Trump admin makes key move against migrants allowed into US via Biden programs
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to review the parole status of migrants who were brought in under a dramatic expansion of humanitarian parole by the Biden administration, opening the door for their quick removal from the country.
In an internal memo signed Thursday, and obtained by Fox News Digital, acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman noted moves he made this week to take limits off expedited removal, which allows for the rapid removal of recently-arrived migrants if they do not claim asylum or fail to meet an initial standard. The power can now be used anywhere in the U.S. for migrants in the U.S. for less than two years.
The new memo says that with those expanded powers, any immigrant whom DHS knows who could be put on expedited removal, but has not, should have their case reviewed and “consider, in exercising your enforcement discretion, whether to apply expedited removal.” The memo was first reported by The New York Times.
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“This may include steps to terminate any ongoing removal proceeding and/or any active parole status,” it says.
It also says that for any immigrant who has been granted parole under a policy paused, modified or terminated by the Trump administration, officers can decide whether they should be placed in removal proceedings and “review the alien’s parole status to determine, in exercising your enforcement discretion, whether parole remains appropriate in light of any changed legal or factual status.”
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The memo also notes that parole is a “positive exercise of enforcement discretion to which no alien is entitled and that parole ‘shall not be regarded as an admission of the alien.’”
This would mean that migrants who were granted parole at ports of entry after making an appointment via the CBP One app, or who were given travel authorization to be paroled under the parole processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV), could be eligible for removal. The administration also launched parole programs for nationals from Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Nearly 1.5 million migrants were allowed in under CBP One and CHNV, and both parole channels were closed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. The Biden administration said the expanded “lawful pathways” were part of an effort to reduce illegal crossings, but Republicans accused the administration of abusing limited parole power and allowing in migrants who should not legally have entered.
Huffman’s memo follows a memo from earlier this week in which he ordered a review of the use of parole. The memo notes that the statute demands the authority be used on a “case by case basis,” something that Republican critics claim the administration has abused. It emphasizes that parole is “a limited use authority, applicable only in a very narrow set of circumstances.”
It also claims that “it has been repeatedly abused by the Executive Branch over the past several decades in ways that are blatantly inconsistent with the statute.”
“Most important, the parole statute does not authorize categorical parole programs that make aliens presumptively eligible on the basis of some set of broadly applicable criteria,” it says.
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The memo directs the heads of (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection to compile a list of instructions, policies and procedures related to parole, review them and formulate a plan to phase out any that are not in accord with the statute.
The latest memo comes amid a flurry of moves by the administration on illegal immigration and immigration, including moves to send military to the border, end refugee resettlement, build the border wall and launch a massive deportation operation.
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ICE on Thursday arrested more than 530 illegal immigrants in another day of raids across the U.S. Agents have focused on public safety threats, but officials have said that no-one is off the table if they are in the country illegally.
JFK’s grandson reacts to President Trump’s order to release assassination files
President Donald Trump’s executive order to declassify the JFK files left one of the 35th president’s descendants unimpressed. Jack Schlossberg, former President John F. Kennedy’s grandson, made his stance on the order clear in a post on X, saying that there was “nothing heroic” about Trump’s latest move.
“Declassification is using JFK as a political prop, when he’s not here to punch back,” Schlossberg wrote. “There’s nothing heroic about it.”
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After signing the order, which included the declassification of files on the assassinations of JFK, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., Trump told reporters that “everything will be revealed.”
RFK Jr., son of the late senator and Trump’s HHS nominee, told press that the order was a “great move” on the president’s part. He believes that the move will bring “more transparency” and it shows that Trump is “keeping his promise to have the government tell the truth to the American people about everything.” Kennedy has called for answers on his father and uncle’s assassinations.
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“I have now determined that the continued redaction and withholding of information from records pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy is not consistent with the public interest and the release of these records is long overdue,” Trump’s order reads.
The order gives officials just over two weeks (15 days) to give Trump a plan for “the full and complete release of records” on the JFK assassination. Additionally, officials have 45 days to present a plan on files relating to RFK and MLK Jr.’s assassinations.
King’s family reacted to the order in a statement, saying that they “hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release.”
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While Trump promised to release the JFK files during his first administration, there is still an undisclosed amount of material that remains under wraps more than 60 years later.
Trump ultimately agreed to block the release of the files after pleas from the CIA and FBI. At the time, he said that the threat of making the documents public were of “significant gravity” that they outweighed “public interest.” In a recent appearance on “Hannity,” Trump said that then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked him not to release the documents, though he did not say if Pompeo explained why the files should remain classified.
DeSantis issues warning to state lawmakers over illegal immigration crackdown
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday pushed Republican state lawmakers to take urgent action on illegal immigration, voting to fight like a “junkyard dog” and warning of political consequences for defiance.
The governor leaned on the Florida legislature ahead of a special session next week, during which he wants legislators to pass new bills to crack down on illegal immigration in sync with President Donald Trump’s administration at the federal level. But GOP leaders have called the session “premature” and signaled that they may gavel out without taking action on the governor’s agenda items.
DeSantis warned that would be a costly mistake. “It would be very, very hazardous politically,” he told reporters during a roundtable discussion at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. He also suggested that he will call for another special session of the legislature if GOP leaders delay action.
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“I have my constitutional authority to wield in this process and I will continue to wield it as appropriate so that we’re able to get the job done,” he said, adding that he would fight like a “junkyard dog” to get his immigration policies enacted.
“You don’t let go.”
DeSantis wants Republicans to enact laws that would require state and local officials to comply with the new immigration orders issued by the White House and provide funding for them to do so. He has also called for legislation that would penalize state and local officials who violate Florida’s “anti-sanctuary policies,” WPTV reported.
The governor also directed lawmakers to consider additional hurricane aid, crack down on ballot initiative signature fraud and address rising HOA fees.
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House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton reacted coolly when the governor called for a special legislative session starting on Jan. 27. In a joint statement on Jan. 13, they called it “irresponsible” for the legislature to act ahead of any announcements Trump may make on immigration and criticized DeSantis, stating the governor had offered only “fragmented ideas” and had not released any bill language or details for legislators to consider.
Lawmakers “will decide when and what legislation we consider,” the Florida House and Senate leaders said.
Trump has already issued a flurry of executive orders to begin promised “mass deportations” of illegal immigrants present in the United States. On Monday, Trump declared an emergency on the southern border, deployed 1,500 soldiers to the border and ended the Biden administration’s CBP One app program to process migrants at ports of entry via humanitarian parole.
His administration then launched a mass deportation operation, with ICE agents active in multiple cities and states across the U.S.
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The Department of Homeland Security has also issued memos rescinding limits placed on ICE by the Biden administration, ordering a review of parole and expanding the use of expedited removal for recently-arrived illegal immigrants.
And Trump’s administration has moved to restore border wall construction and reinstate the Remain-in-Mexico policy, which requires migrants to stay in Mexico for the duration of their asylum cases.
These combined policies have resulted in a sharp 35% drop in illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border, multiple Department of Homeland Security sources told Fox News Digital.
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DeSantis rejected the concerns of the legislature, telling reporters Thursday, “we’ve been waiting years for this moment. It’s not premature.”
“We can’t drag our feet. We can’t wait for something to go into effect in July. We need something immediately and we need to get everything moving, and we need to do what we told the people that elected us that we would do.”
GOP senator confident Hegseth will be confirmed, names who Dems will target next
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin expressed confidence that Pete Hegseth would be confirmed as Defense secretary, despite opposition from GOP moderates.
Hegseth cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, setting up a final confirmation vote expected Friday evening. However, Republican Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, both publicly declared their opposition to his nomination, meaning the GOP can only afford one more defection before Hegseth’s confirmation is lost.
Mullin, in an interview on the “Guy Benson Show” with guest host Jason Rantz, said there are 50 “hard yes” votes for Hegseth to be confirmed and estimated he will receive as many as 52 votes, with all Democrats and the moderate Republicans from Alaska and Maine voting against.
“He’s definitely being confirmed tomorrow,” Mullin told Rantz. “I don’t know what the White House schedule is, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was sworn into office on Saturday.”
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The Senate voted 51-49 to advance Hegseth’s nomination on Thursday, which triggered up to 30 hours of debate before a final vote. President Donald Trump‘s embattled Defense nominee has faced intense grilling from Democrats on his qualifications for the position, as well as personal questions about his drinking habits and alleged sexual misconduct, which he has vigorously denied. Hegseth has said he would abstain from alcohol if confirmed.
Hegseth’s nomination faced another hurdle this week when reports emerged that his ex-sister-in-law alleged that Hegseth had abused his second wife.
Two sources told CNN Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, gave a statement to the FBI about Hegseth’s alleged alcohol use. The outlet said one of the sources said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, “He drinks more often than he doesn’t.”
On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges he has an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was previously married to Pete Hegseth’s brother and has no relation to Samantha.
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However, Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, by Pete against Samantha.
Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement to NBC News.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., slammed Hegseth at a news conference on Thursday and urged Republicans to join Democrats in opposition to the former Fox News host and Army National Guardsman.
“Hegseth is so utterly unqualified, he ranks up there [as] … one of the very worst nominees that could be put forward,” Schumer said.
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“People’s lives depend on it — civilians and, of course, the men and women in the armed services — and Pete Hegseth has shown himself not only incapable of running a large organization, he often shows himself incapable of showing up or showing up in a way where he could get anything done. He is so out of the mainstream and so unqualified for DOD that I am hopeful we will get our Republican colleagues to join us.”
Mullin predicted that once Hegseth is confirmed, Democrats will turn their attention to another of Trump’s nominees, Tulsi Gabbard, who is the president’s choice to be director of national intelligence.
“I think they’re going to turn their attention from Pete straight to Tulsi Gabbad,” Mullin said, noting that Gabbard’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for next week. “They went from Matt Gaetz to Pete Hegseth. Now they’re going to go to Tulsi, and then after that I’m sure they’ll probably move on to [health secretary nominee] Bobby Kennedy.”
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The Oklahoma Republican also suggested that Democratic senators who may harbor presidential ambitions stand to gain from making a show of opposition to Trump’s nominees.
“You have all these Democrat senators now that are jumping up and down wanting attention so they can be the champion of the Democrat Party. What they don’t realize is the position they took underneath Biden and when Trump was in office is exactly why they got kicked out of office.”
James Carville says ‘no one wants to hear’ from Biden anymore
Democratic strategist James Carville hopes that former President Joe Biden can help his party by getting out of the way, since “no one wants to hear from” him anymore.
“Well, this is the kind of truth of where we are,” Carville said to his “Politics War Room” podcast co-host Al Hunt on Wednesday. “We all know Biden. Actually, you and I know him personally. And I think it’s fair to say that we’re long-time, at some level, admirers of Joe Biden. What he’s done to himself is, no one wants to hear from this guy anymore, OK?”
He added, “Just go to your condo in Rehoboth and stay there. And that’s not because we’re bad people, or we’re mean people. It was all his doing, all his doing, this entire thing.”
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Carville called out Biden’s refusal to leave the 2024 race earlier and his recent claim that he could have beaten President Donald Trump if he stayed.
“And this kind of petty back and forth, ‘Oh I would have beat Trump,’ and no one f—ing believes that at all. Then fighting with Jill Biden and Alexandra Pelosi,” Carville said, referencing Nancy Pelosi’s daughter calling out the former first lady for attacking her mother’s role in Biden eventually stepping down.
The former Bill Clinton advisor continued to call Biden “one of the most tragic stories of American politics in my lifetime” but added any future role he plays in the future would be a negative one.
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“Look, guy, you had a noble career. Your last act was terrible. Just get out of the way. The party’s moving on. I mean, they’re really moving on. It is very sad, but that is just where we are. He created this himself. He had nobody to blame but himself,” Carville said.
Carville has been a fervent critic of Biden for failing to drop out of the race sooner, and he has even suggested it would have helped Democrats win the election if he had.
“But the different scenario would be, if he would have – in September of 2023 or August – said that he wasn’t going to run … we would have won this election,” Carville said last month. “And it wouldn’t have been that close, because we’d have had so many freaking talented people that were running.”
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Carville added, “And he would be sitting here right now, getting ready to leave on a high note. There would be naming commissions to figure out what we’re going to name after him. He would be the toast of Washington.”
Voters angered by liberal mayor’s refusal to cooperate with ICE
Chicago residents are voicing frustration with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s commitment to shielding the city’s undocumented migrant population from federal immigration crackdowns, citing concerns about community safety and strained resources.
This comes as border czar Tom Homan declared that Chicago would be “ground zero” for immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans.
Mayor Johnson has doubled down on his opposition, vowing to uphold Chicago’s sanctuary city policies.
“I find it unconscionable that this administration would attempt to create not just division but fear within our public schools,” Johnson said, referring to potential federal raids. He directed city departments to “stand firm and uphold the local ordinance” in compliance with the Illinois Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement efforts.
However, many residents feel the city’s priorities are misplaced. P Rae Easley, a Chicagoan and host of “Black Excellence Hour,” voiced her concerns during a recent appearance on “Fox & Friends First,” Thursday.
“We understand that we are in the middle of an invasion,” Easley said. “Every single person who came across that border came with an invoice on their back for the Chicago taxpayer.”
The financial burden has been a flashpoint for residents. Last December, the city faced backlash over spending more than half a billion dollars to shelter migrants through its New Arrivals Mission. That program became a heated topic at community meetings after Johnson revealed a billion-dollar budget shortfall.
“I got a great way what we can do with this budget,” one resident said during a public meeting. “Let’s start with cutting off illegals getting free everything, free housing, free schooling, free food.”
The pushback comes as federal authorities ramp up enforcement. During Trump’s presidency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested over 460 individuals in the first days of an immigration sweep, targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Offenses included sexual assault, domestic violence, and weapons crimes.
Easley supports these actions, saying they’re necessary for community safety.
“Nobody else gets to be shielded from federal crimes, and neither do they,” she said. “We need everybody to go back where they belong so that we can reallocate our tax funds to the citizens of the city.”
In response to Johnson’s sanctuary city stance, the Trump administration has instructed federal prosecutors to investigate state and local officials who obstruct deportation efforts. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, in a memo obtained by Fox News, cited cartels and transnational criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua as one of the “most serious threats facing the American people.”
Despite the criticism, Johnson remains steadfast, insisting that protecting migrants aligns with the city’s values. “Chicago stands strong: regardless of the circumstances, our commitment to protecting and supporting this city remains unwavering,” Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
But residents like Easley say the city’s priorities are out of balance.
“We need the federal government here,” she argued. “I don’t think that it’s fair that we’re paying federal income taxes, and we are not allowed to get federal help because our mayor has a political goal that doesn’t align with the people.”
President Trump has criticized sanctuary cities, including Chicago, for resisting federal immigration policies. “We’re trying to get rid of them (sanctuary cities). We’re trying to end them. And a lot of the people in those communities don’t want them,” Trump told Fox’s Sean Hannity on Wednesday.
Lawmakers are also moving to support Trump’s immigration agenda. This week, the House approved the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of theft or violent crimes. The bill is named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by a Venezuelan man in the country illegally.
For Easley and others in Chicago, the path forward is clear. “We care more about the children of Chicago than we do the children of the invaders,” she said.
Sen McCormick fires back after ‘Squad’ member’s claims about the right’s ‘true religion’
Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., claimed in a post on X that “white supremacy and xenophobia” are the political right’s “true religion” and that the values of those on the right do not stem from Christ’s life and instruction.
“It’s long been known that the true religion of the right is white supremacy and xenophobia. None of their real values are from the life and teachings of the Christ of the Christian Bible…” she wrote in a post on her @SummerForPA account.
Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., fired back at the congresswoman.
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“None of us should take lectures from someone who has repeatedly demonstrated antisemitic behavior and is now condemning millions of her fellow citizens who simply want freedom, opportunity and secure borders,” he declared in a tweet.
Lee swiftly fired right back at him.
“Senator, I’m condemning those who profess to follow the teachings of Christ but do not love their neighbor or do right unto the least of these. Is that you? When he’s hungry, will you feed him or cut SNAP benefits? When he’s a stranger, will you invite him in or build a wall?” she replied.
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Lee has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2023.
McCormick was just sworn in as a senator earlier this month.
Lee has criticized newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
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“Trump’s executive orders scapegoat Black + brown communities while his billionaire donors profit off the polluted air, overcrowded detention centers, and prison labor these EOs create. Immigrants aren’t why your wages are low and costs are high—it’s the billionaires,” she declared in a post on her @RepSummerLee X account.
Airline no longer allowing passengers with inappropriate clothing or tattoos on flights
Spirit Airlines has updated its policy to include a stricter dress code for passengers.
The update, which became effective on Jan. 22, says a passenger can be denied boarding or removed from a flight because of their clothing or offensive tattoos.
The additions to the contract now specify that passengers who are inadequately clothed, such as wearing see-through clothing that exposes breasts, buttocks, or other private parts, are subject to being grounded.
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The contract also makes clear that passengers may not be barefoot, which is a policy on other airlines as well. Another addition to Spirit’s policy, the appearance of offensive tattoos, is not a common cause for removal.
The new policy comes after clothing infractions have reportedly caused issues for some Spirit passengers.
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In October of last year, two women were removed for wearing crop tops on the airline. Last week, a man from Texas was removed from a Spirit flight for wearing what was deemed an offensive hoodie. The passenger eventually removed the article of clothing but was still escorted from the plane.
Fox Business has reached out to Spirit for comment.