Trump admin sues blue state that chose to ‘prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens’
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the state of New York and its governor, Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, alleging a failure to comply with federal law by shielding illegal immigrants, newly sworn-in Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday.
“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi announced at a news conference. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today.”
Also charged is Mark Schroeder, commissioner of the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. Bondi cited New York’s Green Light laws, also known as the Driver’s License Act, which allows illegal immigrants to get a driver’s license.
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The law also prevents certain federal agencies from accessing New York State’s driver’s license information.
“They have green light laws, meaning they’re giving a green light to any illegal alien in New York, where law enforcement officers cannot check their identity if they pull them over,” Bondi said. “And law enforcement officers do not have access to their background. And if these great men and women pull over someone and don’t have access to their background, they have no idea who they’re dealing with, and it puts their lives on the line every single day.
“If you don’t comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable,” Bondi said. “We did it to Illinois, strike one. Strike two is New York. And if you are a state not complying with federal law, you’re next. Get ready.”
The Justice Department last week asked a federal judge to strike down sanctuary policies in Illinois and Chicago.
Bondi was joined by “angel mom” Tammy Nobles of Maryland, whose 20-year-old daughter, Kayla Hamilton, was raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant and MS-13 member in 2022.
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The Department of Homeland Security “did not do their jobs,” Nobles said Wednesday, at times choking back tears while sharing her family’s story.
“They did not check his background,” she said. “I’m so thankful for Pam for having me here today, and I’m so thankful for the opportunities I got from Trump and and any other platform — and for the people (allowing) me to share her story, because this is going to end.”
The suspect, Walter Martinez, an MS-13 gang member from El Salvador who was in the United States illegally, entered the country through Texas as an unaccompanied minor in March 2022. He was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol and eventually sent to Maryland to live with a sponsor.
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Four months later, Martinez moved to a mobile home in Aberdeen, where he was accused of killing Hamilton.
During the news conference, Bondi urged states with sanctuary policies to comply with federal law.
“We don’t want to sue you. We don’t want to prosecute people. We want people to comply with the law,” she said. “This is very simple. An MS-13 member murdered her daughter. That’s happening throughout this country.
“One angel mom is too many,” she added. “And we have angel moms throughout this country who should not be going through this.Comply with the law. This is the last thing we want to be doing.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the offices of Hochul, James and Schroeder.
Elon Musk zeros in on next target after eye-popping review of Social Security
Billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday claimed that a cursory review of Social Security records by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) found evidence that the safety net program is paying benefits to 150-year-olds.
Musk, who has been tasked with leading DOGE as a special government employee, spoke to reporters on Tuesday from the Oval Office of the White House with President Donald Trump and said DOGE found payments going to beneficiaries listed as being around the age of 150, though he didn’t go into detail about the claims.
“There’s crazy things, like, just a cursory examination of Social Security and we’ve got people in there that are about 150 years old,” Musk said. “Now, do you know anyone that’s 150? I don’t. They should be in the Guinness Book of World Records, they’re missing out.”
“So that’s the case where, like, I think they’re probably dead is my guess, or they should be very famous. One of the two,” he added.
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Musk went on to say that “there are a whole bunch of Social Security payments where there’s no identifying information, like, why is there no identifying information?”
“Obviously, we want to make sure that people who deserve to receive Social Security do receive it, and that they receive it quickly and accurately,” he added.
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Musk also spoke about his perspective on DOGE’s mission in terms of reducing wasteful federal spending.
“If your taxpayer dollars are not spent in a sensible and frugal manner, then that’s not okay. Your tax dollars need to be spent wisely on the things that matter to the people,” Musk said.
“It’s not draconian or radical, I think, it’s really just saying let’s look at each of the expenditures and say, is this actually in the best interest of the people, and if it is, it’s approved, if it’s not, we should think about it,” he added.
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Chicago’s mayor gives inside look at ‘gift room’ after watchdog flagged concerns
The City of Chicago recently shared a video of its “gift room” after a watchdog group accused Mayor Brandon Johnson of improperly accepting valuable gifts.
On Wednesday, the city also announced new protocols for receiving gifts, along with a log and video of items currently inside its “gift room.”
The transparency attempt comes after the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) accused Johnson of accepting valuable gifts and failing to report them.
Alleged unreported gifts included jewelry, alcohol, AirPods, designer handbags and size 14 men’s shoes, prompting ethical concerns.
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The new protocols, which went into effect on Tuesday, note that officials must report and properly log gifts within 10 days; store gifts in a designated area that can be viewed publicly via video recording quarterly; and donate excess gifts.
The first video log was sent out on Wednesday and featured artwork, clothing, hats and shoes.
The footage attempts to combat OIG claims that Johnson denied internal investigators access to the room where the items were stored during an unannounced inspection in November.
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A written log contains 18 pages of items, along with their location and the organization that donated the gifts.
“These procedures reaffirm the Mayor’s commitment to ethical governance and transparency and ensure prompt disclosure of all gifts received on behalf of the City,” according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
Johnson previously accused the inspector general of a “mischaracterization,” while insisting he never personally benefited from any gifts.
The OIG report listed Hugo Boss cuff links, a personalized Montblanc pen, a 2023 U.S. National Soccer Team jersey, a Gucci tote bag, a Kate Spade red purse and Carrucci size 14 shoes from Feb. 2, 2022, through March 20, 2024.
While spotted in the video log, dated Feb. 11, the online log does not account for the tote bag, purse or shoes, as of Wednesday.
Other items like the cuff links and pen, while accounted for in the log, do not list the organization or person who donated the gift.
Inspector General for the City of Chicago Deborah Witzburg told Fox News Digital Wednesday night that only some items are visible in the 22-second video, presenting “practical challenges.”
“There are some things visible in the video which are maybe recognizable, but I don’t know that anybody is in a position to look at that video and find the pair of Hugo Boss cuff links or the personalized Montblanc pen,” Witzburg said. “I don’t know that it lends itself to that. I’m not sure whether it’s intended to.”
According to Witzburg, the video does not serve as a substitute for public access, which citizens are entitled to.
She added she is “deeply concerned” about the fact that even gifts logged in the last couple of days have no information about their givers.
“That continues to be really problematic,” Witzburg said. “It doesn’t suggest to me that, at least in that regard, we’ve made a lot of progress… We talk a lot about the fact that the City of Chicago operates at this deficit of legitimacy, and that for decades and generations, the city has given no one any reason to afford the government the benefit of the doubt. And that really matters in a situation like this. Perhaps that video shows a room which appropriately contains everything on that list, but I’m not sure that we have given people any reason to think so.”
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The concern is that gifts might be given or received with the intention of affecting city government decisions or actions, she explained.
“We can’t have a ‘for sale’ sign on the door to City Hall,” Witzburg said. “The city’s ethics rules contain these requirements on gifts, and there are very clear rules on how to handle gifts accepted on behalf of the city.”
Trump secures major legal win in his effort to downsize the federal workforce
A federal judge restored President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program for federal workers in a decision Wednesday.
The deferred resignation program, also known as the administration’s “fork in the road” offer, asked government workers to stay or leave after Trump required them to return to their offices shortly after his inauguration. The legal group Democracy Forward had filed a lawsuit over the program on behalf of labor unions that represent thousands of employees.
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts made the ruling in favor of the White House Wednesday evening. In his decision, he wrote that the plaintiffs in the case “are not directly impacted by the directive” and denied their case on that basis.
“[T]hey allege that the directive subjects them to upstream effects including a diversion of resources to answer members’ questions about the directive, a potential loss of membership, and possible reputational harm,” O’Toole wrote.
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“The unions do not have the required direct stake in the Fork Directive, but are challenging a policy that affects others, specifically executive branch employees. This is not sufficient.”
Additionally, the judge wrote that his court “lacks subject matter jurisdiction to consider the plaintiffs’ pleaded claims,” noting similar cases where courts were found to have lacked authority.
“Aggrieved employees can bring claims through the administrative process,” O’Toole said. “That the unions themselves may be foreclosed from this administrative process does not mean that adequate judicial review is lacking.”
In a statement to Fox News, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the decision “the first of many legal wins for the President.”
“The court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing,” Leavitt said. “This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities.”
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The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) began emailing more than 2 million federal civilian employees offering them buyouts to leave their jobs shortly after Trump’s inauguration. The offers quickly outraged labor leaders, and the president of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) called the offers “shady,” claiming the deals “should not be taken seriously.”
“The offer is not bound by existing law or policy, nor is it funded by Congress,” NFFE National President Randy Erwin said. “There is nothing to hold OPM or the White House accountable to the terms of their agreement.
“Federal employees will not give in to this shady tactic pressuring them to quit. Civil servants care way too much about their jobs, their agency missions and their country to be swayed by this phony ploy. To all federal employees: Do not resign.”
As of Wednesday night, around 75,000 federal workers accepted the Trump administration’s deferred buyout program. Shortly after the judge’s decision, the OPM told Fox News that it was “pleased the court has rejected a desperate effort to strike down the Deferred Resignation Program.”
“As of 7:00 PM tonight, the program is now closed,” the spokesperson noted. “There is no longer any doubt: the Deferred Resignation Program was both legal and a valuable option for federal employees. This program was carefully designed, thoroughly vetted, and provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures.”
Republican attorneys general previously signaled support for Trump’s program, writing in an amicus curiae brief Sunday that a challenge to the constitutionality of the order “would inevitably fail.”
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“Courts should refrain from intruding into the President’s well-settled Article II authority to supervise and manage the federal workforce,” the filing said. “Plaintiffs seek to inject this Court into federal workforce decisions made by the President and his team. The Court can avoid raising any separation of powers concerns by denying Plaintiffs’ relief and allowing the President and his team to manage the federal workforce.”
Drag queens rail against Trump as city votes to become trans sanctuary
The Worcester City Council in Massachusetts voted in favor of a resolution to become a sanctuary city for those transgender and gender-diverse Tuesday.
During a lengthy city council meeting, approximately 200 people from the LGBT+ community arrived to show their support for the resolution—often expressing concerns for their safety under the new Trump administration.
One speaker, donning a purple wig, pearl necklace and white gloves, said she needs the city to protect her because the federal government will not, and she is “afraid of Trump.”
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The speaker, who also claimed to have a multitude of disabilities, addressed fears that the city would become a target of the administration and lose federal funding if the measure was passed, then issued a warning.
“If you say that you’re afraid of Trump and that’s why you don’t want the city to be a safe space for trans people, you better prepare for trans people to make this a very unsafe space,” she said.
“I’m shaking right now. I don’t want to be here,” another speaker shouted into the microphone before being asked to wrap up.
“I’m sorry, am I taking too long pleading for my life?” the speaker fired back.
The individual, addressing those seated at the city council, also asked how many of “my friends need to die” before something is done, then yelled, “Look at me … f—ing pathetic.”
Another demanded to know, “How many lives have to be lost before you consider fighting back against fascism and corruption?”
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A purple-haired woman spoke about having two trans children, while another woman at the council meeting asked city leaders to imagine being in a same-sex marriage as she is and fearing that their marital rights could be “stripped away at any moment.”
“You have an incredible opportunity as a community to support our children, you have an opportunity to decrease the rates of depression and suicide by showing our children that their safety and dignity are a priority,” another meeting attendee said.
The resolution to protect transgender and gender-diverse people came a month after Worcester City Councilor-at-Large Thy Nguyen, the first openly nonbinary member of the council, took a hiatus, claiming the environment was transphobic.
A local organization, “Queer Residents of Worcester and Our Allies,” later filed a petition asking councilors to protect the minority community.
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The city council approved the resolution by a vote of 9-2 following the 5-hour meeting, according to WCVB, which also reported, “The measure reiterated the city’s commitment to transgender rights and equal protections. It also recognizes the importance of gender affirming healthcare.”
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Trump envoy reveals how US secured Marc Fogel’s long-awaited release from Russia
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said some things were still up in the air when he hopped on his jet to Russia to discuss the potential release of American school teacher Marc Fogel.
Witkoff, a longtime friend of President Donald Trump, said Wednesday on “Hannity” that someone who is an intermediary between the United States and Russian governments reached out with an opportunity to bring Fogel back.
A plan was presented to the president and members of his Cabinet, including national security advisor Mike Waltz and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who deemed the information “credible” and “actionable.”
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Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Witkoff if he knew the ultimate outcome when he got on the jet.
“You know, we thought we had a very, very good chance of Marc coming back. We weren’t positive. There were still some things that I’m not at liberty to talk about tonight,” the real estate investor said.
“We thought it was a strong enough opportunity that we had to go and, hopefully, we’d have a good result. And, of course, we did. So I’m grateful for that and grateful for the Fogel family.”
Fogel was released Tuesday after he spent roughly three years in a Russian prison on drug charges. He was not included in the August 2024 mass prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that saw Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan freed.
The White House announced Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering, would be released as part of the Fogel exchange.
Witkoff declined to comment on whether he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip.
Fogel met with Trump late Tuesday night at the White House wearing an American flag draped across his shoulders.
“I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now,” he said, praising the president and his team as “heroes” for securing his release and bringing him home.
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“I think he [Fogel] was pinching himself even after three and a half years in prison. I think he considered himself to be fortunate. He’s an example of a very, very courageous person and I’m glad I had the privilege to meet him, to know him,” said Witkoff. “I’ll stay in touch with him and play a small part in getting him his freedom.”
Outspoken liberal actor understands America’s swing to the right in 2024 election
Outspoken liberal actor Seth Rogen is not as bothered about President Donald Trump’s second term as some of his Hollywood colleagues are.
In a recent profile in Esquire, the “Superbad” star admitted that he’s not hyperventilating over the second Trump administration, suggesting that the 2024 election results represent the natural ebb and flow of American politics.
“People get sick of seeing f—— hippies doing acid and f—— on their lawns, and they’re like, Let’s f—— clean up these streets a little bit. And then people get sick of seeing f——dorks cleaning up the streets, and they go back the other way,” he said.
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Rogen added he tries to keep a cool head amidst all the talk about the country’s stark political divide.
“I personally try not to go too dark on all of it and think like, ‘Oh, are we on the precipice of global societal collapse?’ Since the end of the Civil War, America’s remained a very divided country in a lot of ways,” he said.
“That’s not to say it doesn’t have very real and troubling ramifications on many people’s lives,” he continued, “but I try to maintain hope that the ball will roll onwards, even though it might be wobbling back and forth.”
Rogen’s unruffled perspective on Trump is a departure from his earlier statements about the president and the Republican Party at large.
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During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2021, the comedic actor called Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a “fascist” for supporting Trump in questioning the 2020 election.
“Ted Cruz is a fascist. He denies the reality of the election. His words caused people to die, and I’m making jokes about it,” Rogen told Colbert after being asked.
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Rogen justified anti-Trump resistance in an interview with “The Daily Beast” in 2017, saying, “I don’t want to look back in 10 years and think, ‘I just didn’t say anything during that time,’ because it seems like a time when it’s very important to normalize dissent.”
However, he did note at the time, “I’ve been very conscious not to insult people who voted for Donald Trump.”
Legendary rocker’s daughter, reality TV star diagnosed with ‘multiple’ brain tumors
Reality star Teddi Mellencamp was hospitalized Tuesday after doctors discovered “multiple tumors” on her brain.
The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star suffered from “severe and debilitating headaches” for the last several weeks before seeking medical advice, according to a post shared on her Instagram account Wednesday.
“Yesterday the pain was unbearable and required hospitalization. After a CT scan and MRI, doctors found multiple tumors on my brain, which they believe have been growing for at least 6 months,” Mellencamp wrote.
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“Two of the tumors will be surgically removed today – the remaining smaller tumors will be dealt with via radiation at a later date.”
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It’s unclear what kind of tumors Mellencamp’s medical team discovered or how long the reality star will be hospitalized.
Mellencamp, 43, shaved her head before heading into surgery to remove two of the tumors.
“I didn’t have this look on my bucket list,” she said as a friend helped shear her hair.
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She expressed gratitude to her “children, family, friends, doctors, nurses and surgeons who are doing everything possible to get me back into better health.”
“Thank you to everybody who has reached out, and to everyone who has supported me along this journey,” she added in her Instagram post.
In a separate Instagram story, Mellencamp wrote of her father, John Mellencamp, “As my dad said this am, god only gives hard stuff to those of us who can handle it. It’s a hard day but I have faith and amazing surgeons and know everything will be ok.. ”
Fox News Digital contacted Mellencamp’s representative for more information.
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