Feed aggregator

A federal judge has issued a sweeping order that bars Border Patrol agents in much of California from arresting individuals suspected of being in the country illegally—unless certain legal conditions are met. Judge Jennifer Thurston of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, handed down the ruling this week, placing sharp limitations on how immigration enforcement is carried out in the region.

Thurston’s preliminary injunction specifically restricts Border Patrol agents in the state’s eastern district—the largest of California’s judicial jurisdictions—from apprehending individuals without a warrant unless they have a solid legal basis to suspect the person is in the U.S. unlawfully.

“Indeed, the evidence before the Court is that Border Patrol agents under DHS authority engaged in conduct that violated well-established constitutional rights,” Thurston wrote.

“Border Patrol is enjoined from conducting detentive stops in this District unless, pre-stop, the detaining agent has reasonable suspicion that the person to be stopped is a noncitizen who is present within the United States in violation of U.S. immigration law, as required by the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

“Border Patrol is enjoined from effecting warrantless arrests in this District unless, pre-arrest, the arresting agent has probable cause to believe that the noncitizen being arrested is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained, as required by 8 U.S.C. § 1357(a)(2).”

The court’s decision also mandates new procedural requirements for agents. When Border Patrol arrests someone without a warrant, they will now need to provide a written narrative justifying the stop, clearly outlining the specific facts that led to the agent’s suspicion—formed before the encounter began.

Thurston further ordered that the agency must submit ongoing records of these encounters. Every 60 days, beginning two months from the date of her order, Border Patrol will need to turn over detailed documentation describing all warrantless arrests and detentions made in the district.

This legal battle stems from a lawsuit filed by the United Farm Workers and the American Civil Liberties Union. They brought the case against President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security after a series of arrests in California targeted individuals thought to be undocumented.

The suit alleged that federal agents carried out “a nearly weeklong sweep through predominantly Latino areas of Kern County and the surrounding region to stop, detain, and arrest people of color who appeared to be farm workers or day laborers, regardless of their actual immigration status or individual circumstances.”

{Matzav.com}

At the Bluebonnet detention center in Texas, Venezuelan detainees, accused of being Tren de Aragua members, formed an “SOS” message spotted by a Reuters drone, reportedly fearing deportation to El Salvador.

A break in the fence was found in the Geva Binyamin village fence, triggering an alarm. No infiltration is confirmed yet, but searches are ongoing.

The U.S. Supreme Court said Wednesday that federal employees who also are in the military reserve must be paid the equivalent of their civilian salaries when called to active duty during national emergencies. The 5-4 decision could affect hundreds of thousands of people, insuring that they don’t suffer financially when they temporarily leave one form of government service for another. The justices ruled in an appeal filed by an air traffic controller who spent about five years on active duty in the Coast Guard at a pay rate lower than what he earns as a Federal Aviation Administration employee. Congress first adopted a differential pay statute in 2009, but the Justice Department argued that it only applied to people whose service had a strong connection to a national emergency. The majority disagreed, finding that any reservist who is called to active duty during a national emergency bolsters the country’s defenses and their salary should match what they would have made in their federal civilian jobs. Gorsuch was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, as well as Chief Justice John Roberts. In a dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas pointed out that the country has been under one national emergency or another for decades and the majority’s finding will create wider access to differential pay than Congress intended. Thomas wrote that he would have instead sent the case back to a lower court. He was joined by Justices Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. (AP)

Authorities arrested a man on Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into the large-scale brush fires that broke out west of Yerushalayim. While speculation grew—especially on Palestinian social media—that the fires may have been deliberately set, officials stated by Wednesday evening that it was still too soon to determine whether arson had indeed caused the outbreaks.

The suspect, a 50-year-old man from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Umm Tuba, was apprehended after allegedly attempting to ignite dry brush in southern Yerushalayim, according to police.

Police said the arrest followed a tip from someone who reportedly saw an individual trying to set a fire. Officers from the Oz station in East Jerusalem brought the suspect in for questioning.

According to police, the suspect tried to escape when approached but was captured shortly after a brief chase. Officers said they found a lighter, cotton wool, and additional combustible items in his possession.

The arrest came at the same time as a wave of incitement online, with Palestinian social media accounts urging individuals to ignite fires across Israel during its Independence Day celebrations. The holiday coincided with extreme weather—scorching temperatures and high winds—that quickly turned any spark into a dangerous blaze, forcing the evacuation of several communities and leading to the cancellation of many public events.

One such post appeared on Shehab, a channel linked to Hamas, which read: “There are popular calls to set fire to forests near the settlements.” Hamas refers to all Jewish population centers—within both pre- and post-1967 lines—as settlements.

Another message, shared widely on X, called for widespread arson: “Your role is to set fire to gardens, vehicles and everything around the settlements.”

In response to these online provocations, Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot issued a formal appeal to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. In his letter, he urged the imposition of curfews and lockdowns on Palestinian villages throughout the West Bank.

“There is a real concern, based on past experience, that Palestinians will try to ignite more fires in Judea and Samaria and throughout Israel… To prevent such occurrences, a curfew must be imposed immediately on Judea and Samaria, and a blockade must be imposed on the Palestinian villages,” Sukkot wrote, using the biblical term for the region.

Echoing these concerns, settler leader Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, and Likud Member of Knesset Dan Illouz also called for immediate action.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu was actively monitoring the situation, receiving constant updates, conducting security assessments, and staying in contact with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and senior firefighting and security officials.

The Shin Bet domestic security service, usually responsible for thwarting terror threats, confirmed it was participating in the investigation.

The agency said it was assisting police efforts to identify and locate any additional individuals suspected of deliberately starting fires.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The IDF carried out a strike on Syrian terrorists who were planning to attack a Druze community in in the town of As-Suwayda in the Damascus area, a joint statement from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said on Wednesday. According to the statement, the IDF strike was a warning operation and intended to convey a message to Syria’s leaders to protect the Druze population. “Israel will not allow the Druze sector in Syria to be harmed out of a deep sense of responsibility to our Druze brethren in Israel who are connected to their Druze brothers in Syria through familial and historical ties,” the statement said. Druze residents in Syria came under attack on Tuesday, reportedly due to the publication of a recording of a Druze man insulting the Prophet Mohammad. Sunni Syrians attacked Druze Syrians, leading to clashes that left 14 people dead. Druze sheikhs condemned the recording and the Syrian Interior Ministry announced that an investigation has been opened to uncover the person behind the publication. A local source told Ynet on Tuesday that “the atmosphere is tense.” The Syrian Interior Ministry published a statement: “We affirm our commitment to bring those involved to justice. Investigations are continuing to reveal the identity of the person behind the recording. We will not be lenient with those who contributed to incitement and chaos.” The Druze population in Israel held protests on Wednesday morning, demanding that the IDF and the government protect the Druze in Syria. Protesters blocked roads and burned tires, creating huge traffic jams that blocked passage to the military cemeteries in the area, where Israelis had gathered for Yom HaZikaron ceremonies. Ynet reported that police in the district were instructed to leave the cemeteries and kevarim of their fallen friends and acquaintances, and deploy to the junctions to prevent road closures and allow passage for bereaved families and visitors who were driving to cemeteries in the area. “Israel Police will allow freedom of expression and protest within the limits of the law, but as in any protest, it will not allow events that involve harming public safety or that may lead to a breach of public order,” the police said. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

In a provocative social media post, Yair Netanyahu, the son of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, stirred controversy by implying that the Israeli left may have had a hand in the wildfires that were spreading across parts of the country.

“Something here is suspicious,” he wrote on X. “The Kaplanist left has been frantically trying in recent weeks to cancel Independence Day celebrations and the torch-lighting ceremony.”

His comment appeared to target anti-government protesters, commonly associated with demonstrations along Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv.

“I really hope the arson was only carried out by Arabs, without any collaboration from our own people,” he added.

At the time of his remarks, the exact origins of the fires remained uncertain. Authorities had not ruled out arson as a possible cause, and one resident of East Jerusalem had been taken into custody earlier in the day on suspicion of attempted arson.

{Matzav.com Israel}

A closely watched inflation gauge cooled last month in a sign that prices were steadily easing before most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs were implemented. At the same time, consumers accelerated their spending, particularly on cars, likely in an effort to get ahead of the duties. Wednesday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that consumer prices rose just 2.3% in March from a year earlier, down from 2.7% in February. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.6% compared with a year ago, below February’s 3%. Economists track core prices because they typically provide a better read on where inflation is headed. The slowdown in inflation could be a temporary respite until the widespread duties imposed by Trump begin to push up prices in many categories. Most economists expect inflation to start picking up in the coming months. “Core inflation will inevitably rebound sharply in the coming months,” Harry Chambers, assistant economist at Capital Economics, said in an email. “Goods prices will rise much more strongly.” Chambers expects core inflation will near 4% by late this year. Wednesday’s report also showed that consumer spending increased 0.7% from February to March, a healthy gain. Much of the increase appeared to be driven by efforts to get ahead of duties, such as Trump’s 25% duty on imported cars, which took effect April 3. Spending on autos surged 8.1% in March. Still, that means auto sales are likely to fade in the coming months because those assets have already been secured. But spending on restaurants and hotels also jumped after falling in February, a sign Americans are still willing to splurge a little on travel and dining out. The spending increase is noteworthy because consumer confidence surveys have plunged for several months, suggesting Americans have grown increasingly worried about the economy. Yet so far, that hasn’t translated into a noticeable slowdown in spending. Earlier Wednesday, the government reported that consumer spending slowed in the first three months of the year, compared with last year’s final quarter, as bad weather depressed shopping and Americans took a breather after healthy spending over the winter holidays. The nation’s economy actually shrank 0.3% in the January-March quarter as imports surged as companies sought to get ahead of Trump’s tariffs. Trump benefited in last year’s election from broad dissatisfaction among voters about the steep rise in prices that began in 2021 and that, on average, pushed prices up about 25% by the middle of last year. Grocery costs shot up nearly 30%. As a candidate, Trump said he would immediately lower prices if elected. Yet the president has slapped 25% duties on steel and aluminum, as well as cars, and a 10% tariff on nearly all other imports. And China, the United States’ third-largest trading partner, now faces a 145% duty on its exports. The inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve target a 2% inflation rate and pay close attention to Wednesday’s inflation gauge, known as the personal consumption expenditures price index. The better-known consumer price index was released earlier this month and also showed a steady decline. Inflation figures were revised higher for January and February, leaving price increases in the first quarter higher than previously estimated. The higher figures would likely leave Fed officials wary of cutting rates soon even before taking tariffs into […]

As Israel began its 77th Independence Day under extraordinary and harrowing conditions, wildfires fueled by fierce winds raged across parts of the country. Amid the chaos, the traditional live Independence Day opening ceremony was canceled due to the extreme weather, and instead, a prerecorded version of the event was aired. In it, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu delivered a pre-taped address meant for the original ceremony, sharing messages of resilience and unity while firefighters battled some of the most devastating fires the nation had seen.

In his address, Netanyahu praised Israel’s accomplishments and honored the soldiers who had given their lives defending the country. Reflecting on the uncertainty of the previous year, he remarked, “This year, nobody doubts it… because Israel has changed the face of the Middle East.”

He emphasized the government’s unyielding commitment to defeating its enemies and rescuing all hostages still held in Gaza. Netanyahu underscored that Israel, unlike generations past, now possessed a formidable military and courageous fighters. “This is a generation of lions,” he stated, pointing to the strength and reputation of Israeli soldiers around the globe.

Despite societal divisions, Netanyahu stressed a common bond that united the nation. “We all stand together… We will continue to fight and ensure our freedom. We will continue to struggle and to defend our homeland… We will continue to build the land, because we have only one home,” he declared with determination.

While the ceremony proceeded on a delay, the broadcast was repeatedly cut on Channels 12 and 13 to provide breaking coverage of the advancing fires. These interruptions delivered updates on evacuations, firefighting efforts, and emergency responses aimed at containing the infernos and protecting lives and property.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Over a five-year span ending in 2022, around 30,000 people left New York City for Florida’s Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, bringing with them a staggering $9.2 billion in earnings, according to a new study.

The Citizens Budget Commission, a nonpartisan organization that monitors fiscal policy, reported Wednesday that these Florida destinations saw an influx of affluent households. Palm Beach attracted nearly 20,000 individuals with average incomes of roughly $190,000, while Miami-Dade welcomed over 26,000 people whose average income was around $266,000.

Several factors—ranging from the financial burden of living in New York to pandemic-driven lifestyle changes—have motivated many to seek out more affordable or appealing alternatives. The report shows population gains in states such as New Jersey, Florida, California, and Pennsylvania, all of which benefited from New York City’s out-migration during that period.

“Our competitiveness depends in part on quality of life and public safety,” CBC President Andrew Rein told reporters ahead of the report’s publication. “That’s the value proposition. If you feel safe and you enjoy your life, you’re going to want to be here.”

Of course, not all those who exited the five boroughs went far. Nearly 138,000 New Yorkers moved to Long Island, resulting in a loss of $11.1 billion in adjusted gross income for the city. Westchester County, just beyond the city’s northern edge, gained close to 60,000 residents during the same timeframe, reducing the city’s taxable income base by another $5 billion.

Although New York saw its millionaire population nearly double from 36,000 in 2010 to close to 70,000 by 2022, its share of the nation’s millionaires actually shrank. Twelve years ago, the Empire State was home to 12.7% of the country’s wealthiest individuals, a proportion that dropped to 8.7% by 2022. Meanwhile, states like Texas, California, and Florida expanded their share of millionaire residents.

This shifting demographic of high earners is more than just a statistic—it’s a political flashpoint. In New York City, the top 1% of earners are responsible for contributing about 40% of total income tax revenue, making their departure particularly consequential.

The Citizens Budget Commission also examined migration trends by demographic categories, highlighting patterns based on race, ethnicity, age, and income. Since 2018, the groups leading the exodus from the city have been its wealthiest residents and millennials—those born in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Despite years of losses, New York City saw a population uptick in both 2023 and 2024, thanks to rising numbers of immigrants arriving from abroad, according to the CBC.

{Matzav.com}

SOUTH BLOOMING GROVE NEAR KJ: Firefighters from the Village of South Blooming Grove Fire Department (Dept 60) responded to a kitchen fire that broke out in a Jewish home on Dallas Drive. The kitchen was fully engulfed in flames, but crews successfully prevented the fire from spreading further. Assistance was provided by Independence Fire Company, Salisbury Mills FD, Washingtonville FD, South Blooming Grove EMS, Blooming Grove Ambulance, Chaveirim of Orange County, and the Blooming Grove Police Department.

President Donald Trump urged Americans to remain calm and give his economic strategies time to take effect, emphasizing that the challenges currently facing the economy stem from the prior administration.

Posting on Truth Social Wednesday, Trump addressed concerns over financial turbulence during the early months of his presidency.

“This is Biden’s Stock Market, not Trump’s. I didn’t take over until January 20th. Tariffs will soon start kicking in, and companies are starting to move into the USA in record numbers,” he stated in his message.

Trump expressed optimism for the future, insisting that the current difficulties are unrelated to his trade policies and instead blamed the previous leadership for leaving behind economic instability.

“Our Country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden ‘Overhang.’ This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS, only that he left us with bad numbers, but when the boom begins, it will be like no other. BE PATIENT!!!”

Financial markets reflected concern on Wednesday morning, with major indexes sliding after new government data showed the U.S. economy had contracted during the first quarter of the year.

The report revealed that GDP dropped by 0.3% from January through March, marking the first downturn in three years. Analysts attributed the decline to a spike in imports, as American businesses rushed to stockpile goods ahead of Trump’s new tariffs.

Despite the economic pullback, consumer spending remained strong. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that personal consumption rose 0.7% in March, building on February’s revised growth figure of 0.5%.

In a notable policy shift, Trump moved Tuesday to ease some of the 25% tariffs targeting the auto industry. His new executive orders provide temporary relief for importers of cars and auto parts.

“We just wanted to help them during this little transition, short term,” Trump explained to members of the press. “We didn’t want to penalize them.”

Momentum in Washington suggested a softening stance on trade disputes, as officials hinted that selective agreements with individual nations might be on the horizon.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that several key allies had submitted “very good” trade offers, adding that an initial agreement could be finalized with India in the coming days.

{Matzav.com}

The moment headlines revealed that the Food and Drug Administration would be halting federal testing of commercial milk, the Orthodox Union’s kosher hotline was flooded with concerned inquiries, JTA reports.

“The flood of inquiries was off the hook … crazy: emails, calls, WhatsApp, everything,” Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, who leads the dairy division at OU Kosher, told JTA.

People were reaching out to express fears that the change in federal policy might jeopardize the kosher status of standard supermarket milk. Since 1954, many frum Jews in America have relied on a ruling by Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l that federal monitoring of the dairy industry suffices to ensure its kashrus.

Halacha dictates that milk can only be considered kosher if it originates from a kosher species. One way to ensure this is through direct Jewish supervision over the milking process—something that was once feasible but is impractical in modern industrial settings.

Rav Moshe, the posek hador, ruled that stringent government oversight could substitute for some elements of Jewish supervision. Given that U.S. law mandates that only cow’s milk can be labeled as milk, and that federal inspectors regularly visit dairies to enforce regulations, he concluded that this system was sufficient for Jews to rely on.

But the question now arises: if the federal framework changes or is rolled back, does Rav Moshe’s psak still stand?

According to Rabbi Gordimer, the answer is yes. After carefully examining what has and hasn’t changed at the FDA, the OU determined that the situation does not impact the kosher status of milk.

“This development has no impact whatsoever on the kosher status of ‘chalav stam’ that Rabbi Feinstein permitted in the US, as the primary oversight of farms and dairy factories is performed by state governments; the FDA is a mere secondary body for this purpose,” he said by email.

Furthermore, Rabbi Gordimer clarified that the testing recently suspended by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pertains only to identifying certain banned substances or contaminants. The actual physical inspections of dairy plants—which are central to Rav Moshe’s ruling—are still taking place.

“There has been no change in inspections, which are ongoing,” Gordimer said.

Additionally, the regulation that prohibits labeling anything other than cow’s milk as “milk” remains firmly in effect.

Nevertheless, reports about the regulatory changes have triggered anxiety in the kosher community. One user on the Facebook group Great Kosher Restaurant Foodies posted: “Are we seeing the first step in the end of chalav stam…”

Some segments of the Jewish community have never relied on Rav Moshe’s ruling and consume only cholov Yisroel, milk that is supervised by Jews throughout the process. However, cholov Yisroel milk is less widely available outside the tri-state area.

While OU Kosher and health experts insist there’s no immediate risk, the decision to scale back milk testing could be a sign that kashrus agencies will need to stay vigilant as broader reforms take shape under the Trump administration. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who holds unconventional views on several issues, has signaled he intends to overhaul policies touching everything from vaccines and water fluoridation to food safety regulations.

{Matzav.com}

When Florida state Rep. Fiona McFarland’s infant daughter, Grace Melton, crawled for the first time, the mom of four was right next door, hard at work with her legislative policy staff in the state Capitol. Thanks to the on-site child care available in the statehouse, McFarland didn’t miss that magical first milestone in her 7-month-old’s young life. “The sitter I had with her just grabbed me out of my meeting right next door and I came over and got to witness it,” McFarland recalled. As more women and young people run for public office, they’re bringing more than fresh policy ideas to statehouses — some are bringing their kids. Like working parents across the country, some lawmakers are scrambling to find child care that fits their often unpredictable schedules, at a price they can afford. Rushing back and forth from their districts, they juggle meetings with constituents and coordinate their children’s drop-offs, power through late-night floor sessions and step out to pump breast milk between votes, hoping to make it home for their kids’ bedtime. “Looking back, I’m like, ‘How did I do that?'” Michigan state Sen. Stephanie Chang said, recalling those frenzied years when she was a new legislator and a new mom. The Democrat used to race across the state with her baby and freezer bags of milk in tow, leaving her daughter with family members so she could make her 9 a.m. committee meetings at the state Capitol in Lansing. In one of the few industrialized countries that lacks universal paid family leave, Chang says America’s child care crunch is keeping some parents from running for public office because they simply “cannot make it all work,” ultimately leaving young families with fewer advocates to help decide “what we’re doing for the future of our children.” Advocates push for more support, as more young parents get elected Some state capitols, which were mostly built before women could vote, still lack enough accessible bathrooms, advocates say, let alone spaces to comfortably change a baby’s diaper or nurse an infant. “Legislators legislate based on their lived experience,” said Liuba Grechen Shirley, founder of the Vote Mama Foundation, which pushes to break barriers that moms face while running for office. “We have terrible policies that fail women and children across the country because we don’t have enough moms serving at any level of government,” she said. As of this year, 33% of state legislators were women, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Fewer than 8% of those lawmakers are moms of minor children, a Vote Mama analysis found. Statehouses’ child care offerings largely lag behind other workplaces, but advocates say they’re gaining some ground. The Virginia House of Delegates now gives a child care stipend to members with young kids to help cover their expenses during session. At least two-thirds of states allow candidates of any gender running for public office to use campaign funds to pay for child care expenses after the Federal Elections Commission approved the practice for federal candidates in 2018. A child care space just for Florida lawmakers Inside the echoing halls of Florida’s Capitol, amid the chattering of lobbyists and the clicking of high heels, the voices of children like Grace can be heard as they play inside two on-site […]

POTUS ON THE ECONOMY: “We’re turning it around. It’s a big ship to turn around, and we’re going to have the greatest country, financially, in the history of the world, I believe… We reset the table… We were losing four to five — to even six billion dollars a day on trade with Biden.”

Trump on Mark Carney winning the Canadian election: “I think we’re going to have a great relationship. He called me up yesterday and said ‘let’s make a deal.'”

President Trump took ABC’s Terry Moran to task during a contentious interview marking Trump’s 100th day back in office, bluntly stating why he agreed to speak with him—and delivering a dose of personal humiliation in the process.

“Hey, they’re giving you the big break of a lifetime, you know you’re doing the interview,” Trump said. “I picked you because frankly, I never heard of you.”

As the interview grew more confrontational, Trump expressed his displeasure with Moran’s tone. “I picked you, but you’re not being very nice,” he complained.

The fiery exchange came as Moran questioned the president over the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, raising doubts about whether the man’s tattoos were legitimate proof of gang affiliation.

Abrego Garcia drew national attention after being removed from Maryland and sent back to El Salvador, where he has been in custody since March 15.

Trump pointed to Abrego Garcia’s hand tattoos, claiming they were an unmistakable sign of his ties to the notorious MS-13 gang.

“Wait a minute, he had ‘MS-13’ on his knuckles,” Trump said, referring to the markings seen on the man’s left hand.

Moran responded cautiously, saying, “Oh, he had some tattoos that were interpreted that way,” before attempting to pivot to another question.

Photos of the tattoos showed several images—among them a marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull—etched across the back of Abrego Garcia’s hand.

Observers have claimed the combination of images visually represented the sequence “M S 1 3.”

Moran tried steering the discussion away from the subject, but Trump pushed back firmly.

“Wait a minute, Terry, Terry, don’t do that. It says MS-13,” Trump said, referencing an image shared by the White House that purportedly broke down the tattoo’s symbolism.

Moran countered that the image had been digitally altered. Trump dismissed the claim immediately.

“That was photoshopped? Terry, you can’t do that,” Trump said, slamming Moran once again by pointing out his lack of prominence.

Elsewhere in the sit-down, Moran pushed Trump on the broader policy of deporting alleged gang members without full court proceedings.

“The law is the law,” Moran insisted, pressing Trump on due process.

Trump held his ground, saying, “They get whatever my lawyers say,” when asked about the legal standards being applied.

Moran returned to the subject of Abrego Garcia, whom Trump described in blunt terms.

“This is an MS-13 gang member, a tough cookie, been in lots of skirmishes, beat the hell out of his wife,” Trump said.

Court records show that Abrego Garcia’s wife sought a protective order in 2021 following claims of domestic violence.

“OK? This is not an innocent, wonderful gentleman from Maryland,” Trump continued.

Moran responded by clarifying his stance. “I’m not saying [Abrego Garcia] is a good guy,” he said. “It’s about the rule of law.”

The interview took another heated turn when Moran questioned Trump’s stance on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I don’t trust you,” Trump shot back. “I don’t trust a lot of people.”

{Matzav.com}

Following an intense firefight moments ago, Israeli forces airlifted several injured Syrian Druze to Ziv Hospital in Tzfas.