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Homeland Security puts staff involved in 'disinformation' board on administrative leave, review coming

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Tuesday that some Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) employees who worked on "mis-, dis-, and malinformation" were put on administrative leave.

In a statement to Scripps News, DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote CISA needs to "refocus on its mission," starting with election security.

"The agency is undertaking an evaluation of how it has executed its election security mission with a particular focus on any work related to mis-, dis-, and malinformation," according to the statement.

SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN'S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ 

As first reported by Fox News Digital, then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified in April 2022 that the Department of Homeland Security was creating a "Disinformation Governance Board" to combat misinformation ahead of the 2022 midterm election.

During an appearance before the House Appropriations Subcommittee, Mayorkas said a "Disinformation Governance Board" was created to address misinformation campaigns targeting minority communities.

MAYORKAS RIPS ‘POLITICIZED’ ATMOSPHERE OVER FEMA DISASTER RESPONSE AMID GOP CRITICISM'

While the agency conducts the assessment, personnel who worked on the alleged "mis-, dis-, and malinformation," as well as foreign influence operations and disinformation, will remain on administrative leave, according to the statement.

The board was allegedly led by Undersecretary for Policy Rob Silvers, co-chair with principal deputy general counsel Jennifer Gaskill. 

Nina Jankowicz, who previously served as a disinformation fellow at the Wilson Center, reportedly served as executive director, Politico reported.

Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

GOP lawmakers' bill tackles child trafficking crisis at border

Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, is joining GOP colleagues in the Senate by introducing legislation to protect unaccompanied migrant children from human traffickers.

"Over 300,000 unaccompanied migrant children effectively disappeared under the Biden administration, leaving them vulnerable to trafficking, abuse, and exploitation. Instead of ensuring their safety, these children are released with no follow-up, falling into the hands of cartels and criminals," Luttrell said in a release announcing the Stop Human Trafficking of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Act of 2024.

Luttrell's legislation is a companion to a bill introduced in the Senate by senators Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and aims to prevent further trafficking of migrant children by implementing proper vetting for adults who sponsor a child in the United States, including vetting for parents, immediate relatives and unrelated adults.

MIGRANT SEX TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR SPEAKS OUT: 'I SAW GOOD PEOPLE DIE'

The bill will also require that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) take steps to vet all adults who will live in the home of a migrant child.

"It is terrifying to think that over 300,000 young, innocent children have been brought into this nation, potentially forced into unsafe conditions and at risk for human trafficking," Scott said in the release. "As a parent or grandparent, it’s unimaginable to think what might happen to these children and that former President Joe Biden allowed this to happen by completely dismantling our immigration system and opening our southern border, completely ignoring the consequences or the tolls on human life."

JUDGE APPROVES EMERGENCY ORDER TO CLOSE MIGRANT GANG-INFESTED AURORA, COLORADO, APARTMENT COMPLEX

The bill aims to put multiple steps in place to prevent trafficking of children, including a prohibition on children being released to a sponsor who is in the U.S. illegally, unless the sponsor is the child's legal guardian or a relative. The bill will also require authorities to complete a home visit prior to a child being released to the sponsor and calls for at least five additional unannounced home visits during the child's first year in the country.

The legislation will also require reporting to Congress on actions being taken to account for current missing children, according to the release.

"HHS must implement thorough vetting to ensure these children are placed with responsible adults — not predators," Luttrell said. "President Biden’s border policies failed everyone, and this legislation will support the Trump administration’s efforts to course correct the disaster we were left with."

4 FEMA employees fired for paying for hotels for migrants in New York City

The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News that "four employees are being fired today for circumventing leadership and unilaterally making the egregious payment for hotels for migrants in New York City."

The firings come after Elon Musk wrote on X Monday that "The DOGE team just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants." 

"Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order," Musk added. "That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high end hotels for illegals!"  

"A clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds," he added. 

HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM SAYS ‘GET RID OF FEMA THE WAY IT EXISTS TODAY’

During former President Biden's term, FEMA faced backlash after it was reported that while they lacked the necessary funds needed to help Hurricane Helene victims, they were dishing out money that ended up being used to aid illegal immigrants.  

Speaker Mike Johnson clarified that emergency relief funding is separate from FEMA funds allocated to immigration, but said that the agency should not have any part in funding the border crisis. 

FEMA partners with Customs and Border Control (CBP) and administers money to the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), a government-funded program that provides assistance and housing for illegal immigrants released into the U.S. 

A New York City Hall spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that the city had received funds "through the past week" that were allocated by the Biden administration for the purpose of housing and supporting illegal immigrants. 

Of the $59.3 million, $19 million was for direct hotel costs, while the balance funded other services such as food and security. According to NY City Hall, the funds were not part of a disaster relief grant. 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MOVES TO DISMISS CHARGES AGAINST NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday that the firings were 'long overdue."

"These funds have been misappropriated going back to the Biden administration and New York City – a sanctuary city – has been wasting billions of dollars of taxpayer money to provide free housing, clothing, food, education and healthcare to illegal immigrants, including criminal aliens that are here illegally," he added.

"And so I applaud DHS for taking action to stop these payments under President Trump's leadership because we have incentivized cities like New York and states like New York – a sanctuary state – to allow this to continue and it has to stop," Lawler also said.

The Department of Homeland Security previously told Fox News Digital that those who made the payment will be "held accountable."

President Trump suggested in a Truth Social post on Tuesday that FEMA should be abolished.

"FEMA spent tens of millions of dollars in Democrat areas, disobeying orders, but left the people of North Carolina high and dry. It is now under review and investigation," he declared in the post. 

"THE BIDEN RUN FEMA HAS BEEN A DISASTER. FEMA SHOULD BE TERMINATED! IT HAS BEEN SLOW AND TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE. INDIVIDUAL STATES SHOULD HANDLE STORMS, ETC., AS THEY COME. BIG SAVINGS, FAR MORE EFFICIENT!!!" the president added.

Fox News’ Aubrie Spady and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report. 

Noem: 'Get rid of FEMA the way it exists today'

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that she supported getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "the way it exists today." 

In an appearance on CNN’s "State of the Union," Noem’s stance appeared in line with that of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who have both suggested shutting down FEMA could be an option, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has reportedly gained access to FEMA’s sensitive disaster relief data to review its programs. 

"Can and should Donald Trump shut it down?" CNN’s Dana Bash asked Noem. 

"He can. And I believe that he will do that evaluation with his team," Noem said. "And he's talking about it, which I'm grateful for. He'll work with Congress, though, to make sure that it's done correctly and that we're still there to help folks who have a terrible disaster or a crisis in their life. He's been very clear that he still believes there's a role for the federal government to come in and help people get back up on their feet. But there's a lot of fraud and waste and abuse out there. And since President Trump has taken over and come back into this administration, we've seen incredible change." 

NOEM RESPONDS TO SECRET SERVICE SCRUTINY AS TRUMP TO BECOME 1ST PRESIDENT TO ATTEND SUPER BOWL

Noem, who visited Asheville, North Carolina, on Saturday to meet with Hurricane Helene victims and survey the damage, told CNN that she oversaw 12 different natural disasters that prompted a FEMA response when she was governor of South Dakota.

As Trump considers block grants for state and local officials experiencing natural disasters, Noem said Sunday that she knew from experience that local officials, such as county emergency management directors, mayors, city council and commissioners "made way better decisions than the people in Washington, D.C."  

Asked what she would tell Trump if the president asked her to get rid of FEMA, Noem said, "I would say yes, get rid of FEMA the way it exists today." 

"We still need the resources and the funds and the finances to go to people that have these types of disasters like Hurricane Helene and the fires in California," Noem told Bash. "But you need to let the local officials make the decisions on how that is deployed so it can be deployed much quicker. And we don't need this bureaucracy that's picking and choosing winners." 

Noem said Trump "has been clear, too, that he still wants to help people," but condemned FEMA for "targeting individuals, helping some people and not others." The secretary appeared to be referencing how FEMA employees under former President Biden skipped homes in hurricane-ravaged areas that had displayed pro-Trump signs last year. 

KRISTI NOEM HEADS TO ASHEVILLE AMID HEAVY CRITICISM OF FEMA RESPONSE UNDER BIDEN

Noem also referenced how Trump managed to close 80% of the open FEMA cases in North Carolina related to Hurricane Helene," adding, "It's amazing when you have somebody who cares … how quickly the response can be." 

The DHS secretary also defended Musk, as DOGE conducts an audit of federal agencies.

"We're working with them at the president's direction to find what we can do to make our department much more efficient," Noem said. "This is essentially an audit of the federal government…. And one of the things I've been very clear to the appropriators in the Senate and the House is please give me the authority to reprogram funds." 

Asked if she felt comfortable with Musk's data access, Noem said, "Elon Musk is part of the administration that is helping us identify where we can find savings and what we can do. And he has gone through the processes to make sure that he has the authority. The president has appointed him. I am today by the work that he is doing, by identifying waste, fraud and abuse. And his information that he has is looking at programs, not focusing on personal data and information." 

After the interview, Musk posted to X on Monday morning that his DOGE team discovered that FEMA last week alone sent $59 million to "luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants." Musk said that "sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order," and, "that money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high end hotels for illegals!

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"A clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds," Musk added. 

House, Senate lawmakers move to slap limits on NGOs aiding illegal immigrants amid Trump funding crackdown

FIRST ON FOX: Two lawmakers in the House and Senate are introducing separate bills to slap limits on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) they believe are undermining U.S. immigration law – coming amid broader questions about funding of NGOs and a funding crackdown by the Trump administration.

Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas is reintroducing the "Protecting Federal Funds from Human Trafficking and Smuggling Act," while Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., is introducing the Fixing Exemptions for Networks Choosing to Enable Illegal Migration (Fence) Act.

Hagerty’s bill would end tax-exempt status for organizations that help illegal immigrants, requiring that exempt organizations do not engage in a pattern of providing assistance, benefits, services or other support to those who they know "to be unlawfully present in the United States."

TRUMP'S ICE LIMITS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASES AMID MOVES TO SHAKE OFF BIDEN ‘HANGOVER’ 

"Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right, and these organizations will be able to preserve their tax-exempt status simply by ceasing these activities," his office said in a release.

Gooden’s bill would prevent federal contracts and grants being awarded to NGOs unless they certified to the Office of Management and Budget that they are not involved in human trafficking or smuggling. It also would yank tax-exempt status from organizations who knowingly violate federal law.

The bill also requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a written strategy and best practices guide for non-profits to ensure they are in compliance with the law.

It also requires NGOs to go through a verification process to ensure illegal immigrants are not receiving benefits.

"For years, non-governmental organizations have exploited taxpayer dollars to facilitate illegal immigration under the guise of ‘humanitarian aid,’" Gooden said in a statement. "The exploitation of the American taxpayer will end under the Trump Administration. This bill ensures that not a single cent of hard-earned American tax dollars will fund organizations complicit in human trafficking and illegal border crossings."

TRUMP DOJ SLAPS ILLINOIS, CHICAGO WITH LAWSUIT OVER SANCTUARY LAWS 

It comes amid longstanding concern about the role of NGOs in assisting the government during the 2021-2024 migration crisis at the southern border, where millions of dollars went to NGOs that would receive migrants, assist them and potentially give them shelter and travel to their final destination. The funding is provided via contracts and grants from DHS, Health and Human Services and the State Department.

Gooden has introduced a number of pieces of legislation on the matter, and has been working for years to bring attention to the issue.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced Wednesday that it has stopped funding nonprofits, saying they have been facilitating illegal immigration. It is part of a broad effort by the administration to ramp up border security and crack down on illegal immigration.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"Many of these NGOs actually have infrastructure and operations set up in Mexico, on that side of the border, and are telling those illegal immigrants to come to them, and they will get them across the border," Noem said on Fox News Channel's "Will Cain Show." "So they're not just operating in the United States, they're operating outside the United States to help make it easier for those who want to break our laws."

Until an evaluation is completed, Noem said the department is "not spending another dime to help the destruction of this country."

Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order demanding a review of all federal funding going to NGOs. These two pieces of legislation would enshrine limits beyond this administration. Meanwhile, the administration has also frozen USAID as the agency's funding is being reviewed over concerns about how the funding is being used.

Fox News' Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
 

DHS Secretary Noem appears to accuse 'corrupt' FBI of leaking LA ICE raids

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem called the FBI "corrupt" and appeared to accuse the bureau of leaking plans for "large-scale" immigration enforcement plans in the Los Angeles area.

The LA Times published an article Friday that said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would lead the operation, focusing on those without legal status in the U.S. or who have pending orders of removal, according to an internal government document reviewed by the publication.

The document was reportedly circulated among some government officials last week. The Times also reported that a federal law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal said LA FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration officers and agents are being called in to assist.

Noem shared the article on X, taking a dig at the FBI.

LA FREEWAY BLOCKED BY ANTI-DEPORTATION PROTESTERS IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP'S CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

"The FBI is so corrupt," Noem wrote. "We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law."

ICE sources told Fox News they do not know where Noem got the information or what she is basing it on.

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

The FBI had no comment on the matter.

LARGEST LAPD UNION SLAMS ANTI-TRUMP PROTEST DIRECTIVES, SAYS ARRESTS ‘SHOULD BE A NO-BRAINER’ IN ALTERCATIONS

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi joined "Fox Report" on Sunday, where she discussed immigration enforcement and was asked about leaks within the government.

"Well, you know, if anyone leaks anything, people don’t understand that it jeopardizes the lives of our great men and women in law enforcement, and if you leaked it, we will find out who you are, and we will come after you," Bondi said. "It’s not going to stop our mission. It’s not going to stop the president’s mission to make America safe again."

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SENDS MESSAGE TO FAR-LEFT OFFICIALS PUSHING BACK AGAINST MASS DEPORTATIONS: 'GAME ON'

She also said if people do not want to follow the law, the Department of Justice will prosecute them.

Bondi was then asked about an operation in Denver, Colorado, where individuals used bullhorns to let people know that ICE was coming, advising illegal immigrants of what they should and should not do if approached by agents.

In cases where people inform illegal immigrants that they are in danger, Bondi was asked if anything could or should be done to stop it.

"It very well could rise to the level of obstruction, and we will be looking at every single case where someone jeopardizes the lives of the great men and women in law enforcement, and they will be held accountable," Bondi said. "If you leak, if you do anything, like you said, if you come out with bullhorns that could jeopardize their lives, we will investigate it, and we will come after you."

Migrants turning back due to tighter border security, CBP memo shows

President Donald Trump’s promised border crackdown appears to be influencing groups of migrants looking to enter the United States illegally.

Internal Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) memos obtained by Fox News indicate that two groups of migrants recently ended their journeys to the U.S. and turned around to return to their home countries.

On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Honduran officers encountered a group of 23 migrants previously headed for the United States. The individuals hailed from Honduras, Venezuela, Panama and El Salvador.

FRUSTRATED CHICAGOANS BACK ICE DEPORTATIONS, APPLAUD DOJ LAWSUIT TARGETING SANCTUARY POLICIES

According to the CBP memo, upon interviewing the migrants, officials learned that they had entered Mexico through the country’s border with Guatemala. However, they decided to turn around after "learning about the multi-agency force security on the Southwest Border in social media and through family members in the United States."

In its memo, CBP also noted that the migrants surrendered to Mexican authorities before being sent back to Guatemala where they boarded buses headed to Honduras.

CBP detailed a Feb. 3 incident in another internal memo obtained by Fox News in which the Honduran authorities encountered a group of 26 migrants. These migrants were also headed for the U.S., but turned around when they learned about the increased security and opted instead to return to their countries of origin.

TIDAL WAVE OF BORDER SECURITY BILLS HIT HOUSE AS REPUBLICANS MOVE FAST ON DC TAKEOVER

The migrants in this group were apparently from Venezuela and Cuba. They were initially turned away by Nicaraguan immigration officials and sent back to Honduras, but after a discussion between the two nations, they were allowed to cross into Nicaragua as they made their way back home.

President Donald Trump focused much of his 2024 campaign on illegal immigration, vowing to take a completely different approach from former President Joe Biden. While campaigning for his second term, Trump often appeared with families who lost loved ones to illegal immigrant crime or fentanyl.

Following November’s election, there were reports of illegal immigrants leaving the U.S. or choosing to "self-deport" prior to Trump’s return to D.C. out of fears of his potential policies.

The first piece of legislation that President Trump signed in his second term was the Laken Riley Act, named for a nursing student who was killed during a jog on the University of Georgia’s campus by an illegal immigrant. Jose Ibarra, who previously had been arrested but never detained by ICE, received a life prison sentence for killing 22-year-old Laken Riley.

President Trump is also taking a novel approach to detaining illegal immigrants. Under President Trump’s order on "Expanding Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Full Capacity," illegal immigrants will be housed with the 15 last detainees remaining in the infamous facility.

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who joined an immigration raid last month in New York City, confirmed that a second flight of illegal immigrants left for Gitmo ahead of her visit.

Noem previously said that only "the worst of the worst" of illegal immigrants would be sent to the facility in Cuba, which could eventually be home to up to 30,000 migrants.

Trump admin makes aggressive move to expand illegal immigrant detention: 'Outside the box'

The Trump administration is using federal prisons to house illegal immigrants as part of an expansive deportation operation, Fox News Digital confirmed on Friday.

In a statement, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said it is helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "by housing detainees and will continue to support our law enforcement partners to fulfill the administration's policy objectives."

The bureau said that for privacy, safety and security reasons, it does not comment on the legal status of any individual, "nor do we specify the legal status of individuals assigned to any particular facility, including numbers and locations."

TRUMP'S ICE LIMITS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASES AMID MOVES TO SHAKE OFF BIDEN ‘HANGOVER' 

The Associated Press reported that facilities in Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta are being used for detention.

The move comes as ICE has been over capacity as it has quickly ramped up the number of illegal immigrants being arrested in raids in sanctuary cities and elsewhere across the country.

ICE currently has just under 42,000 beds available to it, and it has been exceeding capacity under the current administration. The administration has been pushing hard to get more beds and detention space, but sources tell Fox that it typically takes around 30 days for contractors to deliver, given the time it takes to identify buildings, hire people, conduct background checks and comply with related requirements. That help is expected soon.

Fox News Digital reported on Thursday that ICE has requested an apportionment of around $575 million from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as an advance of its funding for the year in order to be able to work more quickly and get another step closer to a reported target of 100,000 beds and one million removals per year. 

TRUMP DOJ SLAPS ILLINOIS, CHICAGO WITH LAWSUIT OVER SANCTUARY LAWS 

Fox also reported that ICE is working with the BOP to identify space to house illegal immigrants, as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP), where there may be unused space in soft-sided facilities. Fox News Digital was also told that, as of this week, officials are being instructed that any release of an illegal immigrant in ICE custody must be personally signed off on by acting ICE director Caleb Vitello. 

Meanwhile, the administration is using Guantánamo Bay to house up to 30,000 detainees, with the second flight of migrants leaving for the facility on Thursday.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

 "We are looking well outside the box," a senior ICE official told Fox News Digital.

"The Biden administration cut down so many of our beds, and they canceled so many contracts. And the problem with that is you can't just immediately turn those back on. It's not a switch, it's a dial," they said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 

ICE crackdown sees 7,400 illegal migrants arrested in 9 days

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested more than 7,400 people in nine days across several states amid its aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration since the new Trump administration came into office. 

ICE officers have been seen carrying out raids of homes, work sites, and other establishments, while deportations have also ramped up, with the Trump administration also vowing to send the most violent migrants to Guantánamo Bay.

According to a compilation of daily totals of arrests, as of Jan. 31, ICE has so far arrested 7,412 people who the agency says are in the country illegally. The agency says that nearly 6,000 ICE detainers have been placed on individuals.

NYC RESIDENTS PRAISE ICE RAIDS AFTER VIOLENT GANG MEMBER CAPTURED

ICE has posted nine daily arrest totals to X and has also posted details from various raids across sanctuary cities like New York City, Chicago and Boston where they have scooped up illegals accused of sex crimes against minors, rapes, guns and drug offenses, while violent gang members belonging to Tren de Aragua and MS-13 have also been taken off the streets. 

Border czar Tom Homan has said the administration is currently only targeting violent illegal aliens while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees ICE, says federal immigration authorities are arresting the "worst of the worst" in raids. She says the streets are now safer as a result.

Many of the ICE raids have been carried out alongside other federal agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Noem joined an immigration enforcement raid in New York City Tuesday morning in which officers picked up Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, 26, an alleged ringleader of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. Zambrano-Pacheco is the same man caught on camera in a viral video showing heavily armed men kicking down an apartment door at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, last summer.

Luis Adolfo Guerra Perez, 19, a Guatemalan citizen and MS-13 gang member, was arrested by ICE in Massachusetts last week. He was facing state gun charges and had previously been ordered to be deported before he was released by a Boston court.

ICE has published details of more than 60 cases while the White House X account has posted details of at least 20 others.

NOEM SAYS 'WORST OF THE WORST' ARRESTED IN NYC RAID TARGETING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

However, for the vast majority of the 7,412, details on their criminal histories are not yet available.

The arrests total come as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that the "worst of the worst" criminal migrants will be temporarily housed at Guantánamo Bay detention camp and that "all options will be on the table" for military action against the cartels.

Hegseth made the announcement in an interview with "Fox and Friends" on Friday and it came on the heels of an announcement made by President Donald Trump on Wednesday that he will be instructing the Pentagon to prepare Guantánamo Bay to detain 30,000 "criminal illegal aliens."

"Today I'm also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantánamo Bay," Trump said. "Most people don't even know about it."

It was later learned that Trump signed a presidential memorandum, not an executive order, on the matter.

News of the arrests has been generally well-received by locals living in these areas. 

Ramses Frías, a local Queens activist who’s voiced concerns over a crime crisis gripping his neighborhood, which is partially represented by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said the raids have also been warmly received by the community.

"Many residents, from immigrants to citizens, welcome ICE coming in and taking the criminals out of these communities," Frías, a city council candidate, told Fox News Digital. "They welcome law and order and want safe streets."

However, not everyone agreed with the raids and Mayor Brandon Johnson recently "reaffirmed" his commitment to keep Chicago a sanctuary city, as did Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. 

Top Senate Intelligence Dem grills Gabbard if Edward Snowden is 'brave': 'Very troubling'

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, grilled President Donald Trump's DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard over her previous remarks praising whistleblower Edward Snowden. 

"Until you are nominated by the president to be the DNI, you consistently praised the actions of Edward Snowden, someone, I believe, jeopardized the security of our nation and then, to flaunt that, fled to Russia," Warner asked of Gabbard on Thursday morning. 

"You even called Edward Snowden and I quote here, ‘a brave whistleblower.’ Every member of this committee supports the rights of legal whistleblowers. But Edward Snowden isn't a whistleblower, and in this case, I'm a lot closer to the chairman's words where he said Snowden is, quote, ‘an egotistical serial liar and traitor' who, quote, ‘deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his life.’ Ms. Gabbard is simple, yes or no question. Do you still think Edward Snowden is brave?"

'WARRIOR WHOSE VOTE CANNOT BE BOUGHT': HUNDREDS OF VETS POUR OUT IN SUPPORT OF TULSI GABBARD FOR DNI

Gabbard pushed back that Snowden "broke the law" and does not agree with his leak of intelligence.

TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’

"Mr. Vice Chairman, Edward Snowden broke the law. I do not agree with or support with all of the information and intelligence that he released, nor the way in which he did it. There would have been opportunities for him to come to you on this committee, or seek out the IG to release that information. The fact is, he also, even as he broke the law, released information that exposed egregious, illegal and unconstitutional programs that are happening within our government," Gabbard responded. 

In 2013, Snowden was working as an IT contractor for the National Security Agency when he traveled to Hong Kong to meet with three journalists and transferred to them thousands of pages of classified documents about the U.S. government’s surveillance of its citizens. 

"I'm making myself very clear. Edward Snowden broke the law. He released information about the United States government," Gabbard continued as she defended her position. 

"If I may just finish my thoughts, Senator," Gabbard continued, as Warner spoke over her. "In this role that I've been nominated for, if confirmed as director of national intelligence, I will be responsible for protecting our nation's secrets. And I have four immediate steps that I would take to prevent another Snowden-like leak."

Gabbard has previously lauded Snowden, including during an appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast in 2019. 

DEMOCRATS TRASH TULSI GABBARD AFTER TRUMP TAPS HER FOR DNI POST

"If it wasn’t for Snowden, the American people would never have learned the NSA was collecting phone records and spying on Americans," she said on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast at the time.

Gabbard appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday morning as part of her confirmation process to serve as the second Trump administration's director of national intelligence. 

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report. 

U.S. immigration website stops accepting applicants for Biden program in Trump crackdown

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website is no longer accepting forms needed to sponsor migrants as part of the Biden administration's defunct parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV).

The 2023 program, which allowed certain migrants to apply for U.S. entry and stay for up to two years, was shut down on President Donald Trump's first day in office.

As of August 2024, nearly 530,000 people were granted parole through the program, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

Requirements included having a U.S.-based supporter, passing security vetting, and meeting other criteria. 

The "Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support" form, an avenue to meet one of the main requirements, was bumped from the website, as of Wednesday night.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently removed expedited removal restrictions and allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to review migrants' parole status – which may include changing it.

TRUMP'S ICE NABS CHILD SEX OFFENDERS AMONG 530+ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT IN SINGLE DAY

A memo obtained by Fox News Digital noted parole is a "positive exercise of enforcement discretion to which no alien is entitled" and that it should "not be regarded as an admission of the alien," according to previous reporting.

While the Biden administration claimed the program would expand legal pathways to citizenship and decrease illegal border crossings, Republicans contended it was an abuse of limited parole power.

Prior to Trump's reelection, the program was temporarily paused amid fraud claims. 

An internal review was ordered, leading to the DHS adding enhanced vetting measures for U.S.-based supporters in August 2024.

ICE and CBP officials have been tasked with compiling a list of instructions, policies and procedures related to parole, reviewing them, and creating a plan to phase out any that are not in accord with the statute.

Fox News Digital's Adam Shaw contributed to this story.

Sec. Noem says Homeland Security will freeze grants to non-governmental organizations

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Wednesday the department has stopped all grant funding to nonprofits that operate outside of government control, saying they have been "perverted into a shadow government" that feeds illegal immigration.

Noem said some non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which receive millions in federal grants, have been facilitating illegal immigration by helping aliens cross the U.S. border.

"Many of these NGOs actually have infrastructure and operations set up in Mexico, on that side of the border, and are telling those illegal immigrants to come to them, and they will get them across the border," Noem said on Fox News Channel's Will Cain Show. "So they're not just operating in the United States, they're operating outside the United States to help make it easier for those who want to break our laws."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS 969 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS IN ONE DAY: ‘HERE ARE SOME OF THE WORST’

The first step to curbing the issue is to freeze the funds, reevaluate them, and make sure taxpayer dollars are going toward safe causes, she said.

"I think people are curious [to see how] grants that are given out by federal agencies [are] utilized," Noem said. 

Until an evaluation is completed, Noem said the department is "not spending another dime to help the destruction of this country."

She added not all NGOs are what they appear to be, and some could be a risk to national security.

"When somebody said NGO to me, I thought that [was] a nonprofit telling somebody about Jesus or spreading faith and salvation…," Noem said. "Then I realized over the years, it's been perverted into this shadow government."

Noem explained that NGOs create an entity to use taxpayer dollars, funding an operation the federal government cannot legally implement itself.

TRUMP-ERA SOUTHERN BORDER SEES MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS PLUMMET BY OVER 60% AS NEW POLICIES KICK IN

Recently, she said they have been used to undermine the country's national security. 

Approximately 1.5 million NGOs operate in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of State.

NGOs can range from political advocacy groups, to religious volunteer organizations or labor unions.

There are no laws prohibiting foreign funding of NGOs, whether that be from other governments or non-government sources, according to the State Department.

In 2024, the U.S. spent more than $380 million on sheltering and service programs for illegal immigrants.

'We stopped that': Noem cancels Biden admin's 11th hour deportation shield for Venezuelan migrants

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday announced that her agency had canceled a Biden-era extension of deportation protections for Venezuelan migrants — accusing her predecessor of tying the hands of the Trump administration.

In a notice, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has vacated a Jan. 10 decision by then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to extend a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation to Venezuelan nationals by 18 months.

"Before he left town, Mayorkas signed an order that said for 18 months they were going to extend this protection to people that are in Temporary Protected Status, which meant they were going to be able to stay here and violate our laws for another 18 months," Noem said, announcing the move on "FOX and Friends." "And we stopped that today."

MAYORKAS EXTENDS DEPORTATION SHIELD FOR EYE-POPPING NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF TRUMP ADMIN

TPS grants protection from deportation and allows work permits for nationals living in the U.S. from countries deemed unsafe for them to be returned. Mayorkas announced extensions for TPS for Venezuela, as well as El Salvador, Sudan and Ukraine for an additional 18 months.

Venezuela's extension applied to approximately 600,000 nationals already covered by TPS, but would not allow new applications. The extension would have further complicated the Trump administration’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants from Venezuela, which has been a focus given the rise of Tren de Aragua (TDA), a bloodthirsty street gang from Venezuela.

TRUMP-ERA SOUTHERN BORDER SEES MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS PLUMMET BY OVER 60% AS NEW POLICIES KICK IN

"We signed an executive order within the Department of Homeland Security in a direction that we were not going to follow through on what [Mayorkas] did to tie our hands, that we are going to follow the process, evaluate all of these individuals that are in our country, including the Venezuelans that are here and members of TDA," she said.

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The announcement came a day after Noem oversaw an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in New York City, where officers have been targeting criminal illegal immigrants. That operation is part of a broader nationwide effort to deport illegal immigrants throughout the U.S. DHS has made a flurry of moves to empower ICE officers, including taking Biden-era limits off expedited removal powers and canceling the use of parole. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, signed a slew of executive orders concerning border security and illegal immigration.

"Listen, I was in New York City yesterday, and the people of this country want these dirtbags out. They want their communities to be safe. It was so amazing to me to see people walk by us on the street early in the morning and just say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for being here,’" Noem said. "So this is part of our plan to make sure that we're protecting America, keeping it safe again, just like President Trump promised."

DHS suspends approval of applications with ‘X’ gender marker

Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Immigration Services employees will no longer be able to process applications that contain an "X’ marker for gender.

A letter to DHS field operations and USCIS employees obtained by Fox News Digital advises officials to "not make a final decision on any application that would produce a document with an "X" marker, citing President Donald Trump’s January 20 executive order that "prohibits using the ‘X’ marker on our documentation and in our systems."

"This is consistent with President Trump’s executive order that the U.S. recognizes two sexes, male and female," DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. "This is common sense."

TRUMP FIRES TWO DEMOCRATIC COMMISSIONERS ON CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AS WHITE HOUSE TARGETS DEI

The letter comes after Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office aimed at shifting the language used by the federal government in documentation, including a move to replace the term "gender" with "sex" on official documents.

"The erasure of sex in language and policy has a corrosive impact not just on women but on the validity of the entire American system. Basing Federal policy on truth is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale, and trust in government itself," the order signed by Trump states.

STATE DEPT PULLS MILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR ‘CONDOMS IN GAZA,’ AS TRUMP ADMIN LOOKS TO TRIM SPENDING

The move also reverses changes made during the Biden administration, including giving Americans who do not identify with either of the two biological sexes the option to mark documents such as passports with an "X" instead of "male" or "female."

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But Trump’s order calls for all federal agencies to ensure that all documents "accurately reflect the holder’s sex," which the order defines as "an individual’s immutable biological classification."

Chicago officials walk back claim repeated by gov that ICE raided school, reveal what really happened

Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago public school officials falsely claimed last week that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived at an elementary school, as President Donald Trump’s administration continues enforcement operations targeting violent illegal immigrant offenders in the sanctuary city. 

ICE said its agents never arrived at Hamline Elementary School, located in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood, and the U.S. Secret Service released a statement saying it was their agents who stopped by on Friday to investigate a threat made against an unspecified government official. Chicago Public Schools later admitted their mistake, citing a "misunderstanding," but affirmed that the school system will not coordinate with federal immigration authorities.

In front of local news cameras on Friday, Chicago Public Schools Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova told reporters that earlier that morning ICE agents "showed up" at Hamline, but "school staff followed CPS established protocols." 

"They kept ICE agents outside of the school and contacted CPS’s Law Department and CPS’s Office of Safety and Security for further guidance," Chkoumbova said. "The ICE agents were not allowed into the school and were not permitted to speak to any students or staff members. Here is the bottom line: Our students and staff are safe…. We will not coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents." 

TRUMP OFFICIALS GIVE ICE GOAL ON NUMBER OF ARRESTS PER DAY: REPORT

"We will not open our doors for ICE, and we are here to protect our children and make sure they have access to an excellent education," Hamline Principal Natasha Ortega said at the same press conference, according to video published by WMAQ-TV. "We stand in solidarity with our families and the Back of the Yards community." 

The governor chimed in on X. 

"After a week of Republicans sowing fear and chaos, the first reports of raids in Chicago are at an elementary school," Pritzker wrote Friday, sharing a ChalkBeat.org report. "Targeting children and separating families is cruel and un-American." 

The post was slapped with a Community Note, reading: "This was not ICE but the U.S. Secret Service visiting the school due to an unspecified threat." 

There has not been an update posted on the governor’s X account, and Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s team for comment on Monday, but they did not immediately respond. 

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement of his own on X, correcting the record and chastising officials who amplified unverified claims.

"Chicago will always be a welcoming city, and we will always uphold the welcoming city ordinance, and we will always protect our students and every resident of our city," Johnson, a Democrat, wrote. "Today Secret Service agents, not ICE, were present at John H. Hamline Elementary School. While people across the city are worried about heightened immigration enforcement, it is imperative that individuals not spread unverified information that sparks fear across the city." 

Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez initially repeated the dubious allegations on Friday. During an appearance on MSNBC, he said "individuals" came to Hamline "and presented credentials and shared that they were from ICE." 

"Our staff followed the protocols. We’re very clear," Martinez said. "We've been training our principals, our security guards, any front office staff… making sure that they know that we are not to share any information with anybody from the immigration department or ICE. Unless they have a judicial order, they’re not even allowed to enter the building." 

DEA BUSTS DRUG TRAFFICKERS IN MAKESHIFT NIGHTCLUB, TAKES 50 ILLEGAL ALIENS INTO CUSTODY

ICE said it was not involved in the encounter. In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service, revealed that special agents from the Chicago field office on Friday had been "investigating a threat made against a government official we protect."  

"In the course of their investigation, agents first visited a residence in a local neighborhood and then made a visit to Hamline Elementary School," Guglielmi said. "Agents identified themselves to the school principal and provided business cards with their contact information. The agents left without incident. The Secret Service investigates all threats made against those we protect. We do not investigate nor enforce immigration laws."   

Chicago Public Schools officials walked back their earlier claims on Saturday. 

In a message addressed to families, Martinez and Chkoumbova said, "Agents presented school staff with credentials from the Department of Homeland Security, the federal department that oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)." 

"We later learned that these officials were not from ICE, but rather from the U.S. Secret Service – a different federal law enforcement agency also overseen by the Department of Homeland Security," the statement said. "While this incident was due to a misunderstanding, it reflects the fear and anxiety that is present in our city right now, and it reflects the degree of caution that we are taking given recent federal policy changes." 

The school officials also decried DHS’s decision last week to rescind a directive that had prevented ICE from carrying out immigration enforcement at sensitive locations such as churches, schools and doctor’s offices. 

Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who has been overseeing ICE raids in Chicago and across the country as part of the president’s mass deportation strategy, defended the reversal during an appearance on ABC News on Sunday. Homan said many MS-13 gang members are often around age 14 and well-trained ICE agents should have the discretion to weed out public safety and national security threats.

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"Earlier this week, the new presidential administration rescinded a longtime policy that protected sensitive locations like schools from being targeted by ICE for immigration enforcement. As a result, our school administrators have been on high alert to protect their school communities," Martinez and Chkoumbova said Saturday. "Despite yesterday’s misunderstanding, the school’s response demonstrates that our school system, in partnership with community organizations and our labor partners, is prepared and ready to keep our students and staff safe." 

'Catastrophic threat': Conservative group's roadmap shows how Trump can use military to thwart cartels

FIRST ON FOX: A top conservative group is offering a roadmap as to how President Donald Trump can effectively deploy the military to secure the southern border, arguing that there is a "substantial historic precedent" for such a use.

"A broad and diverse set of options and legal authorities are available to the second Trump Administration for using the resources and capacities of the U.S. military to ensure the integrity of the border with Mexico," the Heritage Foundation report, obtained first by Fox News Digital, says. "Additionally, there is substantial historical precedent for an active U.S. military role in border security and managing migration crises."

The report, "How the President Can Use the U.S. Military to Confront the Catastrophic Threat at the Border with Mexico," argues that an "unchecked growth" of Mexican cartels, as well as illegal immigration and narcotics have "deepended and accelerated," posing a destabilizing threat to the U.S.

TRUMP DHS MAKES KEY MOVE AGAINST MIGRANTS ALLOWED IN VIA CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN PAROLE PROGRAMS

Simultaneously, it argues that there has been a "rapid deterioration" in U.S.-Mexico security cooperation and Mexico’s own anti-cartel operations.

It is a view shared by the new Trump administration. Trump issued an executive order on day one to deploy the military to the border as part of a slew of broader efforts to secure the southern border and crack down on illegal immigration.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

Authors Robert Greenway, Andres Martinez-Fernandez and Wilson Beaver argue for a number of follow-up measures to confront the threat of the cartels and what they see as a "reluctant" Mexican government.

"The first steps on this front should consist of measures, such as substantial bolstering of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) border security capacities, increasing restrictions on formal and informal border crossings, ramping up U.S. law enforcement efforts, targeting illicit financial flows tied to the cartels, and sanctioning corrupt Mexican officials," they wrote.

The report stressed the need for appropriate funding from Congress and planning from agencies in order to prevent impacting other missions. It highlighted the potential for military equipment for immigration purposes, including deportation.

"When it comes to large-scale illegal-alien detention and deportation, some of the underused but most impactful resources include U.S. military transport vehicles and facilities around the world which could support detention and repatriation of illegal aliens, including to higher-risk and extra-hemispheric countries of origin," it says.

As for direct military action against cartels, the authors say that it should be a "last resort," with joint military action with Mexican coordination being the ideal condition.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"However, in the appropriate context, unilateral U.S. military action may be employed to disrupt cartel activity and prompt cooperation from a resistant Mexican government," it says.

It argues that Mexico is unlikely to change its stance with the election of President Claudia Sheinbaum, even in response to what the authors argue is a dramatically escalating threat from the cartels.

"Today, drug cartels are the fifth-largest employer in Mexico, with between 160,000 and 185,000 members," they wrote. "Cartels are also equipped with military-level weaponry, including anti-aircraft weapons and armored vehicles, while increasingly employing advanced technologies, such as drones and signal jamming systems."

The report also touts other uses for the military, including aiding border wall construction, helping supplement an overstretched Border Patrol, and the use of intelligence and surveillance methods to detect cross-border activity, as well as migrant detention at U.S. military facilities.

The report comes after a flurry of activity from the administration, including the deployment of the military to the border, to tackle the border threat and limit illegal immigration.

Troops began arriving in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego on Thursday evening, providing 1,000 U.S. Army personnel and 500 Marines from Camp Pendleton in California.

"This represents a 60% increase in active-duty ground forces since President Trump was sworn-in Monday," then-acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement late Wednesday.

There are already 2,500 U.S. service members stationed at the southern border. 

Fox News’ Christina Shaw contributed to this report.

Trump administration carries out multiple raids targeting ‘criminal aliens’ in first weekend

Federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and their partners conducted nationwide roundups of more than 1,200 illegal immigrants over the weekend who were charged or convicted with committing crimes on American soil.

In a series of photos shared by ICE Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) from coast to coast, agents can be seen taking handcuffed suspects away.

In Atlanta, which is more than 1,000 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border but became a lightning rod in the immigration debate after an illegal immigrant brutally murdered a jogging college student in broad daylight, ERO teamed up with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations to grab "criminal aliens" off the streets and prepare them for deportation flights.

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Miami-based federal agents arrested at least four illegal immigrants accused of committing crimes on U.S. soil over the weekend, including a Nicaraguan jailed in Broward County for an alleged shooting.

Up north, a joint operation including ICE, the FBI, ATF, DEA, Border Patrol and U.S. Marshals was underway in Chicago, a struggling blue city where Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson has vowed to "protect" illegals from enforcement operations.

The "enhanced targeted operations" in the Windy City were designed to "enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities," ICE said in a statement.

Boston ERO announced the arrest of a Haitian man with 17 criminal convictions in Massachusetts, suspected gang member Wisteguens Charles.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

"Mr. Charles is illegally present in the United States and has consistently broken our laws, causing significant harm to the residents of Massachusetts," Patricia Hyde, the acting director of the Boston Field Office, said in a statement. "ERO Boston will not tolerate the repeated victimization of our New England neighborhoods. We will continue our mission to apprehend such illegal alien offenders and remove them from our communities."

Charles, 25, first entered the U.S. illegally in 2013 and between 2022 and 2024, he racked up 17 criminal convictions. ICE filed an immigration detainer request in 2023, but a Massachusetts jail ignored it and released him back into the community, authorities said. 

The arrests come as part of what ICE said would be an operation targeting "known criminal aliens who threaten national security or public safety."

President Donald Trump campaigned heavily on border security after his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, appeared ineffective or unwilling to stop an influx of illegal immigration for years. 

By the time he finally acknowledged the issue, a wave of high-profile migrant crimes had shocked the country and shattered victims’ families. The parents of some of those murdered American women and girls went to Capitol Hill to lobby for the Laken Riley Act, the first bill Congress sent to Trump after his return to the White House.

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Riley, a 21-year-old Georgia nursing student, was brutally killed at random while jogging in Athens, about 75 miles east of Atlanta, by a Venezuelan illegal with suspected ties to the Tren de Aragua gang. 

Jose Ibarra, 26, was convicted of 10 counts in November and sentenced to life without parole. He had entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and received border parole, freeing him to travel within the country.

He racked up criminal charges in New York City, where authorities released him before ICE could lodge a detainer. He then made his way to Georgia, where he attacked and murdered Riley.  

"Removing criminal aliens from our communities isn’t just enforcement — it’s protection," HSI's Atlanta office said in a statement over the weekend as part of the deportation sweep. "Ensuring the safety and security of our neighborhoods starts with upholding the law."

Fox News' Heather Lacy contributed to this report.

Senate confirms Kristi Noem as Trump’s Department of Homeland Security secretary

The Senate on Saturday voted to confirm South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, making her the fourth of President Donald Trump’s nominees to win approval from the chamber.

The vote was 59–34, with all Republicans present voting yes and seven Democrats voting yes. Noem had been expected to be confirmed comfortably, having faced no significant issues during her confirmation hearing. Her nomination advanced out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by a vote of 13–2. Only two Democrats voted against her there. 

Noem becomes the fourth of President Donald Trump's picks to be confirmed, behind Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. 

KRISTI NOEM BEATS SENATE CONFIRMATION HURDLE, ADVANCING TO FINAL VOTE FOR DHS ROLE

Noem will lead the department at a time when securing the border and tackling illegal immigration are top priorities for the new administration. The administration has taken a number of actions to secure the border, including deploying the military, restarting wall construction and ending Biden-era parole programs. 

Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been launching deportation operations throughout the country to fulfill Trump’s promise of a "historic" operation.

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a slew of memos since Trump's inauguration, ordering reviews of parole and expanding the ability of officials to quickly deport illegal immigrants from the U.S. who have recently arrived. Those memos have been signed by Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman. 

TRUMP DHS PICK NOEM PLEDGES TO END CONTROVERSIAL APP USED BY MIGRANTS ON ‘DAY ONE’ 

At her confirmation hearing, Noem pointed to other parts of the Homeland Security mission, including cybersecurity, disaster relief and counterterrorism. 

"We must be vigilant and proactive and innovative to protect the homeland," she said. "The challenges in front of us are extremely significant, and we must secure our borders against illegal trafficking and immigration. We must safeguard our critical infrastructure to make sure that we're protected against cyber attacks, respond to natural disasters and also terrorism."

However, she emphasized that border security is a "top priority."

"As a nation, we have the right and the responsibility to secure our borders against those who would do us harm. And we must create a fair and lawful immigration system that is efficient and is effective, and that reflects our values," she said. 

As governor, she pledged in 2021 not to take any more migrants from the Biden administration and also deployed the National Guard to the border in Texas. She also had experience with disaster response, working with federal officials to tackle floods that hit the state in June.

At her hearing, Noem was also asked about how she would work with border czar Tom Homan, who has been tapped to lead the deportation effort and secure the border.

Noem responded by saying that she and Homan "work very well together and talk and communicate all the time. And we'll be working together on a daily basis when we're in our positions under the new administration. And I would say there's no authority being planned to be taken away from the department or myself if I'm in the role."

Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

Senate forces rare weekend vote to push through Kristi Noem as Homeland Security chief

The Senate will hold votes over the weekend to accelerate the confirmation of one of President Donald Trump's key Cabinet nominees.

Lawmakers will meet for a rare Saturday session to hold a vote on whether to confirm South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, to the top Cabinet position. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., indicated earlier in the week that the Senate would stay over the weekend to push through the confirmation process if Democrats blocked voting efforts.

"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," Thune said after Democrats blocked a confirmation vote for Trump's CIA director nominee, John Ratcliffe, who has bipartisan support. "This can be easy or this can be hard."  

SCHUMER SUPPORTS DEMOCRATS DELAYING ALL TRUMP NOMINEES WHO LACK UNANIMOUS SUPPORT

"This is about America's national security interests, and we're stalling, so that's not going to happen," Thune said.

Noem was questioned by lawmakers on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee during her confirmation hearing earlier in the week.  

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

The Department of Homeland Security deals with national security and immigration issues, making Noem's confirmation top of mind for Trump as he makes the crisis at the southern border a priority during his second term.

Several of Trump's nominees remain unconfirmed after the 47th president's first week in office. But Thune promised while speaking on the Senate floor on Friday that he "will continue to ensure that the Senate works as quickly as possible to get President Trump's team in place."

Fox News' Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

Kristi Noem beats Senate confirmation hurdle, advancing to final vote for DHS role

The nomination of Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., to be the next Homeland Security secretary defeated a key hurdle in the confirmation process on Friday night, advancing to a final vote on Saturday. 

Her confirmation vote is expected to take place at 11:30 a.m. 

PETE HEGSETH CONFIRMED TO LEAD PENTAGON AFTER VP VANCE CASTS TIE-BREAKING VOTE

If confirmed, Noem will become the fourth of President Donald Trump's picks to be advanced out of the Senate, behind Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and incoming Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

Votes that are expected soon after Noem's are those for Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent, followed by Transportation Secretary pick Sean Duffy. 

MODERATE REPUBLICAN MURKOWSKI WON'T BACK TRUMP PICK HEGSETH FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY

The South Dakota governor is expected to receive bipartisan support for her confirmation to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Her nomination advanced out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) by a vote of 13-2. Only two Democrats voted against her. 

TIM SCOTT EMPHASIZES 'RESULTS' OVER RECONCILIATION PROCESS AS HE STAYS OUT OF DEBATE

"I was the first Governor to send National Guard troops to Texas when they were being overwhelmed by an unprecedented border crisis," Noem told the committee during her confirmation hearing last week. 

"If confirmed as Secretary, I will ensure that our exceptional, extraordinary border patrol agents have all the tools and resources and support they need to carry out their mission effectively."

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