Top Republican in the North Carolina Senate Phil Berger conceded his GOP primary race Tuesday after a second recount left him behind by a mere 23 votes, ending Berger’s long hold on the Triad-area seat and setting up a leadership shake-up in a key battleground state.

“While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory,” Berger wrote in a statement Tuesday after the results of the second recount confirmed Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page won the District 26 race.

“Over the past 15 years, Republicans in the General Assembly have fundamentally redefined our state’s outlook and reputation. It has been an honor to play a role in that transformation.”

Berger’s defeat is a major upset in North Carolina politics, particularly after President Donald Trump had endorsed him and fellow state Republicans had reportedly urged Page to end the primary challenge. Unofficial state election results showed Page with 13,135 to Berger’s 13,112.

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Berger has led the Senate since 2011 and has been one of the state’s most influential Republican figures, while Page’s narrow win is expected to usher in a new era of GOP leadership in the General Assembly.

Page, who had pressed Berger to concede, said voters in Guilford and Rockingham counties had placed their trust in him and called for Republicans to unite ahead of the November general election. Berger will remain in office until January, presiding over the state Senate in one of the nation’s biggest political battleground states.

“Looking ahead, I remain committed to working with my colleagues in the short session to ensure North Carolina continues to be the best state in the nation in which to live, work, raise a family, and retire,” Berger’s concession statement concluded. “In the months ahead, I will also do everything I can to support all Republican Senate candidates and protect our supermajority.”

Trump’s endorsement came several weeks after the legislature redrew the state’s U.S. House district map in an attempt to flip a Democrat seat amid the ongoing fight to retain the narrow GOP House majority in this year’s midterm elections.

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Unofficial results on primary election night showed Page leading Berger by just two votes out of more than 26,000 counted in the 26th Senate District that includes part of Greensboro and neighboring areas.

Page’s lead expanded as elections boards in the two counties within the district reviewed provisional, absentee and other ballots. Later recounts were conducted and Berger’s campaign filed formal protests. But Berger gave up after a hand recount of a small portion of the ballots Tuesday morning showed no change in Page’s razor-thin lead.

“I thank him for wishing me the best moving forward,” Page said in a statement after Berger called him to concede. “Now it’s time for our community to come together and focus on winning in November.”

Page will now advance to the November general election in the GOP-leaning district against Democrat Steve Luking, whom Berger defeated in 2024.

Page’s campaign was outspent by Berger’s campaign by more than 40-to-1 through mid-February, finance reports show. That does not include several million dollars that a pro-Berger independent expenditure group spent on mailers and advertising.

North Carolina state senators will pick a new chamber leader in early 2027.

Maryland Del. Kathy Szeliga, R-Baltimore County, is calling out Maryland Democrats for backing a bill that would stock tampons in men’s bathrooms in state-owned buildings—an idea she says is emblematic of Annapolis’ misplaced priorities.

Szeliga said that after she was made aware of HB 941, she took to the House floor to question which public buildings would be impacted. In particular, she wanted to know if the state’s professional sports facilities, such as where the Ravens and Orioles play, would be impacted. During her remarks, the GOP Maryland lawmaker also questioned language in the bill ordering “appropriately sized tampons” be placed in all public restrooms in all public buildings.

“What are appropriately sized tampons?” Szeliga asked, earning laughter from parts of the House. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. What do you consider appropriate?”  

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In response, Del. Ken Kerr, D-Fredrick County, said that the language “just means that tampons are offered, there’s no specific size.” Szeliga shot back, arguing that if that is the case, it should say so, and not talk about sizing.

Meanwhile, Szeliga then pivoted to inquire with Democrats about which public buildings would be impacted, with emphasis on the football stadium where the NFL franchise Baltimore Ravens play and the baseball stadium, Camden Yards, where the Baltimore Orioles play. According to Szeliga, both are owned by the Maryland Stadium Authority. 

“If it is a state-owned building, then yes, it would go in – it’s a public building,” Kerr said when asked about the football stadium, even though he refused to answer the question in any certain terms. “If Raven stadium is a state building, then yes, it would apply …  If it applies to the Raven stadium it would also apply to Oriole park.”

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Szeliga pointed out that this latest legislative proposal is not the first time Maryland Democrats have tried to put tampons in men’s bathrooms. She questioned whether it was a priority being pushed from out-of-state. 

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“There seems to be an obsession with feminine hygiene products in Maryland, in Annapolis, in the legislature. It must be coming from some national movement, but they have tried in the past to make sure that there was adequate, as they would say, or, you know, feminine hygiene products, but this is now taking it to a whole new level,” Szeliga said. 

The previous bill, Szeliga pointed out, focused on colleges and universities in the state. She also noted that Republicans were able to amend it, eventually whittling down the bill so that it applied only to health centers at colleges or universities that house students on campus, which she said was already occurring when the law passed. 

Szeliga said that with Democrats’ latest bill trying to put tampons in all public bathrooms in all public buildings, including male ones, the move will encompass a wider swath of infrastructure, including M&T Bank Stadium, where the Ravens play, and Camden Yards, where the Orioles play, since they are operated by the Maryland Stadium Authority. She also pointed out that the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, will likely have to begin putting tampons in men’s bathrooms as well, if the bill is ultimately passed. 

“The fiscal note on the bill said ‘undetermined’ because there are so many state-owned public buildings,” the GOP Maryland lawmaker said. “And they wanted it to be paid for by taxpayers.”

Szeliga lamented that while Democrats were prioritizing putting tampons in men’s bathrooms at an unknown cost to taxpayers, little has been done to rein in the state’s “massive” budget deficit.

“Even if they determine to shift some of the cost to the consumer, this still creates hundreds-of-thousands of dollars worth of administrative costs to put tampons in men’s bathrooms – just
for the administrative costs,” Szeliga pointed out, noting Democrats “couldn’t even determine how many state buildings this would apply to.”

WBAL-TV 11 News reported that “Several state agencies, without officially opposing the bill, expressed concern about the cost of carrying it out,” and highlighted that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources projected that the upfront costs would be about $400,000.

“This is the kind of thing that we see happening in radical Democrat states with super majorities, where they’ve run out of ideas,” Szeliga concluded. “Instead of tackling actual problems like out of control spending and other real problems, electric bills that people cannot afford, they pivot to nonsense like putting tampons in men’s bathrooms.”

The legislation to bring tampons to public men’s bathrooms was sponsored by more than 10 Democratic delegates and was introduced on Feb. 5. The bill has yet to pass either chamber in the state legislature. 

President Donald Trump is urging Sydney Gruters, the wife of Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters, to run for Congress, pledging to endorse her if she runs in Florida’s 16th Congressional District.

“Word is that Sydney Gruters, the wife of our GREAT Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Joe Gruters, is considering launching her Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 16th Congressional District!” Trump wrote in a Tuesday Truth Social post.

“Should she decide to enter this Race, Sydney Gruters has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, SYDNEY, RUN!” the president said.

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GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan, who currently represents the Sunshine State’s 16th Congressional District, is not seeking re-election.

Joe Gruters, who became RNC chair last year, is also serving as a Florida state senator.

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“I am deeply honored to have the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump,” Sydney Gruters noted, according to Florida Politics. “His leadership transformed our country and continues to inspire millions of Americans who believe in putting America First. I’m especially committed to advancing policies that lower the cost of living for hardworking families across our community. I’m grateful for his support and look forward to making an announcement about the path ahead very soon.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Gruters, who is the executive director and vice president of advancement of the New College Foundation.

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“A Highly Successful Civic Leader and Public Servant, Sydney has dedicated her life to serving her Community, and she and her family are fierce advocates for our Movement to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. 

“As your next Congresswoman, Sydney will fight tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Military/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, Champion School Choice, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”

Retiring Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino revealed one of his few regrets from his time in Homeland Security is that he did not arrest more illegal aliens, according to a recent interview. 

Bovino, who is retiring amid national controversy over his leadership in several high-profile immigration enforcement operations over the past year, told The New York Times he does not regret his aggressive, frontline leadership. He added, “I wish I’d caught even more illegal aliens.”

Turning 57 this week, Bovino has served in the U.S. Border Patrol since the nineties. He is expected to retire at the end of the month.

His decision to depart the agency after three decades comes shortly after he was removed from his prominent role as Border Patrol “commander at large.” As commander, Bovino became the face of President Donald Trump’s deportation operations in cities including Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles. He was regularly criticized by the mainstream media and Democratic politicians, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom accusing him of emulating Nazi secret police.

Despite this, Bovino told the outlet, “We went as hard as we could, but there’s always a creative and innovative solution to catching even more.”

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According to the outlet, Bovino touted the effectiveness of his enforcement tactics, including seeking out illegal aliens on the streets, questioning them openly and arresting those who attempt to interfere with operations.

Much like his leadership style in the interior, Bovino said that as Border Patrol chief of the El Centro Sector in California and Arizona, his goal was to “dominate” the border, not just control it. “We wanted total border domination,” Bovino told The New York Times.

“When you use terms like that, perhaps it scares some of the weaker-minded people. Domination. I want you to dominate that border. I’m not going to ‘control’ it. We’re going to dominate the hell out of that damn place,” Bovino said.

He criticized several of his former superiors as “status quo” bureaucrats holding him and his team back. According to the outlet, he also criticized “border czar” Tom Homan, who replaced him as leader of the Minnesota operation. He ribbed Homan over an alleged bribe, saying, “You’re not going to see me talking to anyone for a bag of money.”

The Department of Justice investigated the alleged bribe and found no credible evidence of wrongdoing. Homan has previously told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, “I did nothing criminal. I did nothing illegal.”

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Despite these critiques, Bovino hailed Trump as the most effective president he served under. He said Border Patrol “got a lot of kudos from the Trumpster.” He also lauded now former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as the “best secretary I’ve ever worked for, bar none.”

In response to Bovino’s comments, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital that “Tom Homan and Rodney Scott are American patriots and career law enforcement officials” and that “they have done an excellent job implementing President Trump’s agenda which has resulted in the most secure border in American history.”

She added that the American people “are safer because of the Trump Administration’s America First policies.” 

She also reiterated her previous statement following the investigation into Homan, in which she said: “This was a blatantly political investigation which found no evidence of illegal activity.”

“It was yet another example of the Biden DOJ using its resources to target President Trump’s allies rather than investigate real criminals and the millions of illegal aliens who flooded our country,” said Jackson.

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For his part, even amid the height of the controversy over the killings of Minnesota activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Trump said the administration’s removal of Bovino was not a pullback.

“Bovino is very good,” Trump told Fox News host Will Cain. “But he’s a pretty out there kind of a guy, and in some cases, that’s good; maybe it wasn’t good here.”

Rather than place the blame for the fatal confrontations on Bovino or federal officers, Trump blamed “paid insurrectionists” and “agitators” for the unsafe operational environment as agents attempted to clear the streets of criminal illegal aliens.

FIRST ON FOX: An Angel parent is set to testify before the Senate on Wednesday as Republicans intensify scrutiny of sanctuary city policies after the fatal shooting of Chicago student Sheridan Gorman, allegedly by an illegal immigrant.

Joe Abraham, whose daughter was killed in a hit-and-run crash involving an illegal immigrant last year, is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Consitution on Wednesday about sanctuary city laws, which he says led to the deaths of his daughter, Katie Abraham, and Gorman.

“An 18-year-old college student — someone just beginning life — has been killed,” Abraham wrote in a Fox News Digital opinion piece on Tuesday. “And once again, the circumstances raise the same painful questions about policy, enforcement and accountability.”

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“Once again, we are confronted with the possibility that this tragedy, like the one that took my daughter, might have been prevented,” he continued.

Abraham’s daughter was killed when a drunk illegal immigrant crashed into her vehicle and fled the scene. Julio Cucul-Bol was later arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison. 

Authorities said Cucul-Bol, from Guatemala, had previously been deported from the U.S. in 2016. 

The hearing, titled Protecting American Citizenship II: Federalism, Sanctuary Cities, and the Rule of Law, will be led by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution.

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Schmitt told Fox News Digital that the hearing had been in the works before Gorman’s death, but noted, “sadly, you have these policies in place, this is not going to be the last time.”

“I think it’s important to highlight in the hearing of what does it means [when] people hear the term [sanctuary cities], what does it mean? It means that sanctuary jurisdictions are just not going to tell ICE when criminals, including rapists and murderers, are being released from jail in prison,” Schmitt said. “That’s insane.” 

Schmitt had just come from the Senate floor Tuesday evening where he read a portion of a statement from the Gorman family. Schmitt said he had not spoken with the family, but said, “as a dad, I can only imagine the grief that they’re feeling.”

“When you send your daughter off to college, it’s just not what you expect, and it’s totally preventable,” Schmitt said. 

The hearing will focus on the legal and policy issues surrounding sanctuary cities and how those policies affect federal immigration enforcement, public safety and the constitutional balance between federal and state authorities.

It will also be the first hearing on sanctuary city policies following Gorman’s death. Her alleged killer, 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national, was arrested on Friday in connection with the Chicago shooting, and faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder.

Medina-Medina was taken into custody twice in 2023 under the Biden administration, once by U.S. Border Patrol and again for shoplifting in Illinois. He was released both times, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s policies will likely be a focal point of scrutiny during the hearing, which will feature former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, as witnesses alongside Abraham.

MY DAUGHTER WAS KILLED, AND I WARNED SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES WOULD COST LIVES AGAIN

Abraham has also demanded answers over Pritzker’s policies.

In a separate opinion piece for Fox News Digital, Abraham wrote that he sent a letter to Pritzker seeking answers “about the sanctuary policies he champions.”

“I asked for a response by January 19, 2026, the one-year anniversary of Katie’s death,” Abraham wrote. “To this day, I have received nothing.”

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has spent months hammering President Trump and his Justice Department (DOJ) over their handling of Jeffrey Epstein records, accusing them of trying to sweep evidence under the rug and even teasing that his “follow the money” work “ties back to Donald Trump.” 

However, emails reviewed by Fox News Digital in the DOJ “Epstein files” show Wyden’s own family connection – an April 2016 appointment at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion between his son Adam and the disgraced financier. 

An email chain from late April 2016, after it was already public that Epstein was a convicted child sex offender and was accused of operating an under-age “sex slave” ring, shows Adam Wyden sought investment backing from Epstein during a meeting at Epstein’s home in Manhattan where Epstein allegedly engaged in some of his criminal activity. The senator’s son founded his own private investment fund, ADW Capital, in 2010.

“Jeffrey, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and hope my passion and dedication for my business came through in the meeting. I live and breathe this business and take my returns, integrity, and reputation quite seriously. And, I believe I have the mental fortitude and energy to stick through the tough times and drive value when others are fatigued,” the younger Wyden said in an email in April 2016 to Epstein. “I intensely appreciate like minded individuals and would very much look forward to having you join us at the fund.”

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Other emails inside the tranche of Epstein documents released by the DOJ show Epstein and the younger Wyden communicating about a time and location for the meeting. Meanwhile, another document appearing to be a ledger of Epstein’s daily engagements and activities on April 28, 2016, marks the meeting as taking place at 10:00 a.m. that day.

The same scheduling document also describes the young Wyden, in parentheses, as “Jonathon Farkas’ friend.” Farkas appears to refer to the husband of President Trump’s ambassador to Malta and the brother of Andrew Farkas, who had a “profound friendship” and business ties with Epstein, according to the New York Times. 

“I don’t speak to my kids about their business activities, and I read about this a few months ago on social media just like everybody else,” Sen. Wyden said in a statement to Fox News Digital when reached for comment. “My investigation began four years ago and continues unchanged. I want transparency and accountability across the board.”

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Adam did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment in time for publication. 

Wyden has repeatedly hammered the Trump administration over access to Epstein-related records and has argued his “follow the money” investigation “ties back to Donald Trump.”

“One of the most important questions that comes out of this is why were America’s leading banks – a number of them – basically sleepwalking throughout this whole Epstein matter,” Wyden said in a video chronicling his probe into the Epstein scandal as the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. “They should have been watchdogging this. They should have brought to law enforcement what they believed was going on.” 

Wyden also touted his plans to author a bill that would hold banks accountable in the future if they turn a blind eye to such illegal activity.

At the time of the April 2016 meeting between Epstein and the senator’s son, Epstein was already a convicted sex offender who had pleaded guilty in Florida to sexually abusing a minor, and the Palm Beach investigation that led to Epstein’s plea had identified dozens of possible Epstein victims, many of which were reportedly minors. 

A progressive Chicago lawmaker issued an apology Tuesday after facing backlash for suggesting a slain college student was in the “wrong place at the wrong time.”

Last Thursday, Sheridan Gorman, 18, of Westchester County, New York, was gunned down while taking a walk with friends around 1:30 a.m. along Chicago’s lakefront.

Alderwoman Maria Hadden sparked outrage on social media after she suggested in an interview with Fox 32 Chicago that the Loyola University Chicago student was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” and that she may have “startled” the individual who shot and killed her.

The local Democrat’s comments were slammed as insensitive and also prompted a response from Gorman’s family, who referenced her remarks.

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Hadden, a progressive ally of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, released a statement Tuesday saying her interview on Fox 32 had “gone viral on conservative media,” and that her comments were in response to a question comparing Gorman’s murder to a separate 2018 case.

“In an effort to make sense of a senseless situation, I said things that landed wrong with some people,” she said. “My comments were never intended to blame the victim or to imply that Sheridan should not have been out enjoying the park or that it was her fault that she was shot.

“In the interview, I tried my best to share what limited information I had with our community as fast as possible while helping to address the fears people had about the shooting,” Hadden continued. “I sincerely apologize for any additional pain that my comments may have caused.”

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She added, “The fact that some media outlets are intentionally creating sound bites to misconstrue my words during this tragedy is also unfortunate.”

Gorman’s family referenced Hadden’s remarks from the Fox 32 interview, saying 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.”

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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.”

Jose Medina-Medina was arrested and charged with Gorman’s murder.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Medina is an illegal immigrant who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration before being apprehended and released into the country.

DHS said the 25-year-old Venezuelan national was previously arrested for shoplifting in Chicago.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

A Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate is pushing a “permanent” federal ban on Muslim immigration, arguing Islam is incompatible with American law and values.

Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, who launched his gubernatorial bid in the Sunshine State last summer, said Tuesday he would propose and promote a federal ban on Muslim immigration that is “permanent and comprehensive.”

“We have to be realistic and be honest that the long-term compatibility of Islam in this country does not exist,” he said. “We cannot have long-term compatibility with the American Constitution and with the American way of life.”

Renner added that anyone with terrorist ties, who has defrauded taxpayers or who has been convicted of a serious crime should be denaturalized and deported.

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Renner made the comments during a news conference while speaking in front of a “No Sharia Law” sign. Sharia law is a religious legal framework derived from Islamic texts that governs aspects of life for some Muslims.

The gubernatorial candidate pointed to the passage of a bill in the Florida Legislature prohibiting the use of certain foreign laws, including Sharia law, in state courts.

Renner asserted that “only American law can be used in American courts and that should go without saying.”

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He added that he would also end all funding for schools that promote what he described as Sharia law concepts.

Renner said he would pursue legislation designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis previously issued an executive order last December designating the groups as FTOs, but a federal judge issued a temporary injunction citing First Amendment concerns, according to The Floridian.

In his announcement, Renner cited a “recurring pattern of conflict and violence” in the years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including a recent shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia that left one person dead and two others injured.

The suspected shooter, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was a former Army National Guard soldier convicted of supporting ISIS, according to the DOJ.

“The simple fact is while there may be people in this country that will live peaceably with us, as a system there will continue to be increased division, increased conflict, and increased violence, which we have seen over the decades since 9/11, and we have to be realistic about that and put a stop to it so that we protect Americans,” Renner said. “That is the first order of business for any governor or any elected official and that is what I will do as governor.”

DeSantis, who is serving his second consecutive term, is not permitted to run again in 2026. President Donald Trump has previously backed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for the job.

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill attended a Ramadan event at a Paterson mosque led by an Imam who fought deportation for years over alleged ties to Hamas.

Sherrill posted photos of her visit to the Islamic Center of Passaic County on social media, wearing a hijab and taking selfies. In one image, she is seen speaking with the mosque’s longtime leader, Imam Mohammad Qatanani.

“Thank you to the Islamic Center of Passaic County for welcoming me to join their celebration as the holy month of Ramadan comes to a close,” she wrote. “I wish our Muslim neighbors a safe, joyous, and peaceful Eid al-Fitr.”

Qatanani, a Palestinian-born cleric, has been at the center of a decades-long immigration battle after federal authorities sought to deport him, citing alleged ties to Hamas and claims he failed to disclose a prior detention in Israel. He has denied those allegations, saying he was detained but never convicted.

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As Fox News previously reported, the federal government moved to remove Qatanani from the U.S. beginning in the mid-2000s, arguing he made misrepresentations on his green card application and raising national security concerns tied to Israeli records.

An immigration judge ruled in Qatanani’s favor in 2008, finding the government’s evidence unreliable and giving little weight to Israeli court documents used to support the allegations, according to court records . The judge also found the government had not proven Qatanani engaged in terrorist activity.

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Court records further raised concerns about the reliability of statements attributed to Qatanani, including whether they may have been obtained under coercive conditions. Subsequent rulings over the years continued to favor him.

A federal appeals court ultimately blocked his deportation in 2025, ruling immigration officials acted improperly in attempting to reverse his legal status.

MUSLIM CLERIC IS IN US COURT FIGHTING AGAINST DEPORTATION

The [Board of Immigration Appeals] exceeded its authority when it attempted to undo Qatanani’s adjustment to LPR status by using an agency regulation in a manner inconsistent with the procedures set out by Congress,” the court wrote.

The decision focused on legal process rather than resolving the underlying allegations, finding federal authorities failed to follow required procedures after missing deadlines to challenge a key ruling granting him permanent residency.

It is unclear whether Sherrill was aware of Qatanani’s legal history at the time of her visit. Fox News Digital has reached out to the governor’s office for comment.

Florida Democrats on Tuesday flipped control of a long-vacant Republican-held state House seat in a Palm Beach-anchored district that includes Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s home turf.

The Associated Press reports that Democrat Emily Gregory defeated Republican Jon Maples in a special election in Florida’s House District 87, in the race to fill the seat left vacant last August, when GOP state Rep. Mike Caruso resigned to become Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller.

The ballot box battle was one of three special legislative elections being held in GOP-dominated Florida on Tuesday. And while the contests won’t change the balance of power in the state legislature, where for more than a quarter-century Republicans have held majorities in both the House and Senate chambers, bragging rights were up for grabs in the president’s home district.

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Maples was backed by Trump, who moved his primary permanent residence in 2019 from Trump Tower in New York City to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. He is also backed by a number of top Sunshine State Republicans.

“There is a very important Special Election tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th, for Florida State House District 87 in beautiful Palm Beach County — JON MAPLES HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!” the president wrote in a social media post on Monday evening.

The 43-year-old Maples, a financial planner and former Lake Clarke Shores Council member who, during his years at Palm Beach Atlantic University was an all-American athlete, made cutting taxes and government spending, reducing regulations, promoting private sector job creation and advancing school choice.

Gregory, a 40-year-old Army spouse, owns and runs a Jupiter-based fitness center for pregnant and postpartum women. The first-time candidate made affordability, increasing public education, tackling rising property insurance and housing costs, and access to healthcare key parts of her campaign.

Maples was the favorite heading into the special election, thanks to his fundraising advantage in a district that leads to the right. Trump carried the district by roughly 10 points in his 2024 re-election victory. Palm Beach County was once firmly blue until a GOP surge in recent cycles.