The White House News

FIRST ON FOX: The attorneys general of more than two dozen states are urging new House Speaker Mike Johnson to prioritize legislation that would open the door to state officials acting as federal immigration officers – as one way to tackle the ongoing migrant crisis.

“We, Attorneys General for 26 States, write to congratulate you on being elected Speaker of the House and to urge you to use your new position to prioritize enactment of the Immigration Enforcement Partnership Act of 2023, H.R. 1337, or similar legislation giving States more authority to combat illegal immigration,” the letter, led by Florida AG Ashley Moody, says.

H.R. 1337 was introduced last year in the House by Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla. It says that if a state AG finds that the head of the Department of Homeland Security is “not adequately fulfilling his non-discretionary duties” in enforcing U.S. immigration law – particularly on the arrest, detention and deportation of illegal immigrants – state officials may request in writing that DHS do so.

REP. POSEY, FLORIDA AG MOODY UNVEIL BILL TO ALLOW STATES TO DEMAND ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAW 

The secretary can then either follow the request or authorize state officials to act as immigration officers on behalf of the federal government in apprehending, arresting and deporting illegal immigrants. If the secretary does not comply within 30 days, the attorney general can file a civil action in a U.S. district court to enforce those requirements.

However, state officials say it has yet to receive a hearing in the House, and are hoping that may change under a new speaker. The letter notes record numbers of migrant encounters — including terror watchlist encounters — by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the southern border in FY 23.

 “Had Congress acted sooner, the U.S. might not be setting yet another record for CBP encounters at the border. We will never know, but if we take action now to give states the authority to do the job [President] Biden and [DHS Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas refuse to do, we could prevent another record next year.”

WHITE HOUSE, SENATE DEMS REJECT GOP BORDER SECURITY PROPOSALS: ‘TOTAL NON-STARTER’

“It is surprising to us that H.R. 1337 and other similar proposed laws have received so little attention, and we hope that under your leadership that will change,” they say, requesting a hearing “on an expedited basis.”

The state officials also cite the increased amount of fentanyl seized at the southern border, including a 110lb seizure in Rio Grande Valley in September, as well as the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel as a sign of a possible terror threat at the U.S. border.

The AGs note a number of court cases they have launched against the administration but say that “the judicial system alone is not a sufficient battlefield to quickly and adequately address” the crisis.

In a separate statement, Moody noted her lawsuit to stop the mass release of migrants without court dates into the interior, while also re-expressing her concerns about the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. and the potential threat posed by terrorists.

“Congress must pass the Immigration Enforcement Partnership Act and allow states to do the job Biden refuses to do – as the terror threat continues to grow – secure the border and protect Americans,” she said.

House Republicans, meanwhile, have passed sweeping legislation to increase border security and limit asylum and parole releases into the interior, but it has yet to be considered by the Senate. Senate Republicans last week introduced their own border proposals as part of discussions surrounding the White House’s supplemental budget request — but they were quickly rejected by Senate Democrats.

The White House is requesting from Congress $14 billion for its ongoing border operations, including money for migrant services and housing, anti-fentanyl technology and more border agents.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was blasted this week after its administrators acknowledged the university stopped short of expelling anti-Israel student protesters because of “visa issues.”

MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement Nov. 9 that the school would merely suspend students who participated in the disruptive protest from non-academic campus activities to avoid “collateral consequences for the students, such as visa issues.” One day earlier, the Coalition Against Apartheid, a pro-Palestinian student group, conducted a large protest that Kornbluth confirmed defied MIT policies governing student actions.

“In late morning, the face-to-face confrontation between the protesters and counterprotesters intensified,” Kornbluth said. “We had serious concerns that it could lead to violence. To prevent further escalation and protect the physical safety of everyone present – including both student protesters and passers-by in our busiest lobby — the administration felt it was essential to take action.”

“The students will remain enrolled at MIT and will be able to attend academic classes and labs,” she continued, noting some of the protesters’ “visa issues.” “We will refer this interim action to the Ad Hoc Complaint Response Team, which includes the chair of the Committee on Discipline, for final adjudication.”

DOZENS OF PRO-PALESTINIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENT CHAPTERS CELEBRATE ATTACK ON ISRAEL: ‘NOT UNPROVOKED’

MIT was quickly criticized for the decision because, prior to the disruptive protest, the school threatened to expel any students who acted in violation of its guidance and policies regarding such actions. Kornbluth’s statement, they argued, appeared to contradict that previous promise.

“So MIT was going to suspend these students for clearly and deliberately violating the rules after repeated warnings, but decided not to because it could lead to their visas being revoked,” A.G. Hamilton, a conservative comentator and author, wrote on X. “It seems that’s something the students should have considered beforehand…”

“‘Visa issues’ are not only a reason to suspend these pro-Hamas foreigners from school, but also to deport them immediately,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., added in a post of his own.

ISRAELI COMEDY SHOW GOES VIRAL FOR ‘RACIST FLUID’ SKIT MOCKING ANTISEMITIC LIBERAL STUDENTS IN AMERICA

Israel War Room, a group that tracks attacks against Jewish people, posted a video Sunday which appeared to show anti-Israel protesters boasting that they successfully got the university to “back down” from its prior threats. The group said in the post: “Who is in charge, MIT?”

“MIT didn’t want to punish antisemitic foreign students harassing American Jews on campus because suspension would lead to deportation under the student visa rules,” conservative lawyer Marina Medvin said on X. “So MIT chose to help the antisemites instead of punishing them. Morality run amok.” 

“MIT is one of the most prestigious universities in the U.S. These days, foreigners make up about 30% of the MIT student body,” she continued. “Jewish students, on the other hand, make up about 6% of the MIT student body — a campus minority.”

HERO ISRAELI TANK COMMANDER KILLED AFTER STORMING HAMAS TERRORISTS, SAVING CIVILIANS

Additionally, Simon Rosenberg, a Democratic strategist who founded two left-wing groups, the New Democrat Network and the New Policy Institute, also criticized MIT administrators.

“This is not an easy time for University leaders but holy cow how is that okay?”

Meanwhile, Pro-Israel student group MIT Israel Alliance and its supporters have blasted school staff in recent weeks for having “no clear response” to the Coalition Against Apartheid’s alleged repeated harassment of Jewish students and staff members.

In a statement, the pro-Jewish group said, “With each passing day, MIT admin’s silence makes Jewish and Israeli students feel unsafe at MIT.”

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MIT staff separately told Fox News Digital that the administration has “received additional complaints about conduct by individual protesters and counterprotesters, and will be following up on those promptly.”

MIT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fox News Digital reporter Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.

A senior Jewish New York Democrat lawmaker called on the leaders of the “Ceasefire Now camp” to publicly “urge” people to stop tearing down posters of Israeli hostages.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., posted on X Monday calling for the prominent “Ceasefire Now” members to tell people to stop tearing down the posters of Israelis kidnapped by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Nadler wrote the posters being torn down is causing “hostilities” and “altercations” and that releasing the hostages is the fastest way toward a ceasefire.

NEW YORK TIMES ACCUSED OF ‘BOTH-SIDING’ PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTORS TEARING DOWN POSTERS OF KIDNAPPED CIVILIANS

“An earnest request to well-intended people, particularly those with large followings, in the Ceasefire Now camp: urge people publicly to stop tearing down hostage posters,” Nadler wrote.

“It’s creating hostilities/altercations that aren’t good for anyone,” he continued. “And of course, hostage release is the quickest route to ceasefire.”

Eva Borgwardt, IfNotNow’s national spokesperson, told Fox News Digital, “We don’t support tearing down posters of kidnapped Israelis.”

“We call for a ceasefire and the return of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners unjustly held captive,” she continued. “We urge Rep. Nadler to work towards a ceasefire — the quickest route to hostage release.”

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE SKEWERED ONLINE FOR INITIAL REFUSAL TO CONDEMN VANDALISM OF HOSTAGE ISRAELI POSTERS

Nadler’s call comes as videos of anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters tearing down the kidnapping victims’ posters have gone viral online.

The viral videos of anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protestors tearing down posters of civilians taken by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attack have inundated social media, and at least one journalism watchdog has accused The New York Times of “both-siding” the issue. 

The posters have been plastered across public spaces and universities throughout America, and multiple social media accounts have dedicated themselves to posting video of people tearing them down. Some of the people caught tearing down the posters have lost jobs and been publicly shamed, while others seemed to embrace being caught in the act of destroying them.

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt blasted the “inhumane” act of tearing down the posters.

“It is hard for me to think of something more inhumane than tearing down posters of babies who are kidnaped by a terror organization,” Greenblatt told Fox News Digital.

“These people, I would encourage them to move to Gaza, if you feel so strongly. I would love to see these people relocate to Gaza and see how well they do,” Greenblatt continued. “I mean it — all these activists, all these people parading around with their sanctimony, you know, moralizing against the vast majority of us, send them to Gaza to do their protesting. I hope it goes well for them.”

Some have been irked at The New York Times’ recent coverage of the hostage posters being torn down. An Oct. 31 report headlined, “How Posters of Kidnapped Israelis Ignited a Firestorm on American Sidewalks,” dove into the polarization of the posters.

Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood contributed reporting.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is going to need help from House Democrats to pass his plan for averting a government shutdown this week. 

Johnson is facing the first big legislative test of his speakership as the deadline to fund the federal government, Nov. 17, rapidly approaches. 

He unveiled a possible solution on Saturday in the form of a short-term government funding extension known as a continuing resolution (CR). But its lack of spending cuts is threatening to bring deep cracks within the House GOP conference back to the surface, forcing the majority of Republicans to once again choose between meeting GOP hardliner demands or work with Democrats.

At least five House Republicans voiced opposition to the CR as of Monday morning: Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, Bob Good, R-Va., Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and George Santos, R-N.Y.

SPEAKER JOHNSON DRAWS BATTLE LINES AHEAD OF GOVERNMENT SPENDING SHOWDOWN

With just a razor-thin House majority, GOP leadership can only lose four Republican votes to pass something solely on party lines. 

“My opposition to the clean CR just announced by the Speaker to the [House GOP] cannot be overstated. Funding [former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.] level spending & policies for 75 days – for future ‘promises,’’ Roy said on Saturday.

Good similarly blamed his opposition on a lack of conservative policy concessions and spending cuts. 

GOP REBELS’ FAITH IN SPEAKER JOHNSON ON SPENDING FIGHT COULD AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

“I am opposed to the CR that has been proposed, because it contains no spending reductions, no border security, & no policy wins for the American people. I am committed to working with Speaker Johnson & my House colleagues to chart a better path forward for our country,” he said on Monday.

However, adding such cuts and riders to a CR would make it a nonstarter in the Democratically held Senate. 

Both chambers of Congress need to agree on a path forward by Nov. 17 to avoid a shutdown. The central point both agree on is that some kind of temporary extension is needed to give lawmakers a chance to cobble together fiscal year 2024 spending priorities. 

Johnson’s plan would create two separate deadlines for funding different parts of the government to set up more targeted goals to work toward.

It first forces lawmakers to reckon with some of the traditionally less controversial appropriations bills — those concerning military construction and Veterans Affairs; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The remaining eight appropriations bills must be worked out by Feb. 2.

SPEAKER JOHNSON ROLLS OUT PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, PREVENT ‘SPENDING MONSTROSITY’

Several Democrats have already decried it, but House Democratic leadership has yet to specifically come out against Johnson’s plan. 

Democrats had been publicly opposed to his idea of staggering deadlines, preferring a straightforward single “clean” funding extension. But the lack of spending cuts is likely to win support of at least several left-wing lawmakers.

House GOP leaders are expected to hold at least a procedural vote to advance the bill on Tuesday.

Divisions over spending have been one of the main flashpoints in a heavily fractured House GOP conference. Putting a clean CR on the floor cost ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., his job.

But while Johnson appears to have started his tenure with more goodwill than the previously ousted leader, the current CR fight is beginning to expose those same cracks.

Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry, R-Pa., a key leader on the right, suggested Monday morning that he was also unhappy with Johnson’s plan: “I will not support a status quo that fails to acknowledge fiscal irresponsibility, and changes absolutely nothing while emboldening a do-nothing Senate and a fiscally illiterate President.”

A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to protect President Biden’s granddaughter, Naomi, opened fire overnight at attempted car break-in suspects in Washington, D.C., Fox News confirmed. 

At around 11:58 p.m. on Sunday in the Georgetown neighborhood of D.C., Secret Service agents encountered possibly three individuals breaking a window on a parked and unoccupied government vehicle, the agency confirmed in a statement obtained by Fox News. 

During the encounter, a federal agent discharged a service weapon, and it is believed no one was struck, the Secret Service said. The offenders immediately fled the scene in a red vehicle and a regional lookout was issued to supporting units. 

“There was no threat to any protectees and the incident is being investigated by the DC Metropolitan Police Department and the Secret Service,” the statement said. 

The Associated Press first reported that the federal agent involved was assigned to project Naomi Biden. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.