A Democratic candidate is facing scrutiny over an apparent reversal on the southern border as she seeks to flip a battleground House seat this year.

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti recently criticized former President Joe Biden’s handling of the southern border, calling it “a huge misstep” and “really terrible” during a March podcast appearance.

The House hopeful, however, did not appear to publicly criticize the administration’s border policies when Biden was president.

Cognetti, who has served as the mayor of Biden’s hometown since 2020, is vying to unseat freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan in November’s midterm elections. The Northeastern Pennsylvania contest promises to be one of the most competitive House elections this year.

JAMES TALARICO SAYS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WAS CONVINCED BORDER SECURITY WAS ‘RACIST’

Former President Joe Biden speaks to a crowd during a fundraising event with the South Carolina Democratic Party at the Columbia Museum of Art on February 27, 2026 in Columbia, South Carolina. The event marked the sixth anniversary of Biden’s presidential primary win in the early voting state of South Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Cognetti’s recent messaging criticizing Biden comes as some Democrats have largely pivoted toward the center on border security after the party’s messaging fell flat in 2024.

When Cognetti called for “better control at our borders” during a September 2021 interview with a local outlet, she did not appear to hold the Biden administration responsible for the problem.

In August 2023, Cognetti co-signed a letter with a handful of Pennsylvania mayors appearing to approve of the Biden administration’s approach to the border.

“You are working to bring more order to the southern border with a combination of strategies,” the group wrote to Biden, adding that he had “rightfully promised” to tie border security with expanding pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants living in the United States. 

A spokesperson for Cognetti said the mayor had been consistent in urging Biden to secure the border during his presidency.

“Like a lot of Northeastern Pennsylvanians, she has seen what the scourge of Fentanyl has done to our community and has said that President Biden didn’t do enough to secure the southern border,” the spokeswoman said, adding that Cognetti is “no stranger to calling out politicians from either political party when they get it wrong.”

JOSH SHAPIRO KNOCKS BIDEN RECORD, SAYS DEMOCRATS FAILED TO DELIVER RESULTS AMERICANS COULD ‘SEE OR FEEL’

Scranton, Pennsylvania mayor Paige Cognetti speaks at a Safer America rally. President Joe Biden visited Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to discuss his plan to reform gun control. During his speech, he touted beating the NRA. Biden is visiting cities for his Safer America plan. (Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Cognetti also advocated for a more lenient approach to immigration when Biden was president, arguing immigrants, including those who entered the U.S. illegally, “contribute greatly to our cultural and economic growth.”

The 2023 letter to Biden that Cognetti signed urged the president to grant and expand legal protections to Venezuelan, Honduran, Salvadoran and Nicaraguan nationals living in the United States.

Cognetti, who became mayor in 2020, also called for mass amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants during the onset of Biden’s presidency in July 2021. She warned that failure to deliver pathways to citizenship could become a “national security issue,” The Center Square reported.

“If we don’t do this now, we will start to erode in our strength and that becomes a national security issue,” Cognetti told reporters.

Bresnahan said Cognetti’s support for mass amnesty would make the district less safe and accused her mayoral tenure of resulting in a Scranton crime spike in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

“Mayor Paige Cognetti’s soft-on-crime policies have already led to a spike in violence in Scranton, and her support for legalizing every illegal immigrant in the country will only make things worse, especially in her city where she downplays homicides and gang violence and wants to disarm the police,” Bresnahan said.

Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., arrives for a House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

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A spokesperson for Cognetti fired back that the mayor has a “proven track record” of investing in local law enforcement and said she has overseen a decrease in violent crime. 

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the swing contest as “Lean Republican.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston announced the arrests of five illegal immigrantsillegal immigrants over the past month who are wanted for murder and other violent crimes in their home countries, including several subjects of Interpol Red Notices.

The agency said in a series of posts on X that ‘‘each illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration’s disastrous open border policy.’’

ICE said the migrants were apprehended in New England and are wanted overseas for serious violent offenses, including homicide and attempted homicide.

‘‘ERO Boston has always been—and will continue to be—strongly committed to targeted enforcement actions against the most dangerous criminal aliens, ensuring the safety and security of our New England communities,’’ ICE Boston said.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF FATAL HIT AND RUN THAT KILLED NORTH CAROLINA MOTORCYCLIST

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston announced the arrests of five illegal immigrants over the past month who are wanted for murder and other violent crimes in their home countries, including several subjects of Interpol Red Notices. (@EROBoston via X; Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The arrests underscore ICE’s focus on detaining foreign nationals accused of serious crimes abroad and highlight ongoing concerns about public safety tied to illegal border crossings.

Officials identified the suspects as Magno Jose Dos Santos, who was arrested on March 22 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is wanted in Brazil on charges of homicide and attempted homicide tied to a May 12, 2021, incident.

ICE SEEKING DETENTION OF 3 ALLEGED MS-13 MEMBERS ACCUSED OF MURDERING 14-YEAR-OLD BOY

California school board members believe there is a lot of “fearmongering” happening over immigration enforcement as teachers unions and major city school districts are scolding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (Getty Images)

Bryan Rafael Gomez was arrested on April 4 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for homicide, wanted by authorities in the Dominican Republic. An Interpol Red Notice is an international request to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition.

Altieris Chaves Paiva was arrested on April 5 in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and is also the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for homicide, wanted by authorities in Brazil.

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An aerial image shows migrants waiting along the border wall to surrender to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United Staes on the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, on May 10, 2023. Former President Joe Biden looks on after he delivered his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House on January 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP; Mandel Ngan/Pool/Getty Images)

Kele Cristian Alves-Pereira was arrested on March 13 in Everett, Massachusetts, and is wanted in Brazil for murder, with Interpol issuing a Red Notice for her arrest. She has a ‘‘777’’ tattoo on her neck and a teardrop tattoo beneath her eye, an image released by ICE shows.

Danny Granados-Garcia was arrested on March 10 in Waterbury, Connecticut, and is a wanted fugitive in El Salvador, facing an arrest warrant issued Feb. 11, 2026, for aggravated homicide and alleged membership in a terrorist organization.

An 18-year-old murder suspect is being held on an immigration detainer after prosecutors say he helped lure a 15-year-old Missouri boy into a deadly ambush where the teen begged for his life.

Yefry Archaga, 18, is charged with first-degree murder in the March 12 killing of 15-year-old Miles Young in Greene County.

Jail records show Archaga is being held without bond and is subject to a federal immigration hold.

A second suspect, Praize King, 18, is also charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the killing.

FOUR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LINKED TO MS-13 INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MURDERING 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IN MARYLAND PARK

Yefry Archaga, 18, is accused in the ambush killing of a Missouri teenager and is being held on an ICE detainer. (Greene County Jail)

According to court documents obtained by the Springfield Daily Citizen, the attack was premeditated.

Prosecutors allege Archaga “planned and set up a 15-year-old boy to be murdered,” luring Young into what he believed was a meetup before ambushing him. Investigators say the victim believed he was meeting a girl, but instead walked into a coordinated setup involving multiple individuals.

Investigators say a juvenile suspect picked up Young after leading him to believe he was meeting a girl, despite warnings that it could be a setup.

ILLEGAL ALIEN YOUTH COACH COULD FACE DEATH PENALTY AFTER ALLEGEDLY MURDERING, RAPING TEEN PLAYER

Praize King, 18, is charged in connection with the killing of 15-year-old Miles Young in Missouri. (Greene County Jail)

Court documents obtained by KY3 describe how the group had been driving around Springfield discussing the plan before stopping to retrieve a second vehicle. They then allegedly used two cars, including a black Mercedes, to track Young’s location and carry out the ambush.

When the vehicle stopped, Young ran.

A witness told investigators Archaga, allegedly wearing a black ski mask and armed with a “Glock-style” handgun, chased the teen on foot.

DHS SLAMS CALIFORNIA ‘SANCTUARY’ COUNTY AFTER MOM ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY 2 HONDURAN NATIONALS

Miles Young, 15, pictured with family members before his death in a Missouri ambush killing. (GoFundMe)

“Defendant ambushed victim, chased victim on foot, and shot victim as victim was stating he wanted to live,” the probable cause statement says, according to the Springfield Daily Citizen.

Another witness reported hearing Young fall and cry out, “I just don’t wanna die,” followed by gunshots.

Young was struck in the chest and later pronounced dead at a hospital.

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Witnesses told investigators they believed Young had been targeted, possibly tied to a prior dispute. He was expected to testify in a 2025 homicide case, according to the documents obtained by the Springfield Daily Citizen.

Authorities allege Archaga fled after the shooting and was arrested March 31 in Webb City following a two-week search. He is scheduled to appear in court April 13.

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At least one additional suspect, believed to be a juvenile, has not been publicly identified.

The killing has left Young’s family and community devastated.

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Miles Young, 15, with family members in a photo shared after his death. (GoFundMe)

“Miles was a compassionate, loving, and kind 15-year-old who brought light to everyone around him,” his family wrote on a fundraising page. “He was a big brother, a son, a grandson, and a friend… full of life and always showed care for others.”

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“No parent should ever have to outlive and bury their child,” the statement reads.

As the family mourns, they say they are leaning on community support while detectives continue working to bring justice in the case.

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The investigation remains ongoing.

Fox News Digital reached out to ICE and the U.S. Marshals for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – When anti-Trump protesters took to the streets across the country in late March for rallies branded as “No Kings,” CNN reported that anti-Trump protests had “popped up” nationwide, including at the Minnesota State Capitol.

But a Fox News Digital investigation reveals that nine vendors were paid an estimated $250,000 to build a professionally-sophisticated protest infrastructure behind the “flagship” event held in St. Paul, and a former Obama and Biden administration political and communications strategist, Roger Fisk, took credit for being the “Senior Advisor to the #NoKings flagship event,” fine-tuning the “art and science” of throwing the protest, along with two other “No Kings” protests last year.

The machine behind the protest included deploying about 30 semi-trucks to deliver concert-level equipment, a massive mobile stage, nearly a mile of heavy-duty feeder cable used to distribute electricity throughout the rally site, scores of porta-toilets and folding chairs, eight jumbo screens, high-speed internet and bike-rack barriers to keep the crowds away from the stage, filled with bold-faced celebrities including rock star Bruce Springsteen, actress Jane Fonda and singer Joan Baez. 

The operation amounted to a massive buildout that resembled the setup for an outdoor music festival or Def Leppard concert, according to the event’s vendors, most of whom requested anonymity.

The logistical details behind the event illustrate how modern protests increasingly resemble professionally produced public events rather than spontaneous grassroots demonstrations. The investigation reveals a rare behind-the-scenes view of the infrastructure, funding and logistics that power the modern day protest industry, details organizers rarely disclose.

500 GROUPS WITH $3B IN REVENUES ARE BEHIND THE #NOKINGS PROTESTS AND COMMUNIST CALL FOR ‘REVOLUTION’

Professional vendors supplied the bike-rack barriers, tents and jumbo video screens at the No Kings protest on March 28, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn., outside the State Capitol. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

As Fox News Digital previously reported, about 500 organizations with an estimated $3 billion in annual revenues sponsored, endorsed and participated in the nationwide protest. The network includes stalwart Democratic nonprofits including Indivisible, MoveOn and the ACLU, which have received millions of dollars over the years from billionaire George Soros and his Open Society philanthropies.

Another network tied to the protests includes pro-communist groups, like the People’s Forum, CodePink, the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, backed by American-born tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who lives in Shanghai, promoting messaging aligned with the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi Jinping and the People’s Republic of China. Notably, anti-American rhetoric from China labeling the United States as “fascist,” “rogue,” and “autocratic” has been parroted by these groups and surfaced as a recurring theme in the St. Paul protest, where communist and socialist organizations flew the flags of Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. Singham didn’t respond to a request for comment.

POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM

A variety of international flags are hoisted by demonstrators at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on March 28, 2026. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

It’s understood that Indivisible footed most of the bill for the St. Paul protest, sources said.

Nancy Snow, author of the book, “Propaganda and Persuasion,” told Fox News Digital that it’s important to follow the money on all aspects of political communication, including protests.

“We are in an age of cognitive warfare, in which there is a competition to shape how people think, and it’s always important to follow the money because it tells you who is setting the agenda and amplifying the message,” she said. “Following the money doesn’t automatically invalidate the grievances of citizens who show up for a protest. Both things can be true at once.”

About 24 hours before demonstrators arrived with signs calling the U.S. a “fascist” nation, a different scene unfolded on the Capitol grounds, with semi-trucks loaded with equipment rolling into the State Capitol.

‘NO KINGS’ CALLS ITSELF LEADERLESS, BUT ITS OWN INTERNAL DOCUMENTS TELL A VERY DIFFERENT STORY

Matt Svobodny, production manager at Slamhammer Sound & Roadcase Co. stands in front of the stage that he and his crew set up for the “No Kings” protest in St. Paul, Minn. (Fox News Digital)

“You need a platform for people to stand on and a way for people to be seen and heard in order to reach everybody,” Matt Svobodny, a production manager with Slamhammer Sound & Roadcase Co., a live-event production company based in nearby St. Louis Park, Minn., told Fox News Digital. 

“And, in order to do that, you need professionals that know what they’re doing and are going to do it also safe for all the people…,” he said. “So you can’t just have people with good intentions and no idea what they’re doing.”

A longtime professional, Svobodny provided a rare warehouse tour of the elements required to make the protest happen.

Svobodny said crews began physical setup around 8 a.m. Friday and continued working until after midnight, returning in early morning. Along with the mobile concert stage and cable, the system they assembled included about 100 speakers and extensive lighting equipment. Three vendors supplied eight large video screens across the Capitol grounds so people far from the stage at the far end near Martin Luther King Boulevard could see the speakers.

Additional delay speakers were positioned farther back from the stage so that speeches would remain synchronized across the large audience area, he said. For security reasons, the stage was partially fitted with ballistic bullet-resistant glass to protect the speakers.

“It has all the elements and infrastructure of a music festival,” Svobodny said.

Permit records, obtained by Fox News Digital, identify the organizing entity for the event as the “No Kings Coalition and Indivisible Twin Cities.” Indivisible is the brand name for several powerful Democratic groups: Indivisible Action, a political action committee; Indivisible Project, a 501(c)(4) with $10.4 million in revenues; and Indivisible Action, a 501(c)(3) with $5.2 million in revenues.

The permit application listed a local leader, Kris Ragozzino, as the applicant and described the rally as a program including “speakers, artists and musicians.” The production itself relied on a network of specialized vendors, each responsible for a different component of the rally’s infrastructure. 

1. Slamhammer Sound & Roadcase Co., based in St. Louis Park, Minn., was the main event vendor, handling the Stageline SL320 40-foot mobile stage, sound system with 100 speakers, lighting, 1,700-feet of 220-volt feeder cable and ballistic bullet-resistant barriers, while coordinating the overall production setup and contracting with subvendors. Estimated cost: $100,000
2. Fire Up Video supplied four large video screens placed along Martin Luther King Boulevard at the far end away from the protest. Estimated cost: $20,000
3. Algorithm, an audiovisual production company based in Minnesota, provided two additional jumbo screens positioned on the sides of the rally. On its Instagram page, Algorithm featured its screens, hauled to the protest by massive trucks, in a video from the day with the message, “Can you feel it?” Estimated cost: $25,000
4. Common World Productions Inc. provided two more LED jumbo video screens mounted directly on the stage. Estimated cost: $10,000
5. Warning Lites of Minnesota, a Minneapolis company that provides traffic control and event safety equipment, supplied crowd-control bike-rack barricades separating the stage from the crowd. Estimated cost: $15,000
6. E5 Energy, based in Savage, Minn., provided electrical power to the stage and screens with generators and distribution equipment. It also installed cable ramps to cover the high-voltage power lines as pedestrians crossed over them. Estimated cost: $15,000
7. Ultimate Events, based in Plymouth, Minn., supplied an estimated 10 large high-peak tents for staging areas and operations. It also provided “black plastic frame folding chairs,” typically priced at $2.80 per chair on its website, and tables. Estimated cost: $30,000
8. On Site Companies, based in St. Paul, provided about 300 porta-toilets. Estimated cost: $25,000
9. Fast Kat Connects, based in Minneapolis, provided high-speed internet connection for the organizers. Estimated cost: $10,000

The estimated total for the logistical expenses was $250,000, sources said.

PR expert Roger Fisk poses for a profile shoot during FICCI Frames 2014 on March 20, 2014, in Mumbai, India. He has been described as a political campaign, marketing and media strategist credited with playing a key behind-the-scenes role in Barack Obama’s presidential wins in 2008 and 2012. He also worked in the Biden administration. He is now a self-described “Senior Advisor” with Indivisible, organizing its “No Kings” protests. ( (PhAbhijit Bhatlekar/Mint via Getty Images)

Svobodny said he worked mostly with Ragozzino and Roger Fisk, a former advance man for presidential trips in the Obama and Biden administrations. In a post on LinkedIn after the protest, Fisk described himself as a “Senior Advisor to the #NoKings flagship event.” 

In the post, Fisk recalled the “complexity” of organizing the event, noting, “Add to that satellite trucks, cable runs, ballistic glass, road closures, most of the bike rack [sic] in North America, risk monitoring and threat analysis, bridge construction, Springsteen, a kaleidoscope of law enforcement, and staffs of elected officials, security details, and other celebrities that require specific care and respect. The final week was 4 am to 9-10-11 pm…”

E5 Energy supplied the generators and electricity to power the “No Kings” protest in St. Paul, Minn. Ultimate Events provided the canvas tents. (Asra Q. Nomani/Fox News Digital)

Fisk added that “we have learned so much together in developing the art and science of these massive pro-democracy public engagements.” Ragozzino, Fisk and Indivisible co-founders Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Fisk bluntly acknowledged the protests were staged for the cameras for maximum media coverage, which public relations officials call “earned media,” a buzzword for free press coverage. “Earned media is my main metric,” Fisk wrote, “and our content reached between a quarter and a half billion impressions in the 24 hours after the events, with our flagship event leading the way.”

In his LinkedIn profile, Fisk writes that he worked this past year as a consultant to  Indivisible and its three earlier “No Kings” protests, saying he “developed thematic strategies and program frameworks for Indivisible’s three pro-democracy mobilizations, engaging 15 million people across every state and 22 countries coordinating messaging across messaging networks.” He didn’t disclose how much he had been paid.

COMMUNISTS, DEMOCRATS USE #NOKINGS RALLY TO CALL FOR MAY DAY STRIKE: ‘SHUT IT DOWN’

Snow, the former director of the New Hampshire chapter of Common Cause, a progressive group, said that “sunshine is the best disinfectant” and encourages organizations to be more transparent about the obvious logistical heavy-lifting it takes to throw a protest.

In his company’s warehouse, as crews cleaned the stage, Svobodny considered the event a success, in part because the vendors went unnoticed by the media. “Hopefully, most people didn’t even think about us,” he said. 

“I mean, in some ways, kind of, the goal of us or myself is to, like, not even be noticed.”

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Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Saturday pushed back on claims by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., that ICE agents struck an “asylum seeker,” saying the man is an illegal immigrant who caused a crash while trying to evade arrest.

DHS told Fox News that the man in question is a Honduran illegal immigrant with a final order of removal dating back to 2018.

According to DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers attempted to arrest the individual, identified as Ever Omar Alvarenga-Rios, on Thursday in Baltimore, but he allegedly tried to evade arrest.

When officers conducted a vehicle stop, Alvarenga allegedly failed to comply with law enforcement and “drove recklessly” through the city, DHS said.

DHS SAYS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INJURED HEAD AFTER HITTING CONCRETE WALL WHILE FLEEING ICE, DENIES BEATING CLAIMS

DHS said a migrant caused a crash while attempting to evade ICE agents in Baltimore. (Department of Homeland Security)

DHS claimed that Alvarenga then “slammed on his brakes,” causing a multi-vehicle crash.

He then attempted to flee on foot and ignored law enforcement commands, DHS said, adding that ICE officers “followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to make the arrest.”

DHS said the two officers involved in the incident were injured and taken to the hospital.

DHS SAYS ICE AGENTS RAMMED BY VEHICLES AMID MINNEAPOLIS ENFORCEMENT SURGE: ‘AGGRESSIVELY ASSAULTED’

DHS disputed Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., account of an ICE incident involving a migrant in Baltimore. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

“This illegal alien broke our laws, resisted arrest, sent two ICE law enforcement officers to the hospital, and endangered the general public. Thankfully both our officers are expected to make a full recovery,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.

“This dangerous attempt to resist arrest comes after sanctuary politicians have encouraged illegal aliens to evade arrest by hosting webinars instructing illegal aliens how to avoid being caught. Sanctuary politicians must stop encouraging this reckless behavior that endangers illegal aliens, our officers, and the public,” she added.

Van Hollen on Saturday posted photos on social media of the man in a hospital bed, describing him as an “asylum seeker” who was rear-ended by an ICE vehicle while driving to work Thursday in Baltimore.

DHS says Ever Omar Alvarenga-Rios is an “illegal alien [who] resisted arrest [and] sent two ICE law enforcement officers to the hospital.” (Getty Images, File)

According to Van Hollen, the man suffered “significant injuries to his head, chest, back and hands.”

The Maryland Democrat also said the man was detained and claimed ICE was violating his rights by denying him access to attorneys.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Van Hollen said that ICE under the Trump administration “continues to prevent Ever Alvarenga from meeting with attorneys while in the hospital — preventing them from receiving full updates on his health condition or discussing his case so that the full set of facts can come to light.”

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“They have also blocked him from signing a privacy release so my office can make further inquiries. No matter what the Trump Administration says, the Constitution applies to everyone in the United States,” Van Hollen added. “Mr. Alvarenga has a right to due process and full access to his legal representation. By standing in the way, it looks like the Administration has something to hide.” 

Two relatives of slain Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani living in Los Angeles were taken into custody by federal agents after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their green cards, officials said.

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar — identified as Soleimani’s niece — and her daughter were arrested and are now being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a Saturday announcement from the State Department.

The Trump administration says Afshar has been a supporter of Iran’s “totalitarian, terrorist” regime.

“Afshar is the niece of deceased Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani,” Rubio wrote on X. “She is also an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the ‘Great Satan.'”

RADICAL US MOSQUES HONOR IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER’S ‘MARTYRDOM’ WITH MEMORIAL SERVICES, EULOGY: ‘OUR LEADER’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay in Cernay-la-Ville, France, on March 27, 2026. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek)

“This week, I terminated both Afshar and her daughter’s legal status and they are now in ICE custody, pending removal from the United States,” Rubio wrote Saturday.

In January 2020, a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad killed Soleimani during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.

While living in the U.S., Afshar “promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the ‘Great Satan,’ and voiced her unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terrorist organization,” the State Department said.

“[Afshar] pushed this propaganda for Iran’s terrorist regime while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, as attested to by her frequent posting on her recently deleted Instagram account,” the department said.

IRAN VOWS ‘HARSH RETALIATION’ AFTER US AIRSTRIKE KILLS IRANIAN GEN. QASSEM SOLEIMANI

Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (C) attends Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s (not seen) meeting with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran on Sept. 18, 2016. (Press Office of Iranian Supreme Leader/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE officers arrested Afshar and her daughter on Friday in Los Angeles.

DHS said Afshar entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in June 2015, was granted asylum in 2019, and became a green card holder in 2021 under the Biden administration.

“In July 2025, she filed a naturalization application where she disclosed, she traveled to Iran at least four times since being issued a green card. Her trips to Iran illustrate her asylum claims were fraudulent,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News.

Her daughter entered the U.S. on a student visa in July 2015, was granted asylum in 2019, and became a green card holder in 2023, according to DHS.

“It is a privilege to be granted green card to live in the United States of America,” the spokesperson added. “If we have reason to believe a green card holder poses a threat to the U.S., the green card will be revoked.”

FORMER IRANIAN MINISTER PRAISES TRUMP ASSASSINATION FATWA AS DAUGHTER LIVES IN NEW YORK

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters are seen before a protest against the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student who the Trump administration is targeting for his association with anti-Israel campus protests, on April 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Pete Kiehart for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

In addition to revoking Afshar and her daughter’s lawful permanent resident status, officials said Afshar’s husband has been barred from entering the U.S.

Earlier this month, the State Department also terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani — the daughter of a former senior Iranian official — and her husband.

Both are no longer in the U.S. and are barred from reentry.

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“The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes,” the announcement said.

The State Department and ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The Department of Homeland Security revealed that a suspect who fled to China after allegedly planting a deadly explosive device at an important military base is the child of two Chinese illegal immigrants.  

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Chinese nationals Qiu Qin Zou and Jia Zhang Zheng, both of whom were living in the U.S. illegally, Homeland Security said. Their arrests came following two of their adult children, Ann Mary Zheng and Alen Zheng, being connected to a failed plot to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED) at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida in mid-March. 

The base, located in Florida, is home to U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, and Special Operations Command, which oversees all special operations forces across the Department of War.

The alleged perpetrators of the attempt were born in the U.S. after their parents illegally entered the country, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

ICE DETAINS PRESIDENT OF WISCONSIN’S LARGEST MOSQUE, ALLEGING HE HID CONVICTION FOR ATTACKS ON ISRAELIS

The agency asserted the case “illustrates why the improper recognition of ‘birthright citizenship’ for children of illegal aliens is not only inconsistent with the Constitution, but endangers all Americans.”

Jia Zhang Zheng (left) and Qiu Qin Zou (right) are Chinese illegal aliens whose adult children were allegedly behind an attempted bombing at MacDill Air Force Base. (Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images; DHS)

Birthright citizenship refers to the principle that anyone born on U.S. soil is automatically granted U.S. citizenship. 

The FBI said Alen Zheng, who is believed to have planted the improvised explosive device at MacDill Air Force Base on March 10, is currently in China. He is facing charges of attempted damage to government property by fire or explosion, unlawful making of a destructive device and possession of an unregistered destructive device, which carry a potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison.

FBI Tampa arrested Ann Mary Zheng March 17 following her return to the U.S. from China, where she had fled with her brother. She has been charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence, facing up to 30 years in prison. 

She is accused of hiding or damaging a 2010 Mercedes-Benz to prevent its use in legal proceedings, court documents show. 

Prosecutors allege that the siblings attempted to cover their tracks by selling the vehicle to car dealer CarMax. Despite being vacuumed and cleaned, investigators later discovered trace explosive residue inside the vehicle.

The day after Ann Mary Zheng’s arrest, ICE apprehended both parents, Qiu Qin Zou and Jia Zhang Zheng. They are currently in ICE custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

Both parents applied for asylum in the U.S. but were denied and ordered removed by an immigration judge in 1998, according to the agency. 

The Department of Homeland Security said the Bureau of Immigration Appeals denied multiple attempts by the parents to have their case reopened. Despite this, both remained living in the U.S. illegally for nearly three decades.

The department is positing that this case highlights the “grave danger” of current U.S. law granting automatic citizenship to anyone born on American soil, including the children of illegal immigrants.

WATCH: PRESIDENT TRUMP REVEALS FAMILIES OF SLAIN US SERVICE MEMBERS URGED HIM ‘FINISH THE JOB’

Anne Mary Zheng is charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence, facing up to 30 years in prison.  (DHS)

Following the parents’ arrests, Acting Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said that “automatically granting citizenship to children of illegal aliens born in the U.S. … poses a major national security risk.”

“That reality became apparent last week when two U.S.-born children of Chinese illegal aliens were indicted for planting a potentially deadly explosive device outside MacDill Air Force Base in Florida,” said Bis, who added that, “This incident underscores the severe national security threat that illegal immigration and birthright citizenship pose to the United States.”

Bis also asserted that the policy of granting automatic birthright citizenship “is based on a historically inaccurate interpretation of the Citizenship Clause” of the 14th Amendment.

The Supreme Court is currently weighing the constitutionality of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that would end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. Trump signed the order on his first day back in the Oval Office in 2025. 

PETE HEGSETH SIGNS MEMO OPENING DOOR FOR TROOPS TO CARRY PERSONAL FIREARMS ON BASES

Police officers with the Tampa Police Department block traffic along South Dale Mabry Highway near the main entrance of MacDill Air Force Base, which houses CENTCOM headquarters, after a suspicious package was reported at the gate in Tampa, Florida, on March 16, 2026.  (Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images)

The court held oral arguments on the case this Wednesday, with justices appearing skeptical of Trump’s order.

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Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, described the court’s line of questioning as “disappointing” for proponents of Trump’s stance on birthright citizenship.

“Most people understood coming into this, and I suspect even the government understood coming into this, that this was probably going to be a bit of an uphill battle,” Swearer said.

Despite this, Swearer said, “I do think there’s a path forward” for a Trump victory, though it would likely be narrow and partial.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Attorneys in Colorado are claiming that the state’s court e-file system is requiring them to certify they won’t share personal information to assist ICE or federal immigration enforcement.

Multiple attorneys on X reported an electronic notification citing the Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status Act, a state law passed in 2025 that prohibits collection or disclosure of information pertaining to immigration status in health care, education and government.

Covenant Law founder Ian Speir posted screenshots of an alleged electronic form that he was required to accept to access Colorado’s court filing system.

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The page in question is not public-facing and appeared to be only accessible by attorneys registered in Colorado, Fox News Digital’s review of the website revealed.

“I certify under penalty of perjury that I will not use or disclose personal identifying information, as defined by [the act] obtained from this database for the purpose of investigating for, participating in, cooperating with, or assisting in federal immigration enforcement, including enforcement of civil immigration laws and 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1325 or 1326, unless required by federal or state law or to comply with a court-issued subpoena, warrant, or order,” the message says, asking attorneys to “accept” or “decline.”

MINNESOTA SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER SWEEPING IMMIGRATION RAIDS IN TWIN CITIES

“Colorado is now requiring lawyers in the state, as a condition of logging into its court e-filing system, to promise not to cooperate with federal authorities in enforcing federal immigration law,” Speir said in response on X.

Speir added he doesn’t practice immigration nor criminal law, and nothing in his cases would be relevant to the law. But he “cannot log into the state’s official e-filing system without saluting ‘The Resistance’.”

DHS TORCHES NEW JERSEY’S PROFANE ‘F— ICE ACT’ AS ASSAULTS ON AGENTS SKYROCKET 1,300%

“I now cannot represent my clients, file lawsuits, access cases, file documents in existing cases,” he said, adding he chose the “accept” option “under protest.”

“The bottom line here is that Colorado seems to be unlawfully coopting private attorneys across the state to further its anti-federal sanctuary policies,” Speir told Fox News Digital later Friday.

Attorney and former law professor Matt Barber added on X that the oath the state expects lawyers to take is “indefensible.”

The announcement Barber received said the the Colorado Judicial Department deployed an “updated certification process” as of March 30 to comply with the new law.

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

Department of Homeland Security police officers patrol around the Edward Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles. (Frederic Brown/Getty Images)

The original implementation was paused in September amid “additional review,” the agency said in its notice.

“The majority of CCE information remains public; this requirement only impacts access to nonpublic personal identifying information as defined by statute,” the agency said in its new terms, adding that attorneys who choose to decline the agreement must complete a “brief certification” to proceed.

“Democrats going back to their Confederacy roots,” another critic quipped, citing a screenshot of the 1956 law outlining “seditious conspiracy” as opposing federal authority by force or “hinder[ing] … execution of any law of the United States.”

Fox News contributor Guy Benson added, “Big lawsuits: Now.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Colorado Judicial Department, Gov. Jared Polis and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for comment.

The 2025 law, authored by Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Sen. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora, also prevents civil arrests of people present at courthouses and “military force[s]” from other states from entering Colorado without executive permission unless acting upon federal orders.

And it repeals requirements that applicants for college admission or driver’s licenses must sign an form pledging they’ve applied for lawful presence in the U.S.

A former Syracuse basketball player is being deported to Sudan after spending several weeks in ICE custody.

John Bol Ajak was taken into custody on Feb. 18 and agreed to a deportation order on Thursday, according to Syracuse.com.

The outlet reported that Ajak had been given the option of either voluntary departure or a deportation order, and he chose the latter. The U.S. government pays for the deportation order, while voluntarily leaving allows eligibility for future entry.

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John Bol Ajak of the Syracuse Orange reacts during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, on Jan. 14, 2023. (Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)

“If this is how I’m leaving, I never want to step foot in this country again,” Ajak said.

Ajak was held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Pennsylvania and had been living in Syracuse.

John Bol Ajak of the Syracuse Orange prepares to play against the Georgetown Hoyas during the first half at JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, on Dec. 10, 2022. (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)

GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING RAPPER SET TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL IN CHINA

He was arrested four times from December until being placed in ICE custody for trespassing, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He admitted on Thursday that he had been in the country illegally after his F-1 student visa had expired, which also resulted in him not being able to attend the Newhouse School of Public Communications at the university.

Ajak came to the United States from Kenya in 2014 to pursue and education and basketball opportunities in Pennsylvania, and played for the Orange from 2020 through 2023 under Jim Boeheim.

John Bol Ajak of Syracuse celebrates after the team’s victory against San Diego State in the first round of the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on March 19, 2021. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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At 6-foot-10 and 215 pounds, he played in 35 games, registering 234 total minutes among one start. He scored 21 career points and had 43 rebounds, 26 assists, and 27 personal fouls.

Ajak was born in South Sudan, but his family fled to Kenya when he was an infant during the country’s civil war.

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FIRST ON FOX: Montana’s attorney general is demanding a county reverse a policy the state’s top cop denies Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to criminal justice data, warning the position is unlawful and undermines coordination with federal law enforcement, as a top local official pushed back.

Montana banned sanctuary cities under Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s pen in 2021, and that policy also allows Attorney General Austin Knudsen to enforce compliance and investigate alleged aberrations under threat of civil action against any such state agency or local or county government.

Knudsen notified Gallatin County — anchored by the city of Bozeman — that its policy stance is “legally incorrect” and that Big Sky Country is not Big Sur.

“Let me be clear: Montana is not California. This state does not embrace policies that isolate law enforcement partners or undermine the enforcement of duly enacted federal law,” Knudsen will write to Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell. 

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An ICE agent patrols PHL in Tinicum Township, Delaware County. (Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)

When asked about claims her county does not recognize ICE as a criminal justice agency qualified to receive confidential criminal justice information (CCJI), Cromwell said such a claim is not accurate.

When presented with the text of an email sent from her aide to county law enforcement stating the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office does “not legally recognize Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a law enforcement agency entitled to receive Confidential Criminal Justice Information (CCJI),” Cromwell’s office responded several hours later with a lengthy release stating in part that “there is no blanket policy in Gallatin County prohibiting cooperation with ICE or any federal agency, nor is there a policy restricting the sharing of information.”

“The County Commission, not the County Attorney’s Office, is the only governing body with the authority to establish county policy,” Cromwell’s office said.

“In the specific instance raised by the Records Department in September, ICE requested nonpublic CCJI regarding an individual for a civil matter. After legal review, the civil division of the County Attorney’s Office determined that ICE, in this context, was not acting as a ‘criminal justice agency’ under Montana’s CCJI statutes because the request was civil in nature and did not fall within the statutory definition tied to the administration of criminal justice,” the statement also read, adding that the email in question should not be considered “policy.”

FORMER MAINE COUNCILOR GIVES IMPASSIONED SPEECH OPPOSING CITY BLOCKING COOPERATION WITH ICE

In his own warning to Cromwell, Knudsen wrote that “Montana supports cooperation among all levels of law enforcement, including ICE, to ensure community safety and uphold the rule of law.”

“I write in response to your office’s determination that [ICE] is not a ‘criminal justice agency’ entitled to receive CCJI absent a court order. Your policy is legally incorrect and inconsistent with both Montana law and governing federal statutes. Montana law defines the term ‘criminal justice agency’ as a matter of statute—not local discretion,” he wrote, adding that it is not up to an individual prosecutor to make that call.

An October email from a Cromwell aide to two county law enforcement officials, obtained by Fox News Digital, described the policy that drew Knudsen’s ire.

“Good afternoon [officials], I am writing to inform you that the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office does not legally recognize Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a law enforcement agency entitled to receive Confidential Criminal Justice Information (CCJI).

FORMER MAINE COUNCILOR GIVES IMPASSIONED SPEECH OPPOSING CITY BLOCKING COOPERATION WITH ICE

“Accordingly, ICE is not authorized under Montana law to access CCJI without a court order.”

“Therefore, ICE is only entitled to public documents. All other documents being requested should be processed like a standard CCJI request,” the email read.

When asked about the reported policy, Cromwell told Fox News Digital “that report is inaccurate.”

 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) ICE agents frisk a suspected MS-13 gang member and Honduran immigrant after arresting him at his home. (John Moore/Getty Images)

DEM GOVERNOR’S ‘DANGEROUS’ ANTI-ICE LAW IGNITES BACKLASH AFTER ALLEGED BOX CUTTER ATTACK BY ILLEGAL ALIEN

Knudsen said in his letter to Cromwell on Thursday that Montana’s legal definition of a criminal justice agency is intentionally broad to incorporate federal agencies when applicable and that ICE “plainly meets that definition.”

He went on to tell Cromwell that state law allows for an expansion of the definition of “law enforcement agency” rather than a restriction and that Gallatin’s position endangers public safety because ICE must be able to share information to keep the community safe.

Knudsen also accused the county in the letter of crafting the policy as a “deliberate effort to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities while avoiding explicit acknowledgment.”

DHS TORCHES NEW JERSEY’S PROFANE ‘F—ICE ACT’ AS ASSAULTS ON AGENTS SKYROCKET 1,300%

“Such an approach resembles a ‘sanctuary’ policy in practice, if not in name,” he said, noting Gov. Greg Gianforte’s ban on sanctuary cities.

Knudsen then gave Gallatin until Monday to take corrective action and communicate that to him via Solicitor General Christian Corrigan — the state’s principal litigator — and to retain all documents and correspondence about the policy.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen speaks during a rally for Donald Trump. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

Knudsen has been involved in several nationally relevant issues, including collaborating with West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey to object to the inclusion of a controversially constructed climate change chapter in a scientific evidence manual for federal judges.

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Montana’s capital, Helena, also reportedly backed down from its stance of noncooperation with ICE following legal threats from Knudsen’s office.

That move came after the city’s commissioners heard analysis from outside legal counsel that Helena could face thousands of dollars in penalties every five days if it were found to be violating the state’s ban on sanctuary policies, according to Montana Public Radio.

ICE has continued to face political and, at times, physical attacks amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, with a four-figure increase in assaults and threats against ICE and CBP agents, according to information shared with Fox News Digital by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).