INTERNACIONAL
Senate GOP erupts over Trump DOJ ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, punts ICE, Border Patrol funding
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Senate Republicans are pressing pause on their push to fund immigration enforcement after a tense, closed-door meeting.
But it’s not over internal divisions. This time, the fury is directed toward the Trump administration and the surprise «anti-weaponization» fund created by the Department of Justice (DOJ). It comes as Republicans were near the finish line for their $72 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.
For now, Republicans are calling it a day and leaving Washington, D.C.
«We will pick up where we left off,» Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said.
REPUBLICANS RECOIL AS TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR DOJ ‘SLUSH FUND’ FOR ALLIES THREATENS ICE, BORDER PATROL PLAN
Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate GOP leaders are pushing forward with budget reconciliation to fund the final piece of government that had been shut down by Senate Democrats’ opposition to President Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu)
That makes President Donald Trump’s June 1 deadline effectively impossible to meet, but Republicans contend that it’s the administration’s actions that have further complicated an already rocky process.
«The message to the administration is this: we were on a glide path to passing this bill until these announcements,» a top Republican aide told Fox News Digital.
The timing of the settlement between Trump and his family and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the subsequent creation of the fund derailed Republicans’ sprint to the finish line.
«We don’t know where the votes are on reconciliation right now,» Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said.
SENATE REPUBLICAN THREATENS TO DERAIL ICE, BORDER PATROL PACKAGE OVER TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR REQUEST
The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s comments Thursday when asked if he would be amenable to no ballroom security funding and restrictions on the DOJ’s nearly $1.8 billion fund, or veto the package outright.
«I don’t need money from the ballroom,» Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, and touted that the actual construction was being done through private funding.
«But this is being made as a gift from me and other people that are great patriots that spent a lot of money,» he continued. «We’re building what will be the finest ballroom anywhere in the world. If they want to spend money on securing the White House, I think it would be very — very much a good expenditure. But the ballroom is being built.»
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was dispatched to the Hill Thursday morning to tamp down lawmakers’ concerns over the «anti-weaponization» fund, which several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have dubbed a «slush fund.» But instead, he was berated behind closed doors.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department told Fox News Digital that Blanche had a «healthy discussion on the settlement.»
«He made clear that the Anti-Weaponization Fund announced Monday has nothing to do with reconciliation. Indeed, not a single dime from the money the president is seeking in reconciliation would go toward anything having to do with the fund,» the spokesperson said. «We will continue to work with the Senate to get critical reconciliation funds approved.»
TRUMP DEMANDS SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN’S OUSTER FOR AXING BALLROOM SECURITY FUNDING
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was dispatched to the Hill Thursday morning to tamp down lawmakers’ concerns over the «anti-weaponization» fund. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Sources told Fox News Digital that over two dozen Republicans demanded answers from Blanche on what kind of guardrails could be put into the fund, and specifically if those convicted for assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, riots could be excluded.
Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., erupted at Blanche, and Thune was uncharacteristically frustrated by the situation.
Several Republicans leaving the meeting had little to say about what happened inside, while others reiterated that they were focused on funding ICE and Border Patrol and nothing else.
Those concerns were validated with several people who were pardoned by Trump earlier this year, including former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who declared that he would make a claim this week.
There have been discussions of including those guardrails into the reconciliation package, given that the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the DOJ, is a major part of the process.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«I did raise that issue, and that seemed to be what [Blanche] was saying, but you know, we haven’t seen language,» Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said.
Further complicating matters are plans Senate Democrats had for the package with their flurry of amendment votes.
Sources told Fox News Digital that one of the first amendments in the pipeline would have prevented any of the DOJ’s funds from going to convicted rapists and forced the package to be sent back to committee, sending the GOP back to square one on a politically perilous vote.
«This was all 100% avoidable,» a senior Republican aide told Fox News Digital.
politics, republicans elections, justice department, senate elections, democrats senate
INTERNACIONAL
Zelensky repudió el ataque ruso contra Kiev e insistió en que reforzar la defensa aérea es una prioridad absoluta para Ucrania
El presidente de Ucrania, Volodimir Zelensky, informó que al menos 13 personas murieron y más de 90 resultaron heridas tras un ataque ruso contra Kiev, que además causó daños en más de 20 puntos de la capital, principalmente en edificios residenciales.
Según el mandatario, Rusia lanzó durante la noche “más de 70 misiles de varios tipos contra Ucrania, casi la mitad de ellos balísticos, junto con casi 500 drones de ataque, incluidos ‘shaheds’ impulsados por chorro”. Agregó que “el golpe principal fue dirigido a Kiev” y que las defensas antiaéreas lograron interceptar “un número significativo de los objetivos entrantes, pero no todos”.
Zelensky insistió en la necesidad urgente de reforzar la defensa aérea del país. «Los suministros de defensa aérea para Ucrania son una prioridad absoluta y crítica. Las contribuciones al programa PURL siguen siendo esenciales: ayudan directamente a salvar vidas“, afirmó.
Además, sostuvo que “cada acuerdo bilateral que alcanzamos con nuestros socios en materia de defensa aérea realmente marca la diferencia” y agradeció el apoyo de los países aliados.
El mandatario indicó que las tareas de rescate continuaban en Kiev, donde los equipos de emergencia retiraban escombros, buscaban sobrevivientes y asistían a los afectados. “Se ha reportado daño en más de 20 sitios en toda la ciudad, la mayoría de ellos edificios residenciales comunes. También hubo daños en una estación de ambulancias, un instituto de investigación, un hotel y negocios”, señaló.
Zelensky precisó además que cinco personas resultaron heridas en la región de Kharkiv, entre ellas una menor de edad, mientras que otras dos sufrieron lesiones en la región de Kiev, donde también se registraron daños en infraestructura civil. Asimismo, indicó que durante la noche las fuerzas rusas atacaron las regiones de Sumy, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia y Cherkasy.
El presidente ucraniano destacó la importancia de avanzar en acuerdos para fortalecer las capacidades antibalísticas y reiteró su expectativa de que Estados Unidos autorice licencias para sistemas Patriot y otras iniciativas de cooperación en materia de defensa. “Estos son los tipos de pasos que pueden detener esta guerra y prevenir ataques como este. Agradezco a todos los que están con Ucrania, con nuestra gente y con nuestros esfuerzos para proteger la vida”, concluyó en su mensaje en X.
Ante este escenario, el alcalde de la capital, Vitali Klitschko, afirmó que Kiev sufrió el mayor ataque de las fuerzas rusas desde el inicio de la invasión y agregó: “Mañana, 3 de julio, queda declarado como día de luto en Kiev, en memoria de las víctimas del ataque más masivo del enemigo contra la capital”.
Por su parte, el Ministerio de Defensa de Rusia informó que lanzó un ataque nocturno contra objetivos militares en Kiev. De acuerdo con la versión la cartera, la planta Radioniks, que elabora “sistemas de navegación para misiles de crucero de emplazamiento terrestres de largo alcance Flamingo, misiles tácticos Fire Point 7 y 9, misiles Neptune-MD y misiles tierra-aire del Proyecto Clone”, fue bombardeada. El comunicado oficial señala que “las producciones de la fábrica influyen directamente en la capacidad de combate de la Fuerza Aérea Ucraniana y en sus defensas antiaéreas”.
El reporte militar también indicó daños en la planta de montaje ATLON AVIA, donde se producen los drones de largo alcance An-196 Liuti y los drones de asalto Magura UA, así como otros modelos de vehículos aéreos no tripulados. Entre los objetivos señalados figuran las fábricas Kievski Radiozavod y Trimen Ukraina, especializadas en sistemas de colimado y ópticos de puntería para tanques y blindados, además de piezas para múltiples tipos de drones espías y de ataque.
La empresa Kiev-25 del grupo PV group Ukraina, encargada de sistemas de lucha radioelectrónica Lima, también resultó alcanzada según el ministerio ruso. Además, el ataque incluyó la planta de ensamblaje aeronáutica Antonov, dedicada al diseño y producción de drones como el An-196 Liuti.
Tras el informe ruso y los detalles dados por el jefe de Estado ucraniano, la alta representante de la Unión Europea para Asuntos Exteriores, Kaja Kallas, anunció que el jueves se propondrán nuevas sanciones contra entidades que apoyan el complejo militar-industrial ruso, como respuesta al ataque masivo contra edificios residenciales en Kiev. “Seguiremos aumentando el coste hasta que Rusia entienda que no puede ganar”, publicó Kallas en la red X.
La funcionaria confirmó que el personal de la UE en Kiev se encuentra a salvo tras el bombardeo, que dejó al menos 13 personas muertas y decenas de heridos.
War,Europe,Military Conflicts
INTERNACIONAL
DeSantis announces plans to use new state law to target dozens of alleged terrorist groups
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, announced on Wednesday the state’s intention to use a new state law to designate dozens of groups as terrorist organizations, a move that would still require approval by the Florida Cabinet, prompting legal objections from at least one of the groups.
HB 1471 was signed into law earlier this year and went into effect on Wednesday.
The governor said the state plans to implement its new statutory authority to «identify, designate, and combat terrorist organizations operating in Florida» in the first use of powers established under the legislation.
Florida officials plan to designate more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations the Muslim Brotherhood and Antifa, though the proposed designations must be approved by the governor and Cabinet before they are finalized under the statute.
FLORIDA’S CAIR THREATENS LAWSUIT AGAINST DESANTIS AFTER HE LABELS GROUP A ‘FOREIGN TERRORIST’ ORGANIZATION
The governor said the state plans to implement its new statutory authority to «identify, designate, and combat terrorist organizations operating in Florida.» (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
«Last December, I signed an Executive Order to eliminate the influence of radical terrorist ideologies and the organizations that promote them in Florida. This year, I signed legislation to strengthen those protections and give Florida permanent statutory tools to combat terrorism while defending the Constitutional rights of our citizens,» DeSantis said in a statement. «Today, we are officially designating terrorist organizations under Florida law. In addition to CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, we are adding Antifa to the list—along with more than 90 Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including cartels.»
However, under HB 1471, the Chief of Domestic Security may designate qualifying organizations as domestic or foreign terrorist organizations, but the governor and Cabinet may approve or reject those designations by majority vote before they are published in the Florida Administrative Register.
Some of the foreign organizations added to the list include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and gangs such as Cartel de Sinaloa, Tren de Aragua, Cartel del Noreste and Cartel del Golfo.
The new law allows the governor and Cabinet to approve or reject designations initially made by the chief of domestic security within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
«Keeping our community safe starts with identifying the threat,» Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said. «The safety of our community is strengthened by that knowledge every day, and reinforced by the collaboration between our officers, our federal partners, and—most importantly—the people we serve.»
HB 1471 was signed into law earlier this year and went into effect on Wednesday. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
HB 1471 directs agencies to deny groups public support and taxpayer funding. The law also establishes state enforcement mechanisms and criminal penalties for providing material support to designated terrorist organizations.
More specifically, the law restricts certain public benefits, funding and institutional support connected to designated groups, and creates criminal penalties for knowingly providing, attempting to provide or conspiring to provide material support or resources to a designated domestic terrorist organization.
The law also ensures that foreign or religious legal codes cannot override the U.S. or Florida Constitutions in state courts.
CAIR, a Muslim civil rights group, condemned the move and said it would continue challenging the state’s actions, following the governor’s announcement on Wednesday, saying the organization does not engage in «terrorist activity» and has not been charged or convicted of a crime. CAIR and CAIR-Florida have also previously sued over DeSantis’ December executive order targeting CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood.
«Throughout CAIR’s long history, our civil rights organization has worked to protect the Constitution’s guarantees of free speech, religious freedom and equality under the law,» the group said in a statement. «We have also pursued justice for all people, including American Muslims impacted by hate. This is exactly why Gov. DeSantis has repeatedly targeted our organization. We see through Gov. DeSantis’ latest biased attempt to punish us for our views and our values. We look forward to fighting these baseless attacks in court and proving once again that the Constitution is stronger than any politician’s bigotry.»
FLORIDA DESIGNATES MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND CAIR AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, DESANTIS SAYS
Florida officials plan to designate more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Brotherhood and Antifa. (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg)
Critics, including CAIR and civil liberties groups, argue the designations are politically motivated and threaten First Amendment-protected speech and association. DeSantis and state officials have argued the law is aimed at preventing taxpayer support for groups they say promote or support terrorism.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
CAIR and civil liberties groups said they would challenge the designation as baseless and unconstitutional.
«Florida’s imminent designation of our clients is both dire and unmoored from reality. CAIR and CAIR-Florida’s speech and advocacy are protected by the First Amendment, which includes their right to criticize the governor, other officials, and their policies. We’re asking the court to protect our clients’ cardinal freedoms,» Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU’s National Security Project, said in a statement.
The designations, if approved by the Cabinet, would operate under Florida law and would not be the same as a federal foreign terrorist organization designation, which is made by the U.S. State Department.
ron desantis, florida, antifa, politics, us
INTERNACIONAL
A la espera de más reformas económicas, el sector privado se consolida y transforma a Cuba
¿Se recupera el mercado de los autos?: qué muestran los números de las cinco marcas que más 0 km venden en el país
El Gobierno busca mover la primera pieza del plan reeleccionista, mientras sigue el ruido por el caso Adorni
La selección Argentina confirmó la vestimenta que utilizara frente a Cabo Verde
Crimen de la exconcejal Margarita Gutiérrez: las pruebas por las que dictaron prisión preventiva al hijo mayor
Qué decía la carta que enviaron tras el robo de las manos de Juan Domingo Perón y por qué el caso sigue abierto
Zelensky repudió el ataque ruso contra Kiev e insistió en que reforzar la defensa aérea es una prioridad absoluta para Ucrania
Exigen que Adorni renuncie a su cargo en el directorio de YPF
Tras haber dejado su cargo de jefe de Gabinete, Manuel Adorni también renunciará como director de YPF
Shipping giant warns Strait of Hormuz chaos is ‘new normal’ as Tehran shifts 4M barrels
Frustrated blue-collar union bosses rip socialist politicians, warn of labor exodus from Dem party
POLITICA24 horas agoCon la incorporación de Santilli al Gabinete, el Gobierno relanza su estrategia para las elecciones 2027
- INTERNACIONAL3 días ago
Irán dilata nuevas reuniones con Estados Unidos e insiste en arancelar el paso por estrecho de Ormuz: se reunió con Omán
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
Exportadores y el sindicato de aceiteros acordaron un aumento de sueldo para todo 2026
