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Hospitals in sanctuary cities could be most vulnerable to Iran terror attacks, warns expert
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Following reports that 729 Iranian nationals illegally entered the U.S. and were released into the country by the Biden administration, experts are warning that sanctuary jurisdictions with policies obstructing ICE and federal immigration enforcement may be the most vulnerable targets for Iranian-sponsored terror attacks looking to retaliate for the U.S. strikes over the weekend.
The number of Iranians released into the country by Border Patrol agents under former President Joe Biden’s administration increased successively each year of the administration. In total, Border Patrol arrested 1,504 Iranian nationals from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2024. Of the 1,504 individuals who were arrested, 729 were released into the United States.
Just hours after Trump addressed the nation on U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the DHS released a new memo sounding the alarm on a «heightened threat environment in the United States.»
The bulletin states, «The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if the Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland.»
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Concerns are most acute in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, such as California or Massachusetts, that have policies or, in the case of Los Angeles, populations that are actively obstructing federal immigration authorities from carrying out deportations. (iStock and Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
NBC News reported that Iran sent a message to Trump at the G7 summit last week that it could activate «sleeper cells» to conduct terror attacks in the U.S.
«We have to assume threats may arise,» Lora Ries, a director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital.
Ries said that while the government is aware of 729 Iranian illegal immigrants being released into the country under Biden, the real concern is that «we have no idea» how many unknown «gotaways» there could be in the U.S. presently.
She said the concerns are most acute in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that have policies or, in the case of Los Angeles, populations that are actively obstructing federal immigration authorities from carrying out deportations.
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Protesters face off with police outside of a federal building in downtown Los Angeles for an anti-Trump «No Kings Day» demonstration in a city that has been the focus of protests against Trump’s immigration raids on June 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
«Democrats need to start supporting deportations,» she remarked, pointing out that despite a narrative that ICE agents are arresting innocent immigrants, many of the illegals are serious criminals, or in some cases, even terrorists.
Andrew Arthur, an immigration policy expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, told Fox News Digital that the «ultimate soft target» for a terror attack would be a hospital, especially hospitals in sanctuary jurisdictions. He pointed out Iran’s recent bombing of a hospital in Be’er Sheva, Israel, demonstrating the regime is willing to carry out such an attack.
«It’s a possibility in the United States,» said Arthur. «If we’re trying to think of a soft target that would potentially have catastrophic impacts, it would be a hospital.»
To prevent such an attack, Arthur stressed the importance of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies all working together to monitor and proactively respond to threats.
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Smokes raises from a building of the Soroka hospital complex after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran in Be’er Sheva, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (Leo Correa/AP Photo)
«Fortunately, DNI [the Director of National Intelligence] should have an idea of what potential targets in the future are. DNI is not going to share that publicly, but all that should flow down through DHS to state and local law enforcement agencies,» he explained.
«The problem is that right now, we have all these state and local law-enforcement agencies and sanctuary jurisdictions that really aren’t cooperating with DHS,» he said. «That could create its own vulnerability.»
«It compounds the risk,» he went on. «Particularly in California, because I think a lot of law enforcement agencies in California are confused about what they can do and can’t do under SB-54 — the California Values Act — so it could potentially create its own vulnerability.»
That being said, Arthur said an Iranian-sponsored terror attack inside the U.S. would likely be a «suicidal move» for the regime and would likely be a «last desperate move.» Even so, Arthur said there remains a «real concern» about Iranian-sponsored terror attacks inside America’s borders.
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Other potential mass casualty targets could be places such as the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Times Square, Independence Hall in Philadelphia or other highly populated, open areas. (Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)
Other potential mass casualty targets could be places such as the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Times Square, Independence Hall in Philadelphia or other highly populated, open areas.
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«The threat is real. Whether they’re going to use it is a different question,» he concluded, adding, «The Biden administration exposed the American people to an unacceptable level of threat.»
On Monday evening, Trump posted on social media that «it has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE … for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!»
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Fox News Channel’s Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
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California allocating $35M to support illegal immigrants amid Trump’s mass deportation agenda
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the allocation of $35 million in state funding to support illegal immigrants as the Trump administration carries out its massive deportation agenda.
Newsom’s office is releasing the money that the legislature set aside in the state budget to help philanthropic partners support immigrant families with food assistance and other resources, according to a press release.
These funds are on top of funds the state already allocated to provide legal resources to those facing deportation.
«While the federal government targets hardworking families, California stands with them – uniting partners and funding local communities to help support their neighbors,» Newsom said in the release. «The urgent need grows as the Trump Administration accelerates mass detention, tramples due process, and funds authoritarian enforcement with over $170 billion. As the Trump Administration chooses cruelty and chaos, California chooses community.»
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the allocation of $35 million in state funding to support illegal immigrants. (Tayfun Coskun/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Newsom said he has been speaking with immigrant families and community leaders about the federal government’s immigration crackdown.
«People are afraid to leave their homes, afraid to go to school or work, and unable to afford groceries,» the spokesperson told CalMatters.
California allocated the money despite significant budget constraints, as Newsom’s office anticipates a $2.9 billion deficit in the coming budget year, according to CalMatters. The state also limited health care for illegal immigrants this year to help make up for a larger deficit last year.
«When federal actions create fear and instability, our responsibility is to show up for families. This investment strengthens local partners who are helping people access legal services and meet basic needs during an incredibly difficult moment,» Kim Johnson, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said in the release.
Democrat state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, said the funding shows her party will «continue to stand in solidarity with our immigrant families.»
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The legislature set aside money in the state budget to help philanthropic partners support immigrant families with food assistance and other resources. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
«The federal government is waging a war on our communities – and we won’t stand for it,» Gonzalez said. «We are putting money behind an effort to stop the fear, stop the separation of our families and stop violating our basic rights.»
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a Republican, blasted the funding as «absurd.»
«If you were audited by the IRS and found to owe money and back taxes, as a citizen, you couldn’t say, ‘Well, I want a free lawyer to fight the federal government,’» DeMaio told CalMatters.
President Donald Trump campaigned on a major immigration crackdown and has since followed through with that promise through mass deportations.
In June, Trump signed a budget bill that included $170 billion for immigration enforcement, detention and deportation, an investment that aims to remove up to 1 million immigrants from the U.S. per year over four years.
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The funds are in addition to funds the state allocated to provide legal resources to migrants facing deportation. (Pool)
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California state funds set aside for immigration legal services prevent money from being used to help people with serious or violent felony convictions fight against deportations, CalMatters reported.
California laws do not block state corrections staff from moving illegal immigrants who have been convicted of serious or violent felonies to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
«California will never be silent in the face of Trump’s cruel and unlawful immigration raids. We will meet fear and intimidation with courage and action,» Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas, a Democrat, said in the release.
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INTERNACIONAL
Iran president vows defiance as protests build against regime amid US military build up
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Anti-government protests are resurging across Iran, with videos showing students chanting slogans against the regime as nuclear negotiations with the United States are set to resume on Thursday.
A video translated by Reuters showed demonstrators shouting «We’ll fight, we’ll die, we’ll reclaim Iran,» reflecting growing anger towards the country’s leadership.
The renewed unrest follows months of frustration over economic hardship, repression and previous crackdowns, placing additional domestic pressure on the regime as talks unfold. Analysts say the convergence of protests at home, military pressure abroad and a stalled diplomatic track has hardened rhetoric on both sides rather than pushing them toward compromise.
Military members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in western Tehran, Iran. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Iranian regime, meanwhile, is striking a defiant tone. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would «not bow down» to pressure tied to nuclear negotiations, warning that external coercion would not change Iran’s stance, according to Al Jazeera.
His remarks come ahead of a new round of U.S.–Iran talks set for Thursday in Geneva, confirmed by Oman, which is mediating the discussions. The negotiations aim to address Tehran’s nuclear program amid rising regional tensions, though major disputes remain over enrichment limits, sanctions relief and the scope of any deal.
In a February speech analyzed by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment and rejected U.S. demands to include Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional proxy activity in negotiations.
The analysis, authored by FDD research analyst Janatan Sayeh and Iran Program Senior Director Behnam Ben Taleblu, noted that Khamenei has escalated attacks on Washington’s leadership, calling President Donald Trump a «criminal» for backing Iranian protests and circulating rhetoric likening him to a tyrant.
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An exercise aimed at assessing readiness and rehearsing responses to security threats comes during a second round of talks. ( Press Office of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the United States has expanded its military presence in the Middle East while signaling force remains an option. The deployments have shaped both the tone and urgency of the negotiations, reinforcing that diplomacy is unfolding under the shadow of potential escalation.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff warned Saturday that Iran could be «a week away» from having «industrial-grade bomb-making material,» citing enrichment levels he said are approaching weapons capability.
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Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the public on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, according to Iranian state television in Tehran, Iran, on February 9, 2026. (Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«It’s up to 60%,» Witkoff said. «They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material.» He made the remarks on «My View with Lara Trump,» describing the situation as dangerous and accusing Iran of violating President Trump’s «zero enrichment» red line.
U.S. officials have warned that failure to reach an agreement could trigger serious consequences, while Tehran has signaled readiness to retaliate if attacked, reinforcing the sense that negotiations are taking place under intense pressure.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Tras la muerte de “El Mencho“, el líder del Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, la presidenta de México, Claudia Sheinbaum, tomó una profunda bocanada de aire fresco frente a la persistente intimidación de Donald Trump y alejó el fantasma de una intervención estadounidense contra el narcotráfico.
El mensaje que subió desde Ciudad de México a Washington es fuerte. La mandataria izquierdista se alejó de la política conocida como “Abrazos, no balazos” llevada adelante por su mentor y antecesor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Leé también: Así fue la caída de “El Mencho”, el capo narco mexicano: el seguimiento a una de sus amantes, la pista clave
Ahora, la lucha es frontal desde el poder federal, en un giro total de la política de seguridad del país, tras un año de fuertes presiones de Trump que llegaron no solo a la aplicación de aranceles, sino hasta amenazas de una intervención militar contra los distintos carteles del narcotráfico.
“El abatimiento de El Mencho es un hecho histórico que marca un precedente de seguridad en México, en la política de seguridad de Sheinbaum y también en la de Estados Unidos”, dijo a TN el analista mexicano y director de El Medio Importa, Mauricio González.
Aumento de la cooperación y adiestramiento a cargo de marines
La muerte de Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho”, se produjo en un contexto de fuerte aumento de la cooperación bilateral en materia de seguridad que incluyó la presencia de marines estadounidenses en el terreno.
El Senado mexicano autorizó el 11 de este mes la entrada de 19 efectivos del cuerpo de los Navy Seals que participaron cuatro días después en actividades militares conjuntas de adiestramiento con las Fuerzas Armadas mexicanas. La presidenta de México, Claudia Sheinbaum (Foto: REUTERS/Raquel Cunha)
El objetivo apuntó a “mejorar las capacidades de las Fuerzas de Operaciones Especiales” que combaten al narcotráfico en el terreno.
Pero el éxito del operativo que acabó con el reinado de El Mencho se vio opacado por la ola de violencia desatada por el cartel en varios estados del país. Ahora, el gobierno de Sheinbaum deberá demostrar capacidad de gestión para evitar una nueva oleada de violencia como la que sacudió el domingo vastas zonas de Jalisco y otras regiones.
“Para Estados Unidos, la captura de “El Mencho” es un éxito en sí mismo, algo que Trump podrá cacarear a sus votantes. Para México, la captura solo será un éxito si mejora la percepción de seguridad de los mexicanos”, dijo la politóloga mexicana Viri Ríos en el diario Milenio de Jalisco.
Para la analista, “lo más relevante del abatimiento (…) no es el operativo en sí mismo, sino si el gobierno está preparado para contener la violencia que podría detonarse luego de la muerte de El Mencho”.
Leé también: Ante la ola de violencia en México, la Cancillería argentina recomienda no viajar a Jalisco
El director editorial del periódico, Oscar Cedillo, destacó el giro estratégico de la política del gobierno federal contra el narcotráfico.
“El contexto político también cuenta: el operativo ocurrió días después de que el Senado autorizara el ingreso de militares estadounidenses para capacitación y en el marco de la visita del secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio. La intervención directa de tropas extranjeras sigue descartada, pero el intercambio de inteligencia es una realidad operativa. Incluso el silencio inusual de Donald Trump sugiere coordinación previa. En seguridad, el silencio comunica“, afirmó.
Para Cedillo, esta fue una “victoria significativa que envía un mensaje hacia adentro y a Washington. ´Abrazos, no balazos´ fue una apuesta política para desescalar la violencia desde una lógica social; la detención y abatimiento de El Mencho representa una afirmación directa del poder estatal. Habrá que entender qué momento histórico exige qué instrumento. El país pasó del humanismo discursivo al realismo estratégico“. indicó.
Sin presencia militar estadounidense, pero con más cooperación de inteligencia
En su rueda de prensa matutina, la presidente Sheinbaum descartó la presencia de tropas estadounidenses en el operativo. “No hay participación en la operación de fuerzas de Estados Unidos, lo que hay es mucho intercambio de información”, dijo.
Para Mauricio González, “este tipo de golpes van a reforzar la participación y la coordinación” de Estados Unidos en la lucha contra el narco.
“Pero de ahora en adelante viene el reacomodo de fuerzas del Cartel y como se reestructura la sucesión. Cuando se atrapa o muere el líder de estos grupos, en tres segundos ya hay un sucesor”, dijo. Caso contrario, estalla la violencia por el control de la plaza.
México, Narcotráfico, Claudia Sheinbaum
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