Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Trump

‘Restore order’: Bill to limit Biden-era immigration powers gets renewed push under Trump

FIRST ON FOX: A bill to strictly limit programs used by the Biden administration to allow migrants into the U.S. and protect them from deportation is being re-introduced in both chambers of Congress amid a flurry of immigration moves in Congress and the White House.

The End Unaccountable Amnesty Act, was introduced in the Senate last year but is now being re-introduced in both chambers by Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, which would limit the use of humanitarian parole to allow migrants into the U.S. and limit the use of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to protect them from deportation.

The Biden administration, as part of its efforts to expand lawful pathways for migration to curb the ongoing migrant crisis at the border, used parole to admit 1,450 migrants a day using the CBP One app at the border. It has also allowed more than 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV) to fly into the U.S. using a separate program. Combined, nearly 1.5 million migrants were let in via CBP One and CHNV. President Trump ordered an end to both this week.

‘ABUSED THE LAWS’: GOP BILL VOWS TO SHUT DOWN KEY BIDEN-ERA POLICIES BENEFITING MIGRANTS

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind. (Rep. Jim Banks campaign/File)

Separately, the Biden administration has used (TPS) to allow migrants from countries facing conflict and hardship to remain protected from deportation, including countries like Venezuela and Haiti. It extended a slew of designations in the final days of the administration.

The bill would restrict TPS designations by requiring Congress to approve them for 12-month terms (currently 18 months) and requiring additional moves by Congress to extend them.

The bill would also limit parole to a hard cap of 1,000 a year, significantly reduced from the hundreds of thousands allowed currently. Parole would also only be allowed for limited circumstances like emergency medical cases.

The bill would also impose stricter eligibility and placement criteria for unaccompanied children amid reports of such children being lost track of by authorities. Meanwhile, the use of DHS documents like Notices to Appear and also the now-limited CBP One app would be barred from being used for airport security checks.

‘TIDES ARE SHIFTING’: PUSH TO CODIFY KEY TRUMP-ERA POLICY SNAGS DOZENS OF CO-SPONSORS

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas (Nathan Howard/Getty Images/File)

“The Biden administration exploited current law to grant legal status to millions of non-citizens, overwhelming communities in Indiana and across the country. Our schools, healthcare systems, and public services are struggling with this massive influx,” Banks said in a statement. “This bill will end mass parole, eliminate incentives for illegal immigration, and help President Trump restore order after the chaos caused by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s policies incentivized the worst border crisis in American history,” Nehls wrote. “Worse, President Biden and his cronies imported people from all over the world through the CHNV and other mass parole programs, flooding our communities with insufficiently vetted individuals. I’m proud to introduce legislation alongside Senator Banks to prevent future administrations from abusing TPS designations and parole authority.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

When it was first introduced, the bill faced challenges with a Democrat-run Senate, but now the chamber is in the hands of Republicans, and a number of Democrats have backed restrictionist bills after a year in which illegal immigration was a top priority for voters.

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Dozens of Democrats recently backed the Laken Riley Act to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal immigrants charged with theft-related crimes. Meanwhile, a bill to restore the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy has picked up bipartisan sponsors in the lower chamber.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

January 23, 2025
‘Complete failure’: Government shutdown crisis threatens Capitol Hill as Trump plans policy overhaul

There are less than two months until the next government funding deadline on March 14, and House lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned about the speed of their progress on spending talks.

“I think it’s a complete failure for us to not have a topline number,” said Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla.

Congressional Republicans have been busy negotiating a massive conservative policy and budget overhaul via a process called “reconciliation,” which allows the party holding both the House and Senate to enact sweeping changes by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51.

But all the while, Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital are worried about falling behind on the federal appropriations process for fiscal year (FY) 2025, with no topline funding numbers to work from yet and just 19 days left in session until the deadline.

TRUMP’S REMAIN IN MEXICO POLICY COULD BE REVIVED UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP BILL

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is navigating multiple critical legislative actions in the next few months. (Getty Images/AP)

Congress has extended the FY 2025 deadline twice since the period began Oct. 1 – most recently passing a short-term funding extension of FY 2024 funding levels, known as a continuing resolution (CR), in late December.

“Appropriation bills have to get done. If we end up with another CR, that would be catastrophic. That would mean, in essence, a reduction on defense [funding],” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “But for us to start doing it, we need a topline number. But I’m optimistic we’ll get there.”

If nothing is done by March 14, Congress could be forced to contend with a partial government shutdown in the middle of their reconciliation talks – and within the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Other members of the committee suggested they were similarly in the dark about a topline number, but were cautiously hopeful.

“We are less than eight weeks away from the CR expiring. We need to be able to get those toplines as soon as possible and get to work,” said Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla. “I have full faith and confidence that Tom Cole will be able to make that happen in the next week or two.”

Rep. Cory Mills blasted Congress for not having a topline appropriations number yet. (David Dee Delgado)

Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., has been “in consultation” with his counterparts on a towline number.

Asked about the possibility of another CR, he said, “We have several things going on at once – the reconciliation package, raising the debt ceiling, and the appropriations process. So let’s just hope for the best and deal with the worst if we have to.”

Republican leaders have previously been forced to seek Democratic support to pass CRs, which normally hit a wall of opposition among a cross-section of the GOP.

TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES

Conservative hardliners told Fox News Digital they’re bracing for another CR or, worse in their eyes, a massive package combining Congress’ 12 regular appropriation bills into one massive “omnibus.”

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said he and other conservatives were working on a bill to keep border security operations funded in the event of a government shutdown.

“We’re running out of time,” he said, adding that Republicans should “probably stay in next week” instead of flying to their annual issues conference in Miami.

Rep. Ralph Norman said he is working on a bill to keep the border funded in the event of a shutdown. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Keith Self, R-Fla., pointed out that House lawmakers have just over two weeks’ worth of days in session to come up with a plan.

“I’m very concerned. I’m also concerned that if we screw up the CR on March the 14th, does it poison the reconciliation negotiations?” Self posed.

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But not all conservatives are concerned. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., said he would be in favor of a full-year CR if “we write it properly.”

“You tell me what the topline is, and I’ll tell you whether I’m concerned,” he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to congressional Republican leaders and the House Appropriations Committee for comment.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]

January 23, 2025
Former VP Harris reportedly asking Hillary Clinton for advice on what to do after losing to Trump

Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ future remains unclear months after her election loss to now-President Donald Trump.

As she grapples with navigating next steps, Harris has spoken with family and close friends, including the one other person who has been in her exact position: Hillary Clinton, New York Magazine reported. The two have reportedly spoken several times since Harris’ defeat.

Some have speculated that she will stage a gubernatorial run next year in California, as her close friend, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, is limited on terms and can’t run again. Others think she still has her eye on the Oval Office and will launch another bid for the presidency. Shortly after the election, Harris reportedly told advisors not to make any plans that would preclude her from seeking the presidency in 2028, according to New York Magazine.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris attends President Donald Trump’s inauguration. (SHAWN THEW/Pool via REUTERS)

The former vice president has not spoken directly about her future, but she has hinted that she’s not done with politics. Last week, just days before the end of her time as then-President Joe Biden’s VP, Harris addressed a room of staff as she participated in the decades-long tradition of signing her desk drawer. During her brief remarks, Harris said she would not “go quietly into the night,” saying that “our work is not done.”

The comments she made to staff echoed a message from her concession speech in which she told supporters, “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.”

Then-Vice President Kamala Harris makes her way to board a plane before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on June 14, 2021. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

HARRIS FORMALLY CONCEDES ONE DAY AFTER TRUMP’S SWEEPING VICTORY

After her 2020 bid for the presidency failed, Harris was given a clear path forward as Biden’s pick to be his running mate. While Biden seemed to imply that he would be a one-term president, he announced his re-election campaign in April 2023.

However, after a disastrous debate that highlighted ongoing issues, Biden made the historic decision to drop out of the race in July 2024. This was just one week after a gunman nearly killed Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania.

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Shortly after dropping out of the race, Biden endorsed his VP, moving her to the top of the ticket. Some believed this move could have hurt her prospects, as voters saw her nomination as a coronation, in stark contrast to the “save democracy” message channeled by the Democrats.

Then-Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks conceding the presidential election at Howard University in Washington on Nov. 6, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

HOLLYWOOD FINDS FAILURE TO ELECT KAMALA HARRIS ‘UNSETTLING’: ‘NOT THE DRIVER ANYMORE’

Harris and Clinton have more than election losses in common. Both were backed by a long list of Hollywood A-listers, whose endorsements ultimately did not help. Not even Taylor Swift could make the “Harris Era” happen.

“The outcome of this election is not what we hoped, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” Harris said in her concession speech. “But hear when I say … the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

January 23, 2025
Las Vegas Police will not assist with Trump immigration ‘roundups,’ says department head

After President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and swift, sweeping actions to crack down on illegal immigration, the head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), Sheriff Kevin McMahill, doubled down on a policy guiding officers to limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (IC) and not assist with federal immigration “roundups.”

The department emphasized its policy of not investigating immigration violations, according to a statement posted on X Tuesday. The department said its statement was in response to “questions regarding immigration enforcement.”

The policy, which was instituted during the first Trump administration in 2019 and then amended in 2023, states that “although Nevada peace officers have the authority to assist in enforcing federal laws, LVMPD officers will not enforce immigration violations.” And “officers will not stop and question, detain, arrest, or place an immigration hold on any individuals on the grounds they are an undocumented immigrant.

“It is the policy of this department to recognize the dignity of all persons, regardless of their national origin or immigration status,” the policy states. “LVMPD is committed to community-oriented policing as a strategy that focuses on developing relationships with community members regardless of the immigration status of a suspect or victim.”

‘LOUD AND CLEAR’: BORDER STATE’S LEGISLATURE MOVES TO BACK TRUMP’S ICE ON DEPORTATIONS

President Donald Trump and Sheriff Kevin McMahill, head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. (Getty Images)

According to the LVMPD policy, the department “will share criminal intelligence regarding transnational organized crime and international terrorism with any and all law enforcement agencies to include ICE.”

The policy further states that the department will also notify ICE when a foreign-born individual is arrested and charged with a violent felony, domestic violence or driving under the influence at the time of booking and release.

DOJ TO INVESTIGATE STATE OR LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO OBSTRUCT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT: MEMO

However, the LVMPD policy says that the department “will not delay the release of an inmate for ICE” and will release a migrant “if ICE is not present at the time of the inmate’s release.”

In an interview with local outlet 8 News Now, McMahill said his officers would not assist federal authorities with “roundups” of illegal immigrants, saying, “That’s not my job. I have too much to do.

“I don’t intend to change that policy any time soon. What I do hope happens is that there’s a bipartisan effort to secure our border.”

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill speaks to the media at department headquarters in Las Vegas Jan. 7, 2025. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

In previous statements, ICE has said law enforcement agencies refusing to honor its immigration “detainers,” or hold requests, unnecessarily place agents and communities in danger by necessitating potentially violent confrontations and arrests in public spaces.

Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, has spoken out unequivocally against public officials who have vowed not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

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“When you release a public safety threat back into the community, that puts the community at great risk of crime, and it puts our officers at great risk. Now, they’ve got to arrest the bad guy on his turf, where he has access to who knows what weapons, and it puts the public at risk,” Homan told Fox News Wednesday.

“To sanctuary cities, I’ve said this many times: Let us into the jail, where it’s safer for an agent to arrest a bad guy, it’s safer for the bad guy to be arrested in jail and it’s safer for the community.

“I want to save lives. A secure border saves lives. And when President Trump locks this border down, less women and children will be sex trafficked in this country, less aliens will die making that journey,” he added.

“Sanctuary cities are going to get exactly what they don’t want — more agents in the communities, more people arrested, more collaterals arrested. So, that’s a game they want to play? Game on.”

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025
Dems ask Trump USDA pick who will do ‘backbreaking’ farming amid mass deportations

Democratic lawmakers are worried American farms will suffer under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative.

Approximately 40% of crop farmworkers are not approved to work in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers Survey, and Democratic lawmakers are curious about who will step in to work in the heat or cold.

As a result, senators questioned Trump’s pick to lead the Agriculture Department, Brooke Rollins, about whether mass deportation under the Trump administration will undermine the farming workforce.

“Can we expect this administration to be raiding farms, going after the immigrant farmers?” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said during Rollins’ confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Thursday.

‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY:’ TRUMP DECLARES AMBITIOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Committee chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“Listen, the president’s vision of a secure border and a mass deportation at a scale that matters is something I support,” Rollins said.

Rollins then promised to help Trump execute his agenda, while also “defending” American farmers and ranchers.

“But when you’re talking about massive deportation, we’ve gone beyond dangerous criminals,” Durbin said. “I just wonder if we ought to give fair warning to farmers and ranchers across America that if you have immigrant labor, you can expect federal agents to come and search your property.”

“I have not been involved in the president’s current plan, I cannot answer that one way or the other,” Rollins said.

Trump has promised to take an aggressive approach to border security and illegal immigration, and the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice Tuesday to green-light expedited deportation of illegal immigrants.

‘PROMPT REMOVAL:’ TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP

Brooke Rollins attends a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing on her nomination for Secretary of Agriculture, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Other Democratic senators, including Peter Welch of Vermont and Adam Schiff of California, echoed similar sentiments regarding the implications of mass deportation on farms.

While the lawmakers acknowledged that those who pose a public safety threat shouldn’t remain in the U.S., they also said Americans are less inclined to work in the harsh conditions that farming requires than illegal immigrants.

Schiff said estimates suggest half of California’s farm workforce is undocumented, and asked Rollins how farmers were supposed to survive if half their workforce is cut, because “Americans don’t want to do that work,” since it’s “too backbreaking.” As a result, Schiff asked who would work on California’s farms.

Rollins said she would work with the committee and with the Labor Department on the matter.

“We will work together to understand and hopefully solve for some of these problems. The dairy cattle have to be milked, but if we’ve got a mass deportation program underway, then there’s a lot of work that we need to do,” Rollins said.

TRUMP BORDER CZAR REVEALS ICE TEAMS ARE ALREADY ARRESTING ‘PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS’

Brooke Rollins, U.S. President Trump’s nominee to be secretary of agriculture, testifies before a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 23, 2025. (Kaylee Greenlee Beal/Reuters)

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also voiced concerns about how farmers will fare, should Trump follow through on his plans to implement tariffs. Trump’s economic plan calls for imposing tariffs ranging from 10% to 20% on all imported goods.

When Trump’s first administration imposed tariffs, China issued their own retaliatory tariffs that cost the federal government billions of dollars in government aid to farmers.

“I’m trepidacious that this is going to come back to our farmers,” Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan said.

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“My commitment is that there will be no sleeping, that we will work around the clock to ensure that our AG communities across this country are represented in those discussions and at the table,” Rollins said.

Rollins previously worked as the director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during Trump’s first term. After working for the Trump administration, Rollins co-founded the America First Policy Institute think tank.

The secretary of the Agriculture Department is responsible for managing farm and nutrition, forestry, food safety, rural development, and agricultural research.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

January 23, 2025
Trump signs order to declassify files on JFK, MLK assassinations

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to declassify files on the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.

Trump had promised to declassify the previously-classified documents during his 2024 campaign.

“Everything will be revealed,” Trump told reporters as he signed the order in the Oval Office of the White House.

During his first administration, Trump had promised to release all the files related to John F. Kennedy, but an undisclosed amount of material remains under wraps more than six decades after Kennedy was killed Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.

President John F. Kennedy (Getty)

After appeals from the CIA and FBI, Trump blocked the release of hundreds of records. Trump said at the time the potential harm to U.S. national security, law enforcement or foreign affairs is “of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in immediate disclosure.”

Trump’s promise to also release outstanding documents related to King and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy leaves questions as to how the president-elect will speed up the releases.

Under the Martin Luther King Jr. Records Collection Act, the remaining files pertaining to King are not due for release until 2027.

January 23, 2025
President Trump signs crypto executive order

Professional Capital Management founder and CEO Anthony Pompliano on the Trump administration launching a crypto taskforce and the formation of the Stargate AI project.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that seeks to clarify regulations in the crypto industry to “secure America’s position as the world’s leader in the digital asset economy,” FOX Business has learned.

Trump’s order establishes the Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, which will develop a federal regulatory framework for digital assets, including stablecoins, and evaluate the creation of a strategic national digital assets stockpile. It will be chaired by the White House AI and crypto czar and include the treasury secretary, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as other relevant department and agency heads.

Additionally, the executive order prohibits agencies from establishing, issuing or promoting central bank digital currencies, and directs other federal agencies and departments to provide the group with recommendations about digital asset regulations that should be rescinded or modified. It also revokes the Biden administration’s digital assets executive order framework for international engagement on the industry.

“President Trump will help make the United States the center of digital financial technology by halting aggressive enforcement actions and regulatory overreach that have stifled crypto innovation under previous administrations,” the White House announcement said.

SEC LAUNCHES CRYPTO TASK FORCE TO CREATE REGULATORY CLARITY

President Donald Trump campaigned on boosting the U.S. crypto industry. (Jabin Botsford /The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The executive order comes after Trump touted a crypto-friendly approach to regulating the growing industry during his presidential campaign. He pledged at a crypto conference he attended last summer to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet” and the “bitcoin superpower of the world” if elected.

Former President Joe Biden’s administration, through then-SEC Chair Gary Gensler, carried out a regulatory crackdown on the digital assets industry in an effort to root out bad actors.

Gensler resigned from the SEC on Inauguration Day and Trump appointed SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda, a Republican appointee, as the agency’s acting chair while his nominee to serve as the new permanent chair, Paul Atkins, awaits Senate confirmation.

PRESIDENT TRUMP APPOINTS MARK UYEDA ACTING SEC CHAIR

Uyeda’s first official action was to create a new crypto task force led by GOP Commissioner Hester Peirce, often referred to as “Crypto Mom.”

The task force will foster a dialogue with industry players to promote a friendlier regulatory environment by focusing on drawing clear regulatory lines, providing realistic paths to registration, crafting sensible disclosure frameworks and deploying enforcement resources.

It will also coordinate those activities with other federal agencies, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which is poised to take on a larger role in crypto regulation.

Bitcoin prices were up slightly on Thursday in advance of the news, rising by 0.35% to $104,043. In the last month, bitcoin prices have been up over 8.6%.

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FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence and Eleanor Terrett contributed to this report.

January 23, 2025
Schumer supports Democrats delaying all Trump nominees that lack unanimous support

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he supports the delay of all of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees who do not have unanimous support in the Senate.

Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., filed cloture on John Ratcliffe’s nomination for CIA director, Kristi Noem’s nomination for Homeland Security secretary and Pete Hegseth’s nomination for defense secretary on Tuesday. But a last-minute objection from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., held up a vote on Ratcliffe, triggering hours of debate that could delay confirmation votes on Trump’s national security nominees late into the week and possibly into the weekend.

“I don’t think it’s too much to ask to make sure that we have a full, real debate that lasts two days on the Senate floor,” Murphy said on the Senate floor, adding that Democrats have “serious concerns” about Trump’s CIA pick.

The Senate voted to confirm Ratcliffe, 74-25, on Thursday afternoon.

SEN THUNE SUGGESTS STAYING THROUGH WEEKEND TO CONFIRM TRUMP PICKS AFTER DEMS DELAY VOTES: ‘SHOULDN’T BE HARD’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks at a press conference with other Senate Democrats on reproductive rights in Washington on Jan. 22, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Asked on Thursday if he supports slowing the confirmation process for Trump’s nominees down, Schumer indicated that he does.

“Look, there are some nominees like [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio that got broad support, but a detailed discussion – I have some doubts about Mr. Ratcliffe, particularly when I asked him how he’d react if Tulsi Gabbard were put in charge of him in the DNI,” Schumer said, referring to Trump’s pick to lead the Office of National Intelligence.

NEW GOP SENATOR TEARS INTO DEMS ‘SEEKING TO DELAY’ PETE HEGSETH DOD CONFIRMATION

Donald Trump’s nominee for CIA director, John Ratcliffe, appears for a Senate Intelligence confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 15, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“For a day or two, or a few hours to examine these nominees who have such power thoroughly, absolutely,” he added. “Our idea is to let the whole truth come out if they try to rush them through. We don’t want that to happen.”

Thune on Tuesday expressed frustration with Democrats over their delay tactics.

CONFIRMATION DELAYS STACK UP FOR TRUMP NOMINEES AS PAPERWORK LAGS IN FEDERAL OFFICES

Republican Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. (Getty Images)

“Do we want a vote on these folks on Tuesday or vote on them on Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Because that’s what we’re going to do. This can be easy or this can be hard,” Thune said. “This is about America’s national security interests, and we’re stalling, so that’s not going to happen.”

Ratcliffe was approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee by a bipartisan vote of 14-3. Because of that, Thune said the vote to confirm him “shouldn’t be hard.”

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“Democrats and Republicans, in a very big bipartisan fashion, agree that he is very qualified for this job,” Thune said, adding that he isn’t sure what stalling accomplishes.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

Aishah Hasnie serves as a FOX News Channel (FNC) senior national correspondent based in Washington D.C. She joined the network in February 2019 and was promoted to her current role in 2024.

January 23, 2025
Border encounters drop sharply as Trump launches crackdown on illegal immigration

EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. southern border has seen a sharp drop in illegal immigrant encounters in the first days of the Trump administration, compared to the final few days of the Biden administration, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) source tells Fox News Digital.

The number of Border Patrol encounters at the southern border in the first three days of the Trump administration is 35% lower than the final three days of the Biden administration, the source said. The numbers do not include encounters at the northern border, or encounters at ports of entry by CBP’s Office of Field Operations.

On Jan 17, there were 1,288 encounters nationwide, then 1,266 on Jan 18 and 1,354 on Jan 19. That is 3,908 encounters in total.

TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES

President Donald Trump holds a document on the day he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House, January 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Trump took office on the 20th, when there were 1,073 encounters. It then declined further to 736 encounters on the 21st and again to 714 on the 22nd – making up 2,523 encounters.

Numbers fluctuate sharply at the border on a daily and weekly basis, but numbers have been relatively low since June, when President Biden signed an executive order limiting asylum. That followed a historic migrant crisis from 2021 that had shattered records repeatedly.

Migrants seeking asylum in the United States who previously requested an appointment on the CBP One Mobile application, are silhouetted as they queue at El Chaparral border crossing toward the U.S. to attend their appointment, in Tijuana, Mexico January 18, 2025. (REUTERS/Jorge Duenes)

President Donald Trump implemented additional restrictions. On taking office, he signed orders declaring a national emergency at the border, deploying the military to the border and ended the use of the CBP One app to process migrants at ports of entry via humanitarian parole.

His administration has also launched a mass deportation operation, with ICE agents active in multiple cities and states across the United States.

‘PROMPT REMOVAL’: TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP

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.

Trump’s administration has also 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.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Trump also signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants — a move which quickly sparked a lawsuit from nearly two dozen Democratic-led states.

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Although the data is preliminary, lower numbers will likely fuel speculation about a “Trump effect,” in which migrants are discouraged from making their way to the border if they believe they are less likely to be admitted, or more likely to be deported if they are.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

January 23, 2025
Trump expected to pardon pro-life activists convicted under FACE Act

Donald Trump is expected to pardon pro-life activists convicted under the FACE Act during President Biden’s administration in the coming days.

The pardons, first reported by The Daily Wire, would apply to activists convicted of protesting near abortion clinics during various demonstrations. The details and scope of the pardons have yet to be revealed.

Thomas Ciesielka, a spokesman for the pro-life law firm the Thomas Moore Society, confirmed plans for the pardon to Fox News Digital.

News of the plan comes just one day before the March for Life, an annual pro-life march that takes place in Washington, D.C.

WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., had called on Trump to pardon activists convicted under the FACE Act since the president was sworn into office.

“No administration in history has targeted Christians like the Biden Admin. We saw one persecution after another, from shutting down churches during COVID to raiding pro-lifers homes at the crack of dawn. EVERY pro-life prisoner Biden wrongly imprisoned should be pardoned,” Hawley wrote on X.

Hawley said he spoke with Trump about a potential pardon plan on Thursday morning, saying they had a “great conversation.”

TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has also introduced legislation that would dismantle the FACE Act. Many lawmakers have argued that Democratic administrations have weaponized it against pro-life groups and Christians.

“97% of FACE Act prosecutions between the years of 1994-2024 were initiated against pro-life Americans; it is laughable to argue that the law hasn’t been weaponized. Let’s put H.R. 589 on the President’s desk and end this once and for all,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said in a statement reacting to the pardon news.

Pro-life supporters march in Washington D.C., United States on January 20, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Trump also issued a blanket pardon for nearly all January 6 prisoners shortly after he took the oath of office.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

January 23, 2025