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Americans could pay to bring back alleged members of 'foreign terrorist cartel' to US
Who's accountable for the results?

Alleged members of "foreign terrorist cartel" Tren de Aragua are set to be brought back to the U.S. after their deportations in 2025 -- and it could come at taxpayers' expense.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has repeatedly butted heads with the Trump administration, ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to facilitate the return of 137 migrants deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador in 2025, called CECOT. 
Boasberg stipulated in his ruling that the government pay for the migrants' airfare back to the U.S., meaning taxpayers are likely footing the bill. 
Boasberg argued that it's "unclear why Plaintiffs should bear the financial cost of their return in such an instance," noting that, "this situation would never have arisen had the Government simply afforded Plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them."
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS DEPORTED VENEZUELANS TO BE RETURNED TO US
The ruling comes as part of a nearly year-long saga, when the federal judge attempted to halt the Trump administration's deportations of migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act in March 2025. 
The Supreme Court ultimately allowed the Trump administration to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to carry out deportations in April, but ordered that detainees receive notice and an opportunity to challenge allegations.
Boasberg has since been wading through legal avenues with the men in El Salvador, issuing a ruling in December that the Trump administration denied them their due process. 
It is unclear how many of the men will actually take the offer and return to the U.S., with Boasberg noting that the noncitizens "would be detained upon arrival" back to the U.S. 
Similar to Boasberg's ruling, another federal judge this month ordered the Trump administration to pay for the return of three migrant families that the judge ruled ICE unlawfully deported by a 2023 humanitarian-parole settlement. 
TRUMP ADMIN ASKS BOASBERG FOR MORE TIME TO DETAIL CECOT PLANS AFTER MADURO OUSTER
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital on Thursday in response to the ruling that the illegal aliens in El Salvador were removed under proper legal authority, before taking a shot as Boasberg. 
"Nothing has changed; in addition to being in our country illegally, these aliens are foreign terrorists designated as alien enemies by the President," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital when asked about the ruling. 
TRUMP ADMIN SAYS MADURO CAPTURE REINFORCES ALIEN ENEMIES ACT REMOVALS
"They were removed under the proper legal …

5th Circuit upholds Texas' ban on paid ballot harvesting, overturning lower court
Trust is earned, not demanded.

A federal appeals court Thursday upheld a Texas law banning paid ballot harvesting, reversing a lower court that had blocked the measure as unconstitutional and allowing the state to enforce the restriction.
In a 26-page opinion, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a district court erred when it struck down part of Texas’ 2021 election law, Senate Bill 1. The provision makes it a crime to be paid to interact with voters in person while they are filling out mail ballots in order to influence how they vote.
Under the statute, a person commits a crime if he knowingly provides "vote harvesting services" in exchange for compensation or another benefit. The law defines those services as in-person interaction with one or more voters, in the physical presence of an official ballot, intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure.
The law targets paid political operatives who go door to door, help voters request or complete mail ballots and then collect those ballots, sometimes while advising or pressuring voters as they mark them.
RNC GETS DAY AT SUPREME COURT TO CHALLENGE LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS
Supporters of the measure say paid ballot collection creates opportunities for coercion or fraud, particularly with mail-in voting, where election officials are not present. Opponents argue organized ballot assistance is a legitimate get-out-the-vote strategy and that restrictions disproportionately affect elderly and minority voters who rely on help returning ballots.
Judge Edith H. Jones, writing for the panel, said the lower court improperly invalidated the law before it had even taken effect and relied on speculative hypotheticals.
The district court had ruled the statute was unconstitutionally vague and violated the First Amendment, issuing an injunction that barred the Texas attorney general, secretary of state and several district attorneys from enforcing it.
TEXAS PASSES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT EXPLICITLY PROHIBITING NONCITIZEN VOTING
The 5th Circuit disagreed.
On the vagueness claim, the panel said terms such as "compensation or other benefit" and "physical presence" have common meanings that juries can understand. The court also emphasized that the statute requires a person to act "knowingly," which narrows its reach.
The judges said the law clearly applies, for example, to "prevent paid partisans from haranguing Texas citizens while they fill out their mail ballots."
The panel also rejected the First Amendment challenge. Applying a balancing test commonly used in election law cases, the court said Texas has a compelling …

Tim Walz demands federal government ‘pay for what they broke’ after Homan announces Minnesota drawdown
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is demanding that the federal government "pay for what they broke" after the Trump administration announced it would draw down its immigration enforcement presence in the Twin Cities.
During a press conference following Border Czar Tom Homan’s announcement that the administration would be ending its "Operation Metro Surge" in Minnesota, Walz said that federal law enforcement’s presence in the state was leaving "deep damage" and "generational trauma."
"The federal government needs to pay for what they broke here," said Walz. "There [is] going to be accountability on the things that happened, but one of the things is, the incredible and immense costs that were borne by the people of this state. The federal government needs to be responsible: You don't get to break things, and then just leave without doing something about it."
"So, we’re going to be asking the federal delegation to be investing and doing the things necessary," he added.
TRUMP DHS HAMMERS DEM GOVERNOR’S PORTAL TO TRACK ICE AGENTS: 'ENCOURAGES VIOLENCE'
Walz, who is best known for being former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election, has been at odds with the administration throughout much of the operation, which was meant to crack down on rampant fraud and abuse in the state.
Regarding the federal drawdown, Walz said, "We are cautiously optimistic … that this surge of untrained, aggressive federal agents are going to leave Minnesota, and I guess they’ll go wherever they’re going to go."
"The fact of the matter is, they left us with deep damage, generational trauma, they left us with economic ruin in some cases, they left us with many unanswered questions: Where are our children? Where and what is the process of the investigations into those that were responsible for the deaths of Renee and Alex?" he continued.
"So, while the federal government may move on to whatever next thing that they want to do, the State of Minnesota and our administration is unwaveringly focused on the recovery of what they did."
HOUSE DEM EXPLODES ON TOP TRUMP IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL, SAYS HE ‘BETTER HOPE’ FOR PARDON FROM PRESIDENT
Homan announced Thursday that the administration will conclude Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. Homan told reporters during a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal in Minneapolis that the operation succeeded in reducing public safety threats with "unprecedented levels of coordination" from state officials and local law enforcement.
"As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals," …

Newsom to visit first primary state New Hampshire as he weighs 2028 run
Confidence requires clarity.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is slated to visit the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire next month as he weighs a possible 2028 run for the White House.

The Democratic governor will be hosting a March 5 event in Portsmouth for his new book, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, the theater venue announced on Thursday.

“From California Governor Gavin Newsom comes an intimate and poignant account of identity, belonging, and the defining moments that inspired a life in politics,” the Music Hall said on its website, featuring ticket details about the upcoming book event.

CAR STOP-START SYSTEMS MAY GO AWAY THANKS TO TRUMP DEREGULATION

Newsom’s visit is notable, considering New Hampshire is often the state where potential presidential contenders test the waters before launching their campaigns. Furthermore, book tours can be used as a means to gain support among early primary voters in the state.

The California governor is kicking off his book tour in Tennessee later this month. From there, he will make a series of visits to red states, including Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. He will also travel to New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Young Man in a Hurry has its publication date set for Feb. 24.

Newsom is highly speculated to run in the Democratic primary two years from now as he frequently challenges the Trump administration on numerous issues, such as immigration and abortion. The governor previously said he won’t decide on a campaign until the midterm elections are over.

In the meantime, he’s focused on serving the rest of his second term, which expires in January 2027.

NEWSOM’S BOOK TOUR TESTS RED STATE DEMOCRATS’ APPETITE FOR CALIFORNIA POLITICS AHEAD OF 2028

Other anticipated Democratic candidates include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL). Each has visited key battleground states for speeches and other events over the past year.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) may also add his name to the mix eventually, as he has not ruled out a presidential run yet. Notably, he last visited New Hampshire in November. However, Booker said his current focus is on running for reelection as a senator this year.

Cruz targets Minnesota-style fraud with bill requiring proof before federal childcare payouts
This is performative politics again.

EXCLUSIVE: A trio of Republican senators are moving to overhaul how federal childcare funds are distributed after what they call "mass fraud" in Minnesota exposed a system that paid providers before verifying children were ever in the room.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joined by senators Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., is introducing the Payment Integrity Act, legislation that would require states to distribute federally funded childcare dollars based on verified attendance, not enrollment claims.
"Programs in Minnesota for welfare and childcare were designed to channel resources into protecting vulnerable children but were treated like an open ATM by criminals," Cruz told Fox News Digital.
"The mass fraud in Minnesota shows that American taxpayers can no longer rely on local and state politicians to prevent abuses because those politicians often have electoral and partisan incentives to look the other way. My legislation reduces the risk of the waste and fraud we’ve seen and ensures that resources are provided to children and families who need it."
WALZ’S MINNESOTA MESS COULD SPARK THE TOUGHEST FRAUD REFORMS IN DECADES
The bill would reverse a 2024 Biden administration rule requiring states to pay childcare providers before attendance verification. Under Cruz’s proposal, providers would be paid only after services are confirmed, shifting from enrollment-based payments to attendance-based billing.
Cruz’s bill comes as the outspoken Texan led a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on alleged Somali fraudsters last week. There, lawmakers heard directly from David Hoch, a journalist who accompanied blogger Nick Shirley to sites claiming to be Somali daycare centers.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WIDENS INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED MINNESOTA FRAUD
"There are few crimes more morally repugnant than stealing from vulnerable children. Every dollar stolen is a meal not eaten, a doctor's visit missed and a future diminished," Cruz said, adding that such fraud "plunders our children's potential."
Gesturing toward a photo of the "Quality Learing Center" in Minneapolis during the hearing, an alleged fraudulent childcare provider Cruz called "emblematic" of the crisis, he said the fraud was occurring not in "some distant or lawless place, but in the heart of America's Midwest."
Co-sponsor Lee said support for childcare should "go to real kids, not empty rooms."
"Fake childcare operations are stealing funding from the ones who are actually taking care of America’s children in need. Our bill will address this massive fraud by granting funding based on actual attendance …

Are there potential limits to a President’s pardon power.
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

Perhaps this will be deemed inappropriate here. However, I’m curious on the thoughts of people who frequent this thread.
I know that freedom of speech can be restricted in certain circumstances. So, I wonder if the president’s pardon power can also be limited. I’m interested in whether issuing a pardon in the commission of a crime is unstoppable.
If the President issues a pardon in the order to obstruct justice, can this be challenged and potentially stopped.
Thanks to all who reply.

Democrats salivate at GOP near zero-vote margin as shutdown looms over ICE reform gridlock
Are they actually going to vote on something real?

Democrats believe a one-vote GOP margin for error in the House of Representatives would give them newfound leverage in negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other priorities as rumors circulate that yet another Republican may cut his time in office short.
A Republican majority hangs by a thread as questions continue to circulate over whether Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., will resign his seat in the coming days. 
To members like Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., that prospect strengthens Democrats’ hand.
"Look, yeah, the less of a majority they have, the better it is for us to actually get real stuff done that benefits the country," Jayapal said Wednesday evening.
SENATE REPUBLICANS TEE UP KEY SHUTDOWN TEST VOTE AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING
It’s unclear when Dunn, who has wrestled with health concerns in the past, might come to a decision.
If Dunn steps aside, Republicans will have just a one-seat majority — and almost no margin for error that will prevent them from passing most pieces of legislation with just one vote to spare among their own party or secure help from Democrats.
With persistent rebels like Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the mix, Democrats are willing to bet they’ll be asked for help.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., believes that even just one less vote changes how Republicans have to think about DHS funding and the list of demands Democrats have made for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
"This place runs on numbers," DeLauro said. "I think what I’ll do is take the circumstance and, for me, we need to be bold, transformational but do what is attainable."
Democrats led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have made a list of 10 demands for ICE reform that, among other items, include a ban on masks, an end to racial profiling, stiffer warrant requirements and an end to paramilitary policing practices. Gridlock over those demands looks poised to force a partial government shutdown as lawmakers run up against a funding deadline Friday without a compromise in sight.
"Let’s look at what we can get done," DeLauro said.
DHS FUNDING FIGHT DRIVES SENATE SCRAMBLE TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY: LITTLE LOVE IN THE AIR AS UNCERTAINTY SWIRLS ON THE HILL
While control of what legislation ultimately goes to the floor likely won’t change amid an even tighter majority, Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., believes Democrats could press their priorities through the amendment process.
Most bills have what’s called a "closed" rule process, where …

Americans may have to pay to bring back alleged members of 'foreign terrorist cartel' to US
Who's accountable for the results?

Alleged members of "foreign terrorist cartel" Tren de Aragua may be brought back to the U.S. after their deportations in 2025, and it could come at taxpayers' expense.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has repeatedly butted heads with the Trump administration, ordered the Trump administration Thursday to facilitate the return of 137 migrants deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, CECOT, in 2025. 
Boasberg stipulated in his ruling that the government pay for the migrants' airfare back to the U.S., meaning taxpayers are likely footing the bill. 
Boasberg argued that it's "unclear why Plaintiffs should bear the financial cost of their return in such an instance," noting that "this situation would never have arisen had the Government simply afforded Plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them."
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS DEPORTED VENEZUELANS TO BE RETURNED TO US
The ruling comes as part of a nearly year-long saga during which the federal judge attempted to halt the Trump administration's deportation of migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act in March 2025. 
The Supreme Court ultimately allowed the Trump administration to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to carry out deportations in April but ordered that detainees receive notice and an opportunity to challenge allegations.
Boasberg has since been wading through legal avenues with the men in El Salvador, issuing a ruling in December that the Trump administration denied them due process. 
It is unclear how many of the men will actually take the offer and return to the U.S., with Boasberg noting that the noncitizens "would be detained upon arrival" back to the U.S. 
Similar to Boasberg's ruling, another federal judge this month ordered the Trump administration to pay for the return of three migrant families the judge ruled ICE unlawfully deported by a 2023 humanitarian parole settlement. 
TRUMP ADMIN ASKS BOASBERG FOR MORE TIME TO DETAIL CECOT PLANS AFTER MADURO OUSTER
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital Thursday in response to the ruling that the illegal aliens in El Salvador were removed under proper legal authority, before taking a shot as Boasberg. 
"Nothing has changed; in addition to being in our country illegally, these aliens are foreign terrorists designated as alien enemies by the president," McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. 
TRUMP ADMIN SAYS MADURO CAPTURE REINFORCES ALIEN ENEMIES ACT REMOVALS
"They were removed under the proper legal authorities. This case is no longer about the facts or law but about Judge Boasberg’s …

Vulnerable Dem senator slammed for requiring photo ID at rally, but not to vote
Confidence requires clarity.

A new attack ad from Republicans targeting U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is slamming the vulnerable Democrat senator for requiring entrants at his political rallies to show proof of identification, but arguing that identification requirements for voting are a form of voter suppression. 
"Want to get into a Jon Ossoff rally?" the advertisement's narrator begins, before it goes into a montage of staffers at Ossoff's Feb. 7 rally asking for entrants' IDs.
"Don’t forget your ID" rally staff can be heard saying as folks walked into the Georgia International Convention Center located in metro Atlanta.
JEFFRIES ACCUSES REPUBLICANS OF ‘VOTER SUPPRESSION’ OVER BILL REQUIRING VOTER ID, PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP
"Also, do you have your ID with you?" another staffer can be heard asking entrants in the video captured by a GOP tracker. "I’ll just grab your ID from you. Thank you so much," another said. "Please have your IDs ready, please, thank you."
Meanwhile, Ossoff has referred to attempts to establish stricter photo-identification rules for voting and voter registration in federal elections as "nakedly partisan, totally unworkable, [and] bad faith."
Ossoff's team declined to comment for this story. 
On Wednesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives passed the latest iteration of a voter integrity law aiming at requiring stricter in-person documentation requirements, such as needing a photo-ID to vote. This bill is a broader and stricter version of the 2025 version of the bill which focused predominantly on registering to vote as opposed to the act of voting itself.
ONLY ONE HOUSE DEM VOTED IN FAVOR OF VOTER ID, PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP IN US ELECTIONS
Ahead of the vote's passage, one of Ossoff's Republican challengers in the upcoming U.S. Senate race in Georgia, Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., called out the incumbent Democrat Senator for "once [saying] that voter ID was 'right and appropriate,' [but] now supports his party as reframing it as 'voter suppression.'"
"The law didn’t change. Public opinion didn’t change. What changed was he – and other Democrat politicians like him – realized that illegal immigrants could no longer vote to keep Democrats in office," Carter asserted. "They oppose this bill because it chips away at their voting base; plain and simple."
Despite Ossoff's previous opposition to voter integrity laws, his campaign event framed the requirement for photo ID as a security measure.
"Due to security requirements … be ready to show ID that matches our RSVP list and these arrival instructions (printed or on your phone)," the campaign event’s confirmation …

$10 Billion for Crime Victims Missing—Lawmakers Call for DOJ to Fix Biden-Era Failure
Equal justice apparently isn't equal anymore.

The Justice Department is missing out on collecting $10 billion from convicted criminals to go to crime victims, according to federal prosecutors. 

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, led a letter with four other Republican senators telling Attorney General Pam Bondi that “there appears to be billions of dollars right at the DOJ’s finger tips that could be collected.”  

Congress created the Crime Victims Fund in 1984 as a resource for survivors of crime. The fund is intended to be self-sustaining through collecting criminal penalties and fines from federal convictions.

The theory, as noted in the senators’ letter, was “criminals, not innocent taxpayers, will pick up the tab for the havoc they force on victim’s lives.”  

The senators’ primary concern is the 2024 United States Attorneys’ Annual Statistical Report, the most recent published, noting that $10 billion in outstanding fines remained uncollected.  

The Government Accountability Office opened an inquiry into the fund after senators found in 2024 that the Biden administration was using money collected from criminal penalties to offset more than $1 billion in spending rather than directing it to the victims fund, according to the letter.

The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General also opened a review into the fund. 

“In addition to holding criminals accountable, the collection of outstanding fines and penalties would allow DOJ to provide critical resources to support victims and survivors of crime nationwide, as these funds are statutorily required to be deposited into the CVF, with very limited exceptions,” the senators state.  

Joining Grassley in the letter were Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine; Joni Ernst of Iowa; and Mike Crapo and Jim Risch of Idaho.  

Grassley launched oversight efforts of the Crime Victims Fund in 2023, and the fund’s balance increased from $1 billion to $3.5 billion.  

“While the CVF balance sits at $3.5 billion and appears trending in the right direction, DOJ still has a lot of work to do,” the senators say in the letter.

“Specifically, there appears to be billions of dollars in outstanding criminal fines and penalties that are available for deposit into the CVF that DOJ has yet to collect.” 

“According to reports, victim advocacy groups have been in search of additional funds to help shore up the CVF and to stave off potential cuts to the services they provide in our hometowns,” the letter states.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to inquiries for this story.  

The senators gave a deadline of Feb. 25 to respond with “rolling updates” on the status of collecting criminal fines.  

The post $10 Billion for Crime Victims Missing—Lawmakers Call for DOJ to Fix Biden-Era Failure appeared first on The Daily Signal.