• Senate confirms DOJ fraud chief as Minnesota daycare scandal draws national scrutiny

    The Senate confirmed Colin McDonald on a 52–47 vote to serve as the Justice Department’s first assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement on Tuesday, as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to crack down on abuse of taxpayer-funded programs.

    The confirmation comes as federal officials continue investigating large-scale fraud schemes, including a Minnesota daycare fraud probe involving millions in taxpayer-funded federal dollars, while House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has alleged whistleblowers warned state leaders about the issue for years.

    President Donald Trump created the new National Fraud Enforcement Division to target systemic fraud across federal programs, pointing to cases such as Minnesota, which officials say have both exposed widespread abuse and helped shape the federal government’s response.

    “My Administration has uncovered fraud schemes in states like Minnesota and California, where these thieves have stolen hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars,” Trump said. “Together, we will end the fraud and restore integrity to our federal programs.”

    EXCLUSIVE: SENATE BILL TARGETS MINNESOTA-STYLE ‘RUNAWAY FRAUD’ TO FORCE SCAMMERS REPAY TAXPAYERS

    The new role is intended to centralize enforcement efforts and expand the Justice Department’s ability to investigate and prosecute complex fraud schemes tied to public assistance programs.

    During his confirmation hearing, McDonald said the work in Minnesota had been “pivotal” spotlighting fraud in taxpayer-funded programs and that the new division would seek to “scale” similar efforts nationwide.

    Attorney General Pam Bondi called McDonald an “experienced, skilled, and tough prosecutor” who will “continue doing incredible work to root out fraud across America.”

    FEDERAL FRAUD FACES SENATE SHOWDOWN AS THUNE TAPS ERNST TO LEAD REFORMS AFTER MINNESOTA SCANDAL

    Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described McDonald as “one of the most effective attorneys” he has worked with and said the American people should have confidence in his leadership of the new division.

    Vice President JD Vance said McDonald has an “exceptional prosecutorial track record” and is well positioned to take on the role.

    McDonald currently serves as an associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department, where he has worked on major enforcement initiatives under Blanche.

    GOP SENATOR PUSHES TO CREATE ANTI-FRAUD SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL AFTER MINNESOTA FRAUD REVELATIONS

    During his testimony, McDonald emphasized the scale of the problem, citing estimates that hundreds of billions of dollars are lost to fraud annually, and said the Justice Department would work with federal, state and local partners to investigate and prosecute cases, adding that “no fraud is too big” and “no fraud is too small” for enforcement.

    The Minnesota daycare fraud investigation has drawn particular scrutiny as part of the broader crackdown, with federal investigators and lawmakers examining allegations that funds intended for childcare and meals for children were diverted or misused.

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    A recent state audit found Minnesota officials failed for years to properly investigate fraud-related allegations, concluding the Department of Human Services had the authority to pursue cases but did not act, according to the report.

    Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion, Andrew Mark Miller, Emma Colton and Max Bacall contributed to this reporting.

  • Minnesota sues Trump admin to access evidence in federal shootings, including Alex Pretti, Renee Good cases

    The state of Minnesota is suing the Trump administration for access to evidence related to a series of shootings involving federal agents that sparked condemnation from Democrats during a federal crackdown on illegal immigration. 

    The lawsuit, filed in Washington D.C., by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO), the state, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, names the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, as well as the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as defendants. 

    The suit seeks evidence related to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and non-fatal shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, an illegal immigrant, saying federal authorities are intentionally withholding the materials. 

    TRUMP CONFIRMS FEDERAL REVIEW OF MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING THAT KILLED NURSE: ‘REVIEWING EVERYTHING’

    Federal and local authorities have sparred over information about the shootings, which occurred during the administration’s massive crackdown. 

    “It is extraordinary that we need to file this lawsuit at all,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. “Cooperation between federal and state law enforcement in Minnesota is entirely routine: local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies on the ground in Minnesota have decades of relationships with each other and share a desire to solve crime and keep people safe.”

    “It should go without saying that we share jurisdiction with the federal government in this case: these incidents happened in Minnesota and fall under state law, regardless of the fact that federal agents are involved,” he added. 

    Minnesota officials have blamed federal agents for the shootings, despite immigration authorities facing opposition from anti-ICE agitators while trying to arrest criminal illegal immigrants.

    “These shootings are just three examples of the violent actions committed by federal agents in Minnesota during the Surge,” the complaint said. “Federal agents also carried out illegal stops, sweeps, arrests, and dangerous raids in sensitive public spaces. The Surge created widespread fear among Minnesota residents, both citizens and noncitizens.”

    GOP SEN. CASSIDY BREAKS WITH TRUMP OVER DEADLY SHOOTING BY BORDER PATROL AGENT IN MINNEAPOLIS

    Good was shot and killed on Jan. 7 when she attempted to ram her vehicle into a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, DHS said. 

    Pretti was fatally shot on Jan. 24 while confronting agents, which sparked outrage among critics of the surge. Sosa-Celis was shot on Jan. 14 after authorities said he attacked them with a shovel.

    However, charges against the Venezuelan national were dismissed after video evidence suggested the officers involved may have made “untruthful statements,” ICE Director Todd Lyons said at the time. 

    Operation Metro Surge ended soon after the Pretti shooting and federal agents were pulled out of Minnesota in February. 

    The lawsuit alleges that the federal government’s policy of withholding evidence is unlawful and prevents local authorities from fulfilling a core duty to the people of Minnesota.

    “That responsibility rests primarily with Minnesota’s law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities — in this case, Plaintiffs — who must gather the evidence, evaluate the facts, and decide whether Minnesota criminal law was violated,” it states. 

  • Johnson says US will win AI race — but only if two conditions are met

    House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is calling for a national framework to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) — but cautioned it should not go too far.

    “America will win the AI race. We will win it, if two things happen —  if government resists the siren song of control, and if industry steps up as our patriotic partner,” Johnson said. “I think we can do both of those things.”

    The leader of the House of Representatives spoke at the Hill & Valley Forum on Tuesday, an annual bipartisan meeting of lawmakers and private sector leaders to discuss American AI innovation.

    TRUMP SAYS EVERY AI PLANT BEING BUILT IN US WILL BE SELF-SUSTAINING WITH THEIR OWN ELECTRICITY

    He told attendees on Capitol Hill that Congress had “three things” it needed to accomplish regarding AI.

    “The first thing is, we have to deliver a single national framework that protects children, safeguards communities, supports creators, and avoids a patchwork of state regulations,” Johnson said. “We recognize that constant shifts in policy don’t just confuse the market, they run contrary to our national interest.”

    He said lawmakers “will utilize existing structures to establish safeguards and rules of the road, so to speak, without smothering the whole marketplace with red tape.”

    The second thing, Johnson said, was to treat AI technology as a matter of national security in keeping it in the hands of the U.S. and its allies rather than the country’s adversaries.

    CHINA RACES AHEAD ON AI —TRUMP WARNS AMERICA CAN’T REGULATE ITSELF INTO DEFEAT

    The final task the speaker mentioned is a duty to “move at the speed that victory demands.”

    It comes days after President Donald Trump released his own framework for AI regulations that includes more guardrails against self-harm and sexual exploitation for AI platforms accessed by children, streamlining permitting for AI data centers, and preventing AI from being used to silence free speech, among other measures.

    The proposal would need to be drafted as legislation by congressional lawmakers and passed by both chambers to be able to affect any meaningful change.

    Trump also issued a moratorium on states’ abilities to enact their own AI regulations late last year.

  • Sherrill flexes political muscle in midterm battle between moderate Democrats and progressives

    New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is taking her political star power among Democrats across the country in a midterm power play.

    Sherrill, one of the Democratic Party‘s biggest winners in last year’s elections, is launching a new political committee to boost fellow moderates in the party who are running in this year’s elections.

    The move by Sherrill, who also plans to head out on the campaign trail later this year as part of her effort to help fellow Democrats, comes amid ongoing face-offs between moderates and progressives in the party’s 2026 primary showdowns.

    SETBACK FOR PROGRESSIVES AS THEY BATTLE MODERATES FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONTROL

    Sherrill is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who spent more than nine years on active duty in the Navy as a helicopter pilot and later served as a federal prosecutor before winning election and re-election to Congress four times.

    She defeated Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli in November’s gubernatorial election. And she made history as the first female Democrat elected governor of blue-leaning New Jersey.

    BLUE STATE DEMOCRAT ON FAST TRACK TO SENATE DEFIES SCHUMER

    Sherrill, who ran as a moderate, topped Ciattarelli by more than 14 points, which was a much larger than expected margin in a race where the final public opinion polls indicated a significantly closer contest.

    The governor’s new group, named “Mission to Deliver PAC,” is a federal political action committee that will support candidates running in both federal and statewide races, according to a release shared with Fox News Digital. News of the PAC was first reported earlier Tuesday by Axios.

    HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

    “Americans are sick and tired of the status quo, and they want leaders who are ready to take on the tough missions to make their lives better and protect our fundamental freedoms,” Sherrill emphasized in a statement.

    Democrats are aiming to win back the House and Senate majorities in the midterm elections, as Republicans battle stiff political headwinds as the party in power in the nation’s capital traditionally loses seats in the midterm elections. The GOP is also facing a rough political climate fueled by economic concerns amid persistent inflation and President Donald Trump’s underwater approval ratings.

    “The 2026 midterms are a critical moment as we look to stand up to the Trump administration’s reckless policies that are driving up costs and threatening our shared values as Americans,” Sherrill argued. “Our race in 2025 charted what a different path forward looks like, and I’m ready to support candidates who share that same sense of service and the urgency to take action.”

  • Trump touts ‘significant’ Iran ‘present’ linked to Strait of Hormuz as deal talks heat up

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced Iran wants to “make a deal” with the U.S., noting the country’s leadership gave the U.S. a “significant prize” related to the Strait of Hormuz and the flow of oil.

    While speaking to reporters in the White House Oval Office, Trump said Iranian leadership sent the gift on Monday, and it arrived on Tuesday.

    “They’re going to make a deal. They did something [Monday] that was amazing, actually. They gave us a present,” Trump said. “The present arrived today, and it was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money.”

    IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS ‘DIDN’T PASS THE SMELL TEST’ BEFORE TRUMP LAUNCHED STRIKES, SAYS VANCE

    Trump said he could not disclose what the gift was, but said it was “oil and gas-related” and was connected to the Strait of Hormuz.

    The Iranian regime was previously charging some tankers millions of dollars to pass through the global shipping choke point, according to a report from Iran International.

    WHY TRUMP INVOKED REGIME CHANGE IN ATTACKING IRAN, AND THE MEDIA MUST LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKES

    Trump added the unspecified present was “very significant.”

    “That meant one thing to me — we’re dealing with the right people,” Trump said. “… It was a very nice thing they did. … They said they were going to do it, and it happened. And they’re the only ones that could have done it.”

    When asked about control of the Strait of Hormuz, he said the U.S. will “have control of anything we want.”

    “They can’t have certain things,” Trump said. “It starts with no nuclear weapons, and they’ve agreed to that. … They’re not going to have enrichment — any of those things. … We are in about the best bargaining position. We’re way ahead of schedule.”

    Negotiations are being headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, according to the president.

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

  • Trump touts ‘massive’ Iran ‘present’ linked to Strait of Hormuz as deal talks heat up

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced Iran wants to “make a deal” with the U.S., noting the country’s leadership gave the U.S. a “significant prize” related to the Strait of Hormuz and the flow of oil.

    While speaking to reporters in the White House Oval Office, Trump said Iranian leadership sent the gift on Monday, and it arrived on Tuesday.

    “They’re going to make a deal. They did something [Monday] that was amazing, actually. They gave us a present,” Trump said. “The present arrived today, and it was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money.”

    IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS ‘DIDN’T PASS THE SMELL TEST’ BEFORE TRUMP LAUNCHED STRIKES, SAYS VANCE

    Trump said he could not disclose what the gift was, but said it was “oil and gas-related” and was connected to the Strait of Hormuz.

    The Iranian regime was previously charging some tankers millions of dollars to pass through the global shipping choke point, according to a report from Iran International.

    WHY TRUMP INVOKED REGIME CHANGE IN ATTACKING IRAN, AND THE MEDIA MUST LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKES

    Trump added the unspecified present was “very significant.”

    “That meant one thing to me — we’re dealing with the right people,” Trump said. “… It was a very nice thing they did. … They said they were going to do it, and it happened. And they’re the only ones that could have done it.”

    When asked about control of the Strait of Hormuz, he said the U.S. will “have control of anything we want.”

    “They can’t have certain things,” Trump said. “It starts with no nuclear weapons, and they’ve agreed to that. … They’re not going to have enrichment — any of those things. … We are in about the best bargaining position. We’re way ahead of schedule.”

    Negotiations are being headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, according to the president.

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

  • King Charles to address Congress in historic first state visit to Washington

    England’s King Charles III will visit Washington next month, his first state visit since taking over the throne in the United Kingdom.

    The king will address congress in the last week of April, Fox News has learned. No date and time has been confirmed. 

    The visit will be the first time a British monarch will address Congress since 1991, when Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, became the first British royal to speak before American lawmakers. 

    KING CHARLES TO ADDRESS ‘INCREASING PRESSURES OF CONFLICT’ IN SPEECH AS TRUMP CRITICIZES BRITISH PM ON IRAN

    President Donald Trump visited London in September in which he attended a state dinner hosted by Charles at Windsor Castle. 

    House Speaker Mike Johnson addressed the UK parliament in honor of America’s 250th anniversary where he addressed the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K.

    Charles’ visit will come as the Trump administration pressures British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to provide assistance in the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. 

    UK DEPLOYING WARSHIP, HELICOPTERS TO CYPRUS AFTER DRONE STRIKE

    Starmer has distanced himself from the conflict, prompting Trump to publicly call him out and mock him by saying the British leader is “no Winston Churchill.”

    Meanwhile, Starmer has said he remains focused on securing British interests

    “I’m the British prime minister and my job is to be absolutely focused on what’s in the British national interest,” he recently said. 

    “That has served me well, in recent weeks,” he added. “And that is the principle that I’ll continue to adhere to as we go forward, taking difficult decisions, notwithstanding the pressure that comes from me from a number of different places.”

  • ‘Americans first’: ICE sweeps up child predators, rapists across US as Mullin takes helm of DHS

    FIRST ON FOX: As new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin prepared to be sworn in, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers continued operations, arresting child predators, rapists and domestic abusers across the country.

    According to DHS, in just one day of operations, ICE arrested illegal aliens convicted of serious crimes in Utah, Ohio, New York and Texas. The agency said these arrests align with statistics showing that 70% of illegal aliens arrested by ICE have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges in the U.S.

    This comes as Mullin, newly confirmed by the Senate, is sworn in as President Donald Trump’s new DHS secretary. Mullin, who until now served as a Republican senator from Oklahoma, replaces former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

    Commenting on the arrests, DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that “under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”

    HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

    “If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will arrest you, deport you, and you will never return,” said Bis.

    “Yesterday, the heroic men and women of ICE arrested multiple child predators, rapists, domestic abusers and other heinous criminals,” she added.

    Among those arrested by ICE on Monday was Salvadoran illegal Oscar Edgardo Rogel-Gomez, who was convicted of sexual abuse of a child in St. George, Utah.

    In Ohio, ICE officers arrested Alcides Ordonez-Cruz, an illegal alien from Honduras, who was convicted of third-degree gross sexual imposition and endangering children in Van Wert County, according to DHS.

    IL DEMS DECLINE TO DEFEND ‘NO’ VOTES ON LAKEN RILEY ACT AFTER STUDENT’S KILLING TIED TO REPEAT OFFENDER

    Officers also arrested two Salvadoran illegals in Riverhead, New York, on Monday: Jose Gonzalez-Diaz and Jose Vazquez-Cardoza. DHS said that both Gonzalez-Diaz and Vazquez-Cardoza have been convicted of rape.

    In Harris County, Texas, home to the state’s largest city, Houston, ICE officers arrested Jose Simaj-Barrera, an illegal from Guatemala. According to DHS, Simaj-Barrera was convicted of assault of a family member.

    Mullin was confirmed by the Senate on Monday, following a short but at times explosive confirmation process. He is the ninth secretary to lead DHS and follows a turbulent tenure under Noem, who oversaw the agency during a period of both record deportations and intense controversy.

    HOMAN FIRES BACK AT BOOKER AFTER SENATOR VOICES ‘OUTRAGE’ OVER ICE AIRPORT DEPLOYMENTS

    This comes as DHS continues to operate under lapsed funding. Democrats in Congress have made renewed funding for the agency contingent on sweeping reforms they say are necessary.

    Despite these challenges, Mullin appeared confident during his swearing-in ceremony, telling the president, “I won’t let you down.”

    Following his swearing in, Mullin told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that “as the Secretary of Homeland Security, I look forward to continuing President Trump’s mission to safeguard the American people and defend the homeland.” 

    “I want to thank President Trump and my Senate colleagues for trusting me with this crucial role,” said Mullin. 

    “My first priority,” he said, “is to get the Department funded so the incredible patriots that support our 22 critical agencies receive a paycheck and can continue their critical work of keeping our nation safe.”

    “DHS is bigger than any political party,” he added. “It’s time to end the partisan bickering that threatens our national security and put the American people first.” 

  • Trump energy czar says Iran conflict gas spike is ‘temporary blip’ as drilling push ramps up

    EXCLUSIVE: Despite the ongoing conflict in Iran, President Donald Trump’s “energy czar,” Doug Burgum, is confident the “temporary blip up” in gas and energy prices facing Americans will come back down very soon as the president’s “drill baby drill” agenda takes effect.

    In an interview with Fox News Digital, Burgum, who leads the Interior Department and chair of Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council, said: “It’s all about supply.”

    “You want prices to go down? Supply has got to go up,” he said. To this end, he said his agency approved a record 6,000-plus drilling permits on U.S. soil, reversing the Biden administration’s trend of increased regulation that he said had stunted the country’s energy independence.

    “We have a temporary blip up now because of the conflict in the Middle East, but as you heard the news earlier this morning, energy prices dropped a lot today, and stock markets [are] up and energy prices down; those are all positive things for working Americans to have those two things happening simultaneously,” he said.

    TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY SHOWCASES ‘DOCTRINE OF UNPREDICTABILITY’ AMID STRIKE THREATS AND SUDDEN PAUSE

    Despite criticism of the president’s actions on the global stage, Burgum said these moves, such as the military intervention in Venezuela and negotiations with leadership, are going to help reduce prices for Americans.

    “What happened in Venezuela actually helps Americans a lot because now we’ve got Venezuelan oil flowing towards Gulf of America refineries in Louisiana and Texas,” he said.

    Another major policy shift Burgum said he expects to make a big difference for Americans is the administration’s actions to “unleash Alaska.”

    “The Biden administration had taken over 70 legal actions, executive orders from President Biden to regulatory actions, which were essentially sanctioning Alaska more than we sanctioned Iran during the last administration,” he explained.

    Pressed on when Americans can expect to start seeing prices tick back down, Burgum said, “I think we started to see how they were happening and they happened quite effectively over the first year of the Trump administration.” He also pointed out that prices “vary a lot” depending on which state you live in and the extent of regulation and taxes placed on oil and gas production.

    “Consumers need to understand that it is not just federal action, but it’s state and local action that’s often driving up the cost of your energy,” he said. “It’s not quite as simple as red state versus blue state. But if you take a look at gas prices before the war, red states were among all the lowest states in the country, blue states were among the highest in terms of that. And it was a reflection of the policies of those state legislatures and those governors that were driving energy prices up.”

    US AND IRAN SEND CONFLICTING SIGNALS ON TALKS TO END THE WAR

    As an example, he said that just a month ago, gas prices in Iowa were under $2 per gallon, while the price in California was $5.

    “California imports 63 percent of its oil from foreign countries,” he explained, adding, “At the time of this breakout with Iran … California, by their own data, provided by the state of California, the number one country they were importing oil from in California was from Iraq.”

    “They always brag about, ‘Oh, if we were a country, we’d have one of the world’s largest economies.’ And if they were a county, they would have designed for themselves one of the most energy-dependent and energy-expensive economies,” he said of California.

    “They’re not saving the planet by using foreign oil in California when you could have been getting clean, reliable, affordable energy, say from the Permian Basin in Texas or New Mexico,” he continued. “When you think you’re saving the planet by blocking U.S. infrastructure, you artificially raise the prices.”

    To push back on this, Burgum said that, authorized by Trump’s energy emergency declaration, Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently ordered California to reopen its Santa Ynez pipeline system to resume pumping domestic offshore oil. The order is being challenged by California in court; however, oil has already begun being pumped.

    IRAN CHOKES STRAIT OF HORMUZ WITH REPORTED $2M TANKER TOLL, REGIME THREATENS GLOBAL OIL SUPPLY

    He framed the administration’s “energy abundance” agenda as a move back to reality after four years of “climate fantasy” under former President Joe Biden. This move, he said, stands in stark opposition to policies still being pursued in blue states like California.

    “We’re focused on energy reality, which is all Americans deserve and need to have reliable, affordable, and secure energy,” he said. “We’re fighting for every citizen in the country, regardless of what state regime they’re under. Because like I said, every American, no matter where you live, deserves to have affordable, reliable, and nationally secure energy.”  

    Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

  • TSA callouts hit Houston, Atlanta, New Orleans hardest, 450 officers have quit nationwide

    As the Senate weighs the new paths forward to end the 38-day government shutdown Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security is blasting Democrats for “the safety, dependability, and ease of our air travel at risk.”

    The first spring travel weekend airport chaos has subsided in the Transportation Security Administration lines at some of the major hubs of Atlanta, House and New Orleans, but acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News that more than 3,200 TSA workers called out from their Monday shifts and more than 450 TSA officers have outright quit their jobs.

    “Day 38 of the Democrats’ shutdown: American travelers are facing hours-long waits at airports across the country and more than 450 TSA officers quit and thousands have called out sick from work because they are not able to afford gas, childcare, food, or rent,” Bis said in a statement.

    Notably, President Donald Trump’s move to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the hardest-hit airports has been given credit to alleviating some of the TSA security delays that reached a reported high of nine hours in Atlanta.

    DELTA SUSPENDS VIP SERVICES FOR CONGRESS MEMBERS AMID DHS SHUTDOWN, TSA DELAYS

    Fox News reporting on site noted security lines were minimal Tuesday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, widely known as the busiest airport in the world. Also, video on social media hailed ICE agents in Houston passing out water to travelers waiting in still-long lines there.

    “While the Democrats continue to put the safety, dependability, and ease of our air travel at risk, President Trump is taking action to deploy hundreds of ICE officers, that are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted,” Bis’ statement added.

    UNPAID DHS WORKERS ‘DISTRACTED’ AS TERROR THREATS RISE, FUELING AIRPORT SECURITY CONCERNS

    “This will help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize air travel disruptions.”

    Some critics note Tuesday’s lighter security lines were due to lighter weekday travel versus the first Sunday of spring, famously a busy travel time due to spring break.

    Sunday’s TSA officer callout rate peaked Sunday at its highest rate of the shutdown (11.6% nationwide), according to DHS data shared with Fox News.

    ‘THE VIEW’ HOST SARA HAINES ADMITS ICE AGENTS SHOULD FILL AIRPORT GAPS AS TSA STRUGGLES

    But callout rates are not equal nationwide, with Houston, Atlanta and New Orleans topping the DHS charts among the top 10 major airport callout rates.

    The DHS funding remains under the pressure of a Democrat-forced government shutdown, the second in this fiscal year. Democrats have made Trump the most shutdown president of all time.

    Trump has sent ICE officers to distressed airports, while negotiating a potential deal to fund DHS — even if it leaves out ICE funding as it is currently being weighed on Capitol Hill.