INTERNACIONAL
Noem slams Dems blocking DHS funding bill citing TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard: ‘I hope they come to their senses’
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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem warned Thursday that a lapse in funding for her department could disrupt airport security, disaster response and counterterrorism operations, escalating a partisan standoff in Congress over immigration policy.
Senate Democrats demanded stringent reforms to immigration enforcement and blocked multiple attempts Thursday to keep the agency open, though Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only accounts for 11% of the bill’s funding, according to Noem.
Noem’s comments came as she joined U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks and Executive Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Diane Sabatino in Otay Mesa, California, to discuss ongoing drug seizure operations.
Noem accused Democrats of sending «the wrong message,» arguing that failing to fund DHS undermines national security. Democrats have said the dispute centers on immigration enforcement policies, not disaster response or transportation security.
NOEM RIPS DEMS FOR USING FAMILIES AS ‘POLITICAL WEAPONS’ AS DHS FUNDING FIGHT THREATENS LIFE BEYOND ICE
DHS Secretary Security Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry accompanied by U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks and Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations at CBP Diane J. Sabatino, Thursday, in Otay Mesa, Calif. (Carlos A. Moreno/Getty Images)
She warned other DHS-funded agencies will see the impacts of the shutdown, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
«If we had some kind of an attack or a terrible disaster that hit our country, FEMA is the agency that’s responsible for running our government, for stabilizing our country — and the Democrat Party is choosing not to fund FEMA and putting us in jeopardy in that situation.»
According to DHS, disaster grant funding could be stuck due to the FEMA GO system being offline, National Fire Academy classes will be canceled, and preparedness exercises will be paused nationwide.
The housing market could also see disruptions, as federally-backed mortgages require national flood insurance, managed by FEMA.
Noem added that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, who keep the skies safe, will not be paid after Friday — leading to increased wait times at airports and safety concerns.
SENATE REPUBLICANS WEIGH DEM DEMAND TO SPLIT DHS BILL, TURN TO SHORT-TERM EXTENSION TO AVOID SHUTDOWN
«They’re expected to still show up. How long would you continue to show up for a job that you’re not being paid for,» she said. «These TSA employees just went through a 43-day shutdown where they weren’t paid. How often do you expect these good patriots to keep showing up and to do their job, knowing that their salaries won’t be taken care of and their families’ bills won’t be taken care of.»
The U.S. Secret Service (USSS), which is tasked with protecting current and former administration officials and visiting dignitaries, will also go unfunded, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, which is addressing winter weather impacts on the East Coast.
«The Coast Guard right now is keeping rivers open on the East Coast so that critical food and energy sources can get to our largest cities,» Noem said. «… What you’re saying by not funding the Coast Guard, is that the Democrat Party doesn’t think it’s important that people eat, or that they stay warm, or that our national security is protected.»
«This is a dangerous situation that we’re in, that the Democratic Party has chosen to shut down the department that was created after 9/11. This department was created recognizing that we are vulnerable to terrorist attacks,» she continued. «… We have responsibility for cyber operations … and going after terrorists who would attack our critical infrastructure, our electrical grid, our water systems, that would come in and hack into our intelligence agencies and our national security operations.»
KENNEDY CLAIMS ‘KAREN WING’ WILL PUNISH ANY DEMOCRAT WHO VOTES TO KEEP DHS OPEN AMID BUDGET STALL
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks speaks during a news conference with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, left, at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, Thursday, in Otay Mesa, Calif. (Pool)
The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office lacks legal authority to operate during the lapse, leaving biodetection and mail screening disrupted.
«The Democrat Party is choosing not to fund [DHS] and making us very vulnerable to those terrorists being successful here in our homeland,» Noem said. «I hope that they will come to their senses, recognize that the American people need to come first, and have a policy discussion.»
During Noem’s plea for critical funding, anti-ICE protesters gathered nearby chanting, «shame, shame» through megaphones, while blowing horns.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, released a statement Thursday afternoon, emphasizing the urgency of a deal.
SCHUMER ROLLS OUT LIST OF ICE DEMANDS AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS DEMS ‘BLOCKED’ DEAL-MAKING SESSION
Protesters held signs during a protest against immigration enforcement operations after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem spoke at the southern border Wednesday, in Nogales, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
«There will be a burden shouldered, and the cost will be paid by people who never asked to be part of the fight,» Cole wrote. «… And while all these consequences are slated to start tomorrow at midnight, Senate Democrats are still readying to get on a plane out of town — instead of focusing on completing the job they were elected to do. Flying home or abroad while leaving TSA in limbo isn’t the message of leadership I’d want to send.»
He added the House has «acted in good faith at every turn,» as the House and Senate previously struck a bipartisan and bicameral deal to finalize all Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills.
After helping negotiate the deal, Senate Democrats altered it at the last minute, undermining DHS funding.
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«The consequences are real, and the responsibility for them in this moment is clear,» Cole wrote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus have demanded a list of reforms to ICE.
«The administration doesn’t actually want to reform ICE,» Schumer said. «They never do it on their own. That is why we need — we are fighting for — legislation to rein in ICE and stop the violence.»
The Democratic Strategic Communications Committee did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
kristi noem,homeland security,congress,democrats senate,coast guard,fema,politics
INTERNACIONAL
White House slams ‘trash reporting’ over claims ICE chief hospitalized for stress, yelled at by Trump admin
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The White House pushed back hard Friday amid a news report that Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has been hospitalized at least twice for stress-related issues with the Trump administration that left him visibly upset and strained.
The pushback came following a Politico report that said Lyons was hospitalized at least twice for stress-related issues while carrying out President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.
The stress has left Lyons unable to carry out key decisions, the report states, citing two current and two former administration officials, who were unnamed.
ICE ASSAULTS SPIKE 1,500% AS DEMS DRAW ‘HARD RED LINE’ TO UNMASK AGENTS IN DHS BATTLE
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons was reportedly hospitalized at least twice amid pressure from the Trump administration to ramp up deportations of illegal immigrants, according to a Politico report. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images andJohn Moore/Getty Images )
«He would be visibly upset and struggling to make the decisions that were needed to be made by the director,» one former unnamed official told the news website.
«Trash reporting from a trash «reporter» pushing tabloid b*******in an attempt to divide and distract. Todd Lyons is an American Patriot,» the White House Rapid Response X account said in response to the story.
The episodes were attributed to pressure from above for Lyons to ramp up deportations and from top adviser Stephen Miller, who allegedly yelled at Lyons during morning phone calls with administration officials, Politico reported.
«This is b******* and more of the trash that Daniel Lippman has peddled over the years in the name of clicks and clout,» Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, wrote on X in response to Politico reporter’s story.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Politico was given «on record» denials prior to the story being published.
WHITE HOUSE BLASTS TOP HOUSE DEMOCRAT AS A ‘BUFFOON’ AFTER JEFFRIES BRANDS STEPHEN MILLER A ‘HATEFUL BIGOT’
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller speaks during the inaugural Americas Counter Cartel Conference at the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) headquarters in Doral, Florida, on March 5, 2026. (Eva Marie UZCATEGUI / AFP via Getty Images)
«Shame on Politico for publishing such inaccurate trash,» Jackson wrote on X. «Todd Lyons is an American patriot who has worked tirelessly to undo Biden’s disastrous immigration policies that wreaked havoc on American communities. And the American people are deeply appreciative for his hard work making our country safer. Despite multiple on record denials and sources refuting their pathetic ‘reporting’ and *still* ran with this absurd article.»
The reported hospitalizations took place over several months. In one incident, Lyons was driven to a hospital by his security detail and he was admitted overnight.
In September, Lyons became distressed that ICE agents were unable to locate an illegal immigrant in Los Ángeles during a ride along with top administration officials.
One of his bodyguards took a portable defibrillator from a nearby government office to Lyons in case he needed medical intervention, the report said.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons speaking at a press conference at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston on June 2. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
After heated calls with Miller, Lyons expressed frustration that the White House was often mad at his agency, according to the current official and former official who heard such comments.
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«Todd, Stephen, and the entire White House team have a great working relationship and coordinate closely to deliver on the president’s many promises,» White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. «Todd Lyons is an American patriot who has worked tirelessly to undo Biden’s disastrous immigration policies that wreaked havoc on American communities.»
Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE and Politico.
white house, police and law enforcement, us, border security
Con la llegada de la Semana Santa, El Salvador ha puesto en marcha un amplio dispositivo de prevención y protección ciudadana en el marco del denominado “Plan Verano”, cuyo eje central será el despliegue de 342 guardavidas de la Unidad de Guardavidas de Protección Civil. Esta medida busca proteger a los miles de visitantes que se prevé acudirán a las 34 playas, siete parques recreativos y dos lagos más concurridos del país durante este periodo vacacional.
El director de Protección Civil, Luis Alonso Amaya, detalló que estos 342 profesionales de salvamento acuático estarán distribuidos en 180 puntos de monitoreo, con el objetivo de fortalecer la vigilancia y la capacidad de respuesta ante incidentes en zonas turísticas de alta afluencia. Amaya subrayó que los guardavidas forman parte de un esfuerzo interinstitucional más amplio, que involucra a diversas entidades del Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil, cuyo trabajo se articulará desde el Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia (COE), habilitado desde hoy hasta el 6 de abril.
El despliegue de los guardavidas representa solo una parte del dispositivo que el Gobierno ha dispuesto para estas fechas. La estrategia contempla la instalación de puestos de mando en Sonsonate y San Salvador, donde históricamente se registra una importante concentración de feligreses y turistas, especialmente desde el Jueves Santo hasta el Domingo de Resurrección. Las autoridades prevén que la llegada masiva de visitantes aumente los riesgos asociados a actividades acuáticas y recreativas, por lo que la presencia de personal capacitado y recursos estratégicamente ubicados resulta esencial para la prevención y atención de emergencias.
En paralelo a la labor de los guardavidas, el Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil suma alrededor de 100,000 personas movilizadas para atender las distintas tareas de control, prevención, vigilancia y respuesta inmediata. Este contingente incluye equipos del Ministerio de Salud (Minsal), el Fondo Solidario para la Salud (Fosalud), la Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria (SRS), la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC), la Fuerza Armada, el Cuerpo de Bomberos, la Cruz Roja salvadoreña y el Sistema de Emergencias Médicas (SEM).
El director del Sistema de Emergencias Médicas, Carlos Orellana, informó que habrá 17 bases operativas a escala nacional, de las cuales 15 son terrestres, una aérea y una marítima. Además, se contará con más de 100 ambulancias terrestres, así como unidades aéreas y marítimas especializadas para atender cualquier eventualidad. Orellana insistió en la importancia de seguir las recomendaciones de las autoridades en todas las actividades al aire libre para minimizar los riesgos, recordando que la prevención es clave para evitar incidentes que lamentar.
A este dispositivo se suma el Cuerpo de Bomberos, que contará con más de 800 efectivos desplegados en todo el país y más de 170 inspectores encargados de labores preventivas. El director de la institución, Baltazar Solano, señaló que el sistema de respuesta estará disponible las 24 horas y recordó a la ciudadanía que el número de emergencia es el 913. Solano hizo énfasis en la necesidad de respetar las recomendaciones viales, evitar conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol o el uso del celular y respetar los límites de velocidad, ya que las estadísticas muestran un aumento de accidentes y víctimas durante el periodo vacacional.
En cuanto a las expectativas turísticas, la presidenta del Instituto Salvadoreño de Turismo, Eny Aguiñada, indicó que se espera la llegada de 1.7 millones de visitantes a los distintos sitios públicos administrados por el instituto y otras instituciones, así como al centro histórico y playas públicas. Para el turismo internacional, se proyecta recibir 145,000 visitantes, de los cuales el 38% proviene de Guatemala, el 20% de Honduras, el 28% de Estados Unidos y el 14% del resto del mundo.
La coordinación interinstitucional será fundamental para garantizar que la población y los turistas disfruten de las vacaciones con tranquilidad. Las autoridades han reiterado que el éxito del Plan Verano dependerá tanto del trabajo de los equipos de emergencia como de la colaboración de la ciudadanía, haciendo un llamado a acatar las indicaciones y mantener conductas responsables en todos los espacios públicos.
En suma, el despliegue de 342 guardavidas, junto a la movilización de miles de personas en tareas de prevención y respuesta, conforma el mayor esfuerzo de seguridad y protección civil implementado en El Salvador para unas vacaciones de Semana Santa. El plan busca reducir los riesgos y proteger la vida de los visitantes, en un contexto de alta movilidad y concentración de personas en balnearios y lugares turísticos del país.
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