Trump DHS boss Kristi Noem makes aggressive new move to arrest more illegal immigrants

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem signed a memo this week deputizing up to 600 State Department officials as immigration officers, as part of a government-wide push to ramp up deportations and secure the border.

Noem signed an order that deputized up to 600 special agents in the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service to help with the arrest and deportation of illegal immigrants.

“Under President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security will use every tool and resource available to secure our border and get criminal illegal aliens out of our country,” Noem said in a statement. “The safety of American citizens comes first.”

TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY LOOKING TO DEPUTIZE IRS AGENTS FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

The move is the latest effort by the department to expand the number of officials involved in immigration enforcement, amid a push by the Trump administration to aggressively increase the arrests and deportation of illegal immigrants.

DHS has deputized IRS employees, law enforcement components of the Justice Department and law enforcement officials with the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

“It is DHS’s understanding that the Department of Treasury has qualified law enforcement personnel available to assist with immigration enforcement, especially in light of recent increases to the Internal Revenue Service’s work force and budget,” Noem said last week.

Fox News Digital reported last week that interior arrests have skyrocketed compared to the same period in 2024, while numbers of crossings of illegal immigrants at the border have continued to trend downward. According to Department of Homeland Security data, there were 11,791 interior ICE arrests from Jan. 20 to Feb. 8, compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024. That is a 137% increase.

The administration has said it is trying to target the “worst of the worst,” focusing on criminal illegal immigrants and gang members but has also stressed that it is not ruling anyone out of contention. 

TRUMP FLOATS GUTTING THE IRS, MOVING AGENTS TO THE BORDER ARMED WITH GUNS

Meanwhile, the administration has secured additional cooperation at the border from Mexico and Canada, as well as agreements from Venezuela and Colombia to take back their nationals.

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DHS has also moved to shut down Biden-era parole programs and the use of Temporary Protected Status to allow migrants to avoid deportation. The administration is also tapping into the resources of the Pentagon by deploying the military to the border and is also using Guantanamo Bay to house illegal immigrants. 

New details released about captain, first officer flying plane that crashed in Toronto

Delta Air Lines pushed back against online rumors and “misleading assertions” about the crew aboard Flight 4819, operated by its subsidiary Endeavor Air, which crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday.

The flight’s captain was hired in October 2007 by Mesaba Airlines and served as an active duty captain and in pilot training and safety capacities, the airline said. Mesaba Airlines merged with Pinnacle Airlines in 2012, leading to the creation of Endeavor Air.

“Assertions that he failed training events are false. Assertions that he failed to flow into a pilot position at Delta Air Lines due to training failures are also false,” the airline said in a statement Thursday.

Endeavor Air hired the first officer in January 2024, and she has been flying with the airline since she completed her training in April. According to Delta, her flight experience time exceeded minimum federal requirements. The airline also said that “assertions that she failed training events are false.”

TORONTO PLANE CRASH TIMELINE: DELTA FLIGHT FROM MINNEAPOLIS FLIPS UPSIDE DOWN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND

Delta also said that both the captain and first officer are “qualified and FAA certified for their positions.”

On Monday, as it was landing at Toronto Pearson Airport, flight 4819 burst into flames before flipping upside down. Images of the wreckage that showed the plane lying belly-up went viral.

No fatalities were reported, but 21 people were injured. According to Delta, the last of the injured passengers was released from the hospital on Thursday.

“The Delta and Endeavor families are grateful that all those injured Monday have been released from the hospital, and we extend our thanks to everyone who provided care to them over the past few days,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement.

DELTA OFFERS PAYMENT TO VICTIMS AMID INVESTIGATION OF PLANE THAT FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN

Delta announced on Wednesday that it would be offering $30,000 to each of the victims aboard flight 4819, including 76 passengers and four crew members. 

The payments have “no strings attached,” a spokesperson for the airline told FOX Business, meaning that passengers who accept the $30,000 could potentially still take legal action.

After the crash, Bastian said in an interview with “CBS Mornings” that, despite critics’ assertions, the Trump administration’s budget cuts did not have a negative impact on aviation safety.

“I understand that the cuts at this time are something that are raising questions, but the reality is there’s over 50,000 people that work at the FAA. And the cuts, I understand, were 300 people, and they were in non-critical safety functions,” Bastian said.

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Israel accuses Hamas of killing two young boys with ‘own hands’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed “revenge” on Hamas after it was discovered that the body in a coffin bearing Shiri Bibas’ name and photo was an unidentified woman, and not the kidnapped mother of two.

On Thursday, Hamas was supposed to deliver the bodies of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas and Oded Lifshitz. However, during the identification process, Israel discovered that the body inside Shiri’s coffin was not hers. 

“These Hamas monsters also cynically refused to bring back the boys’ mother, Shiri, and sent the body of a Gazan woman instead, in brazen violation of the agreement,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday.

TERROR GROUP RESPONDS AFTER FAILING TO RETURN THE BODY OF MURDERED HOSTAGE SHIRI BIBAS

“And as the prime minister of Israel, I vow that I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice. They do not deserve to walk this earth. Nothing will stop me. Nothing,” he added.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, citing forensic findings and intelligence, confirmed on Friday that Ariel and Kfir Bibas “were murdered by terrorists in cold blood. The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys, they killed them with their own hands. Afterwards, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities.”

Hagari said Hamas’ handing over “the body of an anonymous woman” instead of Shiri Bibas was “further evidence of Hamas’ barbaric cruelty.”

In response to the findings, the Hostages and Missing Families forum issued a statement.

“We are shaken to the core by the horrifying findings confirming the cruel and brutal murder of Ariel and Kfir Bibas—just innocent infants—at the hands of Hamas. This barbaric act is yet another undeniable testament to the unfathomable brutality of those who continue to hold our loved ones captive. The very same hands that slaughtered Ariel and Kfir are the ones keeping our fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters in unimaginable conditions,” the statement reads.

The organization, which was founded in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, reiterated its demand that Hamas release the remaining hostages “before it is too late.”

Ofri Bibas Levy, Yarden Bibas’ sister, however, struck a different chord in a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we did not receive an apology from you in this painful moment. For Ariel and Kfir’s sake, and for Yarden’s sake, we are not seeking revenge right now. We are asking for Shiri,” Levy said in the statement.

ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR SLAMS HAMAS’ ‘EVIL AND DEPRAVED’ DISPLAY OF HOSTAGES’ COFFINS

The revelation that Shiri’s body was not returned alongside her sons sparked widespread outrage. World leaders and celebrities, including Dr. Phil and Patricia Heaton, condemned Hamas’ actions and expressed their disgust with the terror group.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-Ny, who has been outspoken about his support for Israel, slammed those criticizing the Jewish state’s response to Hamas’ attacks.

“Those who insist that Israel stop defending itself in the face of genocidal terror are asking the world’s only Jewish State to sign a suicide pact that no other nation-state, including our own, would ever sign,” Torres wrote on X.

U.S. Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler called Hamas’ actions “horrific” and “a clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement while speaking with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Thursday. Boehler warned that if Hamas does not release all the remaining hostages, it will “face total annihilation.”

Netanyahu also delivered a message to the fallen Israelis whose bodies were returned by Hamas on Thursday.

“Ariel, Kfir and Oded: I am so sorry we couldn’t save you from the monsters who did this. We honor your kind and loving souls, so tragically cut down by evil terror,” the prime minister said.

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Israel is preparing to receive six living hostages on Saturday, two of whom have been held hostage in Gaza for over a decade.

Trudeau sends fiery message to Trump after USA falls to Canada in overtime

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a fiery message to the United States on Thursday night as his country won the 4 Nations Face-Off in an overtime thriller.

Team Canada’s Connor McDavid scored the game-winning goal to give his team the 3-2 win over the U.S.

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The game was played amid political strife between Trudeau and President Donald Trump as the U.S. world leader has teased Canadian lawmakers about the country becoming its “51st state.” Trump has openly called Trudeau the “governor” of Canada as well. It continued on Thursday ahead of the game.

“You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game,” he posted on X.

Politics infiltrated hockey earlier this month as NHL and NBA fans booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” when Trump announced tariffs against Canada, which have since been paused.

AMERICANS BARELY BOO CANADIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM, THEN BELT OUT ‘THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER’ IN PATRIOTIC DISPLAY

The booing continued into the 4 Nations Face-Off and it culminated in a round of fisticuffs during the U.S. and Canada’s first matchup. Three fights occurred in a mere nine seconds after Canadian fans booed the national anthem in Montreal.

The U.S. was able to pull out a win in that game.

Canadian fans drowned out the smattering of boos in the TD Garden as they sang “O, Canada.” American fans followed up with their own singing of the national anthem.

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When the dust cleared, it was the Canadians who were holding the 4 Nations trophy.

Frustrated Americans send clear message about blue city’s migrant influx

Chicago residents are fed up with the city spending taxpayer dollars on illegal immigrants, prompting some to call for Republicans to take over the traditionally Democrat-run city.

“The taxpayers are paying and funding this illegal migrant crisis,” South-Side resident Danielle Carter told Fox News Digital. “So, therefore, it’s not fair to us because they are taking our resources. They are spending our tax dollars on people who crossed the border illegally. I think everybody who came over here illegally should get deported and come back legally.”

Carter is a member of the Chicago Flips Red, a group made up of city residents who are critical of the city’s handling of the migrant crisis. Since August 2022, the city estimates that over 51,000 illegal immigrants from the southern border have traveled to Chicago. 

Over the past couple of years, their frustration has been displayed at several city council meetings where they complained about a proposed tax hike to address the city’s budget deficit, while the city spends more than half a billion dollars on sheltering migrants. According to city officials, Chicago is expected to spend $40 million on migrant services. 

CHICAGO ALDERMAN ACCUSES MAYOR JOHNSON OF ONLY LISTENING TO ‘HYPER-LIBERAL WHITE PROGRESSIVES’ ON IMMIGRATION

Zoe Leigh, another member of Chicago Flips Red, told Fox News Digital that she believes the city’s spending on illegal immigrants is “unconstitutional.”

“We continue to spend more because of this. It’s unconstitutional. It’s wrong. This is unfair. American citizens have put too much into the United States, into this nation, for us not to even have a say,” she said. 

Patricia “P Rae” Easley, founder of a separate group called Chicago Red, called for a democratic process to decide whether local authorities should work with federal law enforcement like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport illegal immigrants.

“They should have given us the opportunity to vote for it. Just a simple yes or no question. Should we remain a sanctuary city? They didn’t want to give that to us. The fact of the matter is, the Chicagoans have never, ever, ever voted for this sanctuary city ordinance,” Easley said. 

CHICAGO HORROR: 2 MIGRANTS CHARGED WITH MURDER AS HOMAN LEADS ICE RAIDS

The city council recently blocked a proposal that would have allowed local law enforcement to assist ICE to detain migrants with a criminal record. Mayor Brandon Johnson released guidelines for how city officials should handle ICE visits on city property, while reaffirming his administration’s “commitment to the welcoming city ordinance.”

Carter said she and others are willing to report any migrants to the authorities.

“We’re on the ground. We have our boots on the ground. So, the people in the neighborhood are willing and ready to work with Tom Homan and ICE,” Carter said. 

“They care more for other people who are not from this country than they do here in America,” Mark Carter told Fox News Digital.

Cata Truss, a Democrat, said the city leaders should be looking to take care of our own citizens first, citing the “homeless problem” in the city.

“You’ve even laid out the red carpet in terms of funding for them. Yet your people are still suffering. We had a homeless problem here in the city of Chicago before the migrants ever got here. And so you’re putting them up in hotels and finding nice places for them to stay,” she said.

Chicago officials operated temporary shelters, including churches, hotels, a library and former warehouses. The largest shelters housed more than 1,000 people, while others reported counts closer to 100.

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City officials consolidated shelters for the homeless and migrants in an attempt to save taxpayers money, an effort Johnson called a “unified sheltering system.”

Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Social media cheers as White House deputy chief of staff ‘torches’ press corps: ‘I love this’

Stephen Miller gave the White House press corps a “civics lesson” on presidential powers at Thursday’s press briefing, to the delight of conservatives.

The White House deputy chief of staff for policy responded to a question comparing media concerns about Elon Musk serving as an “unelected bureaucrat” while ignoring former President Joe Biden’s declining mental state.

“You’re tempting me to say very harsh things about some of our media friends,” he began. “It is true that many of the people in this room for four years failed to cover the fact that Joe Biden was mentally incompetent and was not running the country.”

“It is also true that many people in this room who have used this talking point that Elon is not elected fail to understand how government works. So I’m glad for the opportunity for a brief civics lesson,” he continued.

WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS

“A president is elected by the whole American people. He’s the only official in the entire government that is elected by the entire nation, right? Judges are appointed. Members of Congress are elected at the district or state level. The Constitution, Article II has a clause known as the Vesting Clause. And it says the executive power shall be vested in a president, singular. The whole will of democracy is imbued into the elected president. That president then appoints staff to then impose that democratic will onto the government.” 

Miller went on to describe what he felt was the true threat.

“The threat to democracy, indeed the existential threat to democracy, is the unelected bureaucracy of lifetime-tenured civil servants who believe they answer to no one, who believes [sic] they can do whatever they want without consequence, who believes they can set their own agenda no matter what Americans vote for,” he said.

Miller went on to call out FBI, Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department bureaucrats who “don’t want to change” despite Americans voting in favor of radical reform.

“What President Trump is doing is he is removing federal bureaucrats who are defying democracy by failing to implement his lawful orders, which are the will of the whole American people,” he concluded.

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Some conservative X users praised Miller’s answer as a pushback against biased reporters.

Comedian Tim Young wrote, “Stephen Miller torches the media and calls them out on now knowing how the government works: ‘I’m glad for an opportunity for a brief civics lesson.’ I loved every second of this.”

“Stephen Miller goes straight Schoolhouse Rock!” Knox County Mayor Glen Jacobs exclaimed.

“He’s right, you know,” National Review senior writer Dan McLaughlin remarked.

Mo. Sen. Josh Hawley’s communications director, Abigail Jackson, wrote, “I love this clip of @StephenM calling the media out to their faces about their refusal to cover Biden’s mental incompetence. So good.”

“Stephen Miller explains in very clear and concise terms to the ignorant news media how Donald Trump was elected to represent the will of the American people, and that it isn’t the place of unelected career bureaucrats to run their own agendas,” conservative journalist Ian Miles Cheong said.

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Soft-drink giant pops its DEI bubble after Trump’s executive order

Pepsi has become the latest company to significantly roll back its DEI policies, announcing it will be eliminating its role of Chief DEI officer and ending representation goals in hiring.

“We are revising our DEI program, as 2025 marks the conclusion of our five-year strategy. We see an even bigger opportunity to more deeply embed inclusion throughout the business as a key driver of business growth and will be introducing a new Inclusion for Growth strategy,” PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said in an employee letter first reported by conservative activist Robby Starbuck.

The letter states that Pepsi will be “transitioning our Chief DEI Officer into a broader role” and that “Inclusion is the responsibility of all leaders at PepsiCo.” A slate of significant DEI rollbacks were mentioned in the letter, including sunsetting “aspirational representational goals” in hiring and centralizing “employee resource groups (ERGs).” Pepsi currently has a number of affinity groups centered around employees’ identity, including groups for Black and Hispanic employees.

TARGET HIT WITH CLASS ACTION SUIT CLAIMING THEY MISLED INVESTORS OVER DEI POLICIES

The move comes as a number of companies, including Target, Walmart, John Deere and Harley-Davidson, distanced themselves from DEI amid a nationwide backlash. Upon taking office, President Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders combatting DEI in the federal government and set the DOJ’s sites on companies employing discriminatory DEI policies. 

“PepsiCo is, and always will be, a place where hard work and performance drive success,” Laguarta said in a statement. “We are moving forward with an approach that strengthens inclusion by continuing to provide all associates with the opportunity to grow, contribute, and advance based on their talent and performance. By embedding inclusion into how we build teams, drive growth, and engage with communities, we are ensuring that PepsiCo remains competitive, innovative, and a great place to build a career.”

JOHN DEERE RELEASES STATEMENT REJECTING DEI POLICIES: ‘COMMITTED TO OUR CUSTOMERS’

The beverage and snacks conglomerate recently announced in January that they would be pursuing viewpoint neutrality in their media ad spending, after having been affiliated with the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). Trump DOJ’s antitrust division chief nominee, Abigail Slater, accused GARM of engaging in “collusion” to blackball right-wing media and politically disfavored platforms. 

Not everyone is convinced that Pepsi is committed to turning away from DEI. Paul Chesser, director of the Corporate Integrity Project for the National Legal and Policy Center, which has a shareholders proposal calling on the brand to end DEI metrics consideration in their executive bonuses, says that the soda-maker’s moves are just “optics.”

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“If you check their website it still has DEI cr-p all over it… they’re just pushing it below the surface,” he said.

Witness to Idaho murders reveals new pivotal clue at crime scene