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Mother recounts horrors of brutal Chinese detention camp where infant son died

Fri, 15 May 2026 15:29:49 -0400

At first, Mihrigul Tursun speaks with remarkable control.

Sitting in Washington in a neatly pressed blue suit, the 35-year-old Uyghur mother answers questions softly, almost cautiously. But once the memories begin, they arrive all at once, in vivid and painful detail, as though the years separating her from China’s detention system no longer exist.

The story pours out of her in relentless detail, one memory collapsing into another: the underground cells, the interrogations, the women screaming at night, the smell of overcrowded prison rooms, the body of her infant son lying motionless in her arms as she desperately tried to warm him back to life.

For Tursun, the horror is not something she remembers. It is something she says she continues to live with every day.

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And always, there is fear.

Not fear for herself, exactly. That, she suggests, stopped mattering long ago.

The fear is for the family members she believes remain vulnerable inside China because she chose to publicly describe what happened to her, only because of her faith.

Her story unfolds as President Donald Trump visits China this week for meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with trade, security and regional tensions dominating headlines. But for Tursun, China is not an abstract geopolitical rival. It is the country she says destroyed her family, shattered her health and left psychological wounds she still struggles to survive every day.

She says she speaks publicly because too few people who survived China’s detention system are able, or willing, to tell the world what they saw.

"People think this only happened in history," she said. "But it is still happening."

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Tursun was born in Xinjiang, the far western region China officially calls the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, home to millions of Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority with their own language and culture. For years, human rights groups, researchers and former detainees have accused Beijing of carrying out mass detention, forced labor, political indoctrination and severe religious repression against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.

China denies the allegations, describing the facilities as vocational training centers aimed at combating extremism and terrorism.

Tursun says her own relationship with the Chinese state began long before the camps.

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At age 10, she said, she was sent by the government to study inside China in Mandarin-language schools designed to assimilate Uyghur children into mainstream Chinese society.

"They educate us as Chinese mind," she said.

Years later, she moved to Egypt to study business administration. There, she married an Egyptian man and gave birth to triplets in 2015: two boys and a girl.

The children were only two months old when her parents urged her to return to China so they could meet their grandchildren and help care for them.

Tursun resisted at first. The babies were too young to travel, she told them. But her mother insisted it was urgent.

On May 12, 2015, she boarded a flight to China carrying the newborns.

She says the nightmare began almost immediately after landing in Beijing.

At the airport, two people approached and offered to help carry the babies through border control. Moments later, she said, they identified themselves as police officers.

"They say, ‘Keep silent. Follow us,’" she recalled.

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Tursun said officers separated her from the children and interrogated her for hours about her time in Egypt, asking whether she had participated in political activities or anti-Chinese events. She repeatedly asked to see her babies, explaining they needed to be breastfed.

Instead, she says officers placed a black hood over her head, handcuffed her and transferred her to detention in Xinjiang.

There, she says, interrogations and torture began.

Weeks later, authorities temporarily released her after informing her that one of her children was sick. Escorted by police to a hospital in Urumqi, she found her surviving son and daughter separated on different floors, connected to oxygen tubes.

The next day, doctors handed her paperwork to sign.

At the top, she said, were the words: "Death certification."

The document bore the name of her infant son. "They say, ‘This is your son,’" she recalled softly.

Doctors refused to explain what had happened, she said. Because she was considered a political suspect, she says no one would answer her questions.

For three days, she kept her son’s body with her at her parents’ home under constant police surveillance.

As Muslims, the family wanted to bring the child to a mosque and bury him according to religious tradition, she said, but authorities would not allow anyone to see the body.

"The body stayed with me three days," she said. "I try to give him warmth. I try to let him wake up."

He never opened his eyes again, she says as tears filled her eyes.

Following her son’s burial, she says authorities expelled her family from their home and detained her again. Between 2015 and 2018, she was transferred between multiple prisons and detention facilities where she endured psychological abuse, interrogations and torture.

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One memory still haunts her more than any other.

During an interrogation, she says officers mocked her faith after she told them God would punish them for what they were doing.

"Chinese Communist Party is God," she recalled them saying. "Xi Jinping is God."

Then, she said, officers shaved her hair and applied electric shocks to her head until she lost consciousness.

Tursun also described what she says were systematic medical examinations performed on detainees, including blood tests and organ screenings. Similar allegations from former detainees have fueled longstanding accusations by activists and researchers that Chinese authorities harvested organs from prisoners of conscience, claims Beijing has repeatedly denied.

Inside one detention facility, she says more than 60 women were packed into a small cell under constant surveillance. Some had not seen sunlight for more than a year, she claimed.

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Many of the women were educated professionals: teachers, doctors, neighbors she recognized from outside prison.

Others were barely more than children.

She recalled one 17-year-old Uyghur girl from a remote village who had never traveled outside her hometown and asked basic questions about the outside world, like how people can fit inside airplanes.

Weeks later, Tursun says, guards took the teenager away. When she returned, she appeared bloodied and severely traumatized. She was sexually attacked.

Two months later, the girl died. Tursun broke into tears. "No one care about that."

She says guards dragged the girl’s body away "like trash."

Eventually, her husband was able to locate her and the children, and after the Egyptian authorities intervened, she was allowed to leave China — after both of them signed to never talk about their experience.

Today, Tursun lives in the United States with her surviving children after eventually receiving refuge following congressional testimony in 2018 about her experiences in China.

In many ways, she is among the fortunate few.

Her children are alive. They are safe. They are growing up in America rather than under constant state surveillance in Xinjiang.

But survival, she says, is not the same thing as healing.

Her physical health remains fragile. So does her mental health. She says trauma follows her constantly, affecting her sleep, her memory and even ordinary daily routines.

"There is no one hour I forget," she said.

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Sometimes, she admitted quietly, she no longer wants to continue living.

It is her children, she says, who keep her going. And the obligation she feels toward the women she left behind.

The women whose faces she still remembers. The women she watched deteriorate inside the camps. The women she says died there. That obligation, she says, is stronger than fear.

Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, who interviewed Tursun for his recent book on religious persecution in China, believes stories like hers expose what he describes as the Chinese Communist Party’s deepest insecurity.

"This is the issue they fear the most: religious freedom," Brownback said during an interview in Washington as Trump arrived in Beijing.

"President Trump, you’re the president that’s done more on religious freedom than any modern president… You need to take this message to President Xi Jinping and his crushing of religion in China."

"Our fight is not with the Chinese people," he added. "It’s with the party."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said the Chinese government protects "freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law" and argued that people of all ethnic groups in China enjoy religious freedom. Liu pointed to official figures showing nearly 200 million religious believers in China, along with more than 380,000 clerical personnel, approximately 5,500 religious groups and more than 140,000 registered places of worship.

Liu said Beijing regulates religious affairs involving "national interests and the public interest" while opposing what it describes as illegal or criminal activities carried out under the guise of religion. He also accused foreign countries and media outlets of interfering in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of religious freedom and urged journalists to "respect the facts" and stop what he described as "attacking and smearing" China’s religious policies and religious freedom record.

As the interview ended, Tursun gathered herself slowly before stepping back out into the streets of Washington.

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To strangers passing by, she looked like any other young mother moving through the city.

Only she carries memories most people cannot imagine.

200,000 small boat arrivals loom amid UK raising threat level to ‘severe’ following recent terror attack

Wed, 06 May 2026 11:58:26 -0400

As the United Kingdom raised its national terror threat level to "severe," meaning an attack is considered "highly likely," security experts are warning that Britain’s separate illegal migration crisis is adding to broader concerns over border control and vetting, with small boat crossings now nearing 200,000 arrivals since 2018.

The U.K.’s Joint Terrorism Analysis Center raised the national threat level from "substantial" to "severe" last week following a stabbing attack in Golders Green in North London, warning that the broader Islamist and extreme right-wing terror threat in Britain has been increasing "for some time."

At the same time, official figures cited by GB News and The Sun show small boat arrivals across the English Channel are approaching the 200,000 mark, intensifying political debate over illegal immigration, deportations and national security.

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Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK Party, said in a Facebook video Tuesday that "most of them are unidentified, young males of fighting age" and warned the crossings pose "a risk not only to women and girls in this country but a risk to our national security."

Security analysts say the combination of elevated terror concerns and mass illegal migration is adding pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to demonstrate greater control over Britain’s borders.

"Channel migrants pose a potential security threat," Dr. Michael McManus, director of research at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.

"Minimal vetting of the migrants means we have no way to know who is really coming to the country. The vast majority are combat-aged males from war zones and regions associated with terrorism."

McManus added that "the current government is failing to read the mood in the country, which overwhelmingly wants action to deter and deport those who pose a threat."

"So long as the immigration system fails to deter crossings, and the system makes deportation almost impossible, we will only see more," he said.

According to The Sun, 7,612 migrants have been deported or removed since the crisis began, representing less than 4% of total arrivals.

The debate intensified this week after British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood outlined plans to expand "safe and legal" refugee pathways once the government regains greater control over the asylum system, according to GB News reporting.

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Speaking to GB News, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden defended the government’s broader migration policy and said Mahmood was doing a "very good job."

"We want to make sure that it’s a level that is good for the economy, that can be absorbed by the country, and that is done under proper rules," McFadden said.

The Home Office has argued the government is increasing enforcement efforts against trafficking gangs and strengthening cooperation with France. A Home Office spokesperson said that the government had signed a "landmark new deal" with France aimed at boosting enforcement operations on beaches and disrupting smuggling routes.

The crossings themselves remain dangerous. Over the weekend, two Sudanese women reportedly died attempting to cross the Channel after a boat carrying dozens of migrants encountered problems off the French coast, according to British media reports.

According to the Refugee Council, many of those arriving by small boat originate from countries experiencing war, persecution or political instability, including Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Iran and Sudan. The group says the vast majority of small-boat arrivals go on to apply for asylum in the UK.

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The small boat crisis first escalated in 2018 after tighter security reduced attempts to enter Britain hidden in trucks and ferries. Since then, the crossings have become one of the most politically explosive issues in British politics, fueling growing pressure on both Labour and Conservative leaders to demonstrate control over the border.

EU admits it ‘didn’t have control’ on migration as bloc rushes crackdown ahead of new rules

Wed, 06 May 2026 05:00:16 -0400

The European Union is moving to tighten migration controls after years of struggling to deport most migrants ordered to leave, with a top official saying the bloc is now working to "get control back" ahead of sweeping new asylum rules set to take effect in June.

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said deportations have increased, and new border screening systems are identifying potential security threats, part of a broader effort to address gaps in enforcement that have drawn criticism from the United States and fueled political pressure across Europe.

"Ten years ago, we didn't have a system. We didn't have control over what is happening and who would come into the European Union and who would have to leave again," Brunner told reporters Tuesday in Washington, D.C. "And that's why the member states agreed on the pact for asylum and migration. And now that's what we want to get back. We want to get control back."

The shift comes after years of criticism from Washington, where President Donald Trump has warned migration is "destroying" Europe and called the situation a "horrible invasion."

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Brunner said return rates have improved in recent years — from roughly one in five to nearly 30% — but acknowledged the system has struggled to keep pace. Data from Eurostat shows that only about one-quarter to one-third of migrants ordered to leave the EU are actually returned, meaning most remain in Europe.

The EU’s long-debated migration and asylum pact, set to take effect in June, is designed to close that gap by accelerating asylum decisions, shifting more processing to the bloc’s external borders and expanding return mechanisms.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also criticized mass migration and so-called "open borders" policies, while Vice President JD Vance has warned Europe risks "civilizational suicide" if it fails to regain control of its borders.

Vance has pointed to high-profile crimes involving migrants as evidence that European leaders have failed to respond to public concerns, as the issue has taken on renewed urgency following a string of recent attacks across Europe. Those include a terrorist stabbing of two Jewish men in London carried out by a Somalia-born British man, as authorities warn of rising radicalization and possible foreign-backed threats.

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Under the new system, migrants who arrive irregularly will be screened at the EU’s external borders, undergo biometric and security checks, and have their asylum claims decided within weeks, with rejected applicants fast-tracked for deportation.

The measures also expand the use of so-called "safe third countries," allowing some migrants to be returned to countries outside the EU as part of broader efforts to speed up removals.

Brunner said new entry-exit tracking systems and real-time data sharing between member states are helping authorities better identify risks at the border.

"Out of these 30,000, we had 750 people who actually posed a security threat to the European Union," he said, adding that improved data sharing now allows member states to flag such individuals in real time.

Brunner also acknowledged that European officials have struggled to communicate their migration policies, saying the EU "didn’t do it enough" in recent years and is now working to better explain its approach to U.S. counterparts.

European officials are increasingly tying migration enforcement to national security concerns, including what Brunner described as efforts by Russia and Belarus to weaponize migration flows.

"The Russians and the Belarusians are using people, using migrants, as a weapon against the European Union," he said, pointing to pressure along the Polish-Belarusian border as part of "hybrid warfare."

Brunner added that global conflicts, including tensions involving Iran, are contributing to concerns about radicalization, though he said there are no clear signs yet of a migration surge linked to those developments.

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The tougher approach, he said, is aimed in part at maintaining public support for legal migration and asylum protections.

"If you want to get the support of the people in Europe, then they must have the feeling that we have control of what we're doing," Brunner said. "People in Europe will only accept continuing and granting asylum … if they are sure that the system is not abused."

State Department fires back at accusations of ‘empty planes’ rescuing Americans from conflict zones

Mon, 04 May 2026 06:00:53 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: The State Department's account of its evacuation efforts is at odds with on-the-ground reports from private rescue teams who helped extract U.S. citizens from conflict zones during the opening days of the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Bryan Stern, founder and CEO of Grey Bull Rescue, a nonprofit evacuation service, is contesting claims that the State Department offered assistance to every American who asked for it, asserting instead that thousands of U.S. citizens were left trapped by missiles, bombs and security threats crowding airspace in the region.

"It’s not for lack of effort. Our State Department colleagues are tremendous. But their process doesn’t work. There is also no one — there's no job specialty," Stern told Fox News Digital, noting a lack of a dedicated government position for handling evacuations.

The State Department believes it has faithfully administered assistance, noting that a majority of Americans turned away offers of support, choosing to explore other options available to them.

The contrasting assertions raise questions about the logistical efficiency of American rescue efforts while prompting calls from lawmakers for more specialization to get U.S. citizens out of conflict zones in the future.

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Stern believes slow-moving bureaucracy is preventing the government from fully utilizing its rescue options.

As one data point, Stern pointed to a video sent to Fox News Digital depicting a mostly empty flight from Israel to Florida near the start of the conflict.

A source, who recorded the video, confirmed they had been evacuated by the State Department from Israel on flight LY1017 from Tel Aviv to Miami, Florida, on March 8 — a point at which Stern said Grey Bull Rescue was being flooded with hundreds of evacuation requests.

In response to inquiries about the video, State Department officials said they had booked as many seats on that particular flight as had been available to them by Israel's airlines, given security concerns, and noted that flight LY1017 wasn't a government charter flight. While the government sometimes purchases individual tickets on a commercial flight for evacuations, they rarely buy the entire aircraft’s capacity, sources familiar with the Department’s evacuation practices told Fox News Digital.

"We invited and assisted hundreds of Americans to depart on El Al flights on March 7, including a flight to Miami, maximizing the capacity made available to us," a State Department official said. "As part of this partnership, we were only given a percentage of seats to fill, not the whole plane. Capacity limitations were affected by security considerations from local authorities."

Beyond that particular instance, Department officials said their offers of assistance outstripped demand on the ground.

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"Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s leadership, the Department of State has completed approximately 70 government evacuation flights and has safely evacuated thousands of Americans from the Middle East. We have also arranged ground transportation where needed and assisted thousands with onward departure options," a State Department official said.

"The State Department has reached out to every American who has registered interest in our support. Most Americans who requested assistance have declined seats when offered, opting either to remain in country or book commercial flight options which offer greater flexibility in terms of destination and luggage."

Stern believes the scope of the assistance provided is misleading.

"That answer is inaccurate in totality," Stern said.

"There’s a difference between a State Department-contracted aircraft that is filled with Americans to come out and getting them to safety. That’s an evacuation. That’s different from: ‘Hey, go book a commercial ticket. Good luck to you,’" Stern said.

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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who joined Grey Bull Rescue’s operations in Israel last month, applauded government efforts but believes there is room for reform.

"It really opened my eyes to some of the challenges that we have, the bureaucracy that we have," Mace said.

"I'm going to come back to Washington with some ideas on how to streamline what we currently have and how to ensure that we're allocating resources to the State Department, to [the Department of Homeland Security]."

Like Stern, Mace suggested that part of the problem stems from a lack of a single position in the State Department that deals with rescue efforts.

Stern, whose group has worked on over 800 missions to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan, Israel and Venezuela, believes current operations have too many moving pieces.

He said his team’s efforts allow him to communicate more directly with Americans requesting assistance.

"We know them, we talk to them 10 times a day. The current manifest we're working right now has 338 people on it. We do a Zoom call once a day with all the families. Because of that kind of thing, the chain between the person and the airplane is zero, because it's us," Stern said.

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"With [the Department of State] you’re calling a center in West Virginia, talking to somebody reading a script who doesn’t know anything; they refer you to a website that goes to a data processing thing somewhere which gets [put] onto an Excel spreadsheet."

Over 150,000 Americans have safely returned to the United States since late February, according to State Department officials. Of those, government operations directly assisted 50,000 Americans.

America needs workers, but Trump's policies are sharply cutting legal immigration

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:00:47 -0400

President Trump stood before Congress in 2019 and said, "Legal immigrants enrich our nation and strengthen our society in countless ways. I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally." In 2024, as he ran for reelection, he repeated the point: "We need people."

The president was right. But since Trump reentered office, his administration has cut legal immigration dramatically. Illegal immigration is down, too, but not as much. All told, the administration has cut legal immigration twice as much as it has cut illegal immigration. Indeed, my report for the Cato Institute, which President Trump cited, shows the immigration decline has come mainly from fewer legal immigrants.

The president previously promised to prioritize Christian refugees, saying "we are going to help them." But he has not. In 2024, most refugees vetted abroad and admitted legally to the U.S. were Christians, yet he cut the refugee program from 125,000 to 7,500. It now admits only a small number of South Africans. There are zero slots for religious persecution.

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If persecuted people can somehow make it to the United States, the law protects their right to apply for asylum status. In 2018, President Trump encouraged asylum seekers to apply to enter legally, promising that immigrants may "avail themselves of our asylum system, provided that they properly present themselves for inspection at a port of entry."

Yet in January 2025, the president signed an executive order that completely ended the opportunity to apply for asylum. The order slashed lawful entries by asylum applicants by 99.9 percent. On Truth Social, the president hailed this finding from Cato’s report detailing Trump’s legal immigration numbers, sharing the graph of falling legal asylum entries as proof his policies "were the best in the History of the U.S.A."

President Trump has praised his own family’s immigration stories, themselves a product of family connections, and has said how "beautiful" it was that his own wife could immigrate legally. Yet his administration has not spared even close family members of U.S. citizens who apply for immigrant visas.

In December, the president signed an executive order banning legal permanent immigration by 40 nationalities, and the State Department extended the immigrant visa ban to more than 90 nationalities. These policies are now blocking about half of the prior immigrant visa flow, including half of all immigrant spouses and minor children of American citizens.

It’s not just family. Workers are also caught up in the escalating web of legal immigration bans. One single father who has two adult disabled children told PBS that the immigration ban on Sierra Leone is blocking him from bringing back his in-home care provider for them. "The load on me is tremendous. It's a struggle to be able to get enough sleep," he said.

These policies are not based on individualized risk assessments. Indeed, background checks of all legal immigrants are vastly superior to anything Trump’s family members would have undergone decades ago. There are legal immigrant spouses of Americans who have spent years getting vetted only now to be blocked.

It’s not just the time burden. The government has also collected nearly $1 billion in fees from legal immigrants and American sponsors blocked by its various policies.

President Trump has long advocated for merit-based immigration reform, but even the highest-skilled workers have faced insurmountable new barriers under this administration. In September, the president imposed a new $100,000 fee just for the chance to apply for an H-1B high-skilled visa.

As he signed the order, he said, "We need workers — we need workers, we need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that's what's going to happen." Yet the administration has said the fee cut entries so much it has lost the government $20 million, while keeping out nearly 90 percent of new skilled workers requesting visas from abroad.

President Trump also campaigned on letting skilled foreign students come and stay in the United States. "It’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools, and lesser schools that are phenomenal schools also," he said in 2024, adding: "You should be able to stay."

Even after he came into office, the president has recognized the importance of foreign students whose high-value tuition even helps subsidize U.S. students. In 2025, he said, "if we were to cut [student visas] in half, half the colleges in the United States would go out of business."

Odd, then, that the Trump administration cut student visas by 40 percent last summer, largely by suspending visa issuances during the busiest weeks. That didn’t bankrupt many colleges. Nonetheless, it has cost US colleges $3 billion in revenue and forced many colleges to cut back on programming and other spending for students. Many colleges are hanging on, hoping next year reverses these cuts.

When you add up all these cuts, you find that the administration has cut legal immigration twice as much as it has cut illegal immigration. That doesn’t align with the president’s stated goals. So what’s happening?

Trump’s overzealous subordinates deserve some of the blame. They tell him that these cuts are just zeroing out the problematic immigrants, not that they are slashing the total numbers and replacing them with no one.

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When the president was signing the H-1B order, White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf told Trump the order will "ensure that companies have a pathway to hire truly extraordinary people." That’s quite different from telling him that it will cut visas for new skilled workers by 90 percent. Once again, Trump repeated that "we need people" as he finished signing.

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The president’s instinct is right. America needs people. U.S. population growth is down 90 percent. Social Security is already short the millions of workers it needs to keep revenues equal to expenses. The workforce will shrink without immigration. Fewer workers with more retirees will lead to higher prices.

White House Advisor Stephen Miller tells the president that immigrants are "the primary cause of the national debt." Some immigrants certainly can be a burden, but multiple organizations across the ideological spectrum agree that legal immigration overall is a massive win for the U.S. budget.

No one suggests that America’s legal immigration system was perfect. It would be wise to improve the process, restrict welfare access, and ensure that all legal immigrants are set up to contribute to the United States. But President Trump should follow his own advice: get the people we need. Focus on merit, improve the process, and make immigration great again.

Pope Leo urges Africans to stay and 'serve your country' instead of migrating as displacement climbs

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:32:56 -0400

Pope Leo XIV last Friday urged African youth to work toward improving their own countries rather than migrating elsewhere in search of better opportunities.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church directed his remarks to university students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, during an 11-day apostolic journey in Africa.

"In the face of the understandable tendency to migrate — which may lead one to believe that elsewhere a better future may be more easily found — I invite you, first and foremost, to respond with an ardent desire to serve your country and to apply the knowledge you are acquiring here to the benefit of your fellow citizens," Leo said.

While displacement in Africa has steadily increased in recent years amid economic and political challenges, Leo said each country’s rising generations should be "committed to society," reflect their nations’ needs and confront systemic issues at home.

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"Africa, indeed, must be freed from the scourge of corruption. For young people, this awareness must take root from their years of formation," he said.

"These are the witnesses of wisdom and justice, of which the African continent needs."

He added that through education and spiritual formation, "you learn to become builders of the future of your respective countries and of a world that is more just and humane."

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According to the World Migration Report, most of Africa’s displacement occurs internally within the continent, with 21 million Africans recorded as living in another African country in 2020.

Overseas African migration has also steadily increased, with figures more than doubling between 1990 and 2020.

In 2020, roughly 11 million Africans reportedly migrated to Europe, 5 million to Asia and 3 million to Northern America.

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The causes of displacement are largely attributed to political conflict, corruption, violence and economic hardship, including widespread poverty.

These factors are particularly pronounced in countries such as Somalia, one of Africa’s largest sources of refugees; Nigeria, which is riddled with natural disasters and economic pressures; and Sudan's surrounding areas, where civil war, political instability and food insecurity have driven large-scale displacement.

The Pope’s remarks come just days after President Donald Trump criticized Leo on Truth Social, calling him "weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy."

The backlash followed the pontiff’s criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and his appeal for a return to peace.

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Tensions between the two boiled over several days before the Pope said last Saturday that it was "not in my interest at all" to debate the president.

Leo has insisted that his position is focused on bridging divides among nations and promoting peace and reconciliation.

Boston to give LGBTQ+ migrants vouchers for yoga, meditation, ‘creative healing’

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:00:21 -0400

The city of Boston is offering LGBTQ+ migrants vouchers for yoga, massages and meditation by partnering with a nonprofit organization.

"The City of Boston is partnering with a nonprofit to hand out $250 to $500 to LGBTQ+ migrants for yoga, meditation, massages, hair salon visits, acupuncture, and gym memberships," Mass Daily News reported Wednesday.

"The program, called ‘Belonging Matters,’ is a collaboration between OUTnewcomers and the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement — a city agency under Mayor Michelle Wu. Priority goes to ‘low-income, isolated queer and trans migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.'"

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A post on Instagram from OUTnewcomers, which identifies itself as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) advocating for LGBTQ+ migrants in Boston, advertised the offering as "Wellness Support for LGBTQ+ Migrants in Boston."

The post continued, "Get $250-$500 for Your Well-Being" for yoga and meditation, creative healing, peer support, and gym membership.

The post added, "Priority for Low-Income, Trans & Isolated LGBTQ+ Migrants in Boston. All funds must be used within the City of Boston. APPLY NOW!"

In a subsequent post, however, OUTnewcomers criticized the coverage of the program by Mass Daily News and others, saying, "OUTnewcomers strongly condemns the recent coverage published by Mass Daily News and Daily Mail UK, which contains serious inaccuracies and harmful misrepresentations about our work.

"These outlets did not follow ethical reporting standards. Instead, they amplified a clickbait narrative that fuels hostility toward LGBTQ+ migrants and those who serve them."

HUD LAUNCHES CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION INTO BOSTON’S DEI HOUSING POLICIES OVER ALLEGED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

The post continued, "Our City of Boston-funded program is modest and need-based. It provides small vouchers of $50 or less to eligible LGBTQ+ migrants living in Boston to access limited wellness supports such as haircuts, acupuncture, or massage. The program is also intended to support local Boston businesses that welcome LGBTQ+ and migrant clients and workers.

"This hate-driven disinformation directly endangers Sal Khan, founder of OUTnewcomers, threatens the future of our organization, and puts vulnerable community members at greater risk."

OUTnewcomers announced a temporary pause to the Belonging Matters program on Thursday due to threats to Khan and participants in the program.

"This decision comes after the organization and its founder, Sal Khan, received multiple death threats and threats of being reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the project’s public launch. These threats have created serious concerns for the safety and well-being of both leadership and the vulnerable community members the program serves," the announcement said.

BOSTON'S WU ORDERS RELEASE OF ICE SURVEILLANCE AND BODYCAM FOOTAGE, SAYS FED GOVERNMENT 'HIDES BEHIND MASKS'

Boston’s GBH News reported that the city is facing a $48.4 million budget deficit due to "costs from record snowfall, healthcare and the perennial problem of public safety overtime."

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Fox News Digital reached out to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and OUTnewcomers for comment.

Iran conflict won’t trigger Biden-style refugee replay, expert predicts

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:33:31 -0400

Iran’s instability is unlikely to trigger a Syrian- or Afghanistan-style refugee crisis, a top immigration expert told Fox News Digital, even as questions mount over what comes next for the Iranian people once the fighting subsides.

With Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in an airstrike, several top officials dead and competing factions vying for control, questions are mounting over whether Iran’s turmoil could trigger a refugee crisis.

However, given the geography and environment in Iran, a mass refugee exodus appears unlikely, according to Andrew "Art" Arthur – a nationally-recognized national security and immigration expert at the Center for Immigration Studies.

NEXT MOVE ON IRAN: SEIZE KHARG ISLAND, SECURE URANIUM OR RISK GROUND WAR ESCALATION

"It's actually an interesting question, and there are a couple of things to keep in mind," Arthur said in a recent interview.

"One is Iran is about twice the size of Texas. It's, I think, roughly the size as Alaska. It is a huge country, and I think there are 93 million people there, but it's still a big country and most of it is untouched by the conflict, so it's not like individuals couldn't relocate in-country and be perfectly safe."

Unlike Afghanistan, he added, the U.S. and the West don’t have a previous footprint on the ground and don’t have people inside the country offering assistance.

AS AIRSTRIKES RAIN DOWN ON THE IRANIAN REGIME, CAN A FRACTURED OPPOSITION UNITE TO LEAD IF IT FALLS?

"[W]e don't have the ability to do something like President Biden did where we load up C-130s with everybody we can get our hands on and fly them to the United States. So, that's a huge distinction."

During the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, chaos reigned at Hamid Karzai International Airport as U.S. military planes with refugees hanging off of them flew in and out of Kabul while Taliban forces created deadly roadblocks and uncertainty for those trying to flee.

The operation led to a huge influx of largely unvetted Afghan nationals into the U.S., which many immigration hawks blame for some of the migrant violence seen domestically.

WINNING THE BATTLES, LOSING THE WAR? AMERICA MUST DEFINE THE ENDGAME IN IRAN

Arthur said that exemplar is rare, in that most refugees don’t or aren’t able to fly "halfway around the world" to escape unrest.

"The Afghanistan evacuation operation, Allies Refuge and Allies Welcome, was completely without precedent in U.S. history, because, generally, refugees resettle in an adjacent country assuming that they can resettle in-country," he said.

Such was true during the other major refugee flow this century, the Syrian crisis during the 2011 "Arab Spring."

AUSTRALIA GRANTS ASYLUM TO 5 IRANIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS AMID IRAN CONFLICT

Then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad responded to peaceful civilian protests with military force, spurring years of outflows of about 11 million Syrian nationals around Europe with a smaller proportion ultimately making their way to the U.S.

The Obama administration set a goal of 10,000 admissions of Syrians through refugee resettlement, while nearly 5 million were registered globally as refugees as of 2017, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

A good proportion of the U.S.’ Syrian population also predates the refugee crisis, some by more than 100 years, like the estimated 5,000 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

TOP COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL RESIGNS IN PROTEST OF US WAR AGAINST IRAN

Addressing the potential for any Iranian refugee crisis, Arthur said that, in practice, the U.S. could offer resources to neighboring countries but would not be obligated to take in refugees.

"That’s not the way that this works," he said, pointing out that during the 1980s Afghan-Soviet conflict, Afghans relocated to Pakistan and the U.S. helped them from afar.

"We didn’t bring them to the United States," he said, adding that the U.S. helped enforce a no-fly zone to assist aligned factions, such as the Kurds, maintain safer territory.

MEDIA UNDER FIRE: JOURNALISTS KEEP QUESTIONING IRAN WAR AS HEGSETH CALLS THEM ‘UNPATRIOTIC’ AND ‘ANTI-TRUMP’

Fox News Digital also asked the White House for its thoughts on the prospect of another refugee crisis amid another bout of instability in a Mideast country.

The White House directed Fox News Digital to recent comments by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the matter, when he was questioned about the proclivity for such conflicts as Iran to force thousands to flee from the conflict zone and into the U.S. – and whether there are any "safeguards" in place to prevent such.

"I think it's safe to say there's no plan for a wave of new Middle Eastern refugees to the United States of America," Hegseth said.

"I think, as the president has pointed out for a long time, there are a lot of countries in the region who would be capable of providing that kind of support if need be."

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"But that's certainly not something we're planning on," he said.

Illegal immigrants could lose public housing under Trump HUD plan to end Clinton-era loophole

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:00:24 -0500

A proposed Department of Housing and Urban Development rule would crack down on illegal immigrants or unqualified people living in public housing, closing a loophole established amid major departmental reforms under President Bill Clinton in 1996.

Current HUD rules allow "mixed-status" households to use public housing under what is called the "do not contend" provision, in which a person living among a public housing family can declare they "do not contend" their HUD eligibility under their immigration status, and the family instead receives prorated housing assistance.

The HUD-ineligible family member or members may remain in public housing so long as the family accepts their diminished subsidies, according to reports.

The new HUD rule, proposed this week under Secretary Scott Turner, would eliminate the option for residents to say they "do not contend" and instead require every member to verify citizenship or prove eligible noncitizen status to continue receiving housing assistance.

GOP FIREBRAND URGES TRUMP AGENCIES TO CLAW BACK MASSIVE TAXPAYER BENEFITS PAID OUT TO IMMIGRANTS

The proposed rule would not categorically prohibit noncitizens from public housing, but those remaining would have to prove they are eligible for taxpayer-funded assistance.

While illegal immigrants would be barred, green-card holders are fully eligible under federal housing law.

People admitted to the U.S. under official refugee or asylee status also remain eligible, as well as individuals whose DHS order of removal is being legally withheld due to threat of personal harm in their home country.

Cuban emigres who have fled the Communist dictatorship 90 miles off Key West have also historically been considered eligible, as have certain foreign domestic violence or trafficking victims.

Turner’s proposal, however, would guarantee that all people living in HUD-funded housing are eligible under statute.

The long-standing HUD Act of 1980, which the Clinton-era reforms adjusted, already prohibits HUD from providing financial assistance to ineligible noncitizens, and Turner’s reforms would make the prorated assistance option temporary instead of indefinite, pending eligibility verification.

"Under President Trump’s leadership, the days of illegal aliens, ineligibles, and fraudsters gaming the system and riding the coattails of American taxpayers are over," said Turner, a former Washington Redskins cornerback.

BIDEN-ERA RENTAL ASSISTANCE INCLUDED PAYMENTS TO DEAD TENANTS AND NON-CITIZENS, NEW HUD REPORT REVEALS

"HUD’s proposed rule will guarantee that all residents in HUD-funded housing are eligible tenants. We have zero tolerance for pushing aside hardworking U.S. citizens while enabling others to exploit decades-old loopholes."

Turner wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that previous administrations "turned a blind eye" to enforcing these types of HUD laws and policies.

"Liberal officials at both the federal and state level purposefully blurred and weakened the law by allowing some applicants for HUD assistance to simply sign a declaration of citizenship without requiring any documentation or proof," he said in one example.

Critics of the change, however, said HUD’s efforts are going to lead to families being booted from public housing.

"Our country can ensure that every one of us, no matter where we come from or what language we speak, has a safe home," National Housing Law Project executive director Shamus Roller told the Associated Press.

"Trump is trying to evict immigrant families, citizen and noncitizen, from HUD housing."

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Roller’s colleague Sonya Acosta told the wire service that the new policy would wrongly force an "agonizing choice between losing the assistance that helps [families] pay rent every month or separating their family."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Man who burned Quran in London may get US asylum as case draws Trump administration attention

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 20:00:18 -0500

The Trump administration is weighing involvement in the case of a protester who was fined for burning a Quran outside the Turkish Consulate in London, as U.K. prosecutors look to reinstate his overturned conviction, according to reports.

Officials are said to be discussing granting 51-year-old Hamit Coskun refugee status if the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) wins its appeal, with a senior U.S. administration official telling The Telegraph the case is one of several "the administration has made note of."

Coskun, of Armenian-Kurdish descent, had initially sought asylum in the U.K. from Turkey, where he says Islamic extremists "destroyed" his family’s life and where he was jailed for protesting Islamist governance.

DAN GAINOR: ENGLAND DOESN’T HAVE FREE SPEECH AND WANTS TO TAKE OURS AWAY, TOO

On Feb. 13, 2025, he traveled to the Turkish Consulate in London and set fire to a copy of the Quran while shouting slogans including "Islam is [the] religion of terrorism" and "f--- Islam."

There he was attacked by Moussa Kadri, a passerby who chased him with a knife, kicked him and spat on him.

Kadri later received a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of assault and having a bladed article in a public place.

Initially charged with harassing the "religious institution of Islam," Coskun’s case drew intervention from the National Secular Society and the Free Speech Union, who argued prosecutors were effectively reviving blasphemy laws already abolished in 2008.

MARCO RUBIO VOICES CONCERN THAT AMERICANS MAY SOMEDAY BE ARRESTED FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS WHEN VISITING EUROPE

Coskun was convicted of a religiously aggravated public order offense and fined in June 2025.

That October, Coskun’s conviction was overturned when a judge ruled that while burning a Quran was "desperately upsetting and offensive" to many Muslims, the right to free expression "must include the right to express views that offend, shock or disturb."

The CPS is now seeking to reverse that decision at London's High Court, with Coskun telling The Telegraph that if the appeal goes against him, he may be forced "to flee" the country.

IRISH COMEDIAN SAYS UK PM STARMER HIDES FROM CULTURE WARS AS 'ORDINARY PEOPLE' FIGHT DAILY BATTLES

"For me, as the victim of Islamic terrorism, I cannot remain silent. I may be forced to flee the UK and move to the USA, where President Trump has stood for free speech and against Islamic extremism," he told the outlet.

"If I have to do so, then, to me, the UK will have effectively fallen to Islamism and the speech codes that it wishes to impose on the non-Muslim world," he added.

President Donald Trump and the U.S. administration have already criticized the U.K. and European governments over increased restrictions on expression.

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In 2025, Trump slammed the U.K.'s laws around online speech, saying "strange things are happening" there and that it was "not a good thing."

At the Munich Security Conference in 2025, Vice President JD Vance also said, "In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of State for comment.

Viral protest video against Iran’s supreme leader sparks copycat demonstrations worldwide

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 21:52:54 -0500

A viral video showing an Iranian refugee lighting a cigarette using a burning image of Iran’s supreme leader has become a global flashpoint as protests rock the Islamic Republic and President Donald Trump weighs military action against the regime.

The Associated Press reported the 34-second video shows a woman believed to be living in Canada igniting a photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – a capital crime in Iran – before calmly lighting a cigarette and letting the image fall to the ground.

The images accompanying this story show protesters recreating the act at demonstrations outside Iran, not the woman featured in the original viral video.

The footage has spread rapidly across social media as Iran’s government carries out a violent crackdown on dissent that activists say has killed thousands.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM INVITES IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO DAVOS AFTER REGIME SLAUGHTER OF IRANIAN CIVILIANS

The video has been shared millions of times across platforms such as X, Instagram and Reddit, with many viewers seeing it as a stark act of defiance against Iran’s clerical rulers.

Others have questioned whether the moment was spontaneous or staged, highlighting the growing skepticism that surrounds viral images in an age of artificial intelligence and information warfare.

What is undisputed is the symbolism of the act. In Iran, burning an image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can be punishable by death.

Smoking in public is considered immodest, and women are legally required to wear hijabs. In the brief clip, the woman defies all three norms at once, appearing without a headscarf as her hair hangs close to the flame.

G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS

The gesture has leapt from the digital world into the real one. Photos and videos have surfaced from protests in Europe, Israel and the U.S. showing demonstrators lighting cigarettes using images of Khamenei, mimicking what has become known online as the "cigarette girl" moment.

Iranian state media has announced wave after wave of arrests, targeting those it labels "terrorists" and seizing Starlink satellite internet equipment – often the only way videos can escape the country during government-imposed internet blackouts.

Activists say the regime has intensified repression in recent weeks as unrest spreads amid economic collapse and political instability.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE REVEALS 6-STEP PLAN TO EXERT PRESSURE ON TEHRAN'S REGIME

The AP reported the woman has described herself in interviews with other outlets as an Iranian refugee living in Toronto, and said she fled Iran after repeated arrests and abuse by security forces.

She filmed the video on Jan. 7, according to The AP – one day before Iran imposed a near-total internet blackout. She did so to show solidarity with "friends" inside the country, she said. She has asked that her real name not be published, citing fears for her safety and for family members who remain in Iran.

The video’s explosive reach underscores how social media has become a central battleground in modern conflicts, with images shaping global perception faster than governments can control them.

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As Trump weighs next steps toward Tehran, the clip has become more than a viral moment – it has become a symbol of resistance, scrutiny and the high stakes of dissent under authoritarian rule.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

'Jesus is Palestinian' billboard in Times Square this week placed by Arab-American rights group

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 16:23:01 -0500

A billboard placed this week in Times Square by the American-Arab Discrimination Committee claims that Jesus was a Palestinian, although the modern State of Palestine wasn't established until nearly 2,000 years after Jesus' birth.

"Jesus is Palestinian, Merry Christmas," reads one billboard from the committee, which on its website describes itself as the biggest Arab-American grassroots organization in the United States.

In a recent post on Instagram, the committee said that its billboards — another quotes the Quran about Jesus — were meant to bring awareness to the conflict between Gaza and Israel.

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In October, President Donald Trump orchestrated a peace deal between Gaza and Israel and facilitated the return of Israeli hostages taken during the Oct. 7 terror attack.

One slide in the Instagram post read, "As Gaza endures genocide, and the birthplace of Jesus is under siege and occupation, we reclaim a fundamental truth in the heart of Times Square. In a season of peace, we speak for those who’ve been denied peace."

"Beyond consumerism, we center unity, heritage and Palestine," another slide in the post read.

BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS TO RESUME CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AFTER WAR FORCED A TWO-YEAR PAUSE

According to the post, the billboards are meant to "Reclaim the truth, honoring the Palestinian refugee born in Bethlehem," combat the "ongoing erasure of Palestinian identity, culture, and rootedness to the land," call attention to "reverence" for Jesus in Islam, and to assert truth and reject silence.

Another slide, also featured on one of the billboards, quotes the Quran, which reads, "Remember when the angels proclaimed, ‘O Mary! Allah gives you good news of a Word from Him, his name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; honoured in this world and the Hereafter, and he will be one of those nearest to Allah.’"

The Instagram post discussing the billboards reads, "Our two NY billboards are an act of cultural resilience: ‘Jesus is Palestinian. Merry Christmas.’ The Quranic verse (3:45) announcing the blessed birth of Jesus, with ‘Merry Christmas’ in English and Arabic."

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Modern-day Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, is located in the West Bank and has a Muslim-majority population. The city at the time of the birth of Jesus was located in Judea. Bethlehem's Christian population as a percentage of the area has dwindled considerably since the 1950s.

The State of Palestine, which is not recognized by the United States and has non-member status in the United Nations, was established in 1988.

In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Adeb Ayoub, national executive director of the organization, said, "There will be disagreements and debates about names. However there is one thing that is indisputable - Israel has been killing Christians in the birthplace of Jesus with impunity for decades. Yesterday was the first time Christmas was celebrated in Bethlehem for the first time in 3 years. American taxpayers have been paying for the persecution of Christians by the [sic] Israel, and they are waking up to that fact."

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Ayoub added, "Of note, the Foreign Ministry of Israel also purchased ad space on that same billboard to counter our messaging, so American taxpayers are paying for the killing of Christians, and for the propaganda campaign to cover the atrocities by Israel. The coverage by media outlets about the killing of Christians by Israel has been non-existent. However, put a billboard up in Times Square and the coverage is there. Sadly, this billboard is the only way media outlets will discuss Christians in the Holy Land. Thank you for taking time to write about Christians living in the Holy Land. God Bless all people of faith, and God Bless the United States of America."

Afghan evacuee arrested before DC shooting federally charged with threatening terror attack

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:27:55 -0500

An Afghan national who arrived during the same Biden administration Kabul evacuation effort as the West Virginia National Guard shooting suspect was federally charged Tuesday with planning to attack civilians.

Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, 30, of Afghanistan but currently residing in Fort Worth, Texas, was charged at the state level last week with making a terrorist threat.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced federal charges for Alokozay, whom he said was threatening to "build a bomb," "conduct a suicide attack," and kill Americans and others." The feds charged Alokozay with transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce.

Raybould cited a video allegedly posted to social media by Alokozay that included Arabic lettering and the suspect "angrily gesturing and speaking Dari, a language commonly spoken in Afghanistan while conversing with two other males on a video call."

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Alokozay arrived in the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome under the Biden administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security. That effort resettled Afghans following the U.S. military withdrawal from Kabul at the end of August 2021.

On Sept. 7, 2022, Alokozay was admitted to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident (LPRs).

President Donald Trump and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow announced just days ago they are doing a full investigation of LPRs, also known as green cards, from certain areas after another Afghan evacuee – Rahmanullah Lakanwal – was accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guardsmen in Farragut Square in Washington, D.C.

OVER 700 IRANIAN NATIONALS RELEASED INTO US DURING BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DESPITE TERRORISM CONCERNS

Tuesday’s indictment said Alokozay threatened to conduct a suicide attack on other participants in the video call, as well as on "infidels" and U.S. citizens.

The onetime evacuee also made reference to a particular type of cooking oil container that the Taliban likes to use in order to build IEDs or improvised explosives in Afghanistan itself.

Alokozay allegedly said he came to the U.S. in order to kill the people he was speaking to on the call, and that he also wanted to purportedly conduct a suicide attack on Americans.

AIR GUARDSMAN WHO MADE VILE COMMENT ABOUT AMERICA CHARGED IN ANTISEMITIC ATTACK AND BOMB-MAKING PLOT

The suspect also said he was not afraid of getting deported or killed in the process.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Alokozay "explicitly stated that he came here in order to kill American citizens," contradicting Biden-administration reassurances about vetting.

HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE SAYS 'NATIONAL SECURITY BLUNDERS' OF PAST 4 YEARS HAVE EMBOLDENED TERRORISTS

"The public safety threat created by the Biden administration’s vetting breakdown cannot be overstated – the Department of Justice will continue working with our federal and state partners to protect the American people from the prior administration’s dangerous incompetence," Bondi said in a statement.

Raybould said his office has "zero tolerance" for threats of harm against the American people and that he credits the "rapid response" of state and federal authorities who captured Alokozay.

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The FBI has also been involved in the case, with its Dallas office’s leader, R. Joseph Rothrock, saying in a statement that public reports of the threatening video drew the FBI’s JTTF’s (Joint Terrorism Task Force) attention and allowed authorities to capture the suspect before he could carry out his alleged plans.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Mazzurco is prosecuting the case.

Fox News' Margaret Kerkman and Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.

Trump needs to help bring peace to Sudan because of what it means to the US

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 10:00:13 -0500

It was an unusual request, but a good one. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his meeting with President Donald Trump on Nov. 18, asked Trump to intervene in the ongoing uncivil war in Sudan. A war that has produced the greatest current humanitarian crisis on the planet. As many as 400,000 people already killed by war, disease and famine. An estimated 13 million people displaced.

Trump has previously demurred from getting involved. It’s another tough one that has a lot of history to it. Ethnic conflict, power struggle between military factions, Islamist and jihadist ideologies hanging around, international players on different sides and, seemingly, not much upside value to the U.S. But that’s where the superficial analysis is wrong.

Trump must use his position and unmatched skill at resolving global conflicts to bring this horrific disaster to an end. And he should do it for us, the Americans.

We are at our best when we use our power selflessly. Our stature rises and the atmospheric support for ongoing U.S. global leadership increases. This is a key moment for us as our leadership is being directly challenged by the Chinese Communist Party.

TRUMP, SAUDI CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN TO MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AMID DIPLOMATIC SHIFTS IN REGION

Add to that the trillion other reasons that the crown prince gave the president.

That being his pledge to invest $1 trillion into the United States. That’s not chump change, but it won’t automatically happen. Significant negotiations between leaders are done on a relational basis. There must be mutual trust. This isn’t about dotting I’s and crossing T’s in a contract. This is about fulfilling and getting what you believe in your heart you agreed to. There is an expectation game that must be matched or exceeded for the relationship to continue. Each leader must believe the other is fully committed to achieving what was agreed to in their hearts, not the details in signed agreements.

The recent meeting between the crown prince and the president will be the most significant between our two countries in decades if, in the coming months and years, each leader earnestly works to exceed the expectations of the other.

In that way, Sudan is a test. Will Trump really work and invest his authority and reputation to bring this humanitarian disaster to a conclusion? It’s worth more than a trillion dollars to the U.S. economy.

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And there is another, bigger issue: China is heavily courting Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis, with their resources and unrivaled status as defenders of Mecca and Medina, the two most holy sites for all Muslims, are the de facto leaders of the 56 Muslim-majority countries. We want the Saudis to be our key ally, not China’s, otherwise more nations may fall under China’s influence.

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China is strategically pursuing Saudi Arabia in its effort to be the leader of the world and to undercut the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency. This status has enormous benefits to our economy, a fact the Chinese recognize full well. The Chinese want to dethrone the dollar, and a key part of that strategy is to get the Saudis and other Gulf countries to trade in Chinese currency, not dollars. We cannot afford to let this happen.

Lives are at stake in Sudan, millions of them, but so is U.S. global leadership and dollar supremacy. President Trump should use his matchless skills and position as a peacemaker to save lives and further our interests.

If Gaza’s famine was real, how come it went away so fast?

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 05:00:17 -0500

For months, headlines warned of an impending famine in Gaza — images of starving children, shattered infrastructure and humanitarian collapse filled the news. On Aug. 22, 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared that while full data was lacking, expert inference indicated famine was underway. Governments pledged aid; humanitarian agencies sounded alarms. Yet today, the word "famine" has nearly vanished from headlines. What happened?

This is not to deny the human suffering in Gaza; it is to ask difficult, necessary questions. Was famine averted, exaggerated or politically reframed?

Famine has been described as a tree swaying in the wind — at some point it cannot recover and cannot be returned upright. But Gaza’s "famine tree" never appeared to fully sway. If aid efforts or local resilience truly prevented catastrophe, where is the evidence? On August 22, 2025, famine was declared, and the global press carried that narrative. Then came a shift to the word "starvation." Now, even that language has faded.

The distinction matters. Famine is a technical classification grounded in data — household food security surveys, acute malnutrition rates and mortality. Starvation, by contrast, is a moral and legal term implying intent; under international law, using starvation as a weapon constitutes a war crime. In Gaza, this rhetorical shift occurred before comprehensive data was gathered — an escalation of accusation without empirical foundation.

GAZA FAMINE CLAIMS FACE MOUNTING SCRUTINY AS MORTALITY DATA FALLS FAR SHORT OF PREDICTIONS

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Recovery from famine typically takes eight to 12 months, even under ideal conditions with full humanitarian access and functioning medical systems. Historical precedents — Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and Sudan in 2023 — show that malnutrition persists long after headlines fade. If Gaza truly met famine standards this summer, the signs would still be unmistakable: rising mortality, overwhelmed clinics and a generation of weakened children. Yet no such surge has been confirmed by independent medical reporting.

Another inconsistency is behavioral. True famine unleashes chaos — hunger overrides social norms and people fight to survive. In August, 84% of Gaza aid convoys were reportedly looted. Yet after the Oct. 10 ceasefire, U.N. 2720 data show interceptions fell to 6%, and by November, below 1%. Where did the desperation go? Where is the looting? Where are the crowds of thousands?

NEW STUDY SAYS AID THEFT BY TERROR GROUPS AND REGIMES IS PROLONGING GLOBAL CONFLICTS

Following the ceasefire, Hamas rapidly reasserted control, executing accused defectors and projecting an image of order. Recent videos show bustling markets and calm streets — a façade of normalcy meant to reinforce legitimacy. Within six weeks, famine conditions seemingly vanished. Can that be real?

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STUDY SAYS FOOD AID MEETS QUALITY, QUANTITY FOR GAZANS AS UN, ICC SAY ISRAEL STARVING CIVILIANS

If famine had truly taken hold, it would not have dissipated so quickly. Either the crisis was overstated, the data manipulated or public perception deliberately managed.

We cannot shy away from uncomfortable questions. Asking what happened to the famine in Gaza is responsible, not callous. Truth demands transparency, even when it challenges narratives we’ve grown accustomed to believing.

Outrage as Swedish court refuses to deport convicted rapist, PM promises crackdown

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:44:34 -0400

A Swedish appeals court’s decision not to deport a convicted rapist because his assault on a 16-year-old girl was not deemed "exceptionally grave" has ignited outrage, fueling a backlash against Sweden’s justice system.

The Court of Appeal for northern Norrland confirmed to Fox News Digital that the defendant, an Eritrean national and illegal immigrant, Yezied Mohamed, was sentenced to three years in prison for raping the 16-year-old girl from the northern town of Skellefteå, on Sept. 1, 2024. The court acknowledged that while the crime was serious, it did not meet the threshold for deportation because of its nature and short duration.

The ruling prompted swift condemnation from Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who released a video promising stricter deportation laws. "No one should have to worry about meeting their attacker or rapist on the street," Kristersson said. "Those who commit serious crimes in Sweden and are not Swedish citizens must leave the country."

In a written response to Fox News Digital, Judge Lars Viktorsson said the court considered both the nature and duration of the act, noting there was no use of weapon, and there wasn’t intercourse, and that "the duration of the incident had been short." "It is true that the duration of the rape was of significance in the assessment of the matter of deportation," Viktorsson stated, "However, the nature of the offense was at least as significant."

CRIMINAL GANGS RECRUITING TEENAGE GIRLS AS ASSASSINS AND BOMBERS, OFFICIALS WARN

Kristersson pledged to introduce "the toughest legislation in all the Nordic countries," stating that any crime resulting in more than a fine could lead to deportation. "With these new, stricter rules, six times as many people are expected to be deported. We are going further than any government has ever done before."

Migration Minister Johan Forssell echoed the prime minister's sentiment in a video he posted on X, calling the case unacceptable. "The victim’s right to safety must always outweigh the perpetrator’s right to stay in Sweden," he said. "Next year I will present new legislation that will make Sweden the toughest country in the Nordic region when it comes to crime-related deportations."

"We also need to review the international conventions that, until now, have made it harder to carry out necessary deportations. . . . This is about justice, and about giving victims the dignity and closure they deserve," he stated.

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The District Court initially acquitted him, accepting that a rape had occurred but finding insufficient evidence that he was the perpetrator. After an appeal, the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling, concluding that Mohamed matched the description given by the victim and a witness, and that forensic evidence placed him near the scene.

The court sentenced him to three years in prison, the minimum for rape in Sweden, and ordered him to pay 240,000 Swedish krona, about $25,600, in damages. It ruled that while the offense was serious, it was not "of such an exceptionally grave nature" to justify deportation under refugee protections. One judge dissented, arguing he should be expelled.

The decision sparked global attention after social media posts claimed Mohamed avoided deportation because the rape "lasted less than ten minutes." While no specific timeframe appears in the judgment, the court confirmed that duration was one factor in its assessment.

Swedish journalist Christian Peterson told Fox News Digital the ruling’s wording — referring to the "character and duration" of the act — "became a flashpoint for public anger."

"The judges themselves determined which aspects of the crime were relevant and whether those were sufficiently severe to justify deportation," Peterson said. "That’s what makes this ruling so controversial."

A post by Swedish commentator Evelina Hahne, viewed nearly 10 million times and shared by Elon Musk, accused Swedish courts of leniency toward migrants and reignited a nationwide debate over crime and immigration.

Peterson said the case highlights a broader issue: Sweden’s difficulty deporting migrants even after serious convictions.

EUROPEAN LEADERS WEIGH IN ON 'LEGITIMATE' ISSUE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: 'MUST BE STOPPED'

"In Sweden it’s very difficult to deport migrants, even those convicted of serious crimes," he said. "This case became symbolic because people feel it shows how the system protects offenders more than victims."

He noted similar cases, including the 2010 murder of Elin Krantz, a young woman killed by an Ethiopian man with a residence permit, and recent reports of rapes in elderly care homes involving foreign-born workers.

"Only after the right-wing coalition took power in 2022 did meaningful reforms begin to take shape," Peterson said. "Before that, the issue was considered too politically sensitive."

Sill, he says, "Sweden did not join a Danish-Italian initiative within the European Union to reform the European Convention on Human Rights, which critics say limits the ability to deport convicted offenders. Denmark, Italy and Austria signed on — Sweden did not."

As public anger mounts, Sweden’s government faces pressure to implement tougher policies.

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Judge Viktorsson told Fox News Digital the court followed existing law and precedent, "but the power to change deportation standards lies with lawmakers."

Immigration judge denies Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s bid for asylum, but he has 30 days to appeal

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 13:15:07 -0400

A U.S. immigration judge on Wednesday denied a bid for asylum from Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose case has become a proxy for the partisan power struggle over immigration policy.

The judge in the Baltimore immigration court denied an application to reopen Abrego Garcia's 2019 asylum case, but that is not the final word. Abrego Garcia has 30 days to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals.

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The Salvadoran national has an American wife and children and has lived in Maryland for years, but he originally immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager. In 2019, he was arrested by immigration agents. He requested asylum but was not eligible because he had been in the country for more than a year. However, the judge ruled that he could not be deported to El Salvador, where he faced danger from a gang that targeted his family.

'LAWLESS AND INSANE': TRUMP ADMIN READIES FOR FIGHT AFTER JUDGES BLOCK ABREGO GARCIA REMOVAL FOR NOW

When he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March and kept in a notorious prison, his case became a rallying point for those who opposed President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Facing a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, Trump's Republican administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S. in June, only to immediately charge him with human smuggling.

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While he faces those criminal charges in Tennessee, based on a 2022 traffic stop, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also seeking to deport him to a third country, proposing Uganda first and then Eswatini. His attorneys have denounced the criminal charges and the deportation efforts, saying they are an attempt to punish him for standing up to the administration.

North Carolina Dem says ‘no correlation’ between Charlotte train attack and accused killer’s repeated releases

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 05:07:53 -0400

A North Carolina state representative is under fire for saying there is "no correlation" between the murder of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee from Ukraine, and the fact that her accused killer had been released from jail 14 times.

State Rep. Marcia Morey, a longtime Democratic lawmaker and former judge, made the comments while defending the state’s bail system. Critics argue the system has allowed violent offenders to cycle in and out of custody with little accountability.

Decarlos Brown has been described by authorities as a dangerous career criminal who was repeatedly in and out of jail before he allegedly stabbed Zarutska to death on a light rail train in Charlotte. Many believe a broken bail system allowed him to remain free despite his violent record.

CHARLOTTE LIGHT-RAIL STABBING MURDER SPURS LANDMARK CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM FROM NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS

Morey, one of North Carolina’s most vocal advocates for bail reform, defended her comments and went on to condemn efforts to connect the case to bail policies.

"But don’t correlate what happened in January and a magistrate who set a bail according to guidelines to what happened in August. There is no correlation," she said during a legislative session.

Her argument has been countered by many lawmakers, who claim the tragedy shows exactly why it’s dangerous to allow repeat offenders back on the street.

NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS PASS 'IRYNA'S LAW' TO ELIMINATE CASHLESS BAIL AFTER CHARLOTTE TRAIN STABBING

Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger argued that bail reform measures designed to keep more defendants out of jail while awaiting trial are endangering public safety.

"Iryna should still be alive. She should be thriving and enjoying time with her family and friends," Berger said. "We cannot let North Carolina be held hostage by woke, weak-on-crime policies and court officials who prioritize criminals over justice for victims. We are also taking steps to revive the death penalty for those who commit the most heinous crimes."

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However, supporters of bail reform argue the system unfairly punishes low-income defendants who cannot afford release.

Families of victims like Zarutska, on the other hand, believe the consequences are deadly when repeat offenders are given chance after chance.

White House torches media after killer’s mother admits son should’ve been jailed before Zarutska murder

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:58:29 -0400

The White House unleashed on The Washington Post for its reporting on the stabbing murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by a career criminal on a train in North Carolina in August.

"White House: The career criminal who murdered Iryna Zarutska should’ve been locked up. Murderer’s mother: My son should’ve been locked up. Washington Post citing 'experts': Actually, locking up violent criminals is draconian!" White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X on Wednesday.

Leavitt was reacting to a Washington Post article, "Trump blames Democrats for Charlotte stabbing. Records complicate the story," which detailed the White House's position that left-wing cities have created violent trends via soft-on-crime policies such as no-cash bail. The article focused on the murder of Zarutska and the suspect allegedly behind the tragedy, Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr.

Brown had a lengthy arrest record ahead of Zarutska's death, racking up 14 arrests over the last decade, as well as convictions, including larceny and breaking and entering in 2013, and a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon, which landed him behind bars for six years, Fox Digital previously reported.

LIBERAL MEDIA FUEL 'REPUBLICANS POUNCE' NARRATIVE AS CHARLOTTE STABBING OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEE SPARKS OUTCRY

More recent charges included communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system earlier this year. Brown, however, was not under state supervision at the time of Zarutska's killing.

Brown's mother, whom The Washington Post mentioned in its Wednesday report, told local media that her son should have been detained at the time of the killing and lamented the court system released him despite previous arrests and mental health concerns. The White House provided its own statement to the outlet arguing violent criminals should be detained and not out on the streets, which The Washington Post included.

"This is not a ‘complicated issue,’ like many Democrats and left-wing media outlets have tried to claim; it is very simple: violent criminals belong behind bars, not sitting behind innocent bystanders on public transportation," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Washington Post for the story in question.

The White House took issue with the outlet, noting the mother's concern over her son's release and Jackson's statement before citing experts who reported to the outlet that "permanently confining people who are mentally ill for minor offenses is a ‘draconian’ and inhumane response."

CHARLOTTE MAYOR SLAMMED OVER COMMENTS AFTER WOMAN STABBED TO DEATH ON TRAIN

"The Trump administration will not let it go unnoticed that the failing left-wing media and out-of-touch, privileged reporters continue to bend over backwards to defend career criminals instead of the innocent victims that are murdered by these monsters," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox Digital of the media report.

"Enough is enough: the American people deserve better, and that begins by acknowledging the truth about how soft-on-crime policies fuel this unacceptable violence."

Fox News Digital reached out to The Washington Post for comment on the White House's response.

Brown's mom, who did not identify herself, told local outlet WSOC-TV in August that her son had long struggled with mental illness, noting that he "started saying weird things" after his release from prison for the 2015 robbery conviction.

"My heart goes out to the victim’s family. What he did was atrocious. It was horrible. It was wrong," she told outlet WSOC-TV.

CNN'S BRIAN STELTER SAYS 'PRO-TRUMP ACTIVISTS' SEIZED ON CHARLOTTE STABBING, RIPS 'BALDLY RACIST' COMMENTS

Ahead of the murder, Brown was charged by police for misusing the 911 system in January, when he claimed to operators that he was being controlled by a microchip, the New York Post reported. He was released from jail on cashless bail and provided a "written promise" to appear in court at a later date.

There were concerns over his mental health, however, with a prosecutor questioning if Brown could proceed in the court case before a judge ordered a forensic evaluation, according to WSOC-TV. Brown was not detained despite the concerns.

DEM GOVERNOR BREAKS SILENCE ON MURDER OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEE AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH

His mother told the local outlet that the court should not have allowed him to be in the community, citing his mental state and previous arrests, while adding that "the system failed him."

The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it federally charged Brown with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.

Leavitt, during a White House press briefing on Tuesday, railed against media outlets for their slow response in covering the fatal stabbing after it unfolded Aug. 22.

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"This is madness. This monster should have been locked up, and Iryna should still be alive, but Democrat politicians, liberal judges and weak prosecutors would rather virtue signal than lock up criminals and protect their communities," Leavitt said Tuesday.

"Perhaps most shamefully of all, the majority of the media, many outlets in this room, decided that her murder was not worth reporting on originally because it does not fit a preferred narrative."

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Alexander Hall contributed to this report.

Iryna Zarutska's family demands justice in first statement since 'horrific' stabbing

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 08:31:55 -0400

The family of Iryna Zarutska has released a statement for the first time since their loved one was brutally killed on a North Carolina light rail train, demanding justice and sweeping public safety reforms.

In a statement shared through their attorney, the family described her as a "kind and hardworking young woman, deeply loved by her family and friends."

The family said they are devastated by her sudden loss and want the man accused of killing the 23-year-old to remain behind bars.

CHARLOTTE MAYOR SCORES PRIMARY RE-ELECTION VICTORY AMID NATIONAL BACKLASH OVER GRUESOME TRAIN MURDER

"We are heartbroken beyond words. Iryna came here to find peace and safety and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way," the statement reads. "No family should have to go through this."

They said their immediate priority is ensuring accountability for Zarutska’s murder and stressed the case underscores a larger crisis in public safety.

"This could have been anyone riding the light rail that night… We are committed to making sure this never happens again."

Zarutska, a refugee from Ukraine, was heading home from her job at a pizzeria when Decarlos Brown Jr., a man with a history of mental illness and more than a dozen arrests, fatally stabbed her in a random attack, gruesome surveillance footage shows.

The ruthless killing has shocked the nation and fueled further criticism of blue-city policies that critics argue are soft on crime.

Brown has a history of mental illness and was arrested 14 times over the past 12 years, according to police records. He was arrested soon after the stabbing and charged with first-degree murder with the Department of Justice on Tuesday charging Brown with an additional count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HITS CHARLOTTE TRAIN STABBING SUSPECT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES

The Zarutska family kept their statement focused on transit security, calling for a full investigation into potential lapses in safety protocols and failures within the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS).

They said her murder highlights a systemic breakdown in transit security and pointed to a lack of visible or effective security on the Blue Line, failures of oversight in the contract between CATS and its private security provider, and the absence of safety measures that they said could have prevented the attack.

The Zarutska family called on Charlotte city officials to publicly address transit security failures and enact reforms. They also want advocates and allies to join them in demanding justice and long-term change.

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Zarutska had fled war for safety and opportunity in the United States and had been building a new life in Charlotte — working at a pizzeria and studying English at community college.

"That night, she texted her boyfriend that she would be home soon," the statement reads.

"Tragically, her journey ended in violence near the Camden light rail station. Her loved ones became alarmed when she did not arrive to her apartment at the anticipated time and her phone’s location alerted them that she was still at the station. Upon arriving at the station, they were devastated to learn that Iryna had died at the scene."

The family also urged the public and media to respect Zarutska’s dignity and their grief by not reposting or circulating the footage of her killing.

Who is Iryna Zarutska, Ukrainian refugee killed in Charlotte train attack?

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 20:12:14 -0400

Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee from Ukraine, came to the U.S. seeking safety from her war-torn homeland, but was stabbed to death on a train in North Carolina.

Zarutska was born to parents Anna Zarutska and Stanislav Zarutskyi on May 22, 2002. She is remembered by her friends as a passionate artist with a deep love for animals, with a goal of becoming a veterinary assistant, according to her obituary.

Before coming to the U.S., she graduated from Synergy College in Kyiv with a degree in art and restoration. Her obituary noted that Zarutska used her skills to make works of art for loved ones.

"Iryna will be remembered for her kindness, her creativity, and the lasting impression she left on everyone she met. Her absence leaves a deep void, but her spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved her," her obituary read.

DEM GOVERNOR BREAKS SILENCE ON MURDER OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEE AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH

In August 2022, Zarutska, her mother, sister and brother immigrated to the U.S. to escape the war in Ukraine. Zarutska was said to have quickly embraced her new life in the U.S. and became fluent in English.

"She was always very helpful, very supportive and just had a heart of gold," a family friend identified by her first name, Lonnie, told WCNC Charlotte. "She was a sweetheart. And it makes me sick to think that she's gone."

On Aug. 22, Zarutska boarded a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, on her way home from work at Zepeddie's Pizzeria. Still in her uniform, Zarutska sat down in front of a man wearing a red hoodie. Moments later, the man pulled out a knife and stabbed her to death. The suspect was later identified as Decarlos Brown, who was arrested and charged with murder.

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After Zarutska’s killing, Zepeddie's Pizzeria issued a statement on social media, calling her death "a tremendous loss."

"We lost not only an incredible employee, but a true friend. Our dear Iryna left this world far too soon, and our hearts are heavy with grief," Zepeddie’s Pizzeria wrote on Instagram. "As we continue to process this tragedy, we ask for your understanding and respect for our team as we try to find peace… Iryna, we miss you more than words can say. You will forever be in our hearts."

Zepeddie’s mentioned in the post that its staff had kept a candle lit in Zarutska’s honor, symbolizing "the warmth, kindness and light she brought to our lives every day."

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Brown has been charged with first-degree murder, according to the Mecklenburg County arrest warrant. Police said Brown and Zarutska did not know each other and that the attack was random.

Records obtained by Fox News Digital show Brown has a lengthy history of arrests, going back over a decade. His record includes convictions for larceny and breaking-and-entering in 2013 and a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon.

He served in prison until 2020 and was on parole until 2021. Subsequent charges against him included communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system earlier this year.

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

I’m a Vietnamese refugee. We are proud to speak the language of our new home as all immigrants should

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 10:00:21 -0400

After the fall of Saigon in 1975, waves of South Vietnamese refugees fled to the United States, seeking freedom and safety. About 125,000 refugees were airlifted initially, with upwards of 800,000 refugees fleeing in the years following – many of whom ended up settling in the U.S. As of 2017, Vietnamese-Americans comprise approximately 3% of America’s immigrants, and represent the sixth-largest foreign-born population.

Upon resettling in the United States, many refugees encountered a language barrier which made navigating new lives in a new nation a challenge. As a member of a refugee family who narrowly escaped the treachery of the communist Vietcong, my family was one of the many blessed and fortunate South Vietnamese families who received a gift to start a new life in America. We are grateful every day to the U.S. for this generous opportunity.

However, like many, we were faced with complex systems, unfamiliar schools and an employment market that required English proficiency. In our quest to assimilate into American culture and earn our citizenship, mastering the English language was necessary to foster a sense of belonging, unity and collective American identity.

THIS JULY 4TH, HERE’S HOW MY FAMILY EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE CALLED ‘AMERICANS’ – LEGALLY

Unfortunately, many recent immigrant groups do not maintain and have failed to prioritize English proficiency in the same manner. According to recent research, 46% of illegal aliens speak English "not well" or "not at all." That must change – and thankfully, President Donald Trump is taking meaningful action to ensure it does.

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On March 1, 2025, Trump issued Executive Order 14224, "Designating English as the Official Language of the United States." Although the U.S. has never formally declared English its official language at the federal level, its role as the de-facto language of government, education and commerce provided much-needed structure. Designating an official language is not exclusionary as critics may claim but is empowering for any new immigrant who seeks freedom and opportunity here. Learning English opens doors to forming bonds with our neighbors and develops a sense of national pride in being American.

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While this executive order focuses on analyzing the cost value of language services in the federal government, the designation of an official language is critical in re-establishing our bonds as Americans, especially in politically and socially Balkanized society. Further steps should be taken at the state and local level, especially within workplaces and educational institutions, to ensure that the spirit of this executive order is realized where it matters most.

MINNESOTA STATE REPRESENTATIVE ADMITS SHE IS IN THE US ILLEGALLY DURING LEGISLATIVE DEBATE

Language policy isn’t just about words, but it about opening doors of communication and creating a pathway to becoming an American. For refugees like my family and many others from South Vietnam, it’s about survival, dignity and the chance to start again. In a new and complex world, knowing the language of your new home is not just helpful, it’s liberating. I applaud President Trump for taking steps to help build unity, a collective national identity and opening the door for everyone to identify as Americans.

Farage slams secret Afghan refugee resettlement to UK, claims sex offenders among arrivals

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 20:58:25 -0400

Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, slammed the Conservative and Labour parties after it was revealed this week thousands of Afghan refugees were secretly resettled into the country without the public's knowledge.

Farage claimed some of those Afghans are sex offenders, sparking a row with the ruling Labour Party, which denied the claims.

Around 4,500 Afghans have been relocated to the U.K. so far with around 6,900 expected to be relocated overall.

EUROPEAN NATIONS DEMAND POWER TO DEPORT IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMIT CRIMES

Meanwhile, waves of migrants continue arriving by boat, further inflaming public frustration over unchecked immigration.

"Amongst the number that have come are convicted sex offenders – I am not, I promise you, making any of this up, and the total cost of this operation has been a staggering £7 billion [$9 billion]," Farage said in a post on X.

"The numbers are off the charts, the cost is beyond comprehension and the threat to women walking the streets of this country, frankly, is incalculable."

Relocating the 6,900 Afghans is expected to cost £850 million [$1.1 billion]. The £7 billion Farage referenced is likely the total cost of all Afghan resettlement programs since 2021 of about 36,000 Afghans through multiple schemes.

The British government earlier this week revealed it secretly resettled thousands of Afghan nationals in the U.K. after a catastrophic data breach exposed nearly 19,000 applicants who had worked with U.K. forces, an operation kept under wraps by a rare "super injunction" that barred even the mention of its existence.

The injunction was lifted Tuesday in conjunction with a decision by Britain’s current Labour Party government to make the program public.

'AFGHANS FOR TRUMP' GROUP FEELS ABANDONED AFTER ADMINISTRATION REVOKES REFUGEE PROTECTIONS

A spreadsheet containing the personal information of the nearly 19,000 people who had applied to relocate to the U.K. after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was accidentally released in 2022 because of a defense official’s email error. The government only became aware of the leak when some of the data was published on Facebook 18 months later.

"I can’t think of a better example of the total incompetence, dishonesty and genuine lack of understanding of what the priorities of a British government are than this Afghan scandal," Farage added.

But U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey denied any known sex offenders had been allowed into the U.K. under the program and insisted everyone had been checked "carefully" for any criminal records

He said if Farage had any "hard evidence," he should report it to the police.

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"Anyone who has come into this country under any of the government schemes that was under the previous government and now from Afghanistan is checked carefully for security, checked carefully for any of those sort of criminal records that would preclude and prevent them coming to this country," Healey told Times Radio, according to The Sun.

British soldiers were sent to Afghanistan as part of an international deployment against al Qaeda and Taliban forces in the war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. At the peak of the operation, there were almost 10,000 U.K. troops in the country, mostly in Helmand province in the south.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Veteran-led mission evacuates Americans from Israel as Biden's 'weakened' foreign policy blamed for risk

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:00:40 -0400

A veteran-led rescue organization is stepping up efforts to evacuate United States citizens and allies from Israel as tensions continue to hit a boiling point in the region following weeks of airstrikes between Israel and Iran.

Project DYNAMO – a nonprofit organization founded by veterans and intelligence professionals – specializes in rescuing Americans and allies from high-risk situations and disaster areas.

"We fill the gap [with] the bureaucracy of the government being so big, but at the same time, not necessarily," Mario Duarte, president and CEO of Project DYNAMO, told Fox News Digital. "With the capacity to cover the entire world, and millions and millions of Americans that at any given moment are around the world, there is always a need for someone to come and help our fellow Americans."

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The organization was founded in 2021 in response to the U.S. military’s Afghanistan withdrawal. Since its initial launch, Project DYNAMO has conducted over 7,000 rescues from areas abroad and domestic natural disaster incidents, according to its website. While Project DYNAMO primarily focuses on physical extraction from an area, it also provides psychological resources for the evacuees they are working to save.

As the situation in the Middle East escalated leading up to and immediately following the U.S. military’s airstrikes on Iran’s three key nuclear bases over the weekend, Americans within the region began frantically trying to evacuate Israel.

Approximately 700,000 Americans currently live in Israel, with the vast majority dual nationals, according to estimates.

STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT HAS PROVIDED GUIDANCE TO MORE THAN 25,000 PEOPLE IN ISRAEL, WEST BANK AND IRAN

In response to the rising tensions following Israel’s initial bombing of Iran earlier this month, Project DYNAMO began extracting Americans and American allies from the country – with the organization’s 10th bus from Israel to Jordan departing on Sunday.

"For a few days, [the U.S. government] has been saying that there is going to be some sort of operation to extract Americans," Duarte said. "But at the same time, they keep saying that Americans should not wait for the government to do something. The situation is risky. People don't want to be in Israel anymore."

Individuals are accounted for from the moment they are taken into the care of Project DYNAMO, according to Duarte, who pointed to the most recent bombing of a residential building in Israel occurring over the weekend, forcing the organization to act. The organization’s model allows rescuers to evacuate approximately 1,000 individuals per week, according to Duarte.

US AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL MIKE HUCKABEE INDICATES US IS WORKING TO OFFER EVACUATION OPTIONS

"The danger is there," Duarte told Fox News Digital. "It's clear and present. And the thing is, there is no actual response yet. And that's one of the reasons why Project DYNAMO deployed to the region, because someone had to do it."

As of Friday, the U.S. had evacuated 79 staff members and families from the U.S. Embassy in Israel – one day before President Donald Trump ordered the devastating airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The military flight was the second known evacuation in the days leading up to the attack on Iran, with the plane departing Tel Aviv for Sofia, Bulgaria, before the passengers boarded a connecting flight to Washington, according to an internal State Department memo obtained by The Associated Press.

The document also indicated that more than 6,400 U.S. citizens living in Israel had submitted documentation asking for information regarding U.S.-charted evacuation flights. An additional 3,265 people, including some individuals who also completed the online form, also called an emergency hotline to request assistance.

1,500 JEWISH AMERICANS EVACUATED FROM ISRAEL AS DESANTIS SPONSORS RESCUE FLIGHTS TO TAMPA

Between 300 and 500 people per day are estimated to require evacuation assistance from Israel, with the U.S. government weighing the options of using flights or ships to extract Americans from the region.

"I think that risk to Americans has increased significantly," Duarte said. "Not because of the current actions of the [Trump] administration. But because in the past several years, the U.S. government – especially under the Biden administration – was weakened by its own position in foreign policy, which allowed other actors to dictate certain situations."

To date, Project DYNAMO has evacuated 228 Americans and allies from Israel, including 30 veterans visiting the country for a retreat and several young schoolchildren, since Israel began striking Iran on June 13.

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However, Duarte insists there are thousands more U.S. citizens waiting to be extracted from the region, with the organization having a backlog of requests due to funding limitations. Despite the logistical constraints, Duarte is confident that Project DYNAMO possesses the unique capabilities to rescue at-risk individuals from Israel in a safe, efficient manner.

"It's a lot of things that go into this," Duarte said. "But that has to be done. It's an opportunity to show the good American spirit in other parts of the world."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Seven migrants drown as boat capsizes at Spain's Canary Islands dock

Wed, 28 May 2025 10:41:57 -0400

Spanish emergency services say four women and three girls died when a small boat carrying migrants capsized while arriving to port at one of Spain’s Canary Islands on Wednesday.

Spain's maritime rescue service, which located the boat some 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) from the shore, said the boat tipped over as rescuers started removing minors as it arrived at a dock on the island of El Hierro.

BABY GIRL BORN ON PACKED MIGRANT BOAT HEADING FOR SPAIN'S CANARY ISLANDS

The movement of people on the boat caused it to tip and then turn over, dumping the occupants into the water, the service said.

Emergency services for the Canary Islands said four women, a teenage girl and two younger girls perished in the accident. One of the girls was found by a rescue diver.

A helicopter evacuated two more children, a girl and a boy, to a local hospital in serious condition after they nearly drowned, the service added.

FIVE ILLEGALS CHARGED IN ALLEGED MARITIME HUMAN SMUGGLING ATTEMPT THAT LEFT CHILD DEAD

Local media reports said the small boat appeared to be packed with over 100 people. Spanish rescuers and members of the Red Cross pulled people out of the water.

The Spanish archipelago located off Africa’s western coast has for years been a main route for migrants who risk their lives in dinghies and rubber boats unfit for long journeys in the open sea. Thousands have been known to die on the way to European territory.

Nearly 47,000 people who made the crossing last year reached the archipelago, surpassing previous records for a second time. Most were citizens of Mali, Senegal and Morocco, with many boarding boats to Spain from the coast of Mauritania.

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The arrivals include thousands of unaccompanied minors.

Some 10,800 people had arrived via the Atlantic to the Canary Islands by mid-May, which was down by 34% compared to the same period in 2024.