are seeking broader and more lasting relief for two sub-classes, or groups of individuals at risk of what they argue is “grave and irreparable harm” under the Alien Enemies Act.

For U.S. detainees who could be removed under the law, plaintiffs asked for an order blocking their removal under AEA and requiring the Trump administration to provide them with at least 30 days notice before any planned removals – notice they said would be sufficient to allow them to challenge their removals in U.S. court. 

Migrants who were already deported to CECOT could face a trickier path to relief.

TRUMP DEMANDS SUPREME COURT STEP IN AFTER FEDERAL JUDGES BLOCK HIS AGENDA: ‘THESE PEOPLE ARE LUNATICS’

Plaintiffs asked Boasberg in their amended request to order the Trump administration to not only facilitate the return of already deported migrants, but to take “all reasonable steps” to do so. 

This could include requiring the administration to request any contractors or agents in El Salvador to transfer the individuals from CECOT and into the “physical custody” of the U.S., they said. 

It’s unclear whether the Trump administration will take any steps to comply with the order, should Boasberg move to grant the injunctive relief plaintiffs are seeking. If their responses have been any indication, compliance in the near-term seems unlikely.

4 MORE DEMS TRAVEL TO EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RETURN TO US

The hearing comes as the Trump administration has grown increasingly defiant in the face of court orders to return migrants from CECOT back to the U.S. – including two migrants who were erroneously deported to the maximum security prison in March, and ordered back to the U.S. by two separate federal judges.

The administration has refused to return them. So far, the Trump administration has not said whether it has returned any migrants deported from the U.S. to CECOT under the law.

And the identities of these individuals can be difficult to track: To date, the Trump administration has not released a list of the names of individuals it has deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act‚ and the Salvadorian government has also shielded their identities from public disclosure.

The administration’s growing resistance on the issue has sparked fresh concern from Trump critics and some court observers, who have cited fears that the administration could be testing their boundaries on executive branch authorities.

Plaintiffs also cited fears of real harm to the migrants. 

They said in their filing that, absent injunctive relief, the Trump administration “will be free to send hundreds more individuals to the notorious Salvadoran prison, where they may be held incommunicado for the rest of their lives.”

FIRST ON FOX: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier fired back Wednesday at an Obama-appointed Miami federal judge who attempted to halt enforcement of a state immigration law.

Uthmeier told Fox News Digital he submitted a motion to the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit to stay a motion to halt Florida’s illegal immigration law.

“As the late Justice Scalia once said, ‘If securing its territory in this fashion is not within the power of [Florida], we should cease referring to it as a sovereign state,'” Uthmeier said. “My office will fight this judge’s order to the top if we must and continue being the Trump administration’s best partner in the mission to remove every illegal alien and protect our state and nation’s sovereignty.”

Uthmeier had originally told Judge Kathleen Williams he could not tell his law enforcement officers not to enforce the state’s new law making it a misdemeanor for illegal immigrants to enter Florida to avoid the feds.

FLA AG TO REBUFF JUDGE WHO ORDERED HALT TO STATE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT: THE COURT HAS OVERSTEPPED

Williams ruled the law violated the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, while Uthmeier countered he couldn’t order the Florida Highway Patrol to stop any enforcement because it wasn’t party to the order.

“Florida cops don’t need my permission to do their jobs. And the judge can’t order law enforcement officers to stand down when they aren’t even parties to the case,” Uthmeier told Fox News Digital exclusively Wednesday.

“This is Law 101. She doesn’t have jurisdiction. We hope the appellate court will fix the problems the lower court created and reaffirm that, as ‘the least dangerous branch,’ district court judges must stay in their constitutional lane.”

FLORIDA AG LAUNCHES OFFICE OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, LENDING LEGAL FIREPOWER TO DFEEND PARENTS’ ‘GOD-GIVEN RIGHT’

In his filing, Uthmeier argued Florida did “nothing more … [but] to aid the United States in curbing illegal immigration within the state’s borders” and didn’t take any actions that would violate the Constitution.

“SB 4-C (the law) criminalizes the entry into Florida of those who have illegally entered the United States. That law tracks federal law to a tee.”

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“Florida law defines an ‘unauthorized alien’ as ‘a person who is unlawfully present in the United States according to the terms of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act.’

“I do not believe an AG should be held in contempt for respecting the rule of law and appropriate separation of powers. The ACLU is dead set on obstructing President Donald Trump’s efforts to detain and deport illegals, and we are going to fight back. We will vigorously defend our laws and advance President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration.”

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

–Vance previews US-Iran nuclear talks, says Trump ‘open’ to sitting down with Russians, Chinese in future

-Congress moves to address air traffic controller crisis as Newark meltdown sparks alarm

-205 arrested in FBI child sex operation, Patel and Bondi announce

A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to immediately resettle some 12,000 refugees into the U.S. under a court order that partially blocks President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at halting the refugee admissions program. 

U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead, a 2023 appointee of former President Joe Biden, issued the order despite the Trump administration saying during a hearing last week that it should only have to process 160 refugees into the country and would likely appeal any order requiring thousands to be admitted.

“This Court will not entertain the Government’s result-oriented rewriting of a judicial order that clearly says what it says,” Whitehead wrote Monday. “The Government is free, of course, to seek further clarification from the Ninth Circuit. But the Government is not free to disobey statutory and constitutional law — and the direct orders of this Court and the Ninth Circuit — while it seeks such clarification.”…READ MORE

ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ: Trump pushes to reopen infamous California prison, but Pelosi and Newsom dismiss it as a ‘distraction’

CAMPUS PROBE: University of Washington faces Trump admin antisemitism scrutiny over anti-Israel protests

COMPLIANCE NOTED: How many Americans are actually ready for REAL ID? Compliance crosses partisan, geographic bounds

SUMMER BUMMER: New travel rules, same confusion: ‘Real ID’ raises questions, concerns among college-aged travelers

‘YOU’LL BE OKAY’: Top TSA official explains what to do if you do not have REAL ID

‘ITS A DISASTER’: Trump offers to help Obama with presidential library troubles

ACT OF WAR’: Pakistan calls India’s strikes an ‘act of war’ and claims it shot down Indian fighter jets

‘A LITTLE PATIENCE’: Cardinals gather in St. Peter’s Basilica for final Mass before conclave to choose new pope

TEHRAN TORTURE: Family of American hostage tortured in Lebanon wins landmark case against Iran

SIGNALS CROSSE: China’s spying in Cuba sparks alarm on Capitol Hill after fresh satellite images show surveillance buildup

‘DURABLE PEACE’: Vance says Russia’s demands are too high, but there’s still a path to resolution of Ukraine war

LIKE ‘GOODFELLAS’: Fetterman slams ‘dumb hit piece’ about health, says it felt like being in classic mob movie

HAT IN THE RING: Illinois Rep. Krishnamoorthi jumps into crowded Democratic race for Senate

INTIMIDATION AND THREATS: Durbin calls on DOJ to investigate anonymous pizza deliveries to judges’ homes

ROCK BOTTOM: President Trump’s approval ratings slide, but Democrats’ poll numbers drop to new lows

‘ALARMING’: Antisemitism spiking around the world, ADL finds in its first-ever global report

HUNTING PREDATORS: FBI targets 250 suspects in ‘764’ network of online predators manipulating kids into violent, explicit videos

DISTURBING DETAILS: Riley Gaines says ‘literal human feces’ thrown in protest of Turning Point USA at University of Washington

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON: Son of independent U.S. senator mounts Maine gubernatorial bid

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

President Donald Trump revealed a new pick for surgeon general on Wednesday, saying he will now nominate Dr. Casey Means for the job.

“Casey has impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans,” Trump said late Wednesday afternoon in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History.”

Means, a vocal “Make America Healthy Again” proponent, played a big role in helping shape the administration’s agenda surrounding health, alongside her brother, Calley Means.

Calley Means has been tapped by the administration to serve as a special advisor to Secretary Kennedy.

FOOD DYES TO BE PHASED OUT BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN LATEST ROUND OF BANS

Trump previously announced he would nominate Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News contributor, to be surgeon general.

It’s unclear why Nesheiwat’s nomination was pulled. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for more information. 

Trump added in his post that Secretary Kennedy “looks forward to working with Dr. Janette Nesheiwat in another capacity at HHS.”

TRUMP’S SURGEON GENERAL PICK TOUTED AS ‘FIERCE’ MAHA ADVOCATE BEFORE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Meanwhile, in a follow-up post on X, Nesheiwat also said she was “looking forward” to continuing to support Trump while working closely with Secretary Kennedy “in a senior policy role.” 

“My focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans, and that mission hasn’t changed,” Nesheiwat concluded in her public social media remarks.  

President Donald Trump’s executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government has returned financial power to the people, OJ Oleka, CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation, told Fox News Digital. 

Oleka said there’s a “new sheriff in town” and that Trump is “making good” on his promise to eliminate DEI by shifting financial policies “away from the left and back to the center,” empowering state financial officers and building trust with the American people. 

“We know that when companies focus on business, their business does better. If their business does better, shareholders make more money, their employees have a better quality of life within their business and their consumers get a better product,” Oleka told Fox News Digital at the State Financial Officers Foundation conference in Orlando, Florida. 

Oleka said focusing on financial returns and merit-based incentives over DEI or environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies creates “more money for shareholders, better culture in the office for employees and better products for consumers and customers,” exactly what state financial officers have been asking for. 

WHITE HOUSE VOWS TO IMPLEMENT ‘SYSTEM OF MERIT’ IN US, DISMANTLE DEI ‘STRANGULATION’

“The American people want every individual to succeed,” Oleka said. “They want people to succeed on their merit, on their ability, on their skill. It’s very important to us as Americans. But what they don’t want is for people to get preferences just because of some political ideology.” 

He said there are misconceptions about DEI “because people hear diversity, equity and inclusion, and they think, ‘Well, those are good things. I support diversity. I want people to be included, and people should have the resources that they need.’

“To be very clear, when we’re talking about DEI, we’re saying that DEI is trying to provide racial or gender preferences for people based on past grievances. It effectively has nothing to do with merit or looking at somebody’s skill for a job or for an opportunity.” 

MAJOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER ACCUSED OF HIDING DEI PROGRAMS, INFLUENTIAL SENATOR CALLS THEM OUT

Equal opportunity is giving people access to create their own opportunities, to try to be as successful as they can be with their skills, ability and merit, according to Oleka. 

Oleka explained that DEI is subjective because it prefers “folks based on what you think is important, based on your own politics.”

“It’s bad to say, from a company’s perspective, ‘Let’s just hire people based on race, based on gender,’ as opposed to skill and ability,” Oleka said.

“It’s bad because it can harm the performance of what that company actually does with their business responsibilities. That matters to our financial officers because they invest in a lot of these companies. It’s their job as fiduciary leaders to make sure that the pensions that they invest, the public funds that they invest by virtue of their positions, are actually done so by companies and with funds where the returns are going to be high.

“We can’t guarantee that the returns are going to be as high as they can be if the companies aren’t even focusing on their specific mandate, on their responsibility. Instead, they’re focusing on their politics and trying to force an ideology or social agenda through their businesses. That’s not what business is for.” 

Oleka said his experience as someone with a Ph.D. in higher education who is also the son of Nigerian immigrants informs his rejection of political ideology or agendas in government-funded programs, including in public education, because these policies don’t improve students’ learning experience or academic performance. 

“That doesn’t actually contribute to kids’ learning,” Oleka said. “It doesn’t contribute to human flourishing. There really is no reason why people’s taxpayer dollars should be spent on that.”

Oleka told Fox News Digital the Orlando conference was critical to reminding state financial officers across the country they are not alone in pushing back against DEI and ESG policies that were promoted by former President Joe Biden’s administration. 

“It goes back to what I think most Americans believe. Their state government is closer to them than the federal government,” he said. “As a result, state leaders should have more power, as it relates to their finances, than the federal government, and what a state leader should do with that power is give it back to the people.”

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By empowering state financial officers to focus on financial returns and fiduciary duty instead of ideology and politics, Oleka said more Americans are incentivized financially. 

“It’s important that we have that same kind of leadership in the White House at the state level, making good on their promise to bring a Golden Age to America and to each state,” he said. 

As airports across the country are reporting relatively few issues on the first day of REAL ID enforcement, at least one aviation expert and former pilot tells Fox News Digital he doesn’t expect that kind of peace to last.

“From an airport operations perspective, neither [George W. Bush Intercontinental] or [Houston-Hobby] have responded to any issues,” a representative for Houston’s airports authority said Wednesday.

The official added that Texas law enforcement began issuing REAL IDs nine years ago and that the Lone Star State is well covered with 90% of its population listed as having a REAL ID.

On the other side of the country, an official with the Port Authority, which operates JFK, La Guardia and Newark-Liberty in the New York City area, said there were “no issues” at the latter.

IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDER

A Fox News producer reporting from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was able to go through security with an escort to get lunch without issue.

Officials at Newark Liberty were giving a slip of paper to passengers not yet REAL ID compliant as part of phase 1 of the rollout.

Moving down the Jersey Turnpike to Philadelphia, an official said they are having a “smooth REAL ID Day.”

“Checkpoint lines have been flowing all day and the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has had staff on hand to answer questions and process passengers,” the official said.

“PHL (Philadelphia International Airport) also had its customer care team pre-security to greet passengers and answer or direct questions. We saw most passengers ready with passports or the REAL ID state-issued identification as they approached the checkpoints.”

At the other end of I-95, Miami International Airport reported normal traffic at checkpoints and underlined that over the past year, the hub has partnered with the TSA to communicate with passengers, including terminal-wide signage, about the REAL ID deadline and alternate forms of identification.

REAL ID RENEWS AMERICA’S AGE-OLD DREAD OF THE DMV

At Charlotte-Douglas in North Carolina, wait times averaged 10 minutes throughout the day, and an official said its staff had been “well-prepared” for the adjustment.

At the busiest airport in the U.S., an official said everything was running smoothly.

“I was just downstairs (near the checkpoint). We did not see any adverse impact,” said Herschel Grangent Jr. of Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta.

Boston-Logan officials echoed that assessment, adding they also utilized the same advertising strategy as Miami for its REAL ID deadline preparation.

“At Logan, our customer service team will have extra staff on hand during the rollout to greet passengers and remind them to have their IDs out before they get into the TSA line,” an official said.

However, former commercial and private pilot Ryan Tseko told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday interview that any lull won’t last for long.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The amount of delays it’s going to put on the system is massive,” said Tseko, who formerly worked for United Express and is now a vice president at Cardone Capital.

“I don’t think the public was aware. I think it wasn’t clear,” he said, adding he expects a bottleneck at airports.

“A lot of these people are students who now have to drive up to 12 hours back and forth.”

He predicted that when issues begin appearing, there will be calls to delay full implementation once again, as has been the norm since the Bush era.

Fox News’ Courtney DeGeorge contributed to this report.

Protesters gathered outside Illinois governor JB Pritzker’s mansion on Wednesday thinking that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was holding a presser around the property. 

Secretary Noem did hold a press conference in Illinois on Wednesday, but it was more than half a mile away from the governor’s mansion, leaving the protesters “screaming” into the wind. 

“While we aren’t entirely sure what the protesters were protesting (we aren’t sure they know either), or why they were screaming in front of their governor’s mansion, we stand with every victim of illegal immigrant crime,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.

BLUE STATE GOVERNOR VOWS ‘RESISTANCE’ AS TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS SANCTUARY POLICIES

“Secretary Noem went to Springfield, Illinois to join Angel families to call for the end of dangerous sanctuary city policies under J.B. Pritzker and bring attention to an at-large illegal alien murderer who has been evading justice for two years for the stabbing of Emma Shafer.” 

As protesters shouted outside Pritzker’s mansion, Noem’s presser was held at the site where Emma Shafer, 24, was stabbed to death by Grabriel Calixto Pichardo, 25, an illegal migrant who is wanted on three first-degree murder charges and an aggravated domestic battery charge. Pichardo was reportedly dating Shafer at the time of the murder. 

Noem was also joined by the “Angel families” of Denny McCann and Jimmy Walden, who both lost their lives to illegal migrant crime. 

DHS UNLEASHES POSSIBLE MONEY-SAVING MEASURE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SELF-DEPORT: ‘SAFEST OPTION’

McCann was crossing the street on foot when he was hit, killed, and dragged down the road by Saul Chavez, an illegal immigrant who was drunk driving. Chavez was arrested and charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI, but disappeared for 11 years after being released on bond. He wasn’t apprehended until 2022.  

Walden was killed when an illegal alien, who had previously been deported twice, crashed into Walden’s motorcycle in Maryland. His father lives in Illinois. 

ILLINOIS FATHER SLAMS DEM GOVERNOR OVER SANCTUARY POLICIES

The purpose of the presser was to spotlight the sanctuary status of the state, and to call on the potential presidential candidate to “abandon these dangerous sanctuary policies.”

Pritzker responded to the presser with a statement on Wednesday.

“Unlike Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, Illinois follows the law,” the Illinois governor explained. The Trump Administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process, and disappearing law-abiding neighbors – including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process.”

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“Illinoisans are sending a clear message to Trump’s lackeys that we will not let you mess with us without a resistance,” Pritzker concluded. 

Language in a new budget bill up for a vote later Wednesday evening could put New York taxpayers on the hook for state Attorney General Letitia James’ legal fees in a fraud case being brought against her by the Trump administration. 

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued her proposed $254 billion budget last week, and the state legislature is set to begin voting on it this week. On Wednesday evening, Republicans and Democrats in the legislature will vote on the draft version of the state operations section of the budget. 

That section, according to a draft copy provided to Fox News Digital by the state Republican Party, includes language that would compel taxpayers to provide the money for a legal defense fund, that, while James is not named in the bill, would theoretically cover the New York attorney general’s legal costs pertaining to fraud allegations brought against her by the Trump administration’s Federal Housing Finance Agency.

TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES LEADING CHARGE ON NEW MULTISTATE LAWSUIT OVER HHS CUTS

The draft language, compiled by the Democrat-controlled executive branch, Senate majority and Assembly majority, would set aside $10 million for elected officials in the state to use for their legal defense when the case is in direct response to the official’s exercise of their duties. 

James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, who was obtained for her by the New York State Attorney General’s Office, characterized the Trump administration’s mortgage fraud claims against James as “political retribution” for her decision to go after Donald Trump over allegations he falsified business documents to obtain favorable business positions.

NY AG’S OFFICE HIRES ATTORNEY THAT REPPED HUNTER BIDEN TO DEFEND LETITIA JAMES AGAINST FRAUD ACCUSATIONS

According to the draft language of the New York operations budget bill, a state official would be permitted to use money from the legal defense fund if the official has previously had interactions with the U.S. government or a U.S. government official in the course of their official duties. There are additional criteria which would also apply to James, particularly when considering her former case brought against Trump that led to the first ever felony conviction of a U.S. president. 

The sources who provided the operations budget draft language said it should be made publicly available some time Wednesday. 

ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST LETITIA JAMES CALLS FOR NY STATE COURTS TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP ADMIN FRAUD CLAIMS

“Donald Trump promised a vicious revenge tour when he ran in 2024, and he’s put Attorney General James at the top of his list, and we’re ready to respond to these attacks,” a spokesperson for James told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. The spokesperson added that James plans to use both private and public state funds to mount her defense.

Meanwhile, New York GOP Chair Ed Cox told the New York Post that “this is what corruption looks like.” 

“Political insiders rigging the system to protect their own, while hardworking families get shortchanged,” Cox accused in a statement to the New York Post. “Tish James used her office to wage partisan lawfare against her political opponents, and now New Yorkers are footing the bill for the consequences.”

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg will hear from Trump administration lawyers and the ACLU on Wednesday evening in a second court case focused on President Donald Trump‘s use of the 1789 Alien Enemies Act to deport certain migrants.

Trump officials have sought to portray Boasberg, a high-profile judge in D.C., as the face of judicial overreach and today’s hearing could put him back in their crosshairs.

Unlike the previous lawsuit heard by Boasberg in March, which sought to temporarily block Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport certain U.S. migrants, plaintiffs are asking the court to hear a larger request for more lasting relief.

The preliminary injunction was filed as a class, and seeks to protect two classes of migrants: Detainees already removed from the U.S. to the infamous Salvadorian prison, as well as those still detained on U.S. soil at risk of imminent removal.

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

Plaintiffs are seeking broader and more lasting relief for two sub-classes, or groups of individuals at risk of what they argue is “grave and irreparable harm” under the Alien Enemies Act.

For U.S. detainees who could be removed under the law, plaintiffs asked for an order blocking their removal under AEA and requiring the Trump administration to provide them with at least 30 days notice before any planned removals – notice they said would be sufficient to allow them to challenge their removals in U.S. court. 

Migrants who were already deported to CECOT could face a trickier path to relief.

Plaintiffs asked Boasberg in their amended request to order the Trump administration to not only facilitate the return of already deported migrants, but to take “all reasonable steps” to do so. 

This could include requiring the administration to request any contractors or agents in El Salvador to transfer the individuals from CECOT and into the “physical custody” of the U.S., they said. 

It’s unclear whether the Trump administration will take any steps to comply with the order, should Boasberg move to grant the injunctive relief plaintiffs are seeking. If their responses have been any indication, compliance in the near-term seems unlikely.

The hearing comes as the Trump administration has grown increasingly defiant in the face of court orders to return migrants from CECOT back to the U.S. – including two migrants who were erroneously deported to the maximum security prison in March, and ordered back to the U.S. by two separate federal judges.

The administration has refused to return them. So far, the Trump administration has not said whether it has returned any migrants deported from the U.S. to CECOT under the law.

And the identities of these individuals can be difficult to track: To date, the Trump administration has not released a list of the names of individuals it has deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act‚ and the Salvadorian government has also shielded their identities from public disclosure.

The administration’s growing recalcitrance on the issue has sparked fresh concern from Trump critics and some court observers, who have cited fears that the administration could be testing their boundaries on executive branch authorities.

Plaintiffs also cited fears of real harm to the migrants. 

They said in their filing that, absent injunctive relief, the Trump administration “will be free to send hundreds more individuals to the notorious Salvadoran prison, where they may be held incommunicado for the rest of their lives.”

Families who lost loved ones to crimes committed by those in the country illegally took aim at sanctuary policies in Illinois and across the country at a press conference with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Wednesday.

Among the speakers was Jim Walden, an Illinois resident who lost his son, Jimmy, several years ago in a motorcycle incident while Jimmy was stationed in Maryland.

“My son was serving in the United States Marine Corps in the intel field. He worked for the National Security Agency. Jimmy was 21 years old,” Walden said.

TRUMP SAYS MEXICAN PRESIDENT IS AFRAID OF CARTELS AFTER SHE REJECTED HIS OFFER TO SEND US TROOPS TO MEXICO

“He was hit and killed by his motorcycle by an illegal that the state of Maryland admitted they knew was illegal five years before he killed my son. And in that five-year period, they had had him in jail five times. He was convicted of domestic violence and put on probation, and he was illegal. He would have been 30 years old yesterday.

“For our governor to get on national television and say that he’s gonna stand up and protect these people is a gut punch to anybody that’s lost one,” Walden said of Gov. JB Pritzker.

“I just call on Gov. Pritzker to be a true governor and stand by the federal laws and deport every one of them, every one. I don’t care if they’re two or 20 or 80. Send them back. We have a path to citizenship. It’s called the naturalization process.”

BLUE STATE REPUBLICAN CALLS ON COUNTY SHERIFFS TO DEFY SANCTUARY LAW, DEM GOVERNOR RUMORED FOR 2028 RUN

Noem said she did the press conference there at the “direction of President Trump today to draw attention to the dangerous policies of Illinois and the Illinois governor and what he has perpetuated as far as violence and criminality against his citizens here in this state.” 

President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order asking DHS and the Department of Justice to treat “sanctuary jurisdictions” as states and localities that could lose federal funding.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

“Springfield needs attention specifically because of the victims that have been here, but also because of the laws that come out of this city that impact the entire state that is protecting illegal criminals and not prioritizing American citizens and the citizens of this great state,” the secretary added.

She also noted that the location of the event had a special meaning. 

“But we’re standing here on this block today because this is the block where a young woman was killed just a couple of houses away from here. Emma Shafer was brutally stabbed and murdered by an illegal alien who was released into the United States by the Biden administration,” Noem explained.

Pritzker called the event a “publicity stunt” and took aim at the administration’s immigration policies.

BLUE CITY MAYOR SAYS ICE ARRESTS OF DANGEROUS CRIMINALS ARE NOT ‘FOCUSED ON MAKING US SAFER’

“Unlike Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, Illinois follows the law,” Pritzker said in a statement about Noem’s visit. “The Trump administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process and disappearing law-abiding neighbors, including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process.

“Trump-Noem publicity stunts do not make our communities safer or our immigration system smarter. Illinois doesn’t need to abuse power or ignore the Constitution to keep our people safe. Like the millions of Americans asking for sensible, humane immigration reform, I encourage the secretary to spend less time performing for Fox News and more time protecting the homeland.”

FIRST ON FOX: Undercover phone calls released today by pro-life activist group Live Action reveal that Planned Parenthood clinics across several states offer cross-sex hormonal treatments to minors as young as 16 with very little parental or medical supervision.

The group is now calling on Congress to defund Planned Parenthood of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding. 

Live Action conducted an undercover investigation in which a woman posing as a 16-year-old minor called dozens of Planned Parenthood locations seeking “gender-affirming care.” At least seven facilities told her they would prescribe cross-sex hormones at the first appointment.

In several instances, Planned Parenthood assured the caller that she could choose to meet with a provider virtually and have access to cross-sex hormones as quickly as the same day, despite the person posing as a minor saying they had just begun considering changing her sex. Facilities in Minnesota and Oregon stated they could schedule the minor within days or on the same day.

Five facilities stated that no prior therapy, mental health clearance or prior documentation was needed for her to obtain cross-sex hormones.

‘GENDER-AFFIRMING’ TREATMENTS DON’T BENEFIT YOUTH, SAYS PEDIATRICIANS GROUP: ‘IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES’

In addition to being the country’s largest abortion business, Planned Parenthood is also one of the leading distributors of sex-change drugs.

Cross-sex hormonal treatments, such as taking either testosterone or estrogen, are meant to alter the body to exhibit characteristics to conform with a person’s “gender identity.” Besides altering the natural makeup and functions of the body, cross-sex hormonal treatments can result in several harmful side effects, including permanent infertility.

Live Action President Lila Rose told Fox News Digital that the investigation exposes “a chilling reality” that “Planned Parenthood is fast-tracking vulnerable children into irreversible hormone treatments with almost no medical oversight.”

“These dangerous drugs can sterilize, stunt growth and leave lifelong scars. This is not healthcare. It is child abuse, and it must be stopped,” she said.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD UNDER INVESTIGATION BY JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OVER SALE OF FETAL TISSUE

Live Action is calling on Congress to defund Planned Parenthood of all tax-dollar funding it receives from the federal government.

“Planned Parenthood receives more than $700 million in taxpayer dollars every year. That is a catastrophe, and it must end,” said Rose. “It’s time for Congress and the president to act and defund this abusive corporation of the $700 million they receive from taxpayers every year.”  

This comes shortly after Fox News Digital reported that House Republicans are discussing measures that could potentially end federal funding of groups like Planned Parenthood as cost savings in their multitrillion-dollar bill advancing President Donald Trump‘s agenda.

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Two sources close to the House Energy and Commerce Committee told Fox News Digital that the move was being floated as lawmakers look to find at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to offset the cost of Trump’s tax priorities.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said last week that Republicans would target “big abortion” in the budget reconciliation process.

Planned Parenthood did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.