Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform have launched an investigation into what they categorize as “rampant taxpayer fraud in California’s hospice programs.”

“Recent reporting has revealed alarming evidence of fraudulent activity in California’s hospice programs, including agencies overbilling Medicare and fraudulently enrolling beneficiaries without their knowledge,” a letter to Golden State Gov. Gavin Newsom states.

“The Committee is concerned your administration does not have sufficient internal controls to prevent and detect fraud and is not conducting proper oversight of these hospice programs. As a result, Americans across the country are paying for California’s rampant hospice fraud and vulnerable patients are being exploited,” the letter declares.

CALIFORNIA BUILDING WITH DOZENS OF HEALTH CARE, HOSPICE PROVIDERS RAISES EYEBROWS AMID FRAUD SPECULATION

The lawmakers are demanding information from Newsom.

“The Committee is requesting documents and communications regarding California’s oversight and internal controls to detect and prevent fraud for its federally funded hospice programs,” the document notes.

DOCTOR DENIES KNOWING ABOUT RAMPANT LA-AREA MEDICARE FRAUD USING HIS PROVIDER NUMBER

The letter is signed only by Republicans.

“California took decisive action on hospice fraud years ago. In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation placing a moratorium on new hospice licenses — a policy that remains in effect today, preventing bad actors from entering the system while strengthening oversight of existing providers,” a Newsom spokesperson said in a statement, according to CBS News.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office on Tuesday.

LOS ANGELES HOSPICE FRAUD REACHES BILLIONS AS MEDICARE PROVIDERS SCAM FEDERAL SYSTEM WITH FAKE COMPANIES

A statement released by the governor’s office in January says in part, “The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) facilitates a multi-department and multi-agency Hospice Fraud Task Force that includes representation from the California Health & Human Services Agency (CalHHS), Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), California Department of Social Services (DSS), and California Department of Justice’s DMFEA.”

CBS News reported that a Newsom spokesperson said, “This work is delivering results, as more than 280 hospice licenses have been revoked over the past two years and an additional 300 providers are under investigation. The state continues to take coordinated action to suspend Medi-Cal payments, revoke licenses, and pursue prosecutions.”

Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., is introducing new legislation aimed at closing a legal loophole protecting the beneficiaries of Medicaid fraud from prosecution, Fox News Digital has learned.

Moody’s STOP FRAUD in Medicaid Act is routed in her experience as Florida’s attorney general, where she was limited to prosecuting Medicaid fraud only on the provider side. The legislation would grant state attorneys general and their Medicaid Fraud Control Units to investigate and prosecute the recipients of fraudulent benefits as well.

“I fought fraud as Florida’s Attorney General, recovering millions of dollars for taxpayers, and I’m fighting it now as a U.S. Senator: finding and closing gaps in our laws to increase enforcement,” Moody said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

“The STOP FRAUD in Medicaid Act gives State AGs the authority to pursue and prosecute not just providers but recipients looking to bilk taxpayers. This will go a long way to winning our War on Fraud,” the statement continued.

COMER TO SAY TIM WALZ ‘ENABLED FRAUD,’ FAILED WHISTLEBLOWERS IN BOMBSHELL MINNESOTA HEARING

Moody’s office says federal prosecutors can go after fraud recipients under anti-kickback laws, but said federal groups often let the “small fish” skate by. Empowering MFCUs would go a long way toward picking up the slack, they say.

The proposed law could be particularly effective in states like Minnesota, where years of apparently rampant fraud has led to a quagmire of investigations and finger-pointing.

A new state audit investigating the fraud in Gov. Tim Walz’s Minnesota revealed that the state’s Department of Human Services (DHS) failed for years to properly investigate Medicaid kickback allegations.

SENATE DOGE LEADER MOVES TO FORCE ‘RECEIPT’ FOR EVERY TAX DOLLAR AFTER MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL

Kickbacks were a key component of fraud schemes uncovered in the state’s autism services program, with prosecutors describing how providers used financial incentives to attract and retain families in order to maximize Medicaid billing, CBS News reported in December.

In one case, investigators said an autism center operator fraudulently billed millions while using tactics that included offering payments or benefits tied to enrollment, illustrating how kickbacks helped drive inflated claims and contributed to large-scale misuse of public funds intended for children with autism.

The audit recommended that DHS “should amend its administrative rule defining ‘fraud’ to clearly include kickbacks” and said the legislature should intervene if that doesn’t take place.

In a press release, Minnesota House Fraud Prevention Committee Chair Kristin Robbins, a Republican state representative running for governor, wrote, “The continued lack of accountability for the rampant fraud in this state is astounding.”

READ MOODY’S BILL – APP USERS, CLICK HERE:

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

This is cobbled together talking to senior Senate Republican sources.

Senate Republicans are developing a plan to fund most aspects of DHS — leaving out controversial programs like certain ICE operations — to end the five-and-a-half week partial government shutdown. This emerged after a meeting at the White House last night. There is a lot to sort out at the GOP Conference luncheon at the Capitol today.

However, Fox is told that the Senate could start to move forward on a plan to end the DHS shutdown “as early as tonight.”

SCHIFF, BOOKER DEFLECT ON SHUTDOWN BLAME AMID TERROR CONCERNS, THOUSANDS OF DHS WORKERS WITHOUT PAY

The new plan would fund ICE investigations — like cartels, traffickers and child predators. But they will leave unfunded programs for “enforcement and removal.”

Ironically, this idea would mirror what Democrats have tried to do on multiple occasions. Democrats have asked unanimous consent on the floor to pass bills to fund DHS — sans ICE.

So, Republicans have come around to the position that this is the only way out of this cul-de-sac — even if it reflects the Democratic position.

Still, Republicans contend they are “calling the Democrats bluff.”

“We’re going to have to move forward and give them what they want,” said one Senate Republican source, referring to the Democrats.

THUNE REVEALS REASON DEMOCRATS ARE ‘SCARED’ TO REOPEN DHS

But the question is whether Democrats will balk — especially since this was their idea. Regardless, this approach would still need Democratic buy-in and need 60 votes to clear a filibuster.

Fox is told that this is NOT pre-baked with House Republicans. The House and Senate would have to sync up to end the shutdown. Lawmakers on both sides are increasingly freaked out about the possibility of a terrorist attack — to say nothing of watching lengthy lines at airports.

Now the question is what Republicans can do with the SAVE America Act.

SEN KENNEDY SAYS HE WOULD ACCEPT DEMOCRATS’ OFFER TO ‘OPEN UP EVERYTHING’ BUT ICE

Fox is told that Republicans hope to extract a promise from Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to come off the SAVE America Act — and resume that debate after the Easter/Passover recess.

But that bill lacks the votes to pass.

In addition, Republicans are looking at stuffing some provisions from the SAVE America Act into a budget reconciliation package. By nature, a reconciliation package is NOT subject to a filibuster and only needs a simple majority to pass. However, reconciliation requires bills be fiscal in nature and deal with numbers, not policy.

It is possible Republicans could fund the enforcement and removal programs at ICE under budget reconciliation. But portions of the SAVE America Act are dicey. Fox is told that Republicans could try to focus on the “money” aspects of the SAVE America Act — such as withholding dollars from states which don’t require photo ID, et al. But getting those provisions past the Senate umpire, Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, is challenging. MacDonough could rule out of order policy provisions pertaining to the SAVE America Act in a reconciliation measure.

Ahead of a Tuesday hearing where Minnesota lawmakers will discuss food stamp fraud, Fox News Digital spoke to a millionaire who says he was able to qualify for food stamps through a loophole — one that he hopes will soon be closed as the state grapples with a massive fraud scandal.

Rob Undersander, a retired engineer who volunteers to help seniors navigate the government benefits system, said he learned during training that eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Minnesota was based on income only, not assets. Because his retirement income was low, he realized he could qualify even though he had significant savings and property.

To test the system, Undersander applied for benefits in Stearns County in 2016 and was approved within weeks. He later said he collected thousands of dollars in SNAP benefits over more than a year, which he donated to charity, in an effort to draw attention to the issue.

“I strongly support SNAP benefits for truly needy individuals, but when we have nearly one in seven Americans receiving food support in the wealthiest nation on earth, with historically low unemployment rate, something is wrong,” Undersander told Fox News Digital. “One might call the current eligibility rules fraud by design. And given the current climate of fraud and abuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Minnesota, I’m hoping that there will be a new bipartisan effort to reduce and eliminate both.”

BROOKE ROLLINS, ROBERT KENNEDY JR: WE’RE BRINGING FAMILIES MORE HEALTHY FOODS IN A SNAP

As Minnesota continues to deal with an exploding fraud scandal that could reach into the tens of billions of dollars, Undersander will testify in front of the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee on Thursday in a hearing on a SNAP reform bill introduced by GOP state Rep. Pam Altendorf.

The bill would tighten eligibility rules for food stamp benefits by requiring stricter income and asset verification before recipients can enroll in SNAP.

Over the 10 years since he first exposed the flaw in the SNAP system, Undersander has become a vocal advocate of making changes, even testifying before Congress, but says nothing has been done by the elected officials. 

“I have purchased lobster and filet mignon on my EBT card,” Undersander said. “Isn’t that crazy?”

“During former President Joe Biden’s administration, federal spending on SNAP climbed to record highs at $128 billion in 2021 and $127 billion in 2022, largely driven by COVID-19 relief measures that expanded access to food assistance,” FOX Business reported in November.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NEW STATE LAWS IN 2026 ON WAGES, SNAP BENEFITS AND CLIMATE TAX

Last year, SNAP cost $99.8 billion, with participants receiving an average of $187 in monthly benefits, federal data show.

In a November press release, Altendorf’s office reported that Minnesota distributed nearly $725 million in benefits in 2020, but that total jumped to nearly $2 billion in 2021, marking a 174% increase in just one year.

“SNAP is meant to help needy Minnesotans put food on the table, not to subsidize people who already have significant financial resources,” America First Policy Institute Health & Harvest Campaign Director Matt Schmid, who is also testifying on Thursday, told Fox News Digital.

“It’s unacceptable that under Minnesota’s current system, even millionaires and lottery winners can qualify for taxpayer-funded benefits. That is a fundamentally broken system.”

AFPI experts argue that states can reform the SNAP program and limit budget impacts by improving oversight and closing key loopholes. They note that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires states to manage the program more effectively or take on more of the cost burden, putting states like Minnesota at risk due to high error rates. 

They also emphasize that certain loopholes make SNAP harder to administer and contribute to payment errors, and that eliminating broad-based categorical eligibility would strengthen income and asset verification.

“Reintroducing basic guardrails like an asset test is a common-sense step to restore integrity, ensure benefits go to those who truly need them, and protect the long-term viability of the program,” Schmid said. “This isn’t about taking help away. It’s about making sure SNAP works the way it was intended to.”

The push for tighter SNAP rules comes as Gov. Tim Walz faces ongoing criticism over major fraud scandals in Minnesota’s welfare system, including hundreds of millions in fraudulent food aid payments uncovered in recent years.

Earlier this year, Fox News Digital reported that a Minnesota woman was sentenced to about one year in federal prison for running a $325,000 SNAP fraud scheme with family members. 

Prosecutors said they used fake identities and fraudulent documents to obtain EBT cards and maximize benefits, then withdrew and sold the funds for profit. She was also ordered to repay the stolen money.

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment on the legislation and efforts he has taken to combat SNAP fraud.

A federal judge appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2023 has ruled that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overreached in his December declaration that “sex-rejecting procedures” for children were “neither safe nor effective.”

U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai in Oregon ruled that RFK Jr. exceeded his authority and failed to follow required administrative procedures when HHS issued the declaration.

The ruling grants preliminary relief to health professionals who provide the treatments. The judge also denied the government’s motion to dismiss the case, which was brought by 20 blue states and Washington, D.C., that had legalized controversial “sex-rejecting” health services, including “puberty-suppressing hormones, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures.”

RFK Jr. used “comprehensive evidence review of “documented risks of significant harm, markedly weak evidence of benefit, unfavorable risk-benefit profiles, inadequate existing clinical guidelines, growing international consensus among countries conducting rigorous evidence reviews, and applicable medical ethics principles” to issue the declaration rejected by Kasubhai as an overreach.

HOUSE APPROVES MTG-SPONSORED BILL TO CRIMINALIZE GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR MINORS

“Sex-rejecting procedures for children and adolescents are neither safe nor effective as a treatment modality for gender dysphoria, gender incongruence, or other related disorders in minors, and therefore, fail to meet professional recognized standards of health care,” the declaration read. “For the purposes of this declaration, ‘sex-rejecting procedures’ means pharmaceutical or surgical interventions, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries such as mastectomies, vaginoplasties, and other procedures, that attempt to align an individual’s physical appearance or body with an asserted identity that differs from the individual’s sex.”

The ruling prevents the federal government from immediately enforcing the declaration against hospitals and health professionals.

CALIFORNIA AG SUES HOSPITAL THAT ENDED GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR MINORS TO COMPLY WITH TRUMP POLICIES

The lawsuit argued the declaration was unlawful and an attempt to override established medical standards without public notice or comment. The federal government said the general statement of policy was exempt from legal rule-making requirements.

The declaration was “the Secretary’s non-binding policy position on the safety and efficacy of certain pediatric and adolescent treatment modalities for gender dysphoria, gender incongruence, or other related conditions,” the government argued Feb. 10.

“Secretary Kennedy, just like anyone else, is entitled to articulate his opinion on the safety and efficacy of emerging and controversial medical practices. The Declaration summarizes Secretary Kennedy’s independent evaluation of the cited medical literature and expresses his opinion that certain treatment modalities are not safe and effective and fail to meet professionally recognized standards of health care.”

NEW YORK AG ORDERS MANHATTAN HOSPITAL TO RESUME GENDER-TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH

Kasubhai’s ruling was at the end of a roughly six-hour hearing and will be followed by a written decision.

“There’s a theme of ‘Break it and see what others will do,’ and that’s not a system or method committed to the rule of law,” Kasubhai said. “That notion that ‘I will go forward, issue a declaration and see if we can get away with it,’ that is not a principle of governance that adheres to the overarching commitment to the democratic public that requires the rule of law to be regarded and respected and honored as sacred.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the case, said the ruling protects patients, families and providers from federal intimidation.

TRUMP-SIGNED SHUTDOWN BILL SENDS $4M TO CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS UNDER FEDERAL PROBE FOR TRANSGENDER CARE

“So much of the conversation around transgender health care has lost sight of the real people harmed by the federal government’s attacks,” James wrote in a statement last week, praising the opinion. “Young people are losing access to life-saving treatment, families are being left in the dark, and medical providers are being threatened just for doing their jobs and following standards of care.

“Today’s win breaks through the noise and gives some needed clarity to patients, families, and providers. Health care services for transgender young people remain legal, and the federal government cannot intimidate or punish the providers who offer them.

“It is my duty and my privilege to stand with trans New Yorkers and their families. I will always fight for the LGBTQ+ community.”

CHLOE COLE ACT AIMED AT BLOCKING MINORS FROM UNDERGOING LIFE-ALTERING TRANSGENDER SURGERIES, GOP LAWMAKER SAYS

The case was brought by Oregon, New York, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington and Pennsylvania.

The ruling comes as President Donald Trump has sought to tag a 2024 presidential campaign vow to “protect children from transgender mutilation surgeries” to the 2026 SAVE America Act currently being debated in the Senate.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., formally introduced an amendment to attach the added Trump priorities to the election-integrity bill.

“I’ve worked closely with President Trump and the White House to introduce a substitute amendment that will save our elections, save women’s sports, and save our children from gender mutilation surgeries,” Schmitt wrote in a statement last week. “It’s time to get this done.”

The Department of Justice will argue Tuesday that lower courts are undermining the federal government’s ability to manage the southern border in a closely watched Supreme Court case about how migrants make asylum claims.

DOJ lawyers wrote in court papers ahead of the arguments that an appeals court was wrong to restrict the government’s ability to limit how it processes migrants into the country. The lawyers said the ruling stripped the executive branch of a necessary tool, first used during the Obama administration, to respond to surges of illegal migration, which the Trump administration has sought to curb after officials encountered more than 10 million migrants at the border during the Biden administration.

“Administrations of both major parties have opposed the decision, which deprives the Executive Branch of a critical tool for addressing border surges and preventing overcrowding at ports of entry,” the DOJ lawyers wrote. “This Court should reverse.”

The case, Noem v. Al Otro Lado, centers on whether migrants who are stopped on the Mexican side of the U.S.–Mexico border can be treated as having “arrived in the United States” under the Immigration and Nationality Act. If they can be designated as having arrived in the country, they would be entitled to apply for asylum, which would require border officials to process their asylum claims.

USCIS HALTS ‘ALL ASYLUM DECISIONS’ AFTER DC SHOOTING OF NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS

The DOJ lawyers, led by Solicitor General John Sauer, argued that the immigration law’s language was clear.

“In ordinary English, a person ‘arrives in’ a country only when he comes within its borders,” they wrote. “A person does not ‘arrive in the United States’ if he is stopped in Mexico.”

BORDER CROSSINGS PLUMMET TO HISTORIC LOWS; TRUMP’S ENFORCEMENT POLICIES YIELD BIG RESULTS

The case stems from a lawsuit brought in 2017 by the immigrant rights group Al Otro Lado and more than a dozen unnamed asylum seekers.

The plaintiffs challenged the practice of “metering,” which was first used during the Obama administration and allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to turn migrants away, saying border facilities were over capacity and that they should come back later.

‘TRUMP EFFECT’ TOUTED AS SOUTHERN BORDER NUMBERS STAY LOW, INCLUDING NEW RECORD

Immigration law requires the United States to allow migrants arriving at the border to claim asylum by saying they fear persecution in their home country. Once they make the claim, a legal process begins, and, if the claim is granted, the migrant is given a pathway to live and work legally in the United States. Border hawks have argued the asylum system is rife with abuse as migrants make meritless asylum claims at the border and then never show up for their hearings.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers said in court papers that metering was an unlawful “turnback policy.”

“Petitioners zero in on a single preposition—the word ‘in’— to urge an interpretation that renders the rest of the statutory text non-sensical,” they wrote.

Unlike prior administrations, when the United States saw influxes of illegal migration, President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has drastically curbed arrivals at the southern border. But the DOJ lawyers argued that the executive branch should have the option to practice metering if needed without judicial interference.

A ruling in the case is expected by the summer.

The Senate quietly passed legislation that would require lawmakers to join the general public in airport security lines, ending a long-held privilege, as the Homeland Security shutdown continues.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, pushed the End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act, which unanimously passed the upper chamber. The bill comes the DHS shutdown snarls air travel. 

Chaotic scenes are unfolding at airports across the country, particularly in Houston, Atlanta, New Orleans and New York, with security lines stretching for blocks. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are going without pay, and many are not reporting to work.

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

Despite increasing delays and hardships for both federal workers and travelers, Senate Democrats have so far not backed down from their shutdown position as they pursue stricter reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Cornyn said on the Senate floor that the “only reason I can fathom, other than being completely out of touch, that our Democratic colleagues would do this is because not all members of Congress are being forced to experience the same mess of their own making right now.”

“As many Americans probably don’t know — but most of us in Washington do — airports around the country allow members of Congress to bypass the usual TSA security screening process,” Cornyn said.

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

“In other words, they get to skip the line,” he continued. “This should end today. Instead of enduring the same travel tribulations and security requirements that everyone else has to meet, members of Congress are getting an unfair perk while TSA officers have to work without pay.”

Cornyn’s bill would do just that, requiring lawmakers to undergo the same TSA screening as the general public and halt federal funds used to provide expedited or preferential access at security checkpoints.

THUNE, GOP BLAST DEMS IN DHS STANDOFF; LANKFORD SAYS THEY FEAR ICE OVER IRAN

It would also prevent lawmakers from skipping standard screening or receiving priority treatment based on their official status, but would allow them to continue participating in TSA PreCheck or similar programs.

While the bill passed the Senate, it must still be considered in the House before it can become law.

The legislation comes as both sides of the aisle acknowledge the situation at the nation’s airports. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats have tried and failed to pass a standalone funding bill for TSA as the shutdown continues — in part to ease airport disruptions and shift blame to Republicans.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have been blocked five times in their attempts to reopen the entire agency, along with several other efforts to pass temporary funding.

A new House bill would ensure members of Congress feel the pain of the ongoing partial government shutdown the same way as many Americans across the country.

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, is introducing the End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act, which is a House counterpart to legislation that sailed through the Senate last week.

Hinson argued that members of Congress should be held to the same standards as their constituents at airports during the funding stalemate, despite lawmakers generally being eligible for expedited screening and security escorts to bypass lines.

“Thanks to Democrats’ political games, TSA agents are working without pay, and many American families are facing 4-plus-hour wait times at airports during spring break,” Hinson told Fox News Digital.

HOUSE GOP TARGETING VULNERABLE DEMS OVER DHS SHUTDOWN, TSA CHAOS

“Some Members of Congress are avoiding the chaos they’ve created by getting preferential treatment and skipping the lines at airports,” she added. “My bill with Senator John Cornyn will eliminate these perks and ensure they face the consequences of inaction.”

The Iowa Republican’s bill would ban the use of taxpayer dollars to give lawmakers special treatment and require them to go through the same security screenings as everyday Americans. The measure would keep restrictions for lawmakers in place even after DHS funding is restored.

SCHUMER KNOCKS TRUMP ON IRAN, PLAN TO SEND ICE TO AIRPORTS: ‘ASKING FOR TROUBLE’

The bill’s introduction comes as the 38-day shutdown — the second-largest in U.S. history — continues to wreak havoc on U.S. travelers across the country due to staffing shortages at airports.

This Friday will mark the second full pay period in which Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents will miss their paychecks, leading thousands to call off work to make ends meet.

More than 400 TSA agents have quit their jobs since the shutdown began on Feb. 14, the department said last week.

Major airport systems across the country from Houston to New York reported hourslong wait times in security lines on Monday. The spring break travel season has appeared to worsen airports’ staffing constraints.

TRUMP SAYS ICE WILL DEPLOY TO AIRPORTS MONDAY TO ASSIST TSA AMID FUNDING STANDOFF

Hinson’s legislation is likely to get widespread support in the House, though it is unclear when it would receive a floor vote.

“I’m grateful to Congresswoman Hinson for joining my effort to restore fair practices for all airport travelers by introducing companion legislation in the House, and I urge other Members to support our mission to stop this unfair perk,” Cornyn said in a statement.

The Senate approved the Texas Republican’s bill by unanimous consent last Thursday. 

TSA has paused lawmaker escorts since the beginning of the funding lapse. However, members of Congress could still be receiving special assistance at airports from other entities.

Though DHS talks have picked up in recent days, the funding standoff could still fail to reach a resolution this week.

Democrats have largely refused to support a full-year DHS spending bill as the party demands reforms to immigration enforcement. Republicans, by contrast, have opposed Democrat-led efforts to fund specific DHS subagencies while leaving the department’s immigration and border security functions unfunded.

Hinson is running for an open Senate seat vacated by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who is retiring. She is backed by President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans’ campaign arm.

An American man held by the Taliban for more than a year without charges has been released and is on his way home, Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler told Fox News.

Dennis Coyle, 64, an academic who spent nearly two decades working in Afghanistan, was taken from his home in Kabul in January 2025 by Taliban intelligence and held in near-solitary confinement, Boehler said, adding that Coyle committed no crime and was used as leverage.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan a “state sponsor of wrongful detention,” accusing the Taliban of unjustly detaining Americans and other foreign nationals like Coyle and calling for his release.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

California Democrats blasted federal immigration authorities after a viral video showed officers arresting two people, including a crying woman, at San Francisco International Airport.

The video shows the woman — who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said is an illegal alien — wailing and dropping to the ground as she is being arrested by two plainclothes agents on Sunday while her daughter cries in the background.

California Democrats argued the video showed excessive force and would instill fear in immigrant communities, while calling for answers from federal authorities.

Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., said the woman seen in the video was a “Sacramento mother” and said she was demanding answers.

LA PROTESTERS SWARM RESTAURANT AFTER TSA OFFICERS REPORTEDLY MISIDENTIFIED AS ICE AGENTS

“I am deeply angered by the video released of a Sacramento mother being forcibly detained by ICE in front of her young daughter at San Francisco International Airport this weekend,” she wrote.

“This is our neighbor and a member of our community. This video showcases the cruelty we have come to expect from Trump’s ICE agents, but also the lasting trauma that will be inflicted on those who are forced to witness their disproportionate and deadly recklessness. I am demanding answers as to why ICE treated this Sacramentan so violently in front of her daughter.”

DHS said two people from a family unit were arrested, saying the family had outstanding removal orders and was in the U.S. illegally.

TRUMP ADMIN URGES NEWSOM TO HONOR ICE DETAINERS FOR MORE THAN 33K CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Federal officials said the arrest followed a lawful final removal order issued by an immigration judge in 2019 and that one of the individuals attempted to flee and resisted officers.

“ICE officers arrested Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Jimenez at the San Francisco International Airport. These illegal aliens had a final removal order from an immigration judge since 2019,” DHS said on X.

“While being escorted to the international terminal for processing, Lopez-Jimenez attempted to flee and resisted law enforcement officers. ICE is working as quickly as possible to repatriate the family unit to their home country of Guatemala.”

The arrest was not connected to the Trump administration’s plan to deploy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations during the ongoing partial government shutdown, DHS said.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said the incident was “upsetting” and that the city’s sanctuary policies would not change.

“I have spoken to leaders at SFO and SFPD, and we believe this is an isolated incident,” Lurie said in a post on X.

“We have no reason to believe there is broader federal immigration enforcement at SFO. SFPD officers remained at the scene to maintain public safety and were not involved in the incident,” the mayor continued. “Under our city’s long-standing policies, local law enforcement does not participate in federal civil immigration enforcement. Those policies keep us safe and will not change as long as I’m mayor.”

Meanwhile, state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco and candidate for U.S. Congress, held a news conference Monday outside the airport to denounce the actions of federal authorities. Several Democratic candidates for California governor also sharply criticized ICE in response to the video.

“We don’t want ICE here and when ICE descends on our communities, it only creates fear,” Wiener said, according to The Associated Press.

In the video, one female onlooker can be heard repeatedly demanding the officers show their badges.

“This is an illegal arrest, show us your badge number,” the woman can be heard saying.

The San Francisco Police Department said its officers did not take part in the arrest, noting the incident involved federal immigration authorities and that local police remained on scene only to maintain public safety.

“SFPD officers were not involved in the incident but remained at the scene to maintain public safety,” the department said in a statement, adding that city policy prohibits officers from assisting in the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.