Court shuts down Biden move to grant some illegal immigrants legal status
The Biden administration’s efforts to grant a pathway to citizenship to some illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens have been put on hold temporarily by a federal judge after a lawsuit from 16 Republican-led states.
U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on Monday put a stay on the “parole in place” program, which was announced in June and allows for humanitarian parole and a path to permanent residency for certain illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens without them having to leave the country.
The 16 states, led by Texas and America First Legal, argued in a filing first reported by Fox News Digital that the rule violates federal law, which prohibits illegal immigrants from obtaining immigration benefits, including permanent status, without first having left the country and being readmitted.
BIDEN ADMIN SUED BY 16 STATES OVER PAROLE PUSH FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITH US SPOUSES
They argued it does that by an unlawful use of parole, which is limited to use on a “case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”
“Biden’s unconstitutional scheme would have rewarded over 1 million illegal aliens with the opportunity for citizenship after breaking our country’s laws—and incentivized countless more,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“This is just the first step. We are going to keep fighting for Texas, our country, and the rule of law. Great to work together with America First Legal, Stephen Miller and our partner states,” he said.
“This is a huge victory in our courtroom battle to block the Biden-Harris executive fiat giving over 1 million illegal aliens a path to U.S. citizenship. That executive decree is now frozen. America First Legal is deeply honored to partner with Attorney General Paxton, [Idaho] Attorney General [Raul] Labrador, along with 14 other states to fight this unconstitutional mass amnesty,” Stephen Miller, president of AFL, said in a statement.
The administration had estimated that about 500,000 immigrants would benefit, and about 50,000 children.
The new process would have applied to noncitizen spouses who have lived in the U.S. for 10 years as of June and are judged not to pose a threat to public safety or national security, allowing them to apply for permanent residency. It argued that families live in fear and “face deep uncertainty about their future” due to the requirement that they depart and be processed abroad.
“In addition, individuals must have no disqualifying criminal history or otherwise constitute a threat to national security or public safety and should otherwise merit a favorable exercise of discretion,” a fact sheet said.
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The stay will last for two weeks but can be extended. Barker is a judge appointed by former President Donald Trump.
“The claims are substantial and warrant closer consideration than the court has been able to afford to date,” he said in the order.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but had responded to the lawsuit last week with a statement promising to defend the policy in court.
“The Department of Homeland Security is committed to Keeping Families Together. Keeping Families Together is grounded in well-established legal authority, and its purpose – enabling the families of U.S. Citizens to live without fear of separation – is consistent with fundamental American values. We will defend it in court. DHS is continuing to process already filed applications, and to accept and process new applications,” a spokesperson said.
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The White House, in a separate statement, had accused Republican officials of being “more focused on playing politics than helping American families or fixing our broken immigration system.”
“This lawsuit is seeking to force U.S. citizens and their families, people who have lived in the United States for more than ten years, to continue to live in the shadows. The lawsuit aims to separate American citizens from their spouses and stepchildren who are already eligible for lawful permanent residency and could remain together through this process,” spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández said. “This lawsuit goes against our nation’s values, and we will vigorously defend Keeping Families Together and our ability to make the immigration system more fair and more just. We will also continue securing our border and enforcing our laws, something Congressional Republicans have refused to do time and time again.”
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“Since President Biden announced new, decisive executive actions to secure the border, encounters between ports of entry have dropped significantly – encounters in July 2024 were the lowest since September 2020 and lower than at this point in 2019,” he added.
‘West Wing’ star sends hostile message to Cheryl Hines after husband RFK Jr backs Trump
“West Wing” star Bradley Whitford slammed actress Cheryl Hines for not speaking out against her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race.
“Hey @CherylHines, way to stay silent while your lunatic husband throws his support behind the adjudicated rapist who brags about stripping women of their fundamental rights,” the actor wrote in a post tagging Hines on X.
“Gutsy. Great example for the kids. Profile in courage,” he mocked.
Attached to the liberal actor’s post was a video of Trump boasting that his Supreme Court nominees helped to overturn Roe v. Wade.
CLOONEY, HOLLYWOOD LINE UP BEHIND HARRIS AS CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS AND CASH POUR IN
Whitford is a longtime supporter of Democrats and one of several celebrities who lined up to endorse Vice President Harris after President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race.
Kennedy, the Independent presidential candidate, announced on Friday he was dropping his presidential bid and throwing his support behind Trump in a message blasting the Democratic Party and the media.
Hines, who starred on the HBO comedy show, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” thanked her husband’s supporters while calling for unity after Kennedy’s announcement.
“I deeply respect the decision Bobby made to run on the principle of unity. Over the last year and a half, I have met some extraordinary people from all parties — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. It’s been my experience that the vast majority of all parties are truly good people who want the best for our country and for each other. It has been an eye-opening, transformative, and endearing journey,” she wrote in part on X.
INDEPENDENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR. SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN
Kennedy also praised his wife for her support in a reply to her social media post, confessing she was “very uncomfortable” with his decision.
Representatives for Hines declined a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Members of Kennedy’s family have long criticized his bid for president. After he endorsed Trump, Kennedy’s siblings released a scathing statement accusing the former third-party candidate of betraying their family values.
Kennedy addressed the backlash from within his own family over his politics while on Fox News on Sunday.
“You know, my family is at the center of the Democratic Party. I have members of my family that are working for the Biden administration. Biden has a bust of my father behind him at the Oval Office, and he’s been a family friend for many years,” Kennedy told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream.
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“My family is – I understand that they’re troubled by my decisions. I love my family. I feel like we were raised in a milieu where we were encouraged to debate each other and debate ferociously and passionately about things and still love each other,” he added. “They’re free to take their positions on these issues. There are many, many members of my family working at my campaign and who are supporting me.”
“I think we all need to be able to disagree with each other and still love each other,” he concluded.
Mariah Carey’s mom and sister both dead on the same day, Grammy-winning star says
Mariah Carey’s mother and sister died on the same day this past weekend, People reported.
Carey shared a statement with the outlet confirming the tragic news.
“My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day,” she told the outlet.
MARIAH CAREY SAYS HER MOTHER’S JEALOUSY HAS LIVED ‘WITH ME FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE’
“I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed,” Carey added. “I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.”
Carey did not disclose any additional details about her family members’ deaths to the outlet. A representative for Carey did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.”
The Grammy-winning singer and her sister and mother have not always had the best relationship.
In 2020, her sister Alison sued their mother, claiming she was forced to endure sexual abuse from multiple men by way of Satanic worship meetings when she was a child.
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Alison accused her mom, Patricia, of sexual abuse when she was 10 years old in a summons filed with the New York Supreme Court in February that was obtained by Fox News Digital at the time.
Alison claimed that her mother allowed, and encouraged, an undisclosed number of men to engage in sexual acts such as forcible touching, sexual assault in the first degree and made her witness people engaged in sexual acts with adults and children.
She also claimed that it all took place at “middle-of-the-night satanic worship meetings that included ritual sacrifices.”
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Mariah opened up about her relationship with her mother in her 2020 memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey.”
“Like many aspects of my life, my journey with my mother has been full of contradictions and competing realities. It’s never been only black-and-white — it’s been a whole rainbow of emotions,” she wrote, per People.
“Our relationship is a prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration and disappointment. A complicated love tethers my heart to my mother’s,” she continued.
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After referring to her relationship with her mother as a “complicated love,” Carey dedicated her memoir in part to Patricia.
“And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could,” Carey wrote. “I will love you the best I can, always.”
Embattled Dem who played key role in Harris’ rise to power refuses to endorse her
Montana’s vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester will not be making an endorsement in the presidential election where Vice President Kamala Harris is running as the Democratic nominee, despite reportedly playing a role in her recruitment to the Senate.
Tester previously served as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) from 2015 to 2017, leading the efforts of the campaign arm to elect Democrats to the chamber when Harris first announced her senatorial aspirations.
After Harris launched her California Senate bid, the Los Angeles Times reported in January 2015 that, according to an adviser, Tester was one of the players encouraging her to run.
Despite his previous support for Harris, Tester said he will not be making an endorsement in this year’s race because he will be focusing on his own re-election bid.
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“I’m not going to endorse for the presidential – and I will tell you why,” Tester said during a recent press conference in Hamilton, Montana. “Two reasons: No. 1, I’m focused on my race. And No. 2, folks have wanted to nationalize this race, and this isn’t about national politics. This is about Montana.”
Tester, however, endorsed Harris for vice president after she was tapped as President Biden’s running mate in 2020.
“My friend @KamalaHarris is a proven fighter and an excellent pick for Vice President. As VP, I’m confident she will continue to fight for working families across this country. Looking forward to supporting her and @JoeBiden in November,” Tester wrote in an August 2020 post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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The senator has remained distant from the Democratic ticket for several months, as he seeks re-election in a state former President Trump won by 16 points in 2020.
“No matter who is in the White House, Jon Tester always does what’s right for Montana. It’s why Jon has consistently stood up to the Biden-Harris administration on issues like securing the border and protecting Montana from burdensome energy regulations, and it’s why President Trump signed more than 20 of his bills into law,” Monica Robinson, spokesperson for Montanans for Tester, told Fox News Digital. “Jon’s strong record of defending Montana is why Republicans from across the state, from elected officials to business owners to Trump voters, endorsed Jon in his campaign for Senate.”
The Montana Democrat was one of the first senators to call on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race in July.
Tester was also one of three vulnerable Senate Democrats who did not attend the Democratic National Convention (DNC), where Harris officially accepted the party’s nomination for president.
Tester faces opposition in one of the most crucial Senate races of the 2024 cycle from former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, who said, “Jon Tester skipping Kamala Harris’ DNC coronation will not hide the fact that he launched her political career by recruiting her to the U.S. Senate and votes with her radical agenda 95% of the time.”
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“Jon Tester, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are all loyal America Last Democrats who support open borders, amnesty and checks for illegal immigrants, higher taxes, and Green New Scam energy policies that Montanans will reject in November,” Sheehy said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “Come November, Montanans will help send President Trump back to the White House and put an end to the insanity of the disastrous Harris-Tester agenda for good.”
The Cook Political Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, currently positions Tester’s race as a “toss-up.”
Elite university rocked after female student found dead in her dorm on first day of classes
Rice University in Houston was rocked by an apparent murder-suicide on the first day of classes for the fall semester.
A female student was found dead in her dorm during a welfare check by university police. A man, who was not a student at the university, was also found dead in the room with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Fox News Digital confirmed.
In a letter to the Rice community, the school’s Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman identified the student as Andrea Rodriguez Avila.
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“There was no sign of forced entry into her room,” Gorman wrote. “Please be assured that RUPD is working with Houston Police Department and that our campus is safe.”
Gorman said the community was mourning “the loss of a wonderful person taken from us too soon.”
Rice University Police Chief Clemente Rodriguez said Avila, a junior from Maryland, and the suspected shooter were in “a dating relationship.”
Rodriguez said a note, written by the suspected shooter, was found at the scene. He said it was “a lot about their relationship” and indicated that “they were having a troubled relationship.”
Police believe the suspected shooter gained access to the dorm through Avila.
“A family member had not heard from our student, Andrea, and wanted to check on her – make sure she was okay – so we proceeded to go do that,” Rodriguez said during a Monday night press conference carried by FOX 26 Houston.
Police determined that Avila had not attended any of her classes, and decided to check her dorm room around 4 p.m. local time. When police entered Avila’s room, they made the heartbreaking discovery.
The school shared rapid-fire updates on its X account as the incident unfolded.
“RUPD is investigating a potential homicide at Jones College. All students should stay in their rooms until further notice. Faculty and staff should shelter in place until further notice,” the school wrote around 6 p.m.
The lockdown was lifted about 45 minutes later. The school said all classes and activities were canceled for the day.
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Rice University has 11 separate residential colleges. The school’s website describes the system as “spirited communities where students live, dine and interact with peers, faculty, staff and alumni.”
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Rice is a small school with about 8,500 students. Tuition is about $60,000 a year.
Trump team suggests debate could be canceled as Harris seeks last-minute ‘changes’
The Donald Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns traded barbs Monday over debate rules Monday, with the former accusing the latter of playing “games” as Harris’ team seeks to make microphones live throughout the event.
After Trump suggested in a Truth Social post that he might skip the ABC debate on Sept. 10 in Philadelphia, spokesman Jason Miller said the Harris campaign was trying to change the set-up of the debate that had already been laid out.
“Enough with the games,” Trump spokesperson Jason Miller told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate.”
36 DAYS: VP HARRIS REFUSES TO REVEAL POLICY POSITIONS, GIVE NEWS CONFERENCES OR INTERVIEWS
Miller did not directly answer whether Trump would be present at the September debate, instead criticizing the Harris campaign for trying to avoid a debate with the former president.
“The Harris camp, after having already agreed to the CNN rules, asked for a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements. We said no changes to the agreed upon rules,” Miller wrote. “If Kamala Harris isn’t smart enough to repeat the messaging points her handlers want her to memorize, that’s their problem. This seems to be a pattern for the Harris campaign. They won’t allow Harris to do interviews, they won’t allow her to do press conferences, and now they want to give her a cheat-sheet for the debate. My guess is that they’re looking for a way to get out of any debate with President Trump. Regardless, there’s no way Harris is ready to be Commander in Chief.”
Fox News Digital reached out to ABC for comment.
Miller’s comments come after Trump bashed ABC News for its interview with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Sunday.
“I watched ABC FAKE NEWS this morning, both lightweight reporter Jonathan Carl’s(K?) ridiculous and biased interview of Tom Cotton (who was fantastic!), and their so-called Panel of Trump Haters, and I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?” Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday night.
Cotton clashed with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl over Harris’ previous support for Medicare-for-all on Saturday. Karl pressed Cotton about his criticism of Harris’ previous support for eliminating private health insurance as part of her ‘Medicare-for-all’ push during her 2019 presidential campaign.
“Will panelist Donna Brazil give the questions to the Marxist Candidate like she did for Crooked Hillary Clinton? Will Kamala’s best friend, who heads up ABC, do likewise,” Trump wrote, presumably referring to Disney TV chief Dana Walden, a close friend of Harris. “Where is Liddle’ George Slopadopolus hanging out now? Will he be involved. They’ve got a lot of questions to answer!!!”
TRUMP BLASTS HARRIS AS PART OF TRUTH SOCIAL FLURRY ON WHAT SHE ‘DIDN’T MENTION’ IN DNC SPEECH
The Harris campaign also responded to the dispute over the debate rules.
Harris campaign senior advisor, Brian Fallon, said that ABC and other networks should encourage both Trump and Harris to keep their mics on throughout the entirety of the debate.
“We have told ABC and other networks seeking to host a possible October debate that we believe both candidates’ mics should be live throughout the full broadcast,” Fallon said. “Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own. We suspect Trump’s team has not even told their boss about this dispute because it would be too embarrassing to admit they don’t think he can handle himself against Vice President Harris without the benefit of a mute button.The Vice President is ready to deal with Trump’s constant lies and interruptions in real time. Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button.”
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Current polls should worry supporters of VP Harris, Democrat strategist says
Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise to the top of the Democratic ticket has generated momentum in the polls for the party, but some experts aren’t convinced by her new lead.
“If the polling errors are anywhere close to what they were in 2016 and 2020, then Trump is in the lead right now,” Democrat strategist Julian Epstein told Fox News Digital.
The comments come as the Real Clear Politics polling average shows Harris with a slim 1.5 point lead over former President Trump nationally, a significant shift from the three-point lead Trump held over Biden the day before the president dropped out of the race.
BIDEN TO ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR MAJOR CHANGES TO SUPREME COURT AMID OUTRAGE OVER RECENT DECISIONS: REPORT
But the Harris lead is also a much smaller gap than Trump faced at the same time in 2016 and 2020, when the Republican nominee trailed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 6 points and Biden by 7.1.
While Trump won in 2016 and failed to win re-election in 2020, the former president greatly outperformed his polling numbers in two close elections, a fact that is not lost on Democrats heading into the stretch run of 2024.
According to a report from Politico last week, recent polls conducted by Democratic firms that show Harris in the lead also contain warning signs, including leads for Trump in characteristics more likely to sway voters. Harris is also essentially tied with Trump across the battleground states, the polls show, meaning the vice president is underperforming her national numbers in states set to decide the election.
“It’s still a very tough race, and that feels consistent with everything we know,” said Margie Omero, a partner at the Democratic polling firm GBAO Strategies, told Politico.
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Democratic pollsters also fear the prospect of another polling error, even though several of the party’s top firms got together in an attempt to diagnose the problem after 2020.
“I spent a ton of time and analysis trying to dig into those problems. And I feel much better educated about those problems,” Nick Gourevitch, a partner at Global Strategy Group who participated in the Democratic “polling autopsy,” told Politico. “I don’t think there’s any pollster in America who can sit here and say… that they’re 100% sure that they fixed any issues in polling. I think that would be silly.”
That reality is not lost on Democratic pollsters, who have urged caution despite Harris’ quick rise over the last several weeks.
“Every year, we’ve had different curveballs. This is a difficult industry,” John Anzalone, the lead pollster on Biden’s 2020 campaign, told Politico. “Something’s gonna happen in 2024. You and I, right now, don’t know what that is.”
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Meanwhile, Epstein sees several reasons for Democrats to worry, pointing out that Harris is still “underperforming in the Rust Belt battleground by significant numbers” and “with working class voters and Black voters.”
“The idea that Harris doesn’t have to specify policy or go before the news media is a strategy born of conceit and foolhardiness and will ultimately backfire,” Epstein added.
Mediterranean restaurant chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Mediterranean restaurant chain Roti on Friday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The filing was meant to facilitate Roti’s efforts to “seek new investors or purchasers on an accelerated time frame while reorganizing its finances and ensuring that Roti locations across Chicago, Minneapolis and the Washington, D.C. metro areas continue to operate,” according to the Mediterranean restaurant chain.
Roti submitted its petition to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Its move to do so comes after companies like Tijuana Flats, Red Lobster, Rubio’s Coastal Grill and Buca di Beppo have entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings of their own in recent months.
ITALIAN RESTAURANT CHAIN FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY
In its filing, Roti estimated its assets were in the $0 to $50,000 range. Estimated liabilities were reported as $1 million to $10 million, according to the document.
The company said it will “continue to offer its entire menu, catering, loyalty programs, and distinctive make-line experience across its locations” during the Chapter 11 process.
Its network of 19 restaurants spans Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota and the District of Columbia.
They focus on Eastern Mediterranean-flavored bowls, salads and pitas, according to its website.
To maintain operations at its locations, Roti intends to work with its landlords and suppliers, according to the company.
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CEO Justin Seamonds said the Chapter 11 filing “was the best way to address our challenges – including financial performance, higher costs, mixed location performance and tough market conditions – while staying open and focused on delivering Food For a Full Life to each and every guest.”
The company noted it had been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic due to half of its locations being in downtown business areas but “made it through” those challenges thanks to investor and customer support. Now, it is seeing a “current restaurant climate mired in a consumer spending downturn,” Roti said.
In June, 41% of respondents to a KPMG survey of almost 1,100 adult consumers in the U.S. reported intentions of cutting their restaurant spending during the summer. It pegged the average monthly amount that consumers plan to trim their summer restaurant spending by at 9%.
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Meanwhile, 21% had intentions of upping their summer restaurant spending, according to the survey.