INTERNACIONAL
Meet Analilia Mejia, the Sanders-AOC backed progressive who just won election to Congress
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Analilia Mejia, a one-time labor organizer backed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, is headed to Congress.
Mejia, running on a platform that emphasized Medicare for All, a $25 minimum wage with the first $40,000 tax-free, a wealth tax, abolishing ICE and holding President Donald Trump and his administration accountable, convincingly defeated Republican candidate Joe Hathaway in Thursday’s special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.
With her nearly 20-point victory, Mejia will fill the final eight months of the term of Gov. Mikie Sherrill, the more moderate Democratic representative who stepped down from Congress in November after winning New Jersey’s gubernatorial election.
Mejia, who is likely to align herself with the so-called «Squad» of younger, diverse and progressive House Democrats, called herself the «sassy new member of Congress» in her victory speech.
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Analilia Mejia smiles as she gestures to supporters after winning New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District special election, Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Montclair, N.J. (Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)
The special election came as the GOP clings to a fragile House majority. Republicans would have relished the opportunity to pick up the seat, but they faced a steep uphill climb to flip the suburban district Sherrill won by 15 points in her 2024 re-election and carried by roughly the same margin in last year’s gubernatorial election.
Hathaway, a former Randolph Township mayor and current council member who was unopposed for the GOP congressional nomination, aimed to paint Mejia as too far to the left for the district. He told Fox News Digital the choice for voters was «between a common sense, practical independent leader who’s gotten things done at the local level in New Jersey and knows the issues, contrasted with someone who’s running on pure ideology, far left-wing ideology, Squad-backed ideology.»
«I think we have the right math, the right bipartisan coalition to come together to win this thing on April 16,» an optimistic Hathaway predicted.
But Hathaway came up far short, given the rough political climate facing Republicans and the traditional headwinds for the party in power.
THIS PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZER WINS SPECIAL ELECTION, EARNING TICKET TO CONGRESS
Mejia, on Thursday night, pushed back against the claims she’s a radical.
«My opponent has spent his whole campaign calling me names and saying my ideas are too radical. But we know, that is a mind trick, on brand for a spin doctor, but easily countered if you just open your eyes,» Mejia said. «It is not radical to say that one of the wealthiest nations in the world should do more to protect the health of its people.»
Here’s a closer look at Mejia and where she stands on the issues.
Who is Analilia Mejia
Mejia was born in New Jersey and is the daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants.
After working as a union organizer, Mejia served as national political director on the 2020 Sanders presidential campaign. She later worked in the Department of Labor in former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Mejia pulled off an upset in the February Democratic primary, narrowly edging out a more moderate rival, former Rep. Tom Malinowski, in a field of 11 candidates. While Mejia was the clear choice of the party’s left flank, the rest of the field divided the moderate and center-left vote.
Besides the backing of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, Mejia was also endorsed by other top progressive leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Reps. Ro Khanna of California, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
PROGRESSIVES NOTCH ANOTHER WIN OVER DEMOCRATIC MODERATES AS SANDERS-AOC ALLY NEARS CONGRESS
Analilia Mejia secured the Democratic Party nomination in a special election to find out who will take over newly-elected New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s vacant House seat. (Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Mejia’s nomination victory was another big boost for the left against the establishment since now-New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, sent shock waves across the nation with his Democratic primary victory in June 2025.
Immigration
Mejia repeatedly took aim at Trump’s unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration and called for scrapping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency most visible in the aggressive tactics used in the administration’s massive deportation effort.
REPUBLICAN SEEKS BLUE-STATE BREAKTHROUGH, DISTANCES FROM TRUMP WHILE TAKING AIM AT ‘SOCIALIST’
«I say abolish ICE now,» Mejia said on the campaign trail. «You can’t reform it. It’s not fixable. Get it out.»
After her primary victory, Mejia gave credit to her stance on immigration in the wake of backlash against the Trump administration following the January fatal shootings in Minnesota by federal agents of two U.S. citizens protesting immigration operations.
«I think the fact that I was bold and unafraid to speak the truth was incredibly important,» she told reporters. «I think voters feel that they want to have a representative that actually represents them, and they cannot watch what’s happening in Minnesota, what happened in Chicago, what happened in California, what happened in Morristown across this district.»
Supreme Court
Mejia, like many on the left, has railed against rulings by the conservative-dominated Supreme Court.
«The Supreme Court has been captured by right-wing radicals who care more about doing Trump’s bidding than the rule of law,» Mejia charged on her campaign website.
She supported «articles of impeachment against Justices Thomas and Alito» for what she says is «their corruption and conflicts of interest.»
Campaign signs for Republican candidate Joe Hathaway and Democrat Analilia Mejia in the NJ-11 special congressional election, in Randolph, New Jersey on April 13, 2026 (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Mejia also backed «term limits for newly appointed Supreme Court justices, a binding code of ethics with real enforcement for all federal judges.»
And Mejia said she would support «expanding the courts if necessary to restore balance.»
Student Loan Debt
On her campaign website, Mejia stated, «We’re going to cancel all student loan debt.»
And she pledges that she’ll «fight to make college tuition free at community colleges and trade schools for everyone.»
Taxes and Minimum Wage
As part of her «economy for everyone agenda,» Mejia argued, «If you work 40 hours a week, you should make at least $40,000 a year, and you shouldn’t pay a dime in federal taxes on that first $40,000.»
And she highlighted that she helped lead the fight in New Jersey to «win the $15 minimum wage.»
«With the cost of living rising every day, it’s time to raise the minimum wage at the national level to $25/hour,» Mejia emphasized on the campaign trail.
Israel
Malinowski, an assistant secretary of state in former President Barack Obama’s administration who later represented a neighboring congressional district in northern New Jersey from 2018 to 2022 before losing re-election, was considered the front-runner in the Democratic nomination race heading into primary day.
But Malinowski was the target of a slew of attack ads put out by a group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which opposed Malinowski because he said he supports conditions on aid to Israel.
The AIPAC-aligned super PAC United Democracy Project dished out more than $2.3 million to take aim at Malinowski, even though AIPAC had previously supported Malinowski in his past congressional elections.
Jan 15, 2026; Caldwell, NJ, USA; Tom Malinowski during a meet and greet hosted by The League of Women Voters at Caldwell University with the candidates running for the Democratic nomination to fill the Congressional seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. (Michael Karas/USA TODAY NETWORK)
But the AIPAC strategy backfired, because Mejia is much tougher on Israel than Malinowski.
Mejia was the only candidate in the race who raised her hand at a forum in January when asked if they agreed with human rights groups who charge Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in its war with Hamas in Gaza.
Jewish voters make up a key part of the district’s electorate, and Hathaway, in the only debate in the general election, claimed Mejia was antisemitic, noting she has said Israel committed genocide in Gaza.
«She blamed Israel for the attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7,» Hathaway said. «I think Jewish individuals across this district, Republican or Democrat, are very afraid of this kind of rhetoric.»
Mejia pledged to «protect the rights of Jewish constituents» and said her criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza should not be conflated with antisemitism.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mejia said, «Joe Hathaway’s inability to distinguish between criticism of a government or government official and bigotry is troubling and disgusting in equal measure.»
Mejia last week wrote that she was «honored» after being endorsed by the liberal pro-Israel political group J Street PAC. But her acceptance of the endorsement triggered pushback on the left, with the North Jersey Democratic Socialists of America calling her move a «heel turn.»
Hathaway told Fox News Digital, «I’ve spoken to more members of the Jewish community who have told me they’ve never voted for a Republican in their life, who are going to vote for me in this race. I mean, that shows you where the Jewish community is on the importance of this race and how they are not aligned with Mejia … and her platform.»
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It appears Hathaway was right: Some towns with heavy Jewish populations swung significantly to the right in Thursday’s election.
But it wasn’t nearly enough to help Hathaway blunt Mejia’s overall support.
bernie sanders, alexandria ocasio cortez, pramila jayapal, mikie sherrill, the squad
Un millón de desplazados
Libaneses regresan a escombros tras ataques israelíes intensos
Heridos siguen llegando a un hospital
Muchos aún dudan en volver a casa
INTERNACIONAL
Turkish grad student who co-authored anti-Israel op-ed at Tufts self-deports after legal battle with DHS
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Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University medical graduate student from Turkey whose charges were dropped after DHS detained her for allegedly «[engaging] in activities in support of Hamas,» has self-deported to Turkey, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Ozturk self-deported from the U.S. late Thursday night on a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, according to sources familiar.
Ozturk was detained by ICE in Somerville, Massachusetts, in March 2025, sparking a battle between the Trump administration and a federal judge over her detainment.
The Tufts graduate student was living in the U.S. under an F-1 student visa, which the Trump administration revoked around March 21, 2025. At the time her visa was revoked, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Trump administration were cracking down on student visas for students who were involved in protests and demonstrations regarding Israel and Palestine.
JUDGE WHO BLASTED TRUMP AS ‘AUTHORITARIAN’ BLOCKS US FROM DEPORTING PRO-PALESTINIAN CAMPUS ACTIVISTS
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay in Cernay-la-Ville, France, on March 27, 2026. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek)
«After 13 years of dedicated study, I am very proud to have completed my Ph.D. and to return home on my own timeline,» Ozturk said in a statement. «The time stolen from me by the U.S. government belongs not just to me, but to the children and youth I have dedicated my life to advocating for. With them in mind, I am choosing to return home as planned to continue my career as a woman scholar without losing more time to the state-imposed violence and hostility I have experienced in the United States – all for nothing more than co-signing an op-ed advocating for Palestinian rights.»
Ozturk co-authored an opinion piece on March 26, 2024 that was published in Tufts Daily, a student newspaper on campus.
«Credible accusations against Israel include accounts of deliberate starvation and indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinian civilians and plausible genocide,» the op-ed read.
The authors, including Ozturk, were critical of the university’s response to anti-Israel protests, saying that the university should publicly acknowledge Palestinian suffering.
Rubio specifically referenced opinion pieces in a statement surrounding the revoking of student visas, notably after the arrest of Ozturk on March 25, 2025.
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«If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason why you’re coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus — we’re not going to give you a visa,» Rubio said.
Trump’s Department of Justice also weighed in on Ozturk’s self-deportation.
«Attending elite colleges and universities in the United States is a privilege afforded to foreign students who respect our values and follow our laws,» a DOJ official told Fox News. «Rümeysa Öztürk chose not to abide by those simple conditions, and as a result left the United States – something the Administration sought to accomplish from the beginning. We will continue to seek the deportation of any foreign student who abuses their opportunity to study in America by engaging in vile antisemitism, harassment, or other illegal behavior.»
Following Ozturk’s arrest, she was transferred to Methuen, Mass., then Lebanon, New Hampshire, and Vermont before she was sent to the South Louisiana ICE processing facility, according to reports.
Protests erupted at Tufts and across the country over her arrest, and two months later she was released on bail.
ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATOR MAHMOUD KHALIL ONE STEP CLOSER TO DEPORTATION WITH IMMIGRATION BOARD RULING
Rumeysa Ozturk on an apple-picking trip in 2021. (AP Photo) (AP)
The legal battle continued between the Trump administration and Ozturk, who was legally represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), until Feb. 9 when Biden-appointed Boston immigration Judge Roopal Patel terminated deportation proceedings.
Patel ruled that the Department of Homeland Security lacked the legal grounds to deport her.
«I grieve for the many human beings who do not get to see the mistreatment they have faced brought into the light,» Ozturk said in a statement released by her attorneys after the ruling. «When we openly talk about the many injustices around us, including the treatment of immigrants and others who have been targeted and thrown in for-profit ICE prisons, as well as what is happening in Gaza, true justice will prevail.»
THE US GOVERNMENT TARGETED ME FOR MY POLITICAL SPEECH. IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU, TOO
The Trump Department of Justice fired Patel, among other immigration judges, last week.
President Donald Trump spoke to reporters outside the Oval Office at the White House on April 13, in Washington, D.C., after declining to apologize for remarks criticizing Pope Leo XIV. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Since Patel ruled as an immigration judge and not a federal Article III judge, the Trump administration and the executive branch has authority over her tenure.
The White House issued a press release on April 9, titled: «Era of Amnesty Is Over: President Trump Restores Rule of Law to Immigration Courts,» in which the administration touted «the most aggressive and successful immigration enforcement overhaul in modern history.»
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«President Trump promised to end the open borders nightmare — and he is delivering on that promise with unrelenting force. The era of catch-and-release, mass releases, and activist judicial amnesty is over,» the White House statement reads.
homeland security, deportation, amnesty, immigration, immigrant rights
INTERNACIONAL
Estados Unidos mantiene el bloqueo a los puertos del régimen persa y 19 barcos acataron sus órdenes: “Si señor, volvemos a Irán”
Estados Unidos mantiene el bloqueo naval sobre los puertos del régimen iraní y ha ordenado el regreso de 19 buques mercantes a Irán desde el inicio de las operaciones, según informó el Comando Central (CENTCOM) este viernes.
La medida se sostiene mientras continúan las negociaciones, de acuerdo con las declaraciones de Donald Trump.
Desde que comenzó esta acción, ninguna embarcación ha logrado evadir el control de las fuerzas estadounidenses, una información ratificada por CENTCOM tras difundir imágenes del destructor de misiles guiados USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) instruyendo a un mercante a regresar a su terminal de origen iraní.
La operación cuenta también con la participación del portaaviones USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), que realiza tareas de bloqueo en el mar Arábigo y tiene a bordo una ala aérea compuesta por ocho F-35C, cazas F/A-18, aeronaves EA-18G, aviones de comando E-2D, así como helicópteros MH-60 y aparatos logísticos Ospreys CMV-22B.
El comandante de CENTCOM, almirante Brad Cooper, destacó la preparación de las tropas: “Las fuerzas de CENTCOM están altamente motivadas, enfocadas y listas”.
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, dijo que su país mantendrá el bloqueo a los puertos iraníes pese a la apertura del estrecho de Ormuz.
“El estrecho de Ormuz está completamente abierto y listo para el comercio y el tránsito libre, pero el bloqueo naval se mantendrá en pleno vigor y efecto en lo que respecta a Irán, únicamente hasta que nuestra negociación con Irán se complete al 100%. Este proceso debería ser muy rápido, ya que la mayoría de los puntos ya están negociados”, expresó.
Minutos antes, había manifestado en la misma red social: “Irán acaba de anunciar que el estrecho de Irán está completamente abierto y listo para el paso libre. ¡Gracias!“.
El régimen de Irán anunció este viernes que el estrecho de Ormuz estará abierto a la navegación durante el cese del fuego acordado con Estados Unidos.
“De acuerdo con el alto el fuego en Líbano, el paso para todos los buques comerciales a través del Estrecho de Ormuz se declara completamente abierto durante el resto del período de alto el fuego, en la ruta coordinada ya anunciada por la Organización de Puertos y Asuntos Marítimos de la República Islámica de Irán”, expresó el ministro de Exteriores, Abbas Araghchi.
En tanto, los precios del petróleo retrocen marcadamente después del anuncio de Irán. El precio del petróleo registró una caída abrupta. La cotización del crudo Brent descendió con fuerza, mientras los futuros del West Texas Intermediate (WTI) también mostraron un retroceso significativo, en un contexto marcado por negociaciones diplomáticas y expectativas de distensión en Oriente Medio.
El viernes, los mercados internacionales observaron un comportamiento volátil luego de que Irán comunicó que el estrecho de Ormuz, un corredor esencial para el comercio mundial de hidrocarburos, permanecerá habilitado para la navegación mientras dure el cese de hostilidades. La noticia generó reacciones inmediatas en los precios de referencia mundial, con caídas de en torno al 10%. El Brent cerró en 89,43 dólares por barril, con una baja de 8,77 dólares y un retroceso del 8,93%. Por su parte, el WTI finalizó la jornada en 81,53 dólares, perdiendo 11,65 dólares respecto al día anterior.
Esta tendencia bajista reflejó la expectativa de los inversores acerca de un posible acuerdo entre Estados Unidos e Irán. La posibilidad de negociaciones durante el fin de semana y la entrada en vigor de un alto el fuego de diez días entre Líbano e Israel reforzaron el optimismo en los mercados sobre una posible resolución del conflicto en la región.
Antes, el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, expresó confianza en que las conversaciones con Irán se encuentren cerca de un desenlace favorable. “Veremos qué pasa. Pero creo que estamos muy cerca de llegar a un acuerdo con Irán”, aseguró a la prensa frente a la Casa Blanca, declaración recogida por Reuters. El mandatario estadounidense también utilizó sus redes sociales para pedir a Hezbollah que actúe “bien” durante este periodo crítico y, en un evento en Las Vegas, afirmó que la guerra progresa “swimmingly” y anticipó que podría terminar pronto, según consignó The Wall Street Journal.
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