McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Two advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit Thursday asking the courts to halt new Trump Administration vetting procedures for reuniting children who crossed into the U.S. without their parents, saying the changes are keeping families separated longer and are inhumane.
The lawsuit was filed by the National Center for Youth Law and Democracy Forward in federal court in the District of Columbia. It names the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its Office of Refugee Resettlement and seeks a return to prior reunification procedures.
Critics note the government data shows the average time that the children are held in custody before release by the Office of Refugee Resettlement to their sponsors grew from 37 days in January to over 112 days by March.
In February, the Trump administration changed the way it reviews sponsors who want to care for migrant children in government custody, whether parents or relatives of the minors — or others. More changes followed in March and April when the government started to require identification or proof of income that only those legally present in the U.S. could acquire. Advocates for the families affected are asking a judge to declare the changes unlawful and return the agency to the policies in place before that.
“The government has dramatically increased the burden on families in a way that deeply undermines children’s safety. These policy changes are part of a broader unraveling of a bi-partisan, decades-long commitment to support the best interests of unaccompanied children,” said Neha Desai, a managing director at National Center for Youth Law.
Attorneys said they had heard from families who were moments away from receiving their children back when the rules were abruptly changed. Now, many say they are left waiting indefinitely.
“The administration has reversed years of established children’s welfare protections and replaced them with fear, prolonged detention, and bureaucratic cruelty,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward in a statement.
One Mexican woman who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of fears of deportation said she and her 8-year-old son were led to believe repeatedly that they would be reunited, only to find out the new policy changes would derail their plans.
The mother, who arrived first across the border from Mexico, has noticed her son lose hope over the last 11 months, even refusing to unpack after the last time he thought his release from a government-run shelter was imminent.
“He’s seen so many children who have come, leave, and he’s stayed behind,” said the mother, who wasn’t part of the lawsuit.
The Trump administration says it is increasing scrutiny of parents and other sponsors before giving them custody of their children who have crossed the border as unaccompanied minors.
HHS did not immediately respond to emails from AP seeking comment in response to the lawsuit filed Thursday afternoon.
Similar restrictions were imposed in 2018 under Trump’s first presidency during the rollout of a zero-tolerance policy that separated families and required fingerprinting for all members of a household receiving a child. The administration scaled back the requirements after custody times increased.
____
This story has been updated to correct that the Department of Homeland Security was not named in the lawsuit as previously stated.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — An asbestos screening clinic in a small Montana town where thousands have been sickened by toxic dust from a nearby mine has been abruptly shuttered by authorities following a court order to seize the clinic’s assets to pay off a judgment to the railroad BNSF.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office closed on Wednesday the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the U.S.-Canada border. The town of about 3,000 people is near a mine that produced asbestos dust for decades, and the clinic has been at the forefront of efforts to help victims.
Courts in Montana have said BNSF contributed to the pollution when it brought contaminated material from the mine through town, and the railway separately faces numerous lawsuits from asbestos victims in Libby and surrounding communities.
But the Texas-based railway prevailed in a 2023 lawsuit alleging the clinic fraudulently made some patients eligible for government benefits when it knew they were not sick. The railway challenged the validity of over 2,000 diagnoses by the clinic and 337 were ruled false.
The railway brought the lawsuit on behalf of the federal government, which provides specialized Medicare services to Libby’s asbestos victims. BNSF was entitled to a share of the $6 million judgment against the clinic, and after adding in attorney fees, court costs and interest, the railway says it’s now owed $3.1 million.
“The judge determined the amount of damages to be repaid, and the process for recovery is set by law,” BNSF spokesperson Kendall Kirkham Sloan said in a statement.
Clinic Executive Director Tracy McNew said the closure would have a broad impact on public health in the Libby area as fewer people are screened for asbestos-related health problems.
“CARD remains committed to its patients and the Libby community and will fight to reopen as soon as possible,” McNew said in a statement.
The clinic for more than 20 years has provided health screenings, monitoring and treatment of patients with problems caused by asbestos exposure. It declared bankruptcy after the judgment in the fraud case was handed down. It kept operating and didn’t pay the money under a settlement reached in bankruptcy court with the federal government that included BNSF.
CARD bankruptcy attorney James “Andy” Patten said the railway’s attempts to collect on the fraud judgment violated the bankruptcy settlement, which was approved by a federal court.
Sloan declined to comment on the bankruptcy settlement.
TEXARKANA — According to our news partner KETK, the Texarkana Police Department is looking for a suspect identified in a string of burglaries at two oil change businesses in Texas and one in Arkansas.
Surveillance video from a nearby apartment complex captured two men carrying a safe while running from one of the businesses, Texarkana PD said. Authorities identified one suspect as Jaquavion Williams and issued felony warrants for his arrest. Williams told detectives he would turn himself in, but that did not happen.
Police are asking for those with information about William’s whereabouts to call them at 903-798-3116 or contact Texarkana Area Crime Stoppers at 903-793-STOP. People with information can stay anonymous and possibly earn a $1,000 reward.
TYLER — Pope Leo XIV, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was involved in a leadership assessment while working in the Vatican, that lead to Bishop Joseph Strickland’s removal from the Diocese of Tyler in 2023 according to our news partner KETK.
The Vatican Dicastery for Bishops performed a formal investigation of Strickland looking into his social media use and diocesan management. Strickland, who served at the Diocese of Tyler for 11 years, faced criticism on several posts including a tweet that said Pope Francis was “undermining the Deposit of Faith.”Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas of Tucson conducted the investigation and concluded that Strickland’s tenure in office should not continue.
Pope Francis, known for his more progressive values, was open about his concerns with conservatives being in the U.S. Catholic hierarchy. Strickland opposed Francis’ stance on LGBTQ Catholics and having women in governance, according to the Associated Press. Continue reading Pope Leo XIV helped remove Bishop Strickland from Diocese
(ROME) -- Americans and world leaders are cheering for the new leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, whose name is Robert Francis Prevost.
The 69-year-old, who hails from Chicago, is the first pope from the United States.
President Donald Trump congratulated Pope Leo on social media, saying, "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope."
"What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country," Trump's post continued. "I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"
Former President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic who has spoken about his warm relationship with Pope Francis, wrote on social media, "Habemus papam -- May God bless Pope Leo XIV of Illinois. Jill and I congratulate him and wish him success."
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, in a post on X on Thursday night, wrote, "Congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his historic selection. Doug and I join millions across our nation and around the world in praying for him as he steps into his new role and leads the Catholic Church."
Former President Barack Obama said, "Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Catholic, said in a statement, "This is a moment of profound significance for the Catholic Church, offering renewed hope and continuity amid the 2025 Jubilee Year to over a billion faithful worldwide."
"The United States looks forward to deepening our enduring relationship with the Holy See with the first American pontiff," Rubio's statement said.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also a Catholic, said, "All of us hope and pray for the success of His Holiness and his vision for the Church."
"In his own words, Pope Leo XIV said, 'We can be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges, that is always open to receive everyone,'" she said in a statement. "Let us thank God for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and for this vision of unity."
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called Prevost's selection "the greatest moment in the history of the greatest city," telling ABC News Live that the new pope was "born in Chicago, educated in Chicago, came back and served this city."
Johnson praised the new pope, saying he "recognizes and understands the value of immigration." The last pope to be named Leo, Leo XIII in 1878, was known as the "Pope of Labor," and Johnson called Chicago the most pro-worker city in America.
"Today is truly a remarkable day" for Chicago and the world, Johnson said.
World leaders are also offering their congratulations.
Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, wrote on X, "I extend my most sincere wishes to Pope Leo XIV for the beginning of his pontificate."
"In a time marked by conflicts and unrest, his words from the Loggia of Blessings are a powerful call for peace, fraternity, and responsibility," Meloni wrote in Italian. "A spiritual legacy that follows in the path traced by Pope Francis, and which Italy regards with respect and hope."
The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, posted a statement to X that the election of Pope Leo XIV was a "profound moment of joy for Catholics in the United Kingdom."
"Pope Leo is the first American Pope," Starmer wrote. "This is a momentous moment."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X that Prevost's ascension to pope reaffirms "our humanistic commitment to promoting peace and prosperity in the world."
Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, offered well wishes to Pope Leo XIV and described his election as a "historic moment for the Catholic community."
"The white smoke rising above the Sistine Chapel signals the beginning of a new papacy – a moment of renewal, hope, and unity for more than a billion faithful worldwide," Carney posted to X.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulated Pope Leo XIV, writing on X that he hopes he continues the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
"We do not need wars, hatred, and intolerance," Da Silva wrote in Portuguese. "We need more solidarity and more humanism. We need love for our neighbor, which is the foundation of Christ's teachings."
The Augustinian Catholic university Villanova University in Pennsylvania is also celebrating the pope, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics there in 1977.
"What a proud and extraordinary day for Villanova University and the global Church!" university president the Rev. Peter M. Donohue said in a message to the Villanova community.
"A new Pope brings fresh perspectives, renewed priorities and spiritual guidance, all of which can deepen our mission, strengthen our values and enrich our community," Donohue said. "Known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence and warmth, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership offers an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our educational mission, through an Augustinian lens, as we pursue intellectual and spiritual growth."
As the war between Ukraine and Russia rages on, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media, "Congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex on his election to the See of Saint Peter and the beginning of his pontificate."
"Ukraine deeply values the Holy See's consistent position in upholding international law, condemning the Russian Federation's military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians," Zelenskyy said. "At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine's efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace. I wish His Holiness Leo XIV wisdom, inspiration, and strength -- both spiritual and physical -- in carrying out his noble mission."
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message, "Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your election as Pope. I am confident that the constructive dialog and interaction established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to develop on the basis of the Christian values that unite us. I wish you, Your Holiness, success in fulfilling the high mission entrusted to you, as well as good health and well-being."
Amid the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, "I send you my warmest wishes from the Holy City of Jerusalem. We look forward to enhancing the relationship between Israel and the Holy See, and strengthening the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and around the world."
"May your papacy be one of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples," he continued. "May we see the immediate and safe return of the hostages still held in Gaza, and a new era of peace in our region and around the world."
(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump is strongly considering installing Fox News host and former prosecutor Jeanine Pirro as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The potential selection comes as Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday that Ed Martin, who is currently serving as D.C.'s interim top prosecutor, would not be taking the position permanently after losing support among top Republicans in the Senate.
An announcement about a new interim U.S. attorney could come as soon as Thursday, sources said. Sources caution that plans could always change and a decision is never final until publicly announced by the president.
The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment from ABC News. A representative for Fox News press relations did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment, nor did Pirro.
Pirro has been a longtime ally of Trump, dating back to her time as a prominent prosecutor in New York. She was an early supporter of his 2016 campaign and publicly defended him during the "Access Hollywood" tape scandal.
Following Trump's loss in the 2020 election, Pirro pushed false allegations of election fraud involving voting machines and was later among the Fox News employees named in the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit for broadcasting false claims about the company. Fox News eventually settled for $787.5 million and admitted the statements were false.
In 2019, Pirro was reportedly suspended by Fox News after she questioned the loyalty of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to the U.S. Constitution, citing Omar's Muslim faith.
Martin, who had been vying to become the top prosecutor in one of the nation's most important U.S. attorney's offices, has served as the interim U.S. attorney since the start of the administration, but his interim term expires on May 20.
Martin promoted Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" campaign in 2021 and was himself seen on Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump said Thursday that Martin could serve in another capacity at the Department of Justice.
One of Trump's final acts before leaving office in 2021 was issuing a last-minute pardon to Pirro's ex-husband, a longtime GOP donor.
With less than an hour before his term ended, Trump granted one final pardon to Albert Pirro, who was convicted more than two decades ago on 34 counts of conspiracy and tax evasion after he was found to have improperly deducted over $1 million in lavish personal expenses as a tax write-off for his businesses.
Charlize Theron is back as warrior Andy in the official trailer for The Old Guard 2.
The trailer for the sequel arrives almost five years after the original The Old Guard film released on Netflix in 2020. It follows Andy and her team of immortal warriors who are back to protect humanity from a new enemy.
"Andy grapples with her newfound mortality as a mysterious threat emerges that could jeopardize everything she’s worked towards for thousands of years," according to the film's official synopsis.
This mysterious threat involves new cast member Uma Thurman, who plays the first of the immortals.
"For centuries I've watched you fight to protect humanity while forsaking your own kind," Thurman says in the trailer. "I will destroy you and everything you stand for with a power you can't even imagine yet."
The crew of Nile (KiKi Layne), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli) and James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) all return for the sequel. They're joined by Tuah, played by Henry Golding, an old friend who may provide the key to unlocking the mystery behind immortal existence.
Victoria Mahoney directed the sequel, which Netflix describes as "an emotional, adrenaline-pumping" movie based on the world created by Greg Rucka and illustrator Leandro Fernandez.
(NEW YORK) -- Former President Joe Biden, in a wide-ranging interview on ABC's "The View" on Thursday, said he was not surprised by Vice President Kamala Harris' loss in the 2024 presidential election, but not because of her qualifications as a candidate -- instead, pointing to sexism and racism he said had been leveled against her.
"I wasn't surprised, not because I didn't think the vice president was the most qualified person to be president … I wasn't surprised because they went the route of -- the sexist route, the whole route," Biden said.
He continued: "I've never seen quite as successful and consistent campaign, undercutting the notion that a woman couldn't lead the country -- and a woman of mixed race."
But Biden, separately, said he still thinks he would have beaten Trump if he had stayed in the race.
"Yeah, he still got seven million fewer votes," Biden said of Trump, noting by how much he beat Trump in the 2020 election popular vote.
His comments come after several months out of the spotlight for the former president as he and Democrats look to sort out his role post-presidency. Last month, Biden emerged from private life to deliver a speech on Trump's potential impact on Social Security and made an appearance at Harvard University.
Questions persist on the party's priorities and who may be the best to message and communicate on the Democrats' behalf -- questions that extend to both Biden and Harris.
Biden, for his part, told "The View" that he's in the midst of self-reflection -- and, to that end, writing a book.
"Things are moving along and we're getting squared away trying to figure out what the most significant and consequential role I can play, consistent with what I've done in the past," he said.
The former president also addressed his relationship with his former running-made-turned-candidate, saying that he and Harris had spoken as recently as Wednesday. Yet, he quickly stopped himself from addressing specifics of their "frequent" conversations, including side-stepping any chatter about Harris' possible gubernatorial or potential presidential ambitions.
Sources have told ABC News previously that Harris may be mulling a run for governor of California, her home state; others have speculated she could mount a run for president in 2028 -- a controversial notion within the Democratic Party.
Many of Harris' longtime national supporters told ABC News in March that they are lukewarm on her potentially running for president in 2028; others have called for a full break from the Biden-Harris administration and for the party to consider new standard bearers.
But on Harris' broader political future, Biden said he was hopeful that she stayed involved in some significant way, but stopped short of sharing which route he hopes she takes.
"She's got a difficult decision to make about what she's going to do. I hope she stays fully engaged. I think she's first-rate, but we have a lot of really good candidates as well. So, I'm optimistic. I'm not pessimistic," Biden said.
Biden's remarks don't seem to have mollified progressives who felt he hamstrung Democrats' chances in 2024. Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green said in a statement after the interview that the former president is in "denial" over both his and Harris' viability as strong candidates on the 2024 ticket, suggesting that anti-establishment Democrats would fare better to lead the party.
"Joe Biden is in denial about the fact that neither he nor Kamala Harris should have been the 2024 Democratic nominee if we wanted to defeat Donald Trump. In this moment, voters demand authentic anti-establishment figures who will shake up a broken political system and economic status quo rigged for billionaires against working people, and that's not Biden or Harris."
Asked on "The View" to respond to claims that he should have dropped out of the race and endorse Harris sooner, Biden said that Harris still had a long period to campaign and that they worked together "in every decision I made."
Biden also denied reporting that claimed he had advised Harris to suggest that there was no daylight between the two of them -- saying that they were partners and worked together.
"The View" co-anchor Sunny Hostin brought up Harris' comments on "The View" in October, toward the end of her presidential campaign, when asked if she would have done "something differently" from what Biden had done over the last four years. She responded, "there is not a thing that comes to mind," a moment widely seen as one that hurt her among voters who felt she needed to make a cleaner break from the Biden White House.
"I did not advise her to say that," Biden said, adding that he thought Harris meant she would not change any of the successes that the Biden-Harris White House had achieved.
"She was part of every success we had. We'd argue like hell, by the way," Biden added, stressing that the disagreements were all signs of a positive working relationship.
Even though he indicated no tension between himself and Harris, Biden did not answer directly when asked about tension between him and other longtime supporters, including former President Barack Obama, whose administration he served in as vice president.
Asked about what his relationship with Obama is like now, and how he addresses concerns Obama and others reportedly raised over his ability to serve a second term as president, Biden pivoted to why he got out of the race -- and did not mention Obama.
"The only reason I got out of the race was because I didn't want to have a divided Democratic Party ... I thought it was better to put the country ahead of my interest, my personal interest," Biden said.
Biden did say, in his response, that concerns over his age -- 81 during the campaign -- were valid, but pointed to what he still accomplished at the end of his presidency as evidence against claims he had cognitively declined.
ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler and Zohreen Shah contributed to this report.
Gollum is coming back to movie screens in time for Christmas 2027.
According to Variety, Warner Bros. Pictures has announced that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will arrive in movie theaters on Dec. 17, 2027.
Andy Serkis, who has played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings franchise for decades, will direct the upcoming film.
This release date confirms that the film has been delayed for a year. When the project was announced in May 2024, the studio said the film would be ready in 2026.
The Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will produce The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, with the studio saying the creatives will be on board every step of the way.
“Yesssss, Precious. The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle-earth Peter, Fran and Philippa,” Serkis said at the time the project was announced.
Jackson, Walsh and Boyens also gave a joint statement at the time the project was first announced.
“It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker - Gollum!" they said.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Texas man associated with a neo-Nazi group was convicted on Wednesday of posting threats to lynch and kill Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk after another group member was charged with attacking a downtown bar worker.
David Aaron Bloyed, 60, of Frost, Texas, was found guilty by a federal jury in Nashville of one count of communicating a threat in interstate commerce, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. He faces up to five years in prison at sentencing.
Bloyed was found to have posted a photograph of Funk with the caption, “Getting the rope,” and an emoji finger pointed towards Funk’s image. A second post included a drawing of a person hanging by the neck from a gallows, with the phrase, “The ‘Rope List’ grew by a few more Nashville jews today.” Both included swastika symbols.
Funk was targeted after a group of white supremacist, antisemitic and neo-Nazi provocateurs came to Nashville last summer and began livestreaming antics for shock value — waving swastika flags through crowded streets, singing hate songs on the downtown courthouse steps, and even briefly disrupting a Metro Council meeting.
At one point, a fight broke out between a bar worker and a member of the group, who used metal flagpole with a swastika affixed to the top to hit the employee. The group member was charged with aggravated assault. The bar worker was also charged in the tussle.
“Antisemitic hate has no place in Nashville or anywhere, and this verdict shows these hateful threats for what they are: a crime,” Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee, said in a news release.
GOLDEN OAKS – According to a report from our news partner KETK, a woman was attacked by a pack of dogs in Golden Oaks Wednesday night and had to be airlifted to a local hospital.
Around 8:41 p.m., Payne Springs Fire Rescue volunteers received a call about a woman who was attacked by a pack of dogs and experienced traumatic injuries, officials said. When volunteers arrived, they requested UT Health Air 1 launch to the Gun Barrel City Fire helicopter pad.
(VATICAN CITY) -- Pope Leo XIV's first message to the world shortly after becoming the new pontiff focused on bringing more peace to the world and connections.
The new pope stood and admired the huge, cheering crowd after stepping out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basicala.
"This is the first greeting of the risen Christ. May the peace be with you," Leo said in Italian, before taking a break amid cheers. "This is the peace of the risen Christ."
The pope gave his regards for his predecessor, Pope Francis, who passed away on a day after Easter.
"Of course we preserve our prays for Pope Francis," he said.
Leo spoke about the community going forward "hand and hand with God." The pope stressed unity and community and encouraged followers to continue in Francis' mission.
"We have to be a church that works together to build bridges and to keep our arms open, like this very piazza, welcoming," he said.
Leo, who did missionary work in South America, paid tribute to the people of Peru and the citizens of Rome.
The new pope also thanked the cardinals who elected him as Francis' successor before reciting the "Hail Mary" prayer.
ABC News' Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) -- Senate Democrats sparred with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday over whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia will be returned to the United States, as well as the Department of Homeland Security's spending.
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who traveled to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia, asked if the Trump administration would comply with the Supreme Court's decision that the U.S. government must facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, Noem replied that the government is following the law but didn't say yes or no.
"What I would tell you is that we are following court order," Noem shot back. "Your advocacy for a known terrorist is alarming."
Van Hollen said he isn't "vouching for the man" but rather due process.
"I suggest that rather than make these statements here, that you and the Trump administration make them in court under oath," he added.
Van Hollen then accused Noem of a political speech, and Noem said she would suggest Van Hollen is an "advocate" for victims of illegal crime.
Last month, after Abrego Garcia's family filed a lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the Trump administration to facilitate his return to the U.S. The Supreme Court affirmed that ruling on April 10.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., pressed Noem on whether she read the Supreme Court decision, noting that the court ruled 9-0 that the U.S. must facilitate his release.
"Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador. It is up to the president of El Salvador to make the decision coming back," Noem replied. "It's been a big topic of conversation between all of us. ... The president has been very clear on this issue, as the secretary of state and I have as well. Abrego Garcia is not a citizen of this country and is a dangerous individual."
Earlier in the hearing, Murphy blasted Noem, saying, "Your department is out of control."
"You are spending like you don't have a budget. You're on the verge of running out of money for the fiscal year. You are illegally refusing to spend funds that have been authorized by this congress and appropriated by this committee," he said. "You are brazenly violating the law every hour of every day. You are refusing to allow people showing up at the southern border to apply for asylum. I acknowledge that you don't believe that people should be able to apply for asylum, but you don't get to choose that."
He added that DHS will run out of money by July on immigration and argued that the department isn't giving migrants due process.
"What you are doing both the individuals who have legal rights to stay here, like Kilmar Abrego Garcia or students who are just protesting Trump's policies is immoral, and to follow the theme, it is illegal. You have no right to deport a student visa holder with no due process, simply because they have spoken in a way that offends the president. You can't remove migrants who a court has given humanitarian protection from removal," he said.
Noem also noted that the Biden administration let in upward of 20 million people into the country illegally.
Noem was also asked about the Trump administration's plan for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Noem has said she wants to get rid of FEMA and return the funds to the states.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., asked Noem to "tread lightly" on dismantling FEMA, marking the first time a Republican has raised caution about the president's plan to dismantle FEMA. Moore Capito said she is "concerned" that there could be issues with small states "subject to a lot of natural disasters, flooding," in providing relief.
"I think it's [a] vital function, and I'm concerned, if you turn it all over to the states, capacity for the state to really handle this is something that -- so I would ask you to tread lightly," she added.
On CISA, she said previously it was operating as the "ministry of truth" during the Biden administration and that the Trump administration is returning CISA to accomplish the stated goals of DHS.
"They were out doing election security missions where censorship and deciding what was truth and what wasn't truth, and we have eliminated those functions within CISA," Noem said. "CISA was created to be an entity that supported small and medium businesses and also critical infrastructure, our electrical grid, our water systems that are vulnerable to hacking attempts and influence from foreign countries but enemies of the United States of America."
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., noted that there were 15 employees out of 3,000 who were working on misinformation.
(VATICAN CITY) -- The Catholic Church has a new pope.
American Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected the 267th pontiff. He has chosen the name Leo XIV, a senior cardinal deacon announced.
The 69-year-old Chicago native is the first American pope and is seen as a diplomat in the church.
Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, the 133 cardinals -- the church's highest-ranking clergy -- gathered to elect a new pope for the Catholic Church in the secret conclave in Rome.
On Thursday afternoon local time, white smoke billowed from the stovetop chimney atop the Sistine Chapel and the bells of St. Peter's Basilica rang out, signifying the cardinals had elected a new pope. The cardinals cast at least four ballots at the Vatican before a cardinal received at least two-thirds of the vote.
Over an hour after the white smoke emerged, the new pope, clad in his papal vestments, stepped out onto the balcony and greeted the world. Pope Leo delivered his first Apostolic Urbi et Orbi blessing -- meaning to "the city and the world."
His full authority and jurisdiction begins immediately upon his acceptance of the office, prior to the public announcement.
Significance of papal name
Leo is the fifth-most-popular name chosen by popes.
Leo XIII was a founding figure of the Catholic social justice tradition.
While popes aren't obliged to change their name, every pontiff for the past 470 years has done so, usually choosing the name of a predecessor to both honor them and signal their intention to emulate his example. Pope Francis was a notable exception, choosing not the name of a former pope but that of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th century cleric and patron saint of animals and the environment.
Seen as front-runner
Pope Leo started to emerge as a front-runner for the papacy in the days before the conclave began, according to Father James Martin, a papal contributor to ABC News.
He was the only U.S. cardinal on a short list of front-runners for pope, also known as "papabiles," compiled in the aftermath of Pope Francis' death by The Associated Press.
He received priestly ordination on June 19, 1982, after studying canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University, according to his bio on the Vatican Press website.
Francis brought Pope Leo to work at the Vatican after first appointing him in 2014 to serve as the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. He has spent a majority of his time in Peru, where he has also worked as a teacher, missionary and parish priest.
In April 2020, Francis appointed him to be the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Callao, also in Peru, his profile said.
Since 2023, he has held the position at the Vatican as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, in charge of vetting nominations for bishops around the world.
Pope Leo told Vatican News in October 2024 that a "bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom, but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them and to suffer with them."
He also currently serves as the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
In a 2023 interview with the Catholic News Service, he was asked how he responds to problems with bishops or dioceses -- to which he said he reminds clergymen to reflect on their oath to "live and work in communion with the Holy Father."
"The spirit of synodality includes a need and desire to listen to not only the bishop himself, but to many people in the diocese to see what's the best way to promote authentic church in each and every diocese in the world," he said at the time.
(NEW YORK) -- Plans for a new air traffic control system were announced Thursday by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy amid a spotlight on the out-of-date ATC system and the air traffic controller shortage.
The Transportation Department said in a statement the current ATC system is "antiquated" and said the new "state-of-the-art" system will improve safety and cut back on delays.
Changes include swapping out old telecommunications for "new fiber, wireless and satellite technologies"; "installing new modern hardware and software"; replacing 618 old radars; and building six new air traffic control centers and replacing towers, the Transportation Department said.
Duffy stressed the old equipment in the current ATC system, noting how air traffic controllers still use floppy disks.
"We shop on eBay to replace parts, to fix our equipment in the system that keeps you safe, keeps your family safe," he said at a news conference, calling it "100% unacceptable."
Duffy said he hopes to have the system built in the next three to four years.
Duffy didn’t ballpark a price tag, simply saying it will cost "billions." Duffy said he will ask for the full amount up-front from Congress, which has previously signaled support over calls for the modernization of ATC systems.
President Donald Trump called Duffy’s cellphone during the secretary’s news conference and Duffy put the president on speaker phone. Via the phone, Trump reiterated that flying is still safe and said there will be "one big beautiful contract" to replace the system.
The announcement comes as an outage at Newark Liberty International Airport last week caused ATC computer screens to go dark for roughly 60 to 90 seconds and prevented controllers from talking to aircraft during that time, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the incident. As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration briefly halted all departures to the airport.
Following the outage, several controllers went on medical leave, calling the experience a traumatic event. The controllers are entitled to at least 45 days away from the job and must be evaluated by a doctor before they can return to work.
The facility where controllers work the airspace around Newark airport is located in Philadelphia and was already short on air traffic controllers.
The proposal is supported by many other groups in the aviation industry, including the National Transportation Safety Board, the Airlines Pilot Association and Airlines for America.The FAA in a statement Monday said the "antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce."
"As Secretary Duffy has said, we must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible," the FAA said.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association is in support of Duffy’s proposal, with association president Nick Daniels saying in a statement Thursday, "NATCA has advocated for the modernization of air traffic control systems and infrastructure for decades, and it is past time that it is addressed.”
