Category: Politics
Trump admin announces major H-1B visa abuse investigation, but critics want more
The H-1B visa program, which has effectively imported hundreds of thousands of immigrants, most of whom are from India, has gained much-needed attention in recent months as abuse of the system has come to light. On Friday, the Department of Labor provided an update on its September initiative, Project Firewall.
On Friday, the Department of Labor announced on X: “As part of our mission to protect American Jobs, we’ve launched 175 investigations into H-1B abuse.”
The agency said that it had discovered a ‘bounty of concerns.’
Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said that the Department of Labor is “using every resource at our disposal to put a stop to H-1B abuse and protect American Jobs. Under the leadership of @POTUS, we’ll continue to invest in our workforce and ensure high-skilled job opportunities go to American Workers FIRST!”
RELATED: ‘Executive fiat’: Biden-era rule change quietly permits H-1B visa holders to work remotely
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Fox News reported that government officials were unable to comment on the exact nature of the new investigations. The agency said that it had discovered a “bounty of concerns.”
While the investigations are a sign of improvement, the number of investigations is strikingly low, critics say.
Virgil Bierschwale, a leading critic of H-1B visas and their impact on American workers, responded to the announcement, “I can quickly bring that up to 32,000 companies being investigated if you have the manpower.”
The exact number of so-called “H-1B dependent employers” is unknown, but many are believed to be in the rapidly proliferating tech sector.
According to a Department of Labor fact sheet, an employer qualifies as H-1B dependent if it has eight visa workers at a company with fewer than 25 employees, 13 or more visa workers at a company with between 26 and 50 employees, or 15% of the workforce at companies with more than 51 employees.
On X, Eric Daugherty echoed the calls for increased investigations: “Good. We need MORE!”
Others pointed out that the abuse of the system should be cause for ending new visa approvals. One commenter said, “Why approve any when fraud is this rampant?”
This round of investigations follows the Trump administration’s September 19 plan to force companies to pay $100,000 for new H-1B visas in an attempt to incentivize hiring American workers.
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Antonio Brown extradited from Middle East on attempted murder charge after accusations from Super Bowl show activist
Former NFL star player Antonio Brown appeared at a court in New Jersey on Friday to face an attempted murder charge after being extradited from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The allegations stem from a fight at a May celebrity boxing match in Miami, where Brown is accused of firing two gunshots at a man named Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu. Cellphone video from a bystander allegedly captured the incident.
‘Cellphone video obtained from social media showed Mr. Brown with the firearm in his hand advancing toward Mr. Nantambu on the outside walk.’
Brown appeared to mock the allegations in social media posts from June after police announced the warrant for his arrest.
“This cracker did it wasn’t me,” he wrote in one post.
“What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. Wanna play? Then play hard,” he wrote in another post.
Prosecutors allege that Brown had gotten into a fistfight with Nantambu outside the boxing match and then grabbed a handgun from a security staffer. Two shots were fired, and Nantambu says that one grazed his neck.
“Cellphone video obtained from social media showed Mr. Brown with the firearm in his hand advancing toward Mr. Nantambu on the outside walk,” reads an arrest affidavit. “The video captures two shots which occur as Mr. Brown is within several feet of Mr. Nantambu. The video also captures Mr. Nantambu ducking after the first shot is heard.”
The affidavit says Brown was detained by police that evening but was released because the victim was not identified until later. Nantambu gave a statement to police on May 21 and said Brown was the shooter.
Brown, 37, previously claimed on social media that he had defended himself after getting “jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me.”
Brown is expected to be extradited from New Jersey to Miami Dade, Florida. If convicted, he faces a maximum 15-year prison sentence and up to a $10,000 fine.
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
In yet another bizarre twist to the story, Nantambu was the same man who tried to interrupt the Super Bowl halftime performance in February by holding up a Palestinian flag. According to Fox News, Nantambu was arrested in June on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interrupting a lawful assembly.
Brown was one of the top wide receivers in the National Football League and a Super Bowl champion before his erratic behavior led some to believe he had suffered CTE, a brain injury commonly diagnosed among professional football players.
He mocked the suggestion on social media and often satirically tagged his posts with “CTESPN.”
After his extradition, he posted another message.
“Handed over the keys to the socials and CTESPN to my team while I go through this fight for my innocence,” he posted. “Happy to showcase love & entertainment. All love & respect to everyone for the support.”
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AG Paxton sues Texas school district for refusing to display Ten Commandments in classrooms
A Houston-area school district is facing a lawsuit after refusing to display the Ten Commandments in its classrooms as ordered by a new state law.
Attorney General Paxton announced the lawsuit in a press release on Friday after the Galveston Independent School Board voted to delay displaying the posters until legal challenges were decided in court.
‘There is no valid legal basis to prevent Texas schools from honoring a foundational framework of our laws.’
“America is a Christian nation, and it is imperative that we display the very values and timeless truths that have historically guided the success of our country,” said Paxton. “By refusing to follow the law, Galveston ISD chose to both blatantly ignore the legislature and also ignore the legal and moral heritage of our nation.”
Paxton is asking a court for an injunction to force the district to comply with the law. The law was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) earlier this year and went into effect on Sept. 1.
The law is being challenged by various lawsuits. It is expected to make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The school district released a statement saying its offices were closed Friday but that it would “evaluate” the statement from Paxton next week.
“We will closely monitor any possible litigation and consult with our legal counsel before making further decisions,” the district said. “In the meantime, our focus remains on elevating instruction, valuing a respectful culture, and promoting a safe environment for students and staff.”
RELATED: Leftists lose it after Louisiana becomes first state to require Ten Commandments in every classroom
Paxton precluded arguments based on the idea of separation of church and state.
“There is no valid legal basis to prevent Texas schools from honoring a foundational framework of our laws, especially under the misconception that a ‘separation of church and state’ phrase appears in the Constitution,” he wrote. “It does not.”
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FAA cancels hundreds of flights, sparking holiday travel concerns amid ongoing Democrat shutdown
With Americans preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas travel this year, the government shutdown is beginning to affect travel plans. With operation cuts going into effect over the next week, pressure is mounting for Democrats to come to the table and reopen the government.
According to multiple reports, between 700 and 800 flights at major travel hubs have been canceled as a Federal Aviation Administration emergency order went into effect on Friday.
‘This level of cancellation is going to grow over time, and that’s something that is going to be problematic.’
Forty major airports are affected by the order, though increased stress has been noted at other airports as well.
Many people in the transportation sector have expressed their frustration with the shutdown, particularly as the holiday travel season looms on the horizon.
RELATED: CNN analyst: Public opinion has shifted amid shutdown — but not for the party you’d expect
Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
On CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom called the government shutdown’s impact on flights “frustrating”: “What we’ve done today is we tried to minimize the impact on all of our customers. There’s only 220 flights out of 6,200 flights, and we’ve done it in a way that really impacts our smaller aircraft.”
“This level of cancellation is going to grow over time, and that’s something that is going to be problematic,” Isom added.
According to the FAA’s emergency order, cuts in operations began November 7 to ensure the safe and efficient use of airspace and aircraft. The reductions will gradually increase over the next week with a planned 10% reduction at “high impact airports” from Anchorage to Orlando by November 10.
Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since October 3, according to the order.
As of Wednesday, this government shutdown surpassed the previous record of 35 days, which took place in 2018.
On Friday, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy responded to the increased stress on air travel: “I have done all I can to minimize disruption in the airspace. I’m trying to get people where they want to go and to get there safely.”
Noting that the situation is not ideal, Duffy called for the government to reopen: “We are taking unprecedented action at @USDOT because we are in an unprecedented shutdown,” he added.
Democrats have signaled that they are unwilling to cooperate with Republicans to fund the government on Friday without more health care concessions, likely extending the 38-day shutdown.
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Illegal alien pedophile allegedly ‘physically assaulted’ ICE agent during immigration operation: DHS
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent sustained serious injuries to his face on Monday during an immigration raid in Houston, the Department of Homeland Security reported on Thursday.
According to a DHS press release, Walter Leonel Perez Rodriguez, 33, was arrested during a Monday encounter with ICE agents in Houston.
‘This young officer’s life has forever been altered as a result of the continued hyper-politicization of routine law enforcement activities and spread of misinformation by the media, NGOs, and other groups opposed to immigration enforcement.’
During the encounter, Rodriguez is “alleged to have resisted arrest and physically assaulted an ICE officer with a metal coffee cup.”
The ICE officer sustained severe burns and a “deep gash” to his face that required 13 stitches.
RELATED: Illegal alien learns his fate after a Wisconsin judge allegedly helped him evade ICE
ice.gov
“This young officer’s life has forever been altered as a result of the continued hyper-politicization of routine law enforcement activities and spread of misinformation by the media, NGOs, and other groups opposed to immigration enforcement in this country,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said in a statement.
“By focusing on our officers and spreading false propaganda about how we accomplish our mission, they are emboldening dangerous illegal aliens like this child predator to physically resist arrest. This insanity has to stop before anyone else gets hurt,” Bradford added.
Rodriguez, a Salvadoran national, has a long criminal record prior to his recent arrest and charges.
The Department of Homeland Security stated Rodriguez illegally entered the U.S. “at least three times” and faced deportation in 2013 and 2020.
In addition to the immigration offenses, Rodriguez, a “pedophile and criminal illegal alien,” was convicted of sexually assaulting a child, child fondling, and “multiple” DUIs, according to the DHS.
“Anyone who lays a hand on our ICE officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X.
Now in custody, Rodriguez was referred for prosecution on charges of illegal re-entry and assaulting a federal officer.
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BRENNAN BRACES FOR IMPACT: DOJ Preparing Grand Jury Subpoenas Relating to John Brennan Investigation: Report
The heat is on for former CIA Director John Brennan.
Crazy Nancy Cashes Out
Nancy Pelosi, the wildly successful investor and power-lusting Democrat who made history as the first octogenarian to serve as speaker of the House, is finally calling it quits. Pelosi, 85, announced Thursday she will retire from Congress when her term expires next year. “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your representative,” the iron-fisted stalwart said in a video message to constituents.
The post Crazy Nancy Cashes Out appeared first on .
Unhinged student who flipped Turning Point USA table gets arrested and faces 5 charges
A 19-year-old student is facing five charges after being identified as the person who flipped a Turning Point USA display table at the University of Iowa campus.
A TPUSA social media account posted video of the altercation where a smiling student walks up to the display table of hot chocolate and then overturns it before walking away. The TPUSA members then cheerfully begin to clean up the mess on the video.
‘While the outcome of these investigations are considered confidential, discipline is based on the severity of the violation.’
Authorities identified the suspect as Justin Pham Calhoon and booked him into the Johnson County Jail on Wednesday.
TPUSA reported that Calhoon was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, fifth-degree criminal mischief, and two counts of third-degree harassment.
A university spokesperson confirmed the arrest to the College Fix.
“All Iowa students are expected to follow the Code of Student Life, which sets standards for student behavior and conduct,” Chris Brewer wrote. “While the outcome of these investigations are considered confidential, discipline is based on the severity of the violation.”
Cabot Phillips, an editor at the Daily Wire, then posted a video appearing to show the same person overturning a table before his event at the university.
“This same student literally did the exact same thing last week ahead of my event there,” he posted on social media.
RELATED: Church vandalized ahead of Turning Point USA event — message calls speaker the Antichrist
That incident is from Oct. 25, according to the University of Iowa Department of Public Safety.
The student wore a dress in the second video, leading many to believe Calhoon identified as transgender.
Calhoon has no prior criminal history aside from a traffic violation.
A Blaze News request for comment to Turning Point USA was not immediately answered.
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