Author: NOVA Corp

A group giving a voice to victims impacted by illegal immigrant crime says that more than 300 families who have been the victim of weak border policies are urging members of Congress to support the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. 

The American Border Story (TABS), which works to give a platform for those who have lost loved ones as the result of crimes committed by individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States, wrote a letter to GOP Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday, shortly before the Senate is expected vote to confirm Mullin. 

“For the families we represent, border security is not an abstract policy debate,” TABS said in its Monday letter. “Senator Mullin has demonstrated a clear understanding of these stakes. Throughout his time in Congress, he has consistently engaged on issues related to border security, public safety, and the operational challenges facing federal and local authorities. Just as importantly, he has shown a willingness to listen directly to impacted families and elevate their concerns in policy discussions. We believe Senator Mullin would bring to the Department of Homeland Security strong leadership, practical experience, and a clear commitment to protecting American communities.” 

TOP TSA WATCHDOG BACKS TRUMP’S ICE AIRPORT MOVE AS SHUTDOWN SNARLS TRAVEL

The group praised Mullin’s background, “coupled with his direct engagement on border-related issues,” and said that the families they represent “are not focused on politics.”

“They are focused on ensuring that no other family has to endure the same tragedy,” the letter concluded, adding that their consensus is Mullin understands “that responsibility” and “the seriousness” that the role DHS Secretary demands. 

The U.S. Senator from Oklahoma survived a key test vote this weekend, largely along party lines, on his way to becoming the next Homeland Security Secretary. Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., were the only Democrats who strayed from the party line and voted to confirm Mullin.

DHS SHUTDOWN TIED FOR SECOND-LONGEST EVER AS DEMS AGAIN BLOCK FUNDING AMID AIRPORT CHAOS, TERRORISM CONCERNS

Tapped by President Donald Trump for the role, Mullin still has one more vote to go, and likely won’t be confirmed until Monday evening at the earliest. 

Should Mullin survive the final confirmation vote, he will replace DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who Trump fired following explosive hearings on the Hill and after the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti during immigration operations in Minnesota. He would take the reins of an agency that is currently shut down, as Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have blocked DHS funding five times in their quest to get stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Mullin has suggested he would be willing to put limits on some ICE activity, such as requiring a judicial warrant for the agency to go into houses, or places of business.

“Judicial warrants will be used to go into houses, into place of businesses, unless we’re pursuing someone that enters in that place,” Mullin said amid questions about his confirmation. “I have not mixed words with that, and I haven’t changed my opinion about that.”

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is ratcheting up pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats in the upper chamber as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown creeps into a sixth week with no end in sight.

House GOP leaders are poised to hold votes Thursday on a pair of bills aimed at putting Democrats on the spot for the shutdown, Fox News Digital has learned.

Johnson is having the House vote for a third time on funding DHS through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. The bill is based on a bipartisan deal struck earlier this year, but Democrats walked away from it en masse in protest of President Donald Trump’s strategy to crack down on illegal immigration.

The second measure is a nonbinding resolution led by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., expressing support for all agencies under DHS’s purview.

DHS SHUTDOWN TIED FOR SECOND-LONGEST EVER AS DEMS AGAIN BLOCK FUNDING AMID AIRPORT CHAOS, TERRORISM CONCERNS

It comes as the DHS shutdown, now in its 38th day, is wreaking havoc for airline travelers across the country. Major airports in Houston, New Orleans, New York City, and other areas are seeing hours-long delays caused by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staffing shortages, with scores of TSA agents calling out of work amid missed paychecks due to the shutdown.

TSA agents are poised to miss their paychecks this Friday, the second full pay period missed of the ongoing shutdown. 

The TSA is one of several agencies that operate under DHS, along with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), among others.

EXCLUSIVE: HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO HOLD HEARING ON DHS SHUTDOWN RISKS AMID TRAVEL SURGE

“Anyone waiting for hours just to miss their flights will not soon forget, and Republicans are going to continue reminding Americans that it’s the Democrats putting their safety at risk just to protect criminal illegal aliens,” a House GOP leadership aide told Fox News Digital on Monday.

“The problem for Democrats in their latest shutdown is they are hurting American citizens in an effort to protect criminal illegals and reopen our border, as evidenced by their own words and bills they are pushing to defund Customs and Border Patrol.”

Negotiations on funding DHS have ground to a halt with Republicans rejecting key demands from Democrats for ICE and CBP reforms — specifically requiring judicial warrants for immigration operations and banning agents from wearing face masks — as non-starters.

Trump also recently threw a wrench in the talks by demanding Republicans not accept any offer from Democrats until left-wing lawmakers agree to advance an unrelated election integrity measure called the SAVE America Act.

In the Senate, at least a handful of Democrats are needed to overcome a filibuster and advance any DHS funding legislation. 

The House, which operates on a simple majority, passed congressional negotiators’ initial DHS funding bill twice — and will likely do so a third time on Thursday.

The third iteration of the bill is being led by Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.

“This standoff has gone on long enough,” Ciscomani told Fox News Digital on Monday. “The men and women who keep our country safe here at home are a critical part of our national security—they need to get paid, now. These professionals should never be caught in the middle of political games, yet that’s exactly what has happened. It’s shameful.”

The nonbinding resolution honoring DHS is also likely to pass, but it’s unclear how much Democratic support it would get. 

“Instead of joining the bipartisan majority in supporting full funding for DHS, including commonsense reforms like body cameras and de-escalation training, Democratic leadership is afraid of the radical ‘Defund ICE’ movement and unwilling to compromise in order to protect the American people,” Mackenzie told Fox News Digital. “This situation is unacceptable, and it must end immediately.”

Democrats have tried to push legislation to fund DHS except for agencies related to Trump’s immigration crackdown, efforts that have been shunned by the GOP.

Both Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have argued that ICE’s controversial operations in Minneapolis and other blue cities are reason enough to block any proposal that funds further immigration operations.

A phalanx of reporters and photographers trailed House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, out of the Capitol and across the Capitol grounds last Thursday morning.

The Trump administration planned to ask Congress for an additional $200 billion to cover the cost of the war in Iran. Passing such a plan might be dicey. Especially vaulting the 60 vote barricade in the Senate. But House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Arrington were already touting a “reconciliation” bill for this year to approve some of the GOP’s domestic policy priorities ahead of the midterms. Reconciliation is inoculated from a Senate filibuster. And other Republicans may be on board with the extra $200 billion if it’s tucked into a reconciliation package which tackles other subjects.

“I think reconciliation is probably going to be the only vehicle that we put anything in because the Democrats aren’t going to support it,” said Arrington, briskly traversing a set of congressional steps near the plaza, bound for Independence Avenue. “I don’t think they’ll support the supplemental for the operating needs for our military while they’re in conflict.”

“The Senate seems kind of suspect of trying to do this,” yours truly followed up as the gaggle of reporters and photographers trekked the Capitol grounds toward the street.

PENTAGON SEEKS AT LEAST $200B FROM CONGRESS FOR IRAN WAR

“The Senate is going to be suspect and slow to be motivated. Which is why the House is the little engine that can. And when the little engine that can, does, then the Senate and other people follow. The House has to lead,” replied Arrington. “We led in the first reconciliation bill. It wouldn’t have been as big or beautiful if we didn’t do our job on the tax cuts. On the spending cuts. On the energy reforms. On the generational welfare reforms.”

The scrum edged closer to Independence Avenue in the shadow of the Longworth House Office Building.

“I’ve got to walk across here. I’m late for a meeting. Y’all can follow me,” instructed Arrington, to the press, pivoting into the crosswalk just as the traffic light changed to green.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO CONGRESS’ OPTIONS ON HAMSTRINGING TRUMP’S WAR POWERS IN IRAN

Three journalists followed the Texas Republican into the street. However, your trusty journalist (and Wayne Elementary School Safety Town participant) remained on the corner.

Two cars and a bus accelerated.

“Wait! Careful! Careful! Careful! Careful! Careful! Careful!” I hollered.

Arrington and the others scurried back to the curb.

“See, you lead. They follow. But they may die,” observed Arrington.

“Are you going to lead the Senate right into a crosswalk with traffic?” I inquired.

Arrington pivoted – both back to the curb and to policy – as cars and scooters whizzed by.

“I think my counterpart, (Senate Budget Committee Chairman) Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., understands that the only train leaving the station for the bigger vision for our military will be a reconciliation bill,” said Arrington.

It’s unclear whether Arrington switching to railroads and locomotives was the best rhetorical shift considering the close call on the street. But Arrington may be right. It will be challenging to pass anything substantial for the rest of this Congress. And perhaps zippering the $200 billion for the war into a reconciliation measure with other policy sweeteners could be the most palatable option to Republicans.

“We have to continue to look at offsetting,” said Rep. Tony Wied, R-Wis.

“I think it should be offset,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.

“It is expensive,” conceded House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., about the spending request.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP PUSHES ELECTION SECURITY BILL DESPITE SLIM ODDS, AS TRUMP PRESSURE LOOMS

But offsets come from cuts. And lawmakers don’t like to slash programs important to their jurisdiction, state or district.

“A lot of the VA stuff, that’s like the third rail in politics. You don’t cut that,” said Bost.

What could contribute to an offset? Arrington suggested Republicans should turn to the time-tested Washington law firm of “Waste, Fraud and Abuse” to mitigate the cost of the war.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., replied “no” when asked about the supplemental spending request.

“It is skyrocketing prices of everything across the board, and Congress didn’t even approve. And so to have the audacity to come to Congress to fund a war that we have not even voted for it – not only is it illegal, it is insulting,” said Ocasio-Cortez.

I asked about whether it was dangerous for lawmakers to leave American troops in the lurch when they’re exposed to hostilities abroad.

“They should have thought about that before they entered a conflict without Congress,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “They told everybody that it was just a quick in and out strike and now they have found themselves in a disaster. And we cannot enable this kind of reckless and illegal behavior.”

Ocasio-Cortez is hinting at the ultimate Congressional authority: power of the purse. Lawmakers are charged with approving 12 spending bills to run the government each year. A supplemental spending package – say for war, terrorism, recovery from natural disasters or economic stimulus – is a “13th” spending bill. It’s plopped on top of the customary 12. Lawmakers could really hamstring the war in Iran if they decide to pull the funding.

The White House scored about $1 trillion from Congress in Fiscal Year 2026 for the military. President Trump’s request for the Pentagon for Fiscal Year 2027 – still unapproved – is $1.5 trillion. That’s a 50 percent increase. That particular ask of Congress came before the $200 billion ask for the war in Iran.

DEMS’ POTENTIAL 2028 HOPEFULS COME OUT AGAINST US STRIKES ON IRAN

The president has sent mixed signals as to whether the war is “ending.” A reporter asked President Trump if he still needed the $200 billion.

“It’s always nice to have. It’s a very inflamed world. And the Democrats inflame it,” replied the president.

But it’s generally believed that the Pentagon needs the money because it’s burned through so many munitions in Iran.

So this supplemental spending request must navigate the Congressional traffic.

Regular traffic and pedestrian signals switch on a regular basis. But not necessarily political signals. There’s no way right now for lawmakers to greenlight an extra $200 billion for the war. That’s because the “don’t walk” light is flashing.

The question now is how long it takes for the light to change. Or, if it will ever cycle through. Otherwise, Congressional leaders could put the bill on the floor – and get mowed down by a political bus.

A graphic published by the Democratic National Committee’s official Instagram account on Sunday shocked social media users for suggestive phrasing and sexual innuendos it used to describe New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s work on fixing the city’s roads.

“HOLES FILLED,” the post read in bold blue-and-white lettering, framed over the picture of Mamdani.

The post included additional text, explaining that the graphic had to do with the city’s infrastructure.

“As of March 20, 66,000 holes filled in Mayor Mamdani’s pothole blitz,” the full phrase read.

MAMDANI MOVES TO SIDELINE NYC POLICE WITH NEW SAFETY OFFICE UNDER SWEEPING OVERHAUL

That didn’t stop viewers online from marveling over the word choice.

“How did this make it through approvals!?!?!?” one Republican strategist said, reacting to the image.

“Hahahah wtf is this???” Tim Pool, a podcast host, said in his own post.

The image left some users wondering if the post had been made in earnest.

“Are you f—— kidding me?” another user wrote

As of Monday, the post remained in place.

The image comes as Mamdani tries to make good on promises to improve New York City infrastructure. In addition to telling voters he would focus on the city’s roads, Mamdani made national news for commitments to enhance free public transportation, create as many as 200,000 new affordable housing units and renovate over 500 schools.

NYC MAYOR MAMDANI’S WIFE LIKED SOCIAL MEDIA POST CALLING OCT 7 SEXUAL VIOLENCE INVESTIGATION A ‘HOAX’: REPORT

The post on Sunday isn’t the first time the DNC has posted images of Mamdani accompanied by sexual double-entendres. In at least two other instances, the account has followed the same format: a picture of Mamdani overlaid with bold white lettering set against a blue background.

“Every street across all five boroughs PLOWED in New York City as of Feb. 24,” another one of their posts read from earlier this year.

One more about snowfall also followed a similar tone.

“16 INCHES of snowfall in New York City as of Feb. 23,” the DNC wrote.

That instance drew one Instagram commenter to quip that “they know what they did there.”

In the post about the potholes, some onlookers praised Mamdani for his work while ignoring the phrasing of the post.

MAMDANI’S ETSTATE TAX PLAN COULD DRIVE WEALTH OUT OF STATE, CRITICS WARN

“Mayor Mamdani, you are relentless,” a Dem strategist wrote.

“Greatness,” Democratic influencer Jack Cocchiarella wrote on X.

But those praises drew criticisms of their own.

“I don’t think the sexual puns about Mamdani is going to win over many voters,” a popular far-left activist account posted on X.

“You’re celebrating potholes getting filled? Isn’t that one of the basic functions of a city’s government?” another observer wrote.

The office of Mamdani did not respond to a request for comment on the image and whether they believed its language was appropriate. Fox News Digital also reached out to the DNC.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said that the Trump administration’s decision to deploy ICE agents to airports will create “chaos,” implying that airline passengers could be killed by ICE agents.

Jeffries shared his reservations about ICE agents patrolling airports with CNN host Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday.

“The last thing that the American people need is for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country, potentially to brutalize or in some instances kill them,” Jeffries said.

“We have already seen how ICE conducts itself,” Jeffries continued. “These are untrained individuals when it comes to doing the current job they have, for the most part, let alone deploying them in close proximity in highly sensitive situations at airports across the country.”

MASK-FREE ICE AGENTS BEGIN PATROLLING US AIRPORTS; TRUMP FLOATS NATIONAL GUARD

His comments come shortly after Trump’s “border czar, Tom Homan, told Bash the Trump administration will deploy federal immigration agents to airports. The move follows TSA worker shortages causing long security lines. TSA agents have either quit or called out of work in response to missed paychecks due to the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security.

On Monday, ICE agents were deployed to 14 airports, including New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia

Jeffries said Republican lawmakers “would rather force TSA agents to work without pay, inconvenience millions of Americans all across the country and now potentially expose them to untrained ICE agents and create chaos at airports throughout the land, rather than get ICE agents under control.”

SCHUMER GAMBIT FAILS AS DHS SHUTDOWN HITS 36 DAYS AND AIRPORT LINES GROW

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., expressed a similar sentiment in an X post, alleging that people will die because of ICE’s presence at airports.

“ICE agents at airports will only aggravate delays & lines — disrupting checks, interrogating travelers, dragging parents from children, detaining citizens, brutalizing families, shooting & even killing,” Blumenthal wrote.

“Brutal, lawless tactics common in communities across the country by masked, unidentified agents, violating basic rights—no way to help TSA or travelers,” Blumenthal continued.

Those comments came after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor that Trump’s plan to deploy ICE agents was “asking for trouble.”

A top Virginia Democrat appeared to admit that state Democratic lawmakers’ effort to redraw the commonwealth’s congressional map is more about stopping President Donald Trump and his agenda than about ensuring fairness for voters in the Old Dominion.

A referendum drafted by Richmond’s Democratic majority and set to go before voters in April would allow the assembly to redraw Virginia’s congressional map in a way that Richmond Democrats signaled would draw out four of five Republican congressmen and draw the populations of most new districts from dense, left-wing Fairfax County.

In comments to NBC News, Rep. Donald Beyer, an Alexandria-Fairfax Democrat, appeared to admit redistricting’s true purpose while commenting on early voting figures that appeared to lean in the GOP’s favor.

Beyer said the redistricting effort is “not a done deal by any means” and that Democrats need to “effectively make the case that even though this seems unfair in Virginia, it’s totally fair for America, for those of us who believe that taking back the House is the most significant thing we can do to stop Donald Trump.”

NEW DEM STAR’S QUICK HARD-LEFT TURN AFTER ‘MODERATE’ CAMPAIGN WON HER COVETED RESPONSE TO TRUMP: LAWMAKER

“Don said the quiet part out loud,” Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, told Fox News Digital on Monday.

“This is manifestly unfair for the Commonwealth of Virginia. We’re a 51-49 state, not a 90-10 state. If they’re willing to silence nearly half the Commonwealth’s voters in the name of ‘fairness,’ what else are they willing to do?” Kilgore said. His legislative seat in the far southwest would sit in the sole Republican-favored congressional district under the new map.

“Last November, Democrats sold Virginians a fake ‘affordability’ agenda that is false, a total hoax, and a con job,” Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, said.

“Now they are back at it, trying to shove another partisan power grab down our throats, this time wrapped in the phony label of ‘fairness,’” he told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to Beyer for further comment and to Gov. Abigail Spanberger for her take on his admission.

5 VIRGINIA CONGRESSMEN: DEMOCRATS ARE REJECTING VOTERS TO GERRYMANDER OUR STATE

The text of the amendment facing voters next month asks whether the Constitution of Virginia should be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections.

The tagline “restore fairness” has become a clarion call for critics who claim exactly what Beyer appeared to admit: that the definition of “fairness” used is questionable at best.

“Representative Beyer said the quiet part out loud. This isn’t about fairness, transparency, or representing Virginians,” Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., said. His Shenandoah Valley district stands to be chopped into several Fairfax-connected pieces under the new map.

“It’s about political power and Democrats’ determination to rig the map to ‘take back the House.’ When Democrats admit they’re willing to defend an unfair process in Virginia for the sake of national political power, it exposes exactly what’s driving this effort, and it has nothing to do with the people they’re supposed to represent,” Cline told Fox News Digital.

Five of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts would originate in Arlington or Fairfax counties and encompass meticulously drawn swaths of the state’s conservative interior, including one district ridiculed for resembling a lobster or scorpion, as it begins at the Potomac River and winds southwest through Democratic suburbs before splitting into two halves. One half includes rural Greene, Rockingham, and Augusta counties closer to West Virginia, while the other stretches down the Zachary Taylor Highway into Goochland and Powhatan counties west of Richmond.

In turn, a likely Democrat-majority district would form, narrowly connecting the independent cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro within Rockingham and Augusta counties and linking them via conservative areas like Nelson County with Lynchburg and Roanoke far to the south.

Beyer’s current district would likely become the new 8th and stretch down the west bank of the Potomac River through current Rep. Rob Wittman’s, R-Va., rural 1st District in the Northern Neck, collecting nearly a dozen small red counties in the state’s oyster country anchored by the deep-blue city.

The only Republican deemed safe under the map would be Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., in the far southwest, which would become an overwhelmingly Republican seat.

Rep. Jennifer Kiggans’ evenly split Eastern Shore and Hampton Roads district would draw in just enough urban and suburban population to potentially turn blue.

Since early voting began this month, yard signs emblazoned with “VOTE NO” have begun popping up in several red counties threatened by the new map, including Culpeper, Shenandoah, Highland, Orange, and Page, home to Luray Caverns.

“VOTE YES” signs were, in turn, observed in rural Clarke and suburban Prince William counties over the weekend.

Justice Samuel Alito emphasized the literal meaning of the word “day” as the Supreme Court heard arguments Monday about whether states can legally accept late-arriving ballots that are postmarked by Election Day.

“We have lots of phrases that involve two words, the last of which, the second of which is ‘day,’ Labor Day, Memorial Day, George Washington’s birthday, Independence Day, birthday and Election Day, and they’re all particular days,” Alito, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, said.

Alito added, “If we start with that, if I have nothing more to look at than the phrase ‘Election Day,’ I think this is the day in which everything is going to take place, or almost everything.”

The justice’s remarks came after the Republican National Committee sued over a Mississippi law that allows mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they are received five days after that day. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit sided with the RNC in the case in 2024, leading Mississippi to ask the Supreme Court to weigh in.

ELECTION INTEGRITY GROUPS PRESS SUPREME COURT TO REQUIRE BALLOTS BY ELECTION DAY

Alito was among multiple conservative justices on Monday who appeared skeptical of Mississippi’s law and intent on striking it down. A decision is expected by the summer and would likely affect more than a dozen states that accept postmarked ballots after Election Day.

While some of the justices seemed persuaded that Election Day should be viewed as a single and final day in an election cycle, Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee, and Justice Elena Kagan, an Obama appointee, raised concerns that if the interpretation of Election Day was strictly upheld by the court, then early voting might also be affected.

“If ‘day’ includes a period after a particular day of the election, does it include a particular day before the day of the election?” Roberts asked Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart. “Or does your logic require a different consideration?”

Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, a prominent conservative lawyer, argued in support of the RNC, saying the original meaning of an election involved the “combined action” of offering up a vote and an election official receiving the vote.

RNC GETS DAY AT SUPREME COURT TO CHALLENGE LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS

“All agree that elections for federal office have to end on the day of the election specified by Congress, and all agree that you can’t have an election unless you receive ballots, and there must be some deadline for ballot receipt,” Clement said. “Nonetheless, Mississippi insists that ballots can trickle in days or even weeks after Election Day. That position is wrong as a matter of text, precedent, history and common sense.”

The case comes as President Donald Trump has made election security a top focus. The RNC and several election integrity groups that weighed in on the case argued that the Supreme Court should ban late-arriving ballots, except for military ballots, because they sow distrust in elections.

“Today’s oral arguments in Watson v. RNC clearly show where the Supreme Court should come down: state laws that count ballots received after Election Day violate federal law, expose elections to delays, invite fraud, and fuel public doubt in the democratic process,” Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

At least 14 states and Washington, D.C., currently count ballots received after Election Day if postmarked on time.

A ruling upholding the 5th Circuit could invalidate those policies and require ballots to be in election officials’ hands by the close of polls, a decision that is expected to affect the 2026 midterms. Critics say election officials could still be counting mail ballots in some states even if the ballots are all received by Election Day because of states’ individual tabulating processes.

Military and overseas ballots, which are governed by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, would likely remain unaffected.

Since the 2024 midterm elections, four Republican-controlled states, Kansas, Ohio, Utah and North Dakota, have moved to require receipt by Election Day.

Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker office broke its silence on the murder of Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman, who was allegedly killed by Venezuelan national Jose Medina-Medina, telling Fox News Digital they are grieving the young woman’s death and that President Donald Trump is wrongly politicizing tragedies like it.

Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old from Yorktown Heights, New York, was shot and killed while admiring the aurora borealis along Lake Michigan, with her death initially leading to outrage from everywhere but Springfield.

“Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and Loyola University community grieving the senseless murder of Sheridan Gorman,” Pritzker’s office told Fox News Digital in a statement Monday, after as recently as 11 p.m. CT Sunday, the Hyatt Hotels heir remained mum to an inquiry by the Chicago Sun-Times.

“Violent crime has no place in our streets, and we expect the alleged perpetrator to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Pritzker’s office added.

TRUMP ADMIN SUES ILLINOIS GOV. PRITZKER OVER LAWS SHIELDING MIGRANTS FROM COURTHOUSE ARRESTS

“The Trump administration needs to stop politicizing heinous tragedies and instead focus on real solutions, like reinstating federal funds to prevent violence that support our public safety efforts.”

Pritzker, however, did not respond to a second question on whether he would instruct Illinois authorities to abide by the Laken Riley Act and hold illegal immigrants, including Medina-Medina, until the feds can pick them up.

Pritzker has received criticism since the Thursday murder for his quick response to the federal agent-involved killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis, and for the fact that he presides over a state that has a policy preventing full cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE issued a detainer for Medina-Medina over the weekend, but Chicago is a sanctuary jurisdiction and the state enforces the TRUST Act – a law passed through the Democratic-majority legislature in Springfield and signed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican

The TRUST Act prevents state and local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, stating that a suspect or convict cannot be held for federal transfer past his scheduled release date unless presented with a federal criminal warrant.

GOV. PRITZKER IGNORED MY LETTER — AFTER HIS SANCTUARY POLICIES KILLED MY DAUGHTER

The Laken Riley Act, drafted by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and signed by Trump, mandates that an illegal immigrant be held for federal transfer even if the individual is only accused and not yet convicted of a crime.

Medina-Medina is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated discharge of a weapon and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.

He was picked up for shoplifting several years ago, which has brought the central issue of the Laken Riley Act into the discussion surrounding the situation.

Medina-Medina was due in court Monday for a detention hearing, but was being quarantined, leading the judge to continue the case, as Chicago police sources told Fox News the illegal immigrant could possibly have tuberculosis.

Fox News’ Matt Finn and Philip Bodinet contributed to this report.

A Democratic candidate in a key Wisconsin battleground is highlighting support from a major environmental group as her Republican opponent warns the endorsement could drive up energy costs and hurt farmers.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., blasted Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke’s endorsement by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Action Fund, arguing it signals policies that could raise costs for farmers and rural communities.

“Rebecca Cooke is completely out of touch with Wisconsin, touting an endorsement from the radical NRDC,” Van Orden told Fox News Digital. “It’s a clear sign of how quickly she’ll sell out Wisconsin farm families to please Washington Democrats.”

“Farmers and businesses across Wisconsin have time and again rejected the radical Green New Deal because it would increase the price of fertilizer, diesel and cover up more of our black dirt with solar wastelands,” he said. 

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP TARGETS AFFORDABILITY WITH RECONCILIATION 2.0 PLAN AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

The clash underscores how energy costs and their impact on Wisconsin’s farm economy are emerging as a central fault line in one of the most competitive House races in the country, where control of the chamber could hinge on battleground districts like the 3rd.

Cooke, who is challenging Van Orden in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, recently touted the NRDC Action Fund endorsement.

“Growing up on a dairy farm I know how important it is to be steward to the land, I want to protect Western Wisconsin’s natural resources and ensure the next generation has clean air and clean water,” Cooke wrote following the endorsement. “Investing in clean energy will create good-paying local jobs and help lower costs for working families. I’ll work with anyone to strengthen our economy and help strengthen our community.”

Jed Ober, managing director of the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund, said the group is “proud to support her campaign for Congress,” adding that Cooke “will be a champion for working families who are worried about rising energy costs.”

The Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund is the political arm of the environmental advocacy group focused on climate and conservation issues.

Van Orden criticized Cooke’s embrace of the endorsement, telling Fox News Digital, “Rebecca Cooke is completely out of touch with Wisconsin, touting an endorsement from the radical NRDC. It’s a clear sign of how quickly she’ll sell out Wisconsin farm families to please Washington Democrats.” 

DEMOCRATS NAME CANDIDATES TO ‘RED TO BLUE’ INITIATIVE, AIMING TO FLIP GOP MAJORITY DURING MIDTERMS

“Farmers and businesses across Wisconsin have time and again rejected the radical Green New Deal because it would increase the price of fertilizer, diesel, and cover up more of our black dirt with solar wastelands.”

“Energy prices are out of control in western Wisconsin because of Derrick Van Orden’s failed leadership. He voted to increase electricity costs while handing out tax breaks to the ultra-rich,” Cooke responded in a statement to Fox News Digital. “He’s cheerleading a war of choice in the Middle East that sent the prices of gas and diesel skyrocketing in less than a month. It’s hurting our farmers who have already been hit hard by the tariffs Van Orden has supported every step of the way.”

The Natural Resources Defense Council has backed efforts to curb fossil fuel production, including supporting restrictions on hydraulic fracturing and praising the Biden administration’s pause on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approvals.

Republicans and industry groups argue those kinds of policies can raise energy costs in states like Wisconsin, where agriculture and fuel prices are closely linked.

Diesel powers much of the nation’s farm equipment, while fertilizer production is closely tied to natural gas — making energy prices a key concern for farmers.

Democrats argue that investments in clean energy can benefit rural communities through job creation and lower utility costs over time.

While Wisconsin does not have significant hydraulic fracturing operations, it plays a major role in the industry as a leading producer of silica sand used in fracking nationwide, meaning changes in domestic energy production can affect parts of the state’s economy.

The Natural Resources Defense Council also has opposed projects like the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, which transports oil and natural gas liquids through the Great Lakes region. Supporters, including some industry and labor groups, say the pipeline is critical to maintaining reliable and affordable energy supplies in the Midwest, while environmental groups have raised concerns about environmental risks.

Cooke also received support from prominent Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The race between Cooke and Van Orden is expected to be highly competitive, with both parties viewing Wisconsin’s 3rd District as a key battleground that could help determine control of the House. 

With control of the chamber at stake, energy costs and their impact on Wisconsin’s farm economy are poised to be a central fault line in the race.

A progressive Chicago alderwoman is being widely panned on social media over her response to a local college student being allegedly shot and killed by an alleged illegal immigrant over the weekend. 

Shortly after Sheridan Gorman, 18, of Westchester County, New York, was gunned down while taking a walk with friends shortly after 1:30 a.m. Thursday along Chicago’s lakefront, Chicago Alderwoman Maria Hadden posted a video suggesting Gorman was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” and that she may have “startled” the individual who shot and killed her.

The comments quickly sparked outrage on social media from commenters making the case that Hadden’s video was not only insensitive, but shows the lack of concern from local Democrats when it comes to crime. 

“Unbelievable,” Manhattan Institute’s Rafael Mangual posted on X. “Perhaps these politicians can put out a comprehensive list of the places we should avoid and the times we should avoid them so as not to get shot to death by strangers.”

GIANNO CALDWELL: MY BROTHER WOULD HAVE BEEN 22 TODAY. WE MUST DEFEAT THE VIOLENT CRIME EPIDEMIC

“Imagine being an alderman, having a college freshman murdered in your ward, and, before the suspect is even identified, posting a video in which you brainstorm an excuse that maybe the victim ‘startled’ the guy who killed her,” reader-funded public safety news outlet CWB Chicago posted on X. “God Almighty.”

“This is disgusting,” comedian Tim Young posted on X.

“This is how most Democrats think about crime, she’s just saying it out loud,” New York City Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino posted on X. “They have no interest in taking any kind of action, because they don’t think any of it is a big deal. Criminals have a right to be criminals, don’t get in their way, and who are we to judge.”

“That’s what we’re up against here,” Paladino added.

DHS TOUTS 10 STRAIGHT MONTHS OF ZERO ILLEGAL ALIENS RELEASED AT BORDER AS CROSSINGS PLUNGE

“The only person who was in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ was the illegal immigrant who should have never been allowed into our country,” former Trump campaign deputy communications director Caroline Sunshine posted on X.

“‘Wrong place’ = anywhere in Chicago, ‘Wrong time” = 24 hours, 7 days a week,” conservative influencer account End Wokeness posted on X. 

“This is who’s running your city,” conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok posted on X.

Hadden’s comment also drew pushback from Gorman’s family, who released a statement referencing Hadden’s remarks and said the slain college student “deserved the future that was stolen from her.”

“What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to the idea of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is not an abstraction. This is the loss of a daughter. The loss of a sister. The loss of a future filled with milestones that will now never come. Our family is forever changed.”

The family added: “We cannot accept a world where moments like this become something people grow used to. We cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to violence. When we begin to accept these tragedies as inevitable, we all become vulnerable to them. Apathy is not harmless—it allows these moments to repeat.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Hadden’s office for comment.

The illegal immigrant charged with the murder of the Loyola University Chicago student entered the U.S. during the Biden administration before being apprehended and released into the country, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Sunday.

DHS also confirmed that Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national, had been previously arrested for shoplifting in Chicago, marking a prior criminal incident before the alleged murder.