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GOP demands Trump kill controversial $2B fund before reviving ICE funding package
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Senate Republicans want a clear-cut answer on whether the Trump administration’s now-stalled, nearly $2 billion «anti-weaponization» fund is dead before moving forward with a multibillion-dollar immigration enforcement package.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday announced that while the administration «disagrees strongly» with a Virginia federal court’s order against the fund, it would adhere to the decision. But many Republicans contend that it’s not enough to satisfy their concerns.
«I appreciate them saying that, but they don’t have a choice,» Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. «They have to abide by federal district court law. It doesn’t tell me whether they’re planning on appeal. It doesn’t tell me whether the administration’s backing off the idea — it doesn’t tell me anything, except they’re gonna follow the law.»
TRUMP ADMIN BACKS OFF CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND, CLEARING PATH FOR GOP TO RESTART AGENDA
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republican senators held a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2026, discussing their latest offer to Democrats to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
And in the middle of the intra-party battle is President Donald Trump’s roughly $70 billion funding package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.
«If your question is, is the weaponization fund impacting our ability to pass the reconciliation bill? The answer is yes,» Kennedy continued. «But right now, the reconciliation bill, and the process surrounding it, looks like a broken arm with a bone sticking out.»
Senate Republicans abruptly halted budget reconciliation, the party-line process they’re using to ram through the funding package, after an explosive meeting with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about the fund last month.
GOP’S PRIMED FOR PRIMARY SEASON PAYBACK ON TRUMP’S MOST AMBITIOUS, CONTROVERSIAL POLICY
Republicans’ general sentiment was that the problem was one for the administration and Trump to figure out, given that a slew of Democratic amendments related to the fund would likely pass and modify the package.
And what was meant to be a concession, or at least a glimmer of hope to restart the process, has not landed well with Republicans.
«The only thing that’s gonna solve this problem — to get immigration funded and law enforced — is for the president to do away with the weaponization fund,» Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that the DOJ’s announcement appeared to signal that the fund had been shut down, but that conversations among Republicans would decide the next steps on reconciliation.
SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., has argued a third budget reconciliation package is unlikely to materialize this year, adding the forthcoming immigration enforcement-focused bill is the «last train leaving the station» ahead of November’s midterm elections. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Still, he acknowledged that Republicans wanted more answers from the administration.
«Well, I think anything that they say on top of what the DOJ said is helpful, but, I mean, I think the statement they made effectively shuts it down,» Thune said.
Some Republicans aren’t totally against the idea of some form of compensation fund for people who claim they were wronged or targeted by the government, but contend that it’s how the fund is administered that matters.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., broadly supports compensation funds, like his Radiation Exposure Compensation Act that was signed into law last year, but said that the question was «how do you administer it?»
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«My view on that is, you can work those details out in a way that rewards victims,» Hawley said. »I mean, that’s the key thing.»
Others are ready to move on from the fight and feel that the DOJ’s announcement was enough to clear the decks of concerns among their colleagues.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said it’s a «moot point at this point.»
«I think it’s important for us to move forward with the ICE and CBP funding,» Schmitt said. «There’s just, we gotta get that done. Democrats have been obstructing that for too long, and so, as far as I’m concerned, it’s a moot point.»
politics, immigration, republicans elections, enforcement, justice department, senate elections
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Tres hermanos se entregan a las autoridades dominicanas por el homicidio de un repartidor en Santiago
Tres hermanos, entre ellos un adolescente, se entregaron de manera voluntaria a las autoridades dominicanas tras una intensa persecución e investigación policial, por su presunta implicación en el homicidio de un repartidor durante una riña ocurrida en el sector Hato Mayor, en Santiago. Los detenidos, Eudis Martínez Henríquez, alias “El Pana”, de veintiún años; Anneudy Rafael Cabrera Henríquez, alias “Cocote”, de diecinueve años; y un menor de dieciséis años, eran activamente buscados desde el fin de semana, cuando se registró el incidente en un local de comida donde trabajaba la víctima, identificada como Joel Rivera Heredia, conocido como “King”, de veinticuatro años.
De acuerdo con el reporte policial, el conflicto que desencadenó el homicidio se originó por una disputa social. Durante la riña, Rivera Heredia recibió varias heridas provocadas con un arma cortopunzante, lesiones que derivaron en su muerte según el diagnóstico del médico legista.
La Policía Nacional informó que los tres imputados decidieron presentarse en la Subdirección Regional de Investigación (DICRIM) en compañía de familiares, tras la presión ejercida por la operatividad policial y la cercanía de los agentes en su búsqueda. Los detenidos quedaron a disposición del Ministerio Público para los procedimientos legales correspondientes, mientras que las investigaciones continúan para determinar posibles implicaciones de otros involucrados en el caso.
El vocero de la Policía Nacional, Diego Pesqueira, informó sobre el caso en sus redes sociales y destacó que la entrega de los hermanos se produjo gracias al despliegue de búsqueda y acciones investigativas que incluyeron la difusión de fotografías y la coordinación con las comunidades locales.
La institución reiteró que mantiene la vigilancia en Santiago y otras provincias con el objetivo de reducir los niveles de violencia y esclarecer hechos delictivos recientes.
En un caso paralelo, que reafirma la tendencia de entregas y capturas tras operativos policiales, la Policía Nacional detuvo a Deilin Medina, alias “Robín”, de treinta y cuatro años, quien admitió su participación en al menos tres robos cometidos en diferentes puntos del Distrito Nacional. La captura de Medina, residente en el sector El Caliche, Los Pinos, se concretó luego de labores de inteligencia de la División de Investigación de Delitos Contra la Propiedad, con asiento en María Auxiliadora. El sospechoso fue localizado durante un operativo de búsqueda e intentó escapar junto a otros individuos, pero fue capturado de inmediato por los agentes.
Durante el proceso investigativo, Medina confesó su vinculación con el robo de una guagua marca Fiat Fiorin, de la que sustrajo una cámara de video, extensiones eléctricas y un canasto, para posteriormente venderlos a un transeúnte. Además, admitió haber participado en el robo de una vivienda en el sector 27 de Febrero, donde se llevó RD$10.000 (USD 170) en efectivo y un televisor. El tercer caso confirmado corresponde al hurto de redes eléctricas de un local comercial en Villa María. La Policía Nacional destacó que estos hechos generaron preocupación en las comunidades afectadas, por su impacto económico y el incremento del sentimiento de inseguridad en el Distrito Nacional.
El detenido fue puesto a disposición del Ministerio Público, conforme a los procedimientos legales establecidos y en cumplimiento del Código Penal de República Dominicana, que prevé penas de prisión severas para quienes incurren en robo con violencia o reincidencia. Según la institución, la rápida intervención permitió esclarecer los hechos y recuperar parte de los bienes sustraídos, mientras que las investigaciones continúan para identificar a posibles colaboradores y esclarecer otros delitos similares reportados a comienzos de 2026.
Ambos casos reflejan la presión sostenida de las autoridades para combatir los delitos violentos y contra la propiedad, así como la importancia de la colaboración ciudadana y la labor de inteligencia policial en la prevención y resolución de crímenes recientes en República Dominicana.
esposas,justicia,policía,arresto,seguridad,ley
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Arkansas takes home top ranking for religious freedom after Gov Sanders expands key protections
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FIRST ON FOX: Arkansas has been ranked the nation’s top state for religious liberty after Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a series of laws expanding faith protections that helped lift the state to the top.
Earning a score of 89.2%, Arkansas became one of only two states to earn the First Liberty Institute’s annual Religious Liberty in the States index’s first-ever «excellent» rating. The index evaluates states using 50 legal protections across 20 religious liberty safeguards spanning education, healthcare, family law, economic activity and other areas of daily life.
«Religious liberty is America’s First Freedom, and Arkansas is leading the nation in protecting it,» Sanders said.
«Our rights come from God, not government, and every American should be free to live according to their faith and conscience. We’ll continue defending that freedom and ensuring the Natural State remains the best place in the country to live, work and worship.»
AMERICA’S NEXT 250 YEARS DEPEND ON PASSING FAITH AND FREEDOM TO OUR CHILDREN
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders participates in the first-ever National Outdoor Recreation Executive Forum hosted by Outdoor Recreation Roundtable at Decatur House on May 7, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Outdoor Recreation Roundtable)
The Natural State climbed six spots from last year’s rankings after lawmakers approved several measures expanding legal protections for religious exercise and conscience rights.
Arkansas’ rise was driven largely by Act 677, legislation Sanders signed last year that bars state and local governments from penalizing people, businesses and religious organizations for acting according to their religious beliefs regarding marriage and biological sex.
APPEALS COURT REVIVES LAWSUIT BY ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANTS FIRED AFTER OPPOSING PRIDE MESSAGE
A group of people hold hands in prayer. Arkansas topped a new religious liberty index after expanding faith and conscience protections. (iStock)
The state’s religious liberty push also included the Conscience Protection Act, signed by Sanders in 2023, which expanded Arkansas’ Religious Freedom Restoration Act by prohibiting state government discrimination against religious organizations based on their religious identity or status.
Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO and chief counsel at First Liberty, said other states should follow Arkansas’ lead and «strengthen religious liberty protections in their own states.»
«Religious liberty is best protected when leaders are willing to act before the rights of people of faith are threatened,» Shackelford said.
GOV SANDERS REVEALS ‘MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH’ ON EDUCATION AS RED STATE POSITIONS ITSELF AS ‘BLUEPRINT’ FOR NATION
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaking at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Dr. Mark David Hall, director of the Religious Liberty in the States project, said Arkansas demonstrates how states can protect what America’s founders called «the sacred right of conscience,» allowing people to practice their faith not just at church, but in their everyday lives.
«States have always served as laboratories of liberty, and this year’s results show why that matters,» Hall said.
Sanders also publicly defended religious freedom in December. She rejected demands from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a group that advocates for the separation of church and state, to reverse her proclamation closing state offices for Christmas.
In a response letter previously obtained by Fox News Digital, Sanders pushed back on claims it was unconstitutional, saying «only by voicing our own faith and celebrating other faiths can we make our state’s diverse religious communities feel seen and heard.»
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«With this index, citizens and legislators can see where their state is doing well, where it still has room to improve, and which existing laws could help better protect the right of conscience,» Dr. Paul D. Mueller, associate director of the Religious Liberty in the States project, said.
faith values, sarah sanders, politics, first amendment religion us, arkansas
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Bloqueo de Trump en Ormuz: Estados Unidos bombardea puertos iraníes y Teherán ataca petroleros en el estrecho
Tres hermanos se entregan a las autoridades dominicanas por el homicidio de un repartidor en Santiago
Quién es Alejandro Nimo, el diplomático desplazado tras una escandalosa pelea con el embajador argentino en España
El juez Irurzun llega a la Corte con su planteo para quedarse en la Cámara Federal
ARCA lanzó un plan de pagos para regularizar deudas: quiénes pueden acceder y cuáles son las principales claves
El terremoto en Venezuela cambió los planes en la Copa Sudamericana
Sin banderas ni carteles con mensajes provocativos: cómo será el operativo de seguridad para Argentina-Inglaterra
Pablo Cervi, senador de LLA, defendió la eliminación de las PASO: “Hay que sacarle ese costo a la población”
“Hablame bien”: el tenso cruce de Lionel Messi con el árbitro en la victoria de Argentina ante Suiza en el Mundial
El álbum de las vacaciones soñadas de Darío Barassi con su familia: “Ibiza, nos vas enamorando”
Hackearon a la AFA y enviaron correos con falsas denuncias sobre el arbitraje ante Egipto
DEPORTE2 días ago“Hablame bien”: el tenso cruce de Lionel Messi con el árbitro en la victoria de Argentina ante Suiza en el Mundial
- CHIMENTOS2 días ago
El álbum de las vacaciones soñadas de Darío Barassi con su familia: “Ibiza, nos vas enamorando”
- ECONOMIA2 días ago
El petróleo sube más de 3% tras la reanudación de los ataques de EEUU contra Irán y la amenaza de cierre del estrecho de Ormuz
