The Trump administration and Mexican officials reached a deal to ensure Texas farmers get much-needed water from the Rio Grande, less than a month after President Donald Trump accused the neighbor to the south of robbing the farmers of water promised under a decades-old treaty.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on Monday that the deal had been reached with Mexico to meet the current water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers as agreed under the 1944 Water Treaty.

Under the latest agreement, Mexico committed to send water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S. flow from six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle, which ends in October.

“Mexico finally meeting the water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers under the 1944 Water Treaty is a major win for American agriculture,” Rollins said. “After weeks of negotiations with Mexican cabinet officials alongside the Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, we secured an agreement to give Texas producers the water they need to thrive.”

TEXAS FARMING CRISIS LOOMSAS US, MEXICO SPAR OVER LONG-STANDING WATER TREATY

Rollins called the measure a significant step forward, noting that the Trump administration welcomes Mexico’s continued operation in support of American agriculture.

Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico agreed to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet over five years to the U.S. from the Rio Grande. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River.

But at times, Mexico falls short with its delivery to the U.S., and it has led to severe water shortages in the Rio Grande Valley for farmers and ranchers, killing crops and jobs while threatening the local economy.

BOTH SIDES CLAIM VICTORY AFTER SUPREME COURT RULES TEXAS RANCHER CAN SUE STATE OVER FLOODED LANDS

The agreement comes weeks after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico, possibly even sanctions, if it continued to rob South Texas farmers of Rio Grande water as promised under the treaty.

“This is very unfair, and it is hurting South Texas Farmers very badly,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social on April 10. “Last year, the only Sugar Mill in Texas CLOSED, because Mexico has been stealing the water from Texas Farmers. Ted Cruz has been leading the fight to get South Texas the water it is owed, but Sleepy Joe refused to lift a finger to help the Farmers. THAT ENDS NOW!”

TEXAS TOWN DECLARES ‘WATER EMERGENCY,’ TELLS RESIDENTS THAT IT COULD RUN OUT OF WATER

Trump continued, saying he will make sure Mexico does not violate treaties with the U.S. and hurt farmers in Texas.

“Just last month, I halted water shipments to Tijuana until Mexico complies with the 1944 Water Treaty,” he wrote. “My Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, is standing up for Texas Farmers, and we will keep escalating consequences, including TARIFFS and, maybe even SANCTIONS, until Mexico honors the Treaty, and GIVES TEXAS THE WATER THEY ARE OWED!”

Texas farm groups warned of a disastrous season ahead of them for citrus and sugar last year as Mexican and U.S. officials tried to resolve a dispute over the 1944 treaty that supplies U.S. farmers with critical irrigation.

The two countries have tussled over the treaty before, but the drought-driven water shortages were the most severe in nearly 30 years.

Democratic Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley warned President Donald Trump that his mass deportation efforts are “not going to end well” for him, during comments from the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner over the weekend.

Merkley’s warning came after being asked about his thoughts on Trump’s deportation policies and Democrats’ efforts to challenge them, specifically their decision to visit alleged Venezuelan gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, after the Trump administration deported him. 

Democrats insist Abrego Garcia was wrongly deported in the president’s sweeping decision to remove hundreds of mostly Venezuelan gang members from the United States, arguing Abrego Garcia is not a gang member despite the Trump administration’s insistence that he is. 

DEMOCRAT FAULTS HIS OWN PARTY FOR PICKING WRONG BATTLE WITH CASE OF DEPORTED MS-13 SUSPECT

“You know due process is a – it sounds very scholarly but it’s basically what prevents the government from sweeping you, or me, off the street,” Merkley said when asked his thoughts on Democrats’ defense of Abrego Garcia. “[Due process] is extraordinarily important for freedom.”

“I want President Trump to understand this is about freedom and that what he’s doing is undermining it,” Merkley continued. “It’s not going to end well for him because our nation is going to respond, and we are going to defend our Constitution and our freedom.”

The White House, meanwhile, slammed Merkley and other Democrats for choosing to die on a hill defending a documented criminal who was residing in the United States illegally.

DEMS RIDICULED FOR GOING ‘ALL IN’ ON SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA

“If the hill that Democrats want to die on is demanding the return of a violent illegal alien, wifebeater, and foreign terrorist, we are happy to dig that grave for them,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Fox News Digital in response to Merkley’s comments. 

In addition to Trump’s deportation of Abrego Garcia, Democrats have also been up in arms over the president’s decision to rescind student visas and deport non-citizen college students in the U.S. who have allegedly been involved in organizing anti-Israel, and some have argued anti-Semitic, protests on college campuses. 

The Trump administration has cited federal law that allows immigration enforcement against visa-holders deemed a national security threat.  

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On Monday, Trump also signed an executive order aimed at rescinding local sanctuary city policies that prevented local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. 

The new order seeks to hold federal funds hostage and allows the Justice Department to pursue “all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures” to bring non-compliant jurisdictions back into compliance with the new order. 

A bill that would decriminalize welfare fraud under $25,000 in California for simple administrative errors is being pushed by a Democratic lawmaker. 

State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas introduced Senate Bill 560, which would delete criminal penalties for welfare fraud below $25,000, and delete a provision for criminal penalties for any attempt at welfare fraud below $950, according to the legislation, which was introduced in February. 

“California’s safety net should lift families up, not trap them in poverty,” Smallwood-Cuevas told Fox News Digital. “Right now, a missed deadline or paperwork mistake can lead to felony charges that tear families apart — even when there’s no intent to deceive.”

The lawmaker said the bill “offers a smarter, more humane approach by allowing counties to resolve most overpayment cases administratively, holding people accountable without criminalizing poverty.”

WE’RE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS. THE US MUST CHOOSE: EITHER $20 TRILLION IN DEBT OR MEDICAID REFORM

The legislation is set for a hearing on May 5. 

The bill would require a county agency to determine whether the welfare benefits were authorized as a result of an error in the Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS).

It would prohibit a person from being subject to criminal prosecution in certain instances for an overpayment or overissuance of benefits, the bill states. 

“This bill is about keeping families out of the criminal justice system from making administrative errors on raising the threshold for welfare fraud prosecutions,” Smallwood-Cuevas said in an April 8 Instagram post. 

LOS ANGELES ISSUES ONLY 4 PERMITS TO REBUILD HOMES AFTER DEVASTATING PALISADES FIRE: REPORT

Most welfare fraud occurs when the reported absent parent is actually living in the home, unreported income, using an ineligible child or children not living in the home who are part of the recipient’s case, according to the California Department of Social Services. 

In Los Angeles County, field investigators handle 15,000 to 20,000 fraud cases or referrals, according to the Department of Public Social Services. 

Annually, investigators find fraud in around 5,000 to 8,000 cases. Of that, 200 cases are sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and 95% result in a conviction. 

The Trump administration has launched investigations into Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review after allegations that the journal discriminated against readers who wanted to respond to an article about police reform because they were white men.

Both the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched investigations into possible violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The investigations were launched in response to information both federal agencies received about policies and practices for journal membership as well as article selection that may violate Title VI.

In a press release, HHS claimed the Harvard Law Review’s editor reportedly wrote that it was “concerning” that “four of the five people” who wanted to reply to an article on police reform were “white men.”

TRUMP FROZE FUNDING FOR HARVARD. MONEY TO THESE UNIVERSITIES MAY ALSO BE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

HHS also said another editor at the Review suggested “that a piece should be subjected to expedited review because the author was a minority.”

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in education programs and activities that receive federal funding. Any violations of Title VI could result in the loss of funds from the federal government.

“Harvard Law Review’s article selection process appears to pick winners and losers on the basis of race, employing a spoils system in which the race of the legal scholar is as, if not more, important than the merit of the submission,” HHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said. “Title VI’s demands are clear: recipients of federal financial assistance may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. No institution—no matter its pedigree, prestige, or wealth—is above the law. The Trump Administration will not allow Harvard, or any other recipients of federal funds, to trample on anyone’s civil rights.”

TRUMP ADMIN SLASHES OVER $2.2B IN FUNDING TO HARVARD AFTER SCHOOL DEFIES DEMANDS

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the school stated, “Harvard Law School is committed to ensuring that the programs and activities it oversees are in compliance with all applicable laws and to investigating any credibly alleged violations. The Harvard Law Review is a student-run organization that is legally independent from the law school. A claim brought in 2018 was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.”

The investigations come as the Trump administration continues to feud with elite education institutions, announcing earlier this month it would be cutting off over $2.2 billion in funding to Harvard University while threatening cuts to another $1 billion of its federal grants and funding.

After Harvard refused to comply with a series of requests from the Trump administration to reform various practices on campus, the administration revealed April 18 that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funding for the institution.

HARVARD WON’T COMPLY WITH TRUMP ADMIN’S DEMANDS AMID THREATS OF CUTTING FEDERAL FUNDING

Harvard University President Alan M. Garber said in a statement that President Donald Trump’s administration tacked on additional requests that go beyond addressing antisemitism on campus, and the institution would not comply because the demands were unconstitutional.

Garber said the new requests “direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” including auditing viewpoints of student, faculty and staff members on campus and eliminating all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, offices and initiatives at Harvard. 

“It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner,” Garber wrote. “We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement.”

The Trump administration launched the Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism in February, which aims to eradicate bias on campuses that have experienced incidents targeting Jewish students since October 2023.

“It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support,” the task force said in a statement. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., issued a ruling Monday to restore a lower court’s order barring the Trump administration’s planned mass layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protections Bureau (CFPB).

The court ruled 2-1 to restore an earlier ruling by federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, which temporarily halted the Trump administration’s reductions in force (RIF) at CFPB, which would have cut the agency’s staff by 90 percent.

Before Jackson’s ruling, the agency was slated to carry out a reduction in force of roughly 1,400 employees, which would have left just several hundred in place. 

Following a legal challenge against the reduction filed in the D.C. district court in early February, Jackson issued a preliminary injunction in late March, finding that the plaintiffs would likely succeed on the merits.

TRUMP TO SIGN ORDER CRACKING DOWN ON ‘SANCTUARY’ CITIES, THREATEN THEIR FEDERAL FUNDING

The order directed the government to “rehire all terminated employees, reinstate all terminated contracts, and refrain from engaging in reductions-in-force or attempting to stop work through any means.” 

Jackson then ordered another halt to plans earlier this month, shortly after an appeals court narrowed her earlier injunction. Jackson noted that within several days of an appeals order narrowing her initial injunction, CFPB employees were told the agency would do “exactly what it was told not to do,” which was to carry out a RIF. 

Jackson blocked the administration from moving forward with any layoffs or from cutting off employees’ access to computers at the bureau until she had time to hear from the officials in question.

TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS CHALLENGE CAMPUS DEI AS EXPERT WARNS CHANGE MUST BE ‘REFORMED INTERNALLY’

Jackson said she was “willing to resolve it quickly,” but noted that she is “deeply concerned, given the scope and scope of action.”

Lawyers with the Justice Department sought to appeal Jackson’s order earlier this year, arguing in a filing that the injunction “improperly intrudes on the executive [branch’s] authority” and goes “far beyond what is lawful.”

Jackson is set to hear testimony from officials slated to carry out the RIF procedures on Tuesday. 

It sometimes takes a pot a while to boil.

Democrats lost the presidency. Lost the Senate. Failed to flip control of the House.

And now, more than six months after last year’s election, the Democrats’ pot is starting to gurgle.

It was natural that Democrats would take some time to figure out what went wrong. Clang around some pots and pans. And finally pour some water into a pot and turn on the stove.

DEMOCRATS’ IDENTITY CRISIS: YOUTH REVOLT ROCKS PARTY AFTER TRUMP COMEBACK

So Democrats are starting to get their pot to boil.

How hot it gets – and whether the stew is anything to wow political culinary taste buds – is unclear.

For starters, some Democrats are boiling at one another.

Democratic National Committee Chairman (DNC) Ken Martin handed down an ultimatum after DNC Vice Chairman David Hogg aimed to spend millions of dollars mounting primary challenges to Democratic incumbents.

“Let me be unequivocal. No DNC officers should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger,” said Martin.

Hogg defended his tactic to weed out Democrats who he believe lost a step, are older or just aren’t getting the job done.

SENATE PUTS TRUMP TEAM IN PLACE, SETS UP AGENDA FIGHT AFTER 100-DAY SPRINT

“We want people to know they’re being watched,” said Hogg. “It’s not to say it’s ‘out with the old in with the new.’ I would say it’s out with the ineffective and in with the effective.”

Democrats contend their neutrality pledge is about assuring party unity.

“The reforms that Chair Martin is rolling out, including the one that we’re talking about today of increasing funding for state parties, is not a reaction to David Hogg,” said Jane Kleeb of the Association of State Democratic Parties (ASDC). “The reform package that Ken Martin is bringing forward, that he will be discussing over the next several months, that he ran on as chair, is not a reaction to David.”

But Hogg is the elephant in the room to the party represented by the donkey.

“I have great respect for David Hogg,” said Martin. “I understand what he’s trying to do. I’ve said to him, ‘If you want to challenge incumbents, you’re more than free to do that.’ But just not as an officer of the DNC.”

And then there’s rage over age.

DNC’S DAVID HOGG TAKING ON DEMOCRATS IS ‘THE BIGGEST GIFT TO REPUBLICANS EVER,’ SAYS STRATEGIST

80-year-old Senate Minority Whip and the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is the latest veteran Democrat to announce his retirement.

“I had to project forward. The campaign is going to last two years. And then you’re going to serve six years. So are you ready to make an eight year commitment?” asked Durbin.

Durbin would be 87 when another term concluded in early 2033 – presuming he won and served the entire time.

“A lot of this is the fallout from Biden,” said Rutgers University political scientist Ross Baker. “It sort of contaminated older Democrats.”

Age is just a number. But it’s a number with consequences. Five House Republicans over the age of 65 have died within the past year. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., says Democrats could have sidetracked parts of President Trump’s agenda had the older members lived.

75-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., defeated 35-year-old Rep. Alexandria, Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., in November to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. The vote: 131-84. Connolly suffered from esophageal cancer – but pushed through. Democrats gave him a vote of confidence. However, Connolly just announced his cancer returned after treatment. He will give up his committee ranking post and retire at the end of this term.

DICK DURBIN, NO. 2 SENATE DEMOCRAT, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION

Durbin’s departure could intensify progressive pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to quit, too. Liberals are fuming over Schumer intervening to side with President Trump and avoid a government shutdown in March.

“Sen. Schumer made the disastrous decision,” said House Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar, D-Tex. “I think we have to get to a place where we’re willing to disagree with even our leaders, like Sen. Schumer, when they make a disastrous decision. Thats how we get better.”

Schumer contends he isn’t going anywhere.

“No conversation about when you might step aside?” asked MSNBC’s Chris Jansing.

“I’m focusing on the decision that the Republicans in Congress have to make to whether support Trump with these horrible economic policies or not,” replied Schumer.

The New York Democrat further rejected any chatter that he might step down when appearing on CNN.

“I am staying put and I’m fighting the fight every day, as is our caucus, in a united and successful way,” said Schumer.

Democrats set out to hold town hall meetings over the recent Congressional recess in districts where they accused Republicans of ducking their constituents. But caveat emptor. In some instances, it was Democrats who got an earful.

DEMOCRATS’ VICE CHAIR GETS ULTIMATUM: STAY NEUTRAL IN PRIMARIES OR STEP DOWN FROM PARTY LEADERSHIP

For instance, Casar conducted a town hall in the district of Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo. Evans just flipped his district from blue to red by 2,500 votes.

“What are we going to do about the DNC?” asked one Colorado town hall attendee of Casar. “They need to listen to you young people.”

“Democrats didn’t really, as far as I can tell, really do anything,” observed another.

The pot really started to boil just before dawn early Sunday morning on the East Front of the Capitol.

Both clad in black, Jeffries and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., began what they billed as a “sit-in” to protest President Trump’s policies and reject the “big, beautiful bill.”

House committees are prepping that legislation this week.

“People will die if this budget is successful. That’s how urgent the fight is,” said Jeffries.

But when it comes to conventional tactics, younger, upstart Democrats say BLANK THAT!

JEFFRIES, BOOKER PROTEST TRUMP AND HIS POLICIES DURING SIT-IN ON CAPITOL STEPS

They’re urging their party to ditch the pleasantries and use, well, kitchen language.

“I say it’s time to drop the excuses and grow a f***ing spine,” said 26-year-old Democratic Illinois Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh.

Abughazaleh is running in the district now held by 80-year-old Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. She’s expected to announce her retirement in the coming days.

Democrat Mike Sacks is running against Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. in a swing district just outside New York City.

“I’m running for Congress to tell you the truth, to fight for New York, and to unf**k our country,” said Sacks in a campaign ad.

So the Democrats’ pot is churning. Democrats will soon have the water ready. But it’s unclear what dish they plan to prepare.

The only problem is that so far, Democrats are scalding themselves with that hot water. There’s infighting. Arguing. And everyone is trying to figure out what works.

For the Democrats, it’s enough to make their blood boil.

Former Georgia GOP Sen. David Perdue’s nomination to become President Donald Trump’s ambassador to China passed a Senate vote for cloture – to end debate – Monday evening.

The vote starts the “2-hour clock” of limited debate that will ultimately end in a vote on Perdue’s nomination. That clock is typically 30 hours for Cabinet-level officials.

Perdue has long been an ally of Trump and narrowly lost his 2021 runoff election with Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., by just over 1%, or about 55,000 votes.

He also has experience working in global supply chains as a former chief executive of Tennessee-based Dollar General, and other companies.

TRUMP APPOINTS SEN. DAVID PERDUE AS AMBASSADOR TO CHINA

During his confirmation hearing, Perdue said, “Marxist nationalism” is reshaping China and that their global ambitions threaten the world order.

“Since 2000, China has doubled its nuclear arsenal and grown its military at a pace unseen since WWII. They have militarized the South China Sea and violated their agreement in Hong Kong. Their Social Credit Score system and extensive policing capability are designed to enforce domestic state control. Their Belt and Road Initiative and their Made in China 2025 statements demonstrate their global ambitions,” Perdue said.

“They speak of a global ‘community of common destiny for all mankind.’ Put simply, they want a world more in line with their authoritarian principles.”

Perdue went on to argue that Trump’s “America First” strategy that greatly affects the U.S.’s relationship with China is not isolationist, but “just the reverse.”

TRUMP SAYS CHINA’S XI CALLED HIM AMID ONGOING CONFUSION OVER TRADE TALKS

“America will be a stronger ally and partner by rebuilding our strategic supply chains at home and with our friends.”

He said Chinese leader Xi Jinping, like Trump, only respects strength and that, if confirmed, he will work on reciprocity and security agreements with Beijing.

“Our approach to China should be nuanced, nonpartisan, and strategic,” Perdue said.

On Taiwan, which China views as a breakaway province, Perdue said he will support the longstanding One China Policy while remaining committed to a “peaceful resolution” of tensions that is acceptable to both Beijing and Taipei.

“I will also ensure focus on our priority to eliminate fentanyl precursors and hold China accountable on human rights.”

The Senate recently confirmed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be the U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

The upper chamber has also filed cloture motions – which will spur votes after they “ripen” for one legislative day – on three other potential diplomats: former Reagan staffer and New York real estate investor Tom Barrack for ambassador to Turkey, Landry’s Restaurants and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta as ambassador to Italy and San Marino, and Arkansas investment banker billionaire Warren Stephens as ambassador to the United Kingdom.

President Donald Trump is poised to sign an executive order Monday instructing the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security to create a list of all sanctuary cities failing to adhere to federal immigration laws, providing them a chance to abandon their sanctuary status. 

The order comes as Trump seeks to speed up deportations, following through on a key promise he made on the campaign trail during his third bid for president.

But so-called “sanctuary cities,” or jurisdictions that limit the ability of local agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, have restricted his ability to do so. 

“It’s quite simple: obey the law, respect the law, and don’t obstruct federal immigration officials and law enforcement officials when they are simply trying to remove public safety threats from our nation’s communities,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. “The American public don’t want illegal alien criminals in their communities. They made that quite clear on November 5, and this administration is determined to enforce our nation’s immigration laws.”

Specifically, the executive order will notify sanctuary cities of their status and allow them to drop the sanctuary title — or risk losing federal funding. Additionally, it instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to “pursue all legal remedies” to push sanctuary cities into compliance with federal law, according to a Monday White House fact sheet shared with Fox News Digital. 

Bondi and Noem are also instructed to establish proper channels ensuring that those in sanctuary cities do not receive federal public benefits. 

YOUNGKIN TO DRAFT SANCTUARY CITY BAN, MAKING STATE FUNDING CONTINGENT ON ICE COOPERATION

Some of the country’s largest cities have some sort of sanctuary law on the books aimed at protecting their illegal immigrant residents, including Chicago, New York City, Boston and Los Angeles, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Some states have even gone on to pass their own sanctuary laws, including California, Oregon, Washington and Illinois.

The jurisdictions have faced controversy as Trump has accelerated his deportation efforts, especially in the wake of multiple high-profile crimes that have been allegedly committed by illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT PROTESTER SUES TRUMP ADMIN TO PREVENT DEPORTATION

Even so, the executive order comes days after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from restricting federal funds for sanctuary cities violates the Constitution’s separation of powers principles and the Spending Clause, in addition to the Fifth and 10th Amendments.

The tension between the federal government and the jurisdictions has increased in recent weeks, including at a House Committee on Oversight and Government hearing in March, where members of Congress grilled the mayors of four prominent sanctuary cities. 

“These reckless policies in Democrat-run cities and states across our nation have led to too many preventable tragedies,” House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said ahead of the hearing. “They also endanger ICE agents who are forced to take more difficult enforcement actions in jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.”

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Trump, a longtime critic of sanctuary jurisdictions, hinted earlier in an April 10 social media post that such an executive action might be in the works.

“No more Sanctuary Cities! They protect the Criminals, not the Victims,” Trump said on April 10 in a Truth Social post.

“They are disgracing our Country, and are being mocked all over the World. Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist,” Trump said. 

The Trump administration has signed more than 140 executive orders during Trump’s first 100 days in office — an increase from the 33 he signed during the first 100 days of his first term. 

Fox News’ Peter Pinedo contributed to this report. 

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…

-House Speaker Mike Johnson praises Trump’s first 100 days: More than most leaders ‘accomplish in their entire lifetimes’

-Where President Donald Trump stands with Americans 100 days into his second presidency

-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vows crackdown on military obesity after shocking Reserve, Guard report

The White House kicked off its celebration of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office by highlighting its efforts to combat illegal immigration on Monday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Tom Homan joined White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at an early morning briefing on Monday. The pair touted massive decreases in border crossings as well as new executive orders aimed at deportations and further border enforcement.

“We are in the process of carrying out the largest deportation campaign in American history,” Leavitt said. “After four years of being vilified by the Biden-Harris administration, our heroic ICE officers can finally do their jobs.”…Read more

‘VERY DISAPPOINTED’: Trump disappointed Russia launched rockets at Ukraine, blames Obama, Biden for Crimea giveaway

‘TREMENDOUS TAX CUT’: Trump says income tax cuts, and perhaps elimination, coming due to tariffs

‘TROUBLEMAKERS’: Trump says ‘disruptors’ at GOP town hall events should be ‘immediately ejected’

MADE TO ‘ORDER’: Trump’s Executive Order surge: The unprecedented use of presidential authority: experts weigh in

‘YOU CANNOT HIDE’: Trump’s border czar has word of warning for illegal immigrants

PEACE PRESSURE: White House reveals possible penalties on Putin amid peace push: ‘Whatever it takes’

SEEING RED: China’s billion-dollar footprint near Florida coast poses US national security risk, expert warns

CANADA VOTES: Trump threats boosted Canada’s Carney, hurt Conservatives as country votes for new leader

CANNOT BE BOUGHT: Greenland prime minister says island cannot be bought, US has ‘not been respectful’

THE WORLD AWAITS: Conclave to pick next pope to begin May 7, Vatican says

THANKING TROOPS: Putin thanks North Korea for sending troops to fight Ukraine: ‘Will never forget the heroism’

END ‘CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE’: Treasury targets Houthi-linked vessels to ‘disrupt’ efforts to fund ‘dangerous and destabilizing attacks’

VICTORY DAY TRUCE: Russia declares 3-day ceasefire in Ukraine for WWII Victory Day

CLEARING THE FIELD?: Illinois candidate for Durbin Senate seat consolidates support with Duckworth endorsement

RESTORING TRUST: Hawley reignites ‘PELOSI Act’ push to ban lawmakers from trading stocks

BIDEN EFFECT: Democrat challenging 12-term rep slams ‘retirement community’ Congress amid youth revolt

BACK IN SESSION: Senate puts Trump team in place, sets up agenda fight after 100-day sprint

BACK IN SESSION: Dems stage 12-hour ‘moral moment’ at US Capitol, rejecting Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

‘NO RANCOR, FULL HEART’: Virginia Democratic congressman to retire after cancer returns

‘AMERICA’S FINEST’: Inside the elite police unit that’s quietly thwarting terror attacks

SCOOP: Energy Dept saves taxpayers over $600M in Trump’s first 100 days, $3B if counting unfinalized contracts

‘NOT READY’: REAL ID rollout could trigger national headache, state lawmaker warns

‘PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY’: Ethics complaint against Letitia James calls for NY state courts to investigate Trump admin fraud claims

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

FIRST ON FOX: As the Senate reconvenes this week after a spring break, the Honest Elections Project is urging GOP leaders to move quickly to close a loophole they say is allowing noncitizens to vote in federal elections.

According to Honest Elections Project, an election integrity watchdog group, judicial interpretation of the National Voter Registration Act, often called the Motor Voter Act, effectively ties states’ hands, making it difficult to put commonsense voter ID requirements in place and opening the window for noncitizens to influence and tip the balance in elections.

The group said current federal law makes it so that voter registration essentially operates on an honor system in which all a noncitizen needs to do to be added to the voter rolls is check a box indicating he or she is a citizen. Doing so is punishable as perjury but is not sufficient as a deterrent, critics say.

To stop this, Honest Elections sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Rules Committee Chair Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Monday, urging them to immediately bring the SAVE Act to the Senate floor for a vote. 

SENATOR JOINS GROUP OF FAR-LEFT LAWMAKERS WHO THINK TRUMP HAS – AGAIN – COMMITTED IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES

The SAVE Act, which passed the House this month, would require voters to show proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, passport, naturalization certificate or REAL ID that notes citizenship status. According to Congress.gov, the Senate received the legislation for consideration from the House on April 10.

When the House was considering the bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said, “This will be one of the most important votes that members of this chamber will ever take in their entire careers.” 

Johnson urged House members to vote in favor of the bill, posing the question: “Should Americans and Americans alone determine the outcome of American elections? Or should we allow foreigners and illegal aliens to decide who sits in the White House and in the people’s House and in the Senate?”

Critics of the bill, largely Democrats, argue that it would make voter registration more difficult by adding new documentation requirements and red tape to register. Opponents have argued that people in rural areas, as well as elderly people who have trouble accessing ID offices, would find it difficult to register to vote, effectively disenfranchising them.

AS REAL ID ROLLOUT APPROACHES, CONGRESSIONAL PRIVACY HAWKS LARGELY SILENT ON CONCERNS

Opponents have also said that recently married women who have had a name change would be disenfranchised because their identification would be outdated.

The House passed the measure in a 220-208 vote, with just four Democrats joining Republicans to vote in favor.

Honest Elections Executive Director Jason Snead argued in the letter that adding the proof of citizenship requirement to voter registration would make it “easy to vote, but hard to cheat.”

Snead slammed opponents of the SAVE Act, saying they “rely on a familiar litany of debunked and misleading arguments” that “have been made about voter ID laws for decades but were never borne out.”

HOUSE REPUBLICAN ENTERS RACE FOR MITCH MCCONNELL’S SENATE SEAT, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES GOP PRIMARY

He explained that the SAVE Act has safeguards in place that would require states to establish a process to resolve identification discrepancies, such as a married woman’s new name, allowing them to show additional documentation, such as a marriage license.

Snead said that “by the same token, alternative evidence of citizenship could be offered by any American who may lack common records.”

On the other hand, Snead said “the evidence clearly shows that noncitizens are able to register and vote” under current law.

“In 2018, the Department of Justice charged 19 noncitizens with illegally registering and voting,” he said.

HOUSE DEM JUMPS INTO CROWDED MICHIGAN SENATE RACE

Snead also cited Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently announcing that 15 noncitizens voted in 2024 and officials in Ohio, Texas and Virginia recently identifying “significant numbers of noncitizens on their voter rolls and reported that many appear to have voted in recent years.”

“Many races are decided by razor-thin margins – sometimes by a single vote. Each illegal vote cancels out the voice of a lawful citizen voter,” said Snead.

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Snead said proof of citizenship for voter registration is widely popular among most Americans. He cited a recent Gallup survey that found that 83% of Americans support having to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

“As the Senate returns to session, I urge Leader Thune to take up the SAVE Act without delay,” Snead said. “We urge Leader Thune to take this opportunity to allow every Senator to go on the record supporting the fundamental principle that only citizens should vote in American elections.”

Fox News Digital has requested comment from the offices of both Thune and McConnell.

The U.S. Secret Service filed federal criminal charges against a man accused of snatching Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse while she was out with her family on Easter eating lunch.

The criminal complaint filed in court on Monday charges 49-year-old Mario Bustamante Leiva with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and robbery.

The complaint alleges that Bustamante Leiva committed three robberies between April 12, 2024, and April 20, 2025, and after each robbery, he made fraudulent purchases using the credit cards obtained from each victim.

He was ultimately arrested on Saturday by members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Secret Service.

SUSPECT ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED THEFT OF KRISTI NOEM’S BAG CONTAINING $3K IN CASH: REPORTS

Authorities say Bustamante Leiva is an illegally present Chilean national, and in each ruse, he approached victims as they ate in a restaurant, stole their purses from the back of their seats, and then fled the scene.

Detectives located video evidence of the thefts, which led them to identify the alleged suspect as Bustamante Leiva. He was arrested on Saturday and initially charged with two counts of robbery, though additional charges were pending for an additional offense being investigated by the Secret Service, officials said. 

DHS CHIEF KRISTI NOEM REVEALS HOW HER PURSE WAS STOLEN AT RESTAURANT: ‘PROFESSIONALLY DONE’

Noem was with her family on Easter Sunday at The Capital Burger in Washington, D.C., when the suspect nabbed her luxury bag containing the cash as well as her driver’s license, passport, medication, makeup bag, blank checks, DHS badge, apartment keys and a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet.

KIMMEL MOCKS DHS SEC KRISTI NOEM FOR GETTING ROBBED, SAYS HER BEING CRIME VICTIM IS ‘EMBARRASSING’

The bag was on the floor at her table when it was stolen, according to a complaint filed with local police.

Security footage captured a White man in a N95 surgical mask, dark pants and a baseball cap grabbing the bag before leaving the restaurant.

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price, Landon Mion and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order requiring truck drivers to pass English literacy tests which will bolster road safety, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

Trump will sign an “order directing the Department of Transportation to include English literacy tests for our truckers. This is a big problem in the trucking community,” Leavitt said on Monday afternoon during a press conference with new members of the media. The press conference was separate from a White House press briefing earlier Monday morning. 

Trump is expected to sign the executive order late Monday afternoon, Leavitt said. 

“You might not know, but there’s a lot of communication problems between truckers on the road with federal officials and local officials, as well, which obviously is a public safety risk,” Leavitt continued. “So we’re going to ensure that our truckers, who are the backbone of our economy, are all able to speak English. That’s a very common sense policy.” 

BULK OF TRUCKERS BACK TRUMP AND ARE WARY OF A HARRIS PRESIDENCY, SAYS BIG-RIG BIG SHOT

Fox News’ Wil Cain reported earlier in April on “The Will Cain Show” that trucking experts reported that there has been an influx of foreign-born truckers in recent years. 

Cain, citing experts, reported that former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2016 stopped an English requirement for drivers from being enforced, while the Biden-Harris administration in 2024 promoted an initiative that increased truck driving training opportunities for refugees, which has increased the number of foreign-born truck drivers operating in the U.S.

Trump’s anticipated executive order comes after he lauded truckers during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, under his first administration, for their work delivering goods to stores as the nation locked down. 

DRIVER OF TRUMP GARBAGE TRUCK SHARES HOW VIRAL MOMENT CAME ABOUT: ‘DIDN’T REALLY BELIEVE IT AT FIRST’

“American truckers are the foot soldiers who are really carrying us to victory,” Trump said in April 2020 from the White House. “They’ve done an incredible job. We’ve had no problems. It’s been just — it’s been just great.”

“Thank God for truckers,” he added. 

This is at least the second executive order focused on the English language that Trump has signed since his Oval Office return in January. Trump signed a separate executive order in March declaring English as the official language of the U.S.

TRUCKERS ARE ‘HOPEFUL’ ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S WALKBACK OF BIDEN-ERA CLIMATE REGULATIONS, SAYS TRUCKING EXECUTIVE

“A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exhange ideas in one shared language,” Trump wrote in that order.

The order revoked an executive order issued by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, titled “Improving Access Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” which required federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers. 

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., touted his vote against the Laken Riley Act and bashed President Donald Trump’s administration at an April event, saying deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia, along with other illegal immigrants, is “testing and stretching the fabric of our democracy to a place we have never seen before.” 

In his speech, Vasquez claimed some said it would take “courage” to vote against the Laken Riley Act, to which the Democratic congressman exclaimed, “I did. I voted against [the bill],” leading the audience to cheer. “Because due process is a fundamental part of who we are as Americans,” he continued.

The Laken Riley Act, which was signed into law by Trump on Jan. 29, was introduced after an illegal immigrant brutally murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley while she was jogging in Athens, Georgia, in February 2024. The law established that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must detain illegal migrants if they are arrested or charged with a violent crime.

CHANCE OF LAKEN RILEY’S ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KILLER DOING TIME IN EL SALVADOR PRISON ADDRESSED BY LAWMAKERS

Just a month after the Laken Riley Act was signed into law, Secretary Kristi Noem and DHS announced a “627% increase in monthly arrests compared to just 33,000 at-large arrests under Biden for ALL of last year.”

Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose district contains the longest stretch of U.S. land neighboring Mexico, defended the bipartisan bill in a statement to Fox News Digital Friday. 

Gonzales explained that border security is “a real and lasting issue as a result of four years of inaction under President Biden. That’s why Americans voted for safer communities and to restore law and order and President Trump is delivering on that promise with legislation like the Laken Riley Act and much more that is coming down the pike.”

Vasquez went on to bash the Trump administration for deporting illegal migrants, including Abrego Garcia, claiming U.S. citizens aren’t safe from being removed from the country if the Trump administration gets “their way.” 

“Time and time again, out-of-touch Democrat Gabe Vasquez chooses to prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the well-being of hardworking New Mexicans,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Zach Bannon told Fox News Digital. “He’s completely abandoned common sense, pandering to the radical left while betraying the very people who will vote him out of office next year.” 

DEMS RIDICULED FOR GOING ‘ALL IN’ ON SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA 

Abrego Garcia, who has been the focus of Democratic talking points criticizing Trump’s immigration policies, was one of many illegal immigrants who were deported to the El Salvadorian “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) in March. 

It was most recently revealed that the 29-year-old illegal migrant and suspected member of the violent MS-13 gang was pulled over while driving an SUV that belonged to another illegal immigrant who confessed to human smuggling in 2020. 

While the Trump administration has maintained their position on Abrego Garcia’s gang ties and history of violence, a federal judge and even the U.S. Supreme Court have ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate his return. Abrego Garcia had been living in Maryland with his family prior to being sent to El Salvador, on the grounds that his removal to the country was unjustified. 

TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS FILE CHARGES AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AFTER FOX NEWS EXPOSES EARLY RELEASE PLANS

Some Republicans have pushed back at the decision to double down on Abrego Garcia’s stay in El Salvador, including Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, who said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was a “screw up.” 

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis gave the DOJ a week’s extension to provide explanation, documentation and testimony defending the decision to deport Abrego Garcia.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Vasquez’s office for comment.

The U.S. military has pummeled over 800 targets since mid-March in a campaign aimed at eliminating Houthi terrorists and restoring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, according to an update from Central Command. 

Since the start of “Operation Rough Rider” on March 15, U.S. forces have executed an “intense and sustained campaign” to dismantle the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist organization’s capabilities, CENTCOM said Monday. The strikes have destroyed critical military infrastructure, including command centers, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing sites and stockpiles of anti-ship missiles and drones.

“These strikes have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders, including senior Houthi missile and UAV officials,” the statement read. 

The Houthis’ ability to launch attacks on international shipping has taken a major hit. U.S. officials say ballistic missile launches have dropped by 69%, while attacks by one-way suicide drones have fallen by 55% since the operation began.

TRUMP SAYS HE’LL BE ‘LEADING THE PACK’ TO WAR WITH IRAN IF DEAL PROSPECTS WHITHER AWAY

The Ras Isa Port – previously a key Houthi fueling hub – was also destroyed, cutting off a vital revenue stream the group used to fund its terror activities.

The update came after concerns over the rapid rate at which the offensive campaign has depleted munitions stockpiles, and congressional officials say the campaign has already cost over $1 billion, the New York Times first reported. 

The Houthis have said they will continue to lob projectiles and launch drones toward Western commercial and military ships in the Red Sea in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza and Hamas.

Sunday’s update was the first after six weeks of bombing on how many targets had been struck.

It did not reveal how many civilians had been killed or the cost of the campaign. The U.S. now has two aircraft carriers in the region and has sent in new fighter, bomber and air defense units.

NEW NAVY CHIEF ‘REGRETS’ COSTLY MISSILE INTERCEPTORS AGAINST HOUTHIS, PUSHES FOR CHEAPER RED SEA DEFENSE

“To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations. We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we’ve done or what we will do,” the statement read. 

Despite U.S. claims of success, some lawmakers and military analysts have questioned whether the strikes are achieving lasting results. Critics argue that while the campaign has degraded some Houthi capabilities, it has not fully stopped attacks on shipping vessels, U.S. Navy ships, or international maritime traffic.

“We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region,” the statement said. 

The Houthi offensive was at the center of a bombshell report on a Signal group of top Trump Cabinet officials who used the chat to discuss details and, in the case of Vice President JD Vance, air complaints about the planned strikes. 

“I think we are making a mistake,” Vance wrote in the Signal chat, later published by The Atlantic.

“I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now.” The commercial ships being attacked in the Red Sea are largely European. 

President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan touted how the administration has released a shockingly low number of illegal aliens, during a 100-day press conference at the White House on Monday.  

Homan noted that the nine illegal aliens in comparison to hundreds, if not thousands, of releases in a single day under the Biden administration, as well as times when there were over 10,000 migrant encounters in places like Eagle Pass, Texas, is a huge accomplishment.

“We have the most secure border in the history of this nation, and the numbers prove it. President Trump’s policies are saving lives every day,” Homan said.  

TRUMP’S BORDER CZAR TELLS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAT ICE WILL TRACK THEM DOWN

“This success is unprecedented,” he continued.

As for the nine who were released, the border czar explained the rare circumstances. 

“Four of them were material witnesses in a criminal investigation. We needed them here to testify in a serious criminal trial. Four was extreme medical condition. We couldn’t return them because we were in such bad shape. And one was a humanitarian issue,” Homan said about the nine releases, as the number has been public for some time. 

Fox News reported that on Dec. 22, 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data indicated that there were 4,832 illegal aliens released on that day alone. On that same day, there were just under 9,000 migrant encounters. 

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS 100-DAY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AFTER BIDEN ‘UNSECURED THE BORDER ON PURPOSE’

At the ports of entry, there were 1,400 releases that day as a result of the CBP One app, which has since been changed to the CBP Home app. The CBP One app was a way for people seeking to enter the country to get prompted for the next steps, whereas the CBP Home app is meant for those in the country illegally to self-deport.  

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Later on Monday, Trump is expected to sign executive orders cracking down on sanctuary cities, which limit the ability of federal authorities to work with state and local law enforcement on some immigration matters.

Migrant encounters at the border have plummeted since the change in administration, with just over 7,000 marked by CBP in March. 

TOM HOMAN DECLARES THAT “CATCH AND RELEASE IS OVER”

“U.S. Border Patrol’s apprehensions along the southwest border for the entire month of March 2025 were lower than the first two days of March 2024,” Pete Flores, acting commissioner of CBP, said in a statement on April 14. “This is a testament to the tireless dedication and vigilant service of the men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who work every day to keep our country safe. Their commitment on the front lines plays a vital role in securing our borders and protecting American communities.”

Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., responded to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) major bust at an illegal nightclub in his district on Sunday that resulted in over 100 illegal immigrants being arrested.

The state has become a hub of illegal immigration-related activities, including the presence of Tren de Aragua in cities like Aurora. In this case, not only were people detained, but pink cocaine and firearms were also confiscated by the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division. The DEA said many arrested will soon be bound for deportation. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted to X that the venue is “frequented by Tda and MS-13 terrorists.”

“Yesterday’s raid in Colorado Springs was the Trump administration following through on their promise to the American people that illegal aliens have no place in our country. Federal law enforcement, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department were able to work together to apprehend these dangerous criminals to help ensure that our communities are safe,” Crank told Fox News Digital in a statement.

AURORA AUTHORITIES ‘DECLINED’ TO HELP SEARCH FOR 2 ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO ESCAPED COLORADO DETENTION FACILITY: ICE

“Law enforcement in Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District takes immigration enforcement seriously. Gov. Polis and the Colorado state legislature should follow suit,” he continued. Crank introduced a House Resolution earlier this month expressing support for President Donald Trump’s legally challenged use of the Ailen Enemies Act to transport alleged MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gang members out of the country, as the groups have been classified as foreign terrorist organizations.

Meanwhile, Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., also praised the law enforcement crackdown done on Sunday, as he’s introduced legislation hoping to increase local coordination between federal and local authorities – as he argues that current state sanctuary policies make comprehensive immigration enforcement difficult.

“This admin is fighting to make Colorado safe again. Thanks to this raid, we are one step closer,” Evans said, also saying that Colorado’s sanctuary policies are causing the state to generate “headlines as ground zero for the country’s most dangerous criminals.”

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he is “focused on making Colorado safer for everyone, and that includes cracking down on illegal drugs and firearms. We await the details from the DEA and federal government on this action,” according to KRDO.

BLUE SANCTUARY STATE OPERATING AS ‘CONTROL’ CENTER FOR VICIOUS MIGRANT GANG: ACTING DEA CHIEF

In videos posted of the operation, U.S. Postal Service and IRS agents are seen arresting illegal aliens at the nightclub, showing the Trump administration using a whole-of-government approach to carrying out deportations.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Specifically, a U.S. Postal Service inspector and an agent with IRS Criminal Investigations were seen with alleged criminals in their custody.

DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz previously said Colorado has become “ground zero for some of the most violent criminals in America,” including Tren de Aragua’s leadership, Denver 7 reported.

WHITE HOUSE DISPLAYS LAWN SIGNS HIGHLIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME

In January, there was a similar nightclub takedown in Adams County, Colorado, which resulted in 50 illegal immigrant arrests, including alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Bonny Chu, Greg Wehner, Bill Melugin contributed to this reported.

President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order backing local police departments with federal support in a rejection of left-wing “soft-on-crime policies” that “have fueled chaos” and caused Americans to live in fear, Fox News Digital learned. 

On Monday, Trump is expected to sign an executive order that aims to “empower state and local law enforcement with federal resources, focus federal prosecutions on high-impact crimes, protect law-abiding Americans, and pursue legal remedies against obstructive state or local officials,” a senior White House official shared with Fox News Digital Monday morning. 

The order instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi to implement a handful of policies and initiatives to bolster police departments, including creating an avenue that provides legal resources to officers “facing unjust expenses from official duties;” increasing “surplus military assets for local law enforcement and evaluate their use in crime prevention;” ensuring racial discrimination investigations in law enforcement rely on direct evidence only; maximizing federal resources to boost pay for cops and to improve training and a review federal consent decrees. 

Crime rocked the nation from coast-to-coast in 2020, as riots protesting the death of George Floyd broke out and activists demanded police departments be defunded, simultaneously to Americans abiding lockdown orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which upended daily life. 

ILLINOIS ENDING CASH BAIL A ‘BACKDOOR’ DEFUND MOVEMENT THAT WILL SPARK POLICE EXODUS: EXPERTS

Communities across the country witnessed a violent crime spike in 2020, with murders increasing by nearly 30% compared to the year prior, according to FBI data. It marked the largest single-year increase in killings since the agency began tracking the crimes. 

Experts who spoke to Fox News Digital at the height of the 2020-era crime wave pointed to an array of variables that have likely contributed to the increases since 2020, including: anti-police rhetoric voiced by Black Lives Matter and defund the police proponents, the pandemic, a culture of lawlessness promoted by liberal district attorneys, and the “Ferguson effect” — named after the high-profile Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, and referring to when police pull back from proactive patrolling when violent crimes spike. 

Amid the pandemic and riots of 2020, left-wing cities moved to defund police departments as activists demanded an overhaul of the justice system, including installing community-based policing over employing officers, following Floyd’s death and other Black Americans who died in police custody. 

Officers filed for early retirement, changed careers or moved to police jurisdictions that backed cops in the face of the anti-police rhetoric, while morale plummeted among the ranks and departments reported severe understaffing issues. 

MASSIVE INCREASE IN BLACK AMERICANS MURDERED WAS RESULT OF DEFUND POLICE MOVEMENT: EXPERTS

The crime wave continued in the following years, as California faced repeated smash-and-grab robberies at swank department stores in 2022 and 2023, car thefts at the hands of youths and adults rocked cities such as Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia in 2022, and chain stores and mom-and-pop shops fled high-crime areas in cities such as San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and elsewhere in 2021 and the following years. 

2ND AMENDMENT STEPS IN AFTER COPS STEP BACK IN WAKE OF DEFUND MOVEMENT IN CHICAGO

Details on the upcoming executive order shared with Fox Digital took specific issues with local “soft-on-crime policies” that have sowed “chaos,” such as sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants, cities that “ignore shoplifting, vagrancy, and urban encampments,” and recent bail reform initiatives that do not require suspects charged with crimes to post bail in order to leave jail while they await trial. 

POLICE VOTE KEY TO ELECTION AS COPS WEIGH ‘LAWLESSNESS VS LAW AND ORDER’ ON BALLOT: RETIRED CHIEF

The executive order instead will work to fulfill Trump’s Make America Safe Again 2024 campaign promise, following other safety-focused executive actions such as securing the border and combating antisemitism that ran rampant on college campuses following the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel in October 2023, Fox Digital learned.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“President Trump’s Executive Order empowers law enforcement to restore law and order,” according to the White House. “Millions of Americans live in fear, worried that surging crime will destroy their lives, homes, or businesses.” 

A Milwaukee judge arrested Friday for allegedly hiding a previously deported illegal immigrant in her jury room had a notice posted to her courtroom door for people who feel “unsafe” coming to the courthouse, Fox News learned Monday.

The notice posted to Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan’s courtroom door was dated April 14, four days before she allegedly helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal immigrant, and his attorney leave the courthouse to evade ICE agents, Fox News observed.

The notice states: “ATTENTION – IF ANY ATTORNEY, WITNESS COORDINATOR, OR OTHER COURT OFFICIAL KNOWS OR BELIEVES THAT A PERSON FEELS UNSAFE COMING TO THE COURTHOUSE TO COURTROOM 615, PLEASE NOTIFY THE BRANCH 31 CLERK TO REQUEST COURT APPEARANCE VIA ZOOM.”

Dugan was arrested and charged with obstruction of an official proceeding after evidence came to light that she had shielded Flores-Ruiz from ICE agents, according to a criminal complaint. She was also charged with concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest.

WISCONSIN JUDGE THREATENS COURTROOM BOYCOTT OVER HANNAH DUGAN ARREST

Federal agents from ICE, FBI, CBP and DEA attempted to arrest Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican national, following his scheduled criminal court appearance before Dugan on April 18 to face three misdemeanor battery charges for allegedly beating two people.

WISCONSIN JUDGE’S ARREST BLASTED BY DEMOCRATS WHO PREVIOUSLY CLAIMED ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’ IN TRUMP CASES

Dugan demanded that the officers proceed to the chief judge’s office and – after his hearing ended – escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting, in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint. 

Dugan was taken into custody by the FBI on Friday morning on the courthouse grounds, according to U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron. She appeared briefly in federal court in Milwaukee later Friday before being released from custody. 

Dugan is not overseeing any cases and a reserve judge is taking over her cases while her own case plays out.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Lawmakers will put forward a bill Monday to put the force of law behind President Donald Trump‘s executive order prohibiting federal funds from going to colleges that still mandate a coronavirus vaccine jab.

Reps. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., and August Pfluger, R-Texas, will file the No Vaccine Mandates in Higher Education Act, chiefly noting that former President Joe Biden ended the official national emergency for COVID-19 in April 2023.

In comments to Fox News Digital, Pfluger said the pandemic “opened Pandora’s Box to a lengthy list of overreaching policies and mandates from the government, institutions, and companies alike.”

“As we work to restore common sense and liberties back to the American people, I am proud to co-lead this legislation to ensure universities can no longer force their students to have the COVID-19 vaccine,” he said.

FIVE YEARS AFTER COVID LOCKDOWNS: THE 5 MOST BIZARRE ‘STOP THE SPREAD’ MOMENTS

The bill reads that “no federal funds may be made available to any institution of higher education that requires its students or staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of enrollment or employment, or receiving any benefit, service, or contract.”

In February, Trump wrote critically that some institutions are “conditioning their education” based on undergoing the COVID jab.

“Parents and young adults should be empowered with accurate data regarding the remote risks of serious illness associated with COVID-19 for children and young adults, as well as how those risks can be mitigated through various measures, and left free to make their own decisions accordingly,” Trump wrote in his order.

“Given the incredibly low risk of serious COVID-19 illness for children and young adults, threatening to shut them out of an education is an intolerable infringement on personal freedom. Such mandates usurp parental authority and burden students of many faiths.”

‘CUOMO CHIP’ LOOPHOLE CRUMBLES AS NY NOW WANTS ‘SUBSTANTIAL FOOD’ SOLD WITH BOOZE

A February survey by Best Colleges listed 15 schools nationwide, particularly in California, Georgia and Pennsylvania, still had their COVID vaccine requirements intact.

During the federal coronavirus emergency, some universities, including Columbia in New York City, required not only the COVID-19 vaccine, but the ensuing boosters as well for at least some portions of their student population.

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In Columbia’s case, proof of booster doses were required for study-abroad students, according to a 2022 notice from the Ivy League institution.

Princeton University in New Jersey required boosters for its 2022 on-campus semester.

“Compliance with the vaccine policy is necessary to maintain prox access to campus facilities and to continue student progress to degree,” a statement from that semester read.

Weekly PCR testing for COVID-19 was also mandatory for a time at Cornell University in upstate New York.

House Republicans are rushing to get started on a multitrillion-dollar bill to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda, with their own leader’s self-imposed deadline less than a month away.

Lawmakers on five different committees are huddling within their panels this week to debate and advance specific aspects of what will become one massive piece of legislation

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he wants to get a bill on Trump’s desk by Memorial Day – a goal he’s still optimistic about, despite a host of challenges that Republicans will need to get through before the finish line.

Meanwhile, the Senate and House appear to still be far apart on their expected timelines and how much money they’re aiming to spend.

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

“This is not just a preference we have, this is a necessity,” Johnson told Fox News Digital about the Memorial Day deadline in an interview on Friday. 

“We have the debt limit X-date approaching, and as everybody knows, border security resources dwindling, we’ve got markets in flux, we’ve got, of course, the living threat of the largest tax increase on working families in history.”

Republicans are seeking to fit Trump’s priorities on energy, defense, border security and taxes into the bill, as well as raise the debt ceiling – another item the president specifically asked GOP lawmakers to deal with.

Johnson pointed out that the U.S. is fast approaching its deadline to act on the debt ceiling or risk a national credit default – which would send financial markets into a tailspin. The federal government is expected to hit that deadline sometime this spring or summer, according to differing projections.

“I’ve got to work on the assumption that it’ll be sooner, it may be as early as June,” Johnson said. “I can’t control what happens in the Senate, but I think they have the same sense of urgency, so I think that we’re on target to get it by Memorial Day or shortly thereafter.”

A Senate GOP leadership aide appeared less optimistic, however.

They told Fox News Digital that Republicans in the upper chamber shared the goal of moving as quickly as possible but acknowledged “the reality” of differing procedures in the House and Senate.

The House’s framework for the legislation passed first and called for at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts to offset a portion of the $4.5 trillion allocated toward Trump’s tax agenda.

The Senate later passed an amended version that called for a minimum of $4 billion in spending cuts.

House Republicans narrowly swallowed that framework to align with the Senate – a key step before the relevant committees noted in the framework can begin crafting policies within their jurisdictions, to later be filled into the final bill.

A revolt against that bill by an unlikely faction of well-known GOP rebels and leaders on the House Budget Committee prompted Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to publicly pledge to have the Senate aim for $1.5 trillion in spending cuts. 

But on paper, they’re still far apart, and there’s a significant contingent in the House and Senate who are wary of cutting funding for critical programs like Medicaid and Medicare.

SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES

“The fight is between the House, that wants to add $2.8 trillion on the debt, and the Senate, that wants to add $5.8 trillion on the debt,” said Marc Goldwein, senior vice president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB). “So I’m not optimistic that we’re going to reduce the debt. I am somewhat optimistic that we’re going to get closer to what the House wants, which would be much better.”

But a significant amount – about $880 billion – of spending cuts outlined in the House GOP framework come from the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid.

Estimates have shown that the committee will not be able to complete those cuts without cutting into those programs, but Republican leaders have insisted they’re only looking to root out “waste, fraud and abuse.”

Republicans are looking to pass their legislation via the budget reconciliation process. The mechanism allows the party in power to pass massive policy overhauls while entirely sidelining the opposing party by dropping the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51.

The House already operates on a simple majority threshold.

The House committees set to meet this week to mark up their reconciliation bills are the Homeland Security, Oversight, Education & Workforce, and Financial Services.

Issues that are expected to be more divisive – like portions from the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, which writes tax policy – will be visited next week.