President Donald Trump's administration has reached a deal to grant the Texas National Guard new authority to make immigration arrests this weekend.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott referenced the deal on social media, saying it would "boost manpower for border security." Under the agreement, Texas National Guard troops would be able to arrest illegal immigrants so long as there is a U.S. immigration officer or Border Patrol agent present. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Abbott said the deal was "effective immediately" as of Sunday night.

The deal is only the latest front in Trump's nationwide blitz against illegal immigration. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other border security groups have leaned into their deportation efforts since Trump gained office.

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Trump's 2024 campaign promised to curb illegal immigration that flourished under the Biden administration. The 47th President promised to deport migrants, including those who had long rap sheets or ties to gangs or terrorist organizations.

On the first day of his second term, Trump issued ten executive orders aimed at overhauling U.S. immigration law and policy. Less than a week back in the Oval Office, Trump touted that he is keeping his promises.

"Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency at our southern border. I sent active duty troops on the border to help repel the invasion. Tom Homan is leading the charge. You know that. We like Tom Homan. Doing a great job," Trump said at a recent rally.

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"We immediately halted all illegal entry and began sending every border trespasser and violator back to the places from which they came. I signed an order that will designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. It's a big deal, it's a big deal. Biden didn't want to do that," he added. "Biden didn't know he was alive. He didn't want to do it."

Federal officials deported some 7,300 illegal immigrants in the opening week of Trump's administration alone.

Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report

The death of a 28-year-old Jefferies Group investment banker in Dallas, Texas, has prompted a police investigation into the "unexplained death."

The body of McIntosh, who was assigned to the firm's team covering technology, media and telecommunications companies, was found in a residential apartment building on Jan. 27, according to records from the Dallas County Medical Examiner's office. It was not immediately clear whether the apartment was McIntosh's.

"Based on the date, approximate time and location, this incident is being investigated as an unexplained death," Dallas police officer Michael Dennis, a public information officer for the department, told Fox News Digital.

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Medical documents reviewed by Fox News Digital showed that McIntosh was found around 11 a.m. at the Dallas apartment complex. The cause of death is still not known.

Jefferies Group CEO Richard Handler, along with the firm's president Brian Friedman, confirmed McIntosh's death in a message sent to employees Tuesday. 

"It is with tremendous sadness that we report we learned yesterday that Carter McIntosh, one of our talented associates in Dallas, has passed away," a copy of the memo obtained by Business Insider said. "Our most sincere condolences go out to his family, friends, and colleagues. We are in touch with Carter's family, who know we stand ready to support them in any way we can."

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Jefferies Group for comment.

Prior to joining Jefferies, McIntosh worked as an analyst for multiple companies, including Goldman Sachs, beginning in August 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile. He graduated from Seton Hall University, a private Catholic college in New Jersey, in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in finance.

McIntosh was at least the third young banker to die in the last 12 months. 

Adnan Deumic, a 25-year-old Bank of America trader, unexpectedly died in May 2024 while playing soccer. 

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Deumic was based in the United Kingdom and had been with the organization as a credit portfolio and algorithmic trader since July 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

His death came just a couple of weeks after Leo Lukenas, 35, who was in the bank’s investment banking group in New York City, died of an acute coronary artery thrombus, according to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. 

Lukenas had been working more than 100 hours a week and wanted to leave his job at the time of his death, a recruiter who had talked to him about a new job told Reuters. 

The three deaths have brought into focus the grueling hours that bank workers are known for putting in, but none of their deaths has been officially linked to working long hours.

Fox News Digital's Brie Stimpson contributed to this report. 

A Texas school district has acknowledged footage of one of its administrators telling an undercover journalist posing as a parent to change a transgender child's birth certificate to compete in girls sports. 

The Irving Independent School District in Irving, Texas, has provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the recent video of Reny Lizardo, the executive director of campus operations, giving this guidance, which was obtained by Accuracy in Media. 

The statement indicates Lizardo has resigned from his position. 

"In Irving ISD, we are committed to upholding the requirements of state and federal laws, especially as it pertains to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, and we will cooperate with any investigation initiated by relevant authorities," the statement said. 

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"We are aware of the unauthorized video footage circulating on social media of an individual connected with Irving ISD. The videos were obtained under false pretenses by an individual who posed as a concerned parent and additional individuals who posed as family friends of the employee pictured. 

"The individuals also held themselves out as members of the media, but were not credentialed as such, constituting a breach of security. In addition, the footage has been edited and is an incomplete representation of the entire conversation, making it difficult to properly assess its probative value."

In the footage, Lizardo said, "It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught," with regard to changing the gender on a child's birth certificate, and "if you can get that done, and you turn us a birth certificate that says ‘this gender,’ that's the gender we go with." 

While discussing potential repercussions of the discussion, Lizardo suggested pleading plausible deniability.  

The district insists Lizardo's handling of the situation does not reflect the values and protocols of the school district. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Lizardo for comment.

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"We want to reiterate that Irving ISD complies with all state and federal laws, and all employees are expected to adhere to any and all legal and ethical standards. The message conveyed in the video, as presented, does not reflect the views nor policies of the district," the statement said. 

"Individual employees do not speak on behalf of the district. The individual identified was acting outside of his role as it relates to legal and regulatory expertise. While the matter continues to be under investigation, the individual identified in the video has tendered his resignation." 

The district's statement concludes by claiming all of its athletes participate in the proper gender category. 

"We can also confirm that all Irving ISD student-athletes are participating in their sport in accordance with the sex they were assigned at birth," the district said. "Irving ISD is unwavering in our commitment to the safety and well-being of all of our students and staff. We remain focused on our primary function to maintain educational excellence and foster the full potential of our students." 

Texas is one of 25 states in the U.S. with a law that prevents or restricts transgender athletes from competing against girls and women. In June 2023, the state passed the Save Women's Sports Act that prohibits transgender athletes from competing in girls and women's sports and only allows students to compete in the gender category listed on their birth certificate. 

The law only allows schools to recognize changes made to birth certificates that were made to correct a clerical error.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott addressed the footage involving Lizardo in a post on X and called for him to be fired and investigated. 

"This Irving ISD Administrator should be fired on the spot. Both criminal & civil investigations must be taken against both the Administrator & Irving ISD," Abbott wrote. "Has Irving ISD and its employees been involved in a fraudulent breach of state laws & a cover up? We must get the facts."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

A member of the Sinaloa cartel was arrested in Texas by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the weekend and was found to be carrying three rifles, two pistols and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition, sources tell Fox News. 

The individual — who is from Mexico — was taken into custody in El Paso, the sources added. Across the U.S., ICE operations this past weekend resulted in more than 1,000 arrests.

The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said last year that the U.S. is facing the "most dangerous and deadly drug crisis" in its history with fentanyl and methamphetamine flowing across the border — and that the "Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels are at the heart of this crisis." 

"They operate clandestine labs in Mexico where they manufacture these drugs and then utilize their vast distribution networks to transport the drugs into the United States," DEA Administrator Anne Milgram wrote in her agency’s annual National Drug Threat Assessment.

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"The Sinaloa Cartel also uses border tunnels to cross drugs into the United States undetected," she added. "Most of the tunnels are not built by the cartel but are part of the border cities’ sewage and water systems." 

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Last week, alleged Sinaloa cartel cell leader Octavio Leal-Hernandez, who "is believed responsible for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana into the United States from Mexico," entered a not guilty plea during a federal court appearance following his extradition from Mexico, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California said. 

The alleged Sinaloa member’s arrest in El Paso comes as reports are also emerging that the Trump administration is pushing ICE to increase the number of arrests per day from a few hundred to between at least 1,200 to 1,500 people.  

Citing four sources who spoke on condition of anonymity about a purported internal call with ICE officials on Saturday, The Washington Post first reported about the new objective, categorizing the 1,200 to 1,500 daily targets as "quotas," although a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News, "Goals is the correct phrasing." 

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is leading a bipartisan amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to validate a lower court ruling preventing nuclear waste from being deposited in his state.

Cruz, along with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, wants the top court to uphold a lower court ruling that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) lacks authority to license nuclear waste storage facilities. 

They argue the proposed location of the nuclear waste sites poses "an enormous threat to the country’s security and economic well-being."

The case, NRC v. Texas, will decide "whether the Commission has authority to issue the license under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 or the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982."

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The Supreme Court in October agreed to take up the case after the Biden administration appealed a Fifth Circuit decision holding that the NRC lacked authority to license nuclear waste storage facilities. The license, which was granted to the Biden administration and a company to build a waste storage facility in western Texas, was challenged by Texas and New Mexico.

Interim Storage Partners planned on operating the nuclear storage facility in Andrews County, Texas, a decision that spurred backlash because of the facility's location within the Permian Basin. 

"The Permian Basin is our nation’s leading oil- and gas-producing region and a critical pillar of America’s energy security," Cruz told Fox News Digital in a statement. "I support the State of Texas in opposing the NRC’s federal overreach and will keep fighting to ensure West Texas remains the energy power house it is today."

The brief argues that placing the storage facilities near the Permian Basin makes the area "an enticing target for adversaries," therefore threatening the oil-producing region. The brief says neither the parties hoping to operate the facilities nor the NRC are "equipped to consider the broader ramifications" of placing the facilities in the area. 

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Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cueller and Republican Reps. August Pfluger and Ronny Jackson have also joined Cruz's brief. 

"Energy independence is national security, which is why I support the scale-up of all reliable and economical energy sources, including nuclear, to meet our rising energy demand," Arrington said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "However, I will not allow Washington to impose its will on West Texas regarding the temporary disposal of high-level nuclear waste simply because the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can’t — or won’t — finalize permanent storage elsewhere."

Arrington said Texas "and the people of Andrews should make the decision" rather than "some nameless, faceless bureaucrat in Washington, D.C."

The amicus brief states that the location of the waste sites — while "remote" — "present an enormous threat to the country’s security and economic well-being."

"Energy security is national security. That adage remains as true now as it did in the 1970s, when OPEC strategically curtailed its oil supply to the United States," the filing continues. 

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"And although we’ve come a long way since then — building up domestic energy production capacity and decreasing dependence on fossil fuels — recent events are a vivid reminder of the importance of energy independence," the amicus continued. "They’ve also shown that the Permian Basin has global importance."

The high court is set to hear oral arguments in the case in early March.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is requesting that the federal government reimburse his state more than $11.1 billion for taxpayer money spent on securing the southern border during former President Joe Biden's administration.

Abbott, who sent letters to U.S. Congressional members on Thursday, said the Biden administration's "refusal to do its job the last four years" resulted in the crisis at the southern border that has spilled into the rest of the country.

"President Biden’s policies left Texas and the rest of America defenseless against an unprecedented infiltration of violent criminals, known terrorists, and other hostile foreign actors, like the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua," the governor wrote.

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In response to the federal government's lack of action at the border, Abbott took matters into his own hands and launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, which deployed the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to the US-Mexico border.

Operation Lone Star has reduced illegal immigration into Texas by 87% over the past four years, proving the "effectiveness of President Donald Trump's border measures," according to Abbott, who added that his efforts have shone a national spotlight on the crisis.

The governor outlined that the operation has also resulted in the apprehension of more than half a million illegal immigrants, stopped more than 140,000 illegal attempts to enter the US, made more than 50,000 criminal arrests, seized more than half a billion lethal doses of fentanyl, built more than 240 miles of border barriers and established the only National Guard base along the Texas-Mexico border.

"In short, Texas stepped up where the federal government refused and in doing so, protected all Americans from President Biden’s dangerous policies," Abbott wrote.

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Though he is proud of the operation, Abbott noted that its success came with a high price tag of more than $11.1 billion, which has been, and continues to be, paid by Texas taxpayers when it "should have been the federal government's responsibility."

In a document breaking down the costs, Abbott said that prior to the Biden administration, the state of Texas spent approximately $800 million every two years to supplement federal efforts at the border.

"The burden that our State has borne is a direct result of a refusal by the federal government to do its job," Abbott wrote. "The work that Texas has done through Operation Lone Star has protected and will continue to benefit the entire country."

House Republicans have introduced bills in the past requesting Texas be reimbursed for the billions spent on border security, but legislation has never been passed.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas repatriated a Mexican national who was living in Houston, and wanted in his native country for raping a child.

ICE said in a news release that 58-year-old Nestor Flores Encarnacion, an undocumented alien, was repatriated to Mexico on Thursday.

Flores, who is wanted in Veracruz, Mexico, for the rape of a child, illegally entered the U.S. four times.

On Thursday, deportation officers with ICE transported Flores to the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, Texas, where he was transferred into the custody of Mexican authorities.

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"This foreign fugitive brazenly entered the U.S. in violation of our nation’s laws on four separate occasions to evade prosecution in Mexico for allegedly raping a child," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston Field Office Director Bret A. Bradford said. "Dangerous foreign fugitives and criminal aliens who are accused of, or have committed, heinous crimes like sexually assaulting a child will find no safe haven in Southeast Texas."

According to ICE, Flores entered the U.S. illegally on Feb. 16, 2002, near Roma, Texas, and the next day, he was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol and returned to Mexico.

But he returned to the U.S. days later on Feb. 20, 2002, and again two days later on Feb. 22. Both times, ICE said, he was arrested by Border Patrol officers and voluntarily returned to Mexico the same day.

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Flores entered the country again for a fourth time at an unknown location and unknown date.

On Aug. 23, 2024, deportation officers from ERO Houston apprehended Flores at a residence in Houston after receiving notification that he was potentially residing in the Houston area. 

ERO Houston was also notified that Flores was wanted in Mexico for rape.

After being apprehended, Flores was placed into immigration proceedings and granted a voluntary departure by an immigration judge with the Justice Department on Dec. 19, 2024.

"Our immigration officers work tirelessly to successfully locate and apprehend undocumented aliens in the Houston area who threaten public safety, national security, and border security, and will not rest until they’re repatriated to their country of origin and no longer a threat to the community," Bradford said.

Three ex-convicts – including the self-professed coordinator of a migrant smuggling operation – were arrested in a sting targeting transnational gang members, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Arturo "Tadeo" Ramirez Manzano, 27, Mario Ivan Ramirez, 21, and Corina Hernandez, 30, all of El Paso and all convicted felons under federal probation, were all charged with the felonies of unlawful possession of a firearm by felon and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance on Friday, the agency told KFOX 14.

Two rifles and nearly one kilogram of cocaine were seized by Texas DPS agents carrying out two search and arrest warrants at an apartment complex in El Paso's Lower Valley, the outlet reported. 

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Ramirez was identified in a recent shooting incident and additionally charged with the felony of deadly conduct discharge firearm, according to KFOX. 

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Authorities said Ramirez admitted to being a member of the Paisa prison gang and serving as a key coordinator in a human smuggling operation led by La Empresa that operates between Mexico's Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. 

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All three are currently behind bars at El Paso County Jail awaiting trial, according to KFOX. 

The U.S. Border Patrol alien smuggling unit and Texas Highway Patrol Troopers assisted in the DPS investigation. Texas DPS could not immediately be reached.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is fighting to uphold a Texas law he says is keeping the pornography industry from targeting children with harmful content.

Passed in 2023 and signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the law requires porn sites to verify users’ ages through official documentation such as a driver’s license or government-issued I.D. Under the law, failure to implement this age verification results in fines.

Meanwhile, a collection of porn sites calling itself the Free Speech Coalition argues that the Texas law curbs their First Amendment rights and places an undue burden on Texas adults from accessing their content.   

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Pornhub, the country’s most popular adult content website, went so far as to disable access to their website for all users in Texas after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to uphold the law.

The two sides finally came face to face this Wednesday to make their case before the Supreme Court.

For its part, the nation’s highest court appeared united in agreeing with Paxton’s argument that states have a vested interest in limiting children’s access to pornographic content. Some justices, however, seemed to still have concerns about whether the Texas law’s prohibitions were too broad and could impact other areas of free speech expression.

The question before the court now is whether the Texas law should be subject to "rational basis" or "strict scrutiny" review, the latter of which would require Texas to meet the narrowest standards to uphold the age verification requirement.

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Whichever way the court rules will likely impact not only the Texas law but also the over a dozen other porn site age verification laws in states across the country.

In an interview with Fox News Digital after the hearing, Paxton said he feels confident that the Supreme Court will rule in Texas’ favor.

"Hearing the questions and seeing the comments by the justices I feel very optimistic, I think we’re going to win this," he said. "I really feel good about it. I think most of the justices are going to come down on the right side."

"Even the other side making their arguments admitted that we have an interest in protecting minors," he went on. "They just said that the way we were doing that was some type of overburden on adults, and so they offered up other suggestions, those suggestions don’t actually work and that’s probably why they offered them up, they don’t want age verification because it actually works, and it affects their bottom line." 

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In response to criticisms about the law potentially violating free speech, Paxton said: "Look I’m a huge free speech advocate. I see very few limitations on free speech. However, we have recognized that we need to protect children in all kinds of different ways. We don’t let them sign contracts, we don’t let them get married until they’re 18, we don’t let them be served alcohol, we don’t let them get tobacco, we have protected children, it’s been [throughout] our entire history."

"If you look anywhere in the developed world or anywhere [else], children are protected," he added. "It’s my job to enforce Texas law. In this case I feel very comfortable protecting our children from having this put in front of them."

FIRST ON FOX– The historic Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) organization, which currently allows transgender members to join its chapters, has pointed to the policy as a necessity for DAR to maintain its tax-exempt status. But, a local chapter in Texas is challenging that premise with the help of the Center for American Liberty (CAL). 

CAL drafted a letter to DAR leadership, arguing that a policy to exclude natal men, including natal men who identify as women, from membership eligibility is both lawful and would not jeopardize the DAR’s status as a tax-exempt nonprofit, according to a memorandum reviewed by Fox News Digital.

In September 2024, the Martha Laird Chapter, along with the endorsement of 11 other chapters, submitted a proposed bylaw amendment to prohibit all men, including trans-identifying men, from DAR membership eligibility. 

"A woman is defined as a biological female at conception, having naturally occurring X chromosomes, exclusive of Y chromosomes, and certified as female or girl on the original birth certificate," the proposed bylaw reads. "NSDAR and its chapters may not discriminate against an eligible applicant."

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The DAR Board of Management is set to consider the amendment during its next meeting on Feb. 8. If approved, the proposed bylaw amendment would go to the full DAR membership for a vote at the upcoming Continental Congress this summer. 

"We will continue doing this every year until we at least get a vote at the Continental Congress," Laura McDonald, member of the Martha Laird DAR Chapter, told Fox News Digital. "That's the only fair and transparent way to handle this."

CAL, on behalf of the Martha Laird DAR Chapter in Texas, argues that members of the organization have a First Amendment right to exclude trans-identifying men from eligibility. 

"To the extent state and local public accommodation statutes may be interpreted to require the DAR to admit trans-identifying men, such a requirement would likely violate the DAR’s First Amendment rights if the DAR determined that such a requirement would interfere with its ability to advance its intended message," the memorandum reads. 

Additionally, they argue that while nonprofits run the risk of losing their nonprofit status if they act in a way that is illegal or contrary to "national public policy," it is unlikely that the DAR, a genealogical association that limits membership to natal females, violates national public policy.

"To the best of our knowledge, the IRS has never revoked a sex-based organization’s nonprofit status based on the fact that the organization excluded trans-identifying men from membership eligibility," the memorandum reads. "Moreover, the DAR currently excludes men who do not identify as transgender from eligibility." 

"This exclusion constitutes discrimination on the basis of sex, which is typically prohibited by public accommodation laws, yet to the best of our knowledge, the IRS has never considered exclusion of men from a private organization’s membership rolls contrary to national public policy," the memorandum continues. 

The DAR was founded in 1890 as a place for women who share a commitment to honoring Revolutionary War patriots and promoting historical preservation, as they couldn't join their male counterparts in the Sons of the American Revolution. Members famously must trace their lineage to those who helped fight in the war for American independence. 

"The fact that we've excluded men since our founding… we should have lost our nonprofit status a long time ago or never even obtained it to begin with," McDonald said. 

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In June 2024, former DAR member Brenda Becker spoke with Fox News Digital about her resignation from the organization in protest following bylaw amendments that said chapters cannot "discriminate against an eligible applicant based on race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law," leading to criticism that biological men identifying as transgender women could be part of the group. But the organization noted that was already the case. 

"This literally is the epitome of gaslighting because, first of all, they tell members that nothing has changed in their admissions process from the beginning when we were founded in 1890, that only women are eligible for membership," McDonald said. "But, then they go on to say that a man who claims he's a woman is a woman, and therefore he's eligible for membership. But if you are a man that doesn't claim to be a woman, you're not eligible for membership."

The updated language was criticized for its vagueness, with some members expressing confusion last year over whether this would mean transgender women could join. In a document titled "Answers to Frequently Asked Member Questions Regarding Transgender Women in DAR," which was shared with Fox News Digital, the organization's leadership affirmed that transgender members were permitted to join.

Since the organization announced the amendment during DAR’s 2023 Continental Congress, over 500 members and former members of the DAR have sent nearly 3,000 messages to DAR leadership expressing discontent with the bylaw change, according to the New Tolerance Campaign (NTC). Members against the change argue that unless the bylaws are reversed, they will be forced to share changing rooms, restrooms and hotel rooms with biological males.

Becker told Fox News Digital she and other women feel like they are being deceived, and added it was ironic that one can join the DAR using an altered birth certificate when membership is contingent on accurate biographical records. 

McDonald said her chapter's new proposal also requires either a DNA test to confirm the female gender or a sworn statement that says the birth certificate that the applicant is submitting has not been altered in terms of sex. She added that this was especially important because the organization hasn't typically allowed any altered birth certificates to act as verification for admission. 

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"If I were to adopt a little girl right now, she could not use her altered birth certificate to get into the DAR, using my line, my biological line," McDonald explained. "She would have to go dig up her original birth certificate and jump through all these other hoops that other applicants don't to prove her biological line."

"The DAR is saying: 'Hey, man, if your state has issued you a new birth certificate, it's an amended birth certificate, it's not an original, but it says you're a female, we'll take that. We won't make you go find your original document," she said. 

"But, 'Hey, woman If you've been adopted and you have a birth certificate that says that your mother has lineal descent of a patriot, but she's not your biological mother, you can't use that one. You have to go through all these extra hoops,'" she added. "To me, that's a form of discrimination."

McDonald also believes that the cultural tide is shifting. 

"Everybody is realizing that this trans ideology, this agenda to have men infiltrate women's spaces, is starting to not be popular anymore, and it's not as accepted," McDonald said.

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Eric Sell, associate litigation counsel with the Center for American Liberty and Schilman Legal Fellow, shared a similar analysis, arguing it is very unpopular among the DAR members to allow men and transgender identifying men into the organization's membership. 

"The only reason the bylaw amendment didn't pass last go around is because these members are being told that they have to do this, or they're going to lose their nonprofit status or be subject to some other kind of legal penalty," he said. 

"It's pretty clear in the case law that the DAR has this First Amendment right and they would be able to use that as a defense if, in the unlikely event, some government actor were to bring an enforcement action against them," he added. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Daughters of the American Revolution for comment, but has yet to receive a response.

According to Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, the state’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and Tren de Aragua (TdA) migrant gang activity have reduced illegal crossings by nearly 90% and resulted in close to 50,000 criminal arrests.

Abbott’s office said that the Texas-led campaign called "Operation Lonestar," which was first launched in March 2021 and has seen the participation of over a dozen other Republican states, has led to 530,400 illegal immigrant apprehensions and over 49,900 criminal arrests, with more than 42,900 felony charges.

During this operation, Texas also became the first state to build a border wall on its own, continuing border wall construction at strategic points despite President Biden putting a stop to it in the early days of his administration.

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"Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including against the growing threat of Tren de Aragua," Abbott said on X. "We will not allow this gang to operate or gain a foothold in Texas."

The governor’s office also said that during Operation Lonestar, Texas law enforcement seized over 620 million lethal doses of fentanyl, which they said is "enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States, Mexico, and Canada combined."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

The office noted that Abbott designated TdA, whose violent crime has been sweeping across the nation, a foreign terrorist organization and launched a strike team to target, identify and arrest members of the group.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrested four TdA members crossing the border on New Year's Eve, one of whom was identified as a possible high-ranking member of the gang.

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The statement also said that Texas has transported a total of 119,400 migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles, all of which have migrant sanctuary policies in place.

Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, told Fox News Digital that Operation Lone Star has cost Texas more than $11 billion, all of which was spent on efforts to secure the border, including deploying thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers, transporting migrants to sanctuary cities, installing strategic barriers, cracking down against violent gangs like TdA, and building new border wall.

"Because of these efforts, Texas has decreased illegal crossings into the state by 87%," said Mahaleris. "Texas has held the line against the Biden-Harris border crisis for the past four years, and Governor Abbott looks forward to continuing to work closely with President Trump and his incoming administration to protect our state and the nation." 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced that flags at the state Capitol building in Austin and at all state office buildings will be raised to full-staff next Monday, Jan. 20, to mark President-elect Trump's inauguration.

The move comes despite the official order by President Biden after the Dec. 29 death of former President Jimmy Carter that flags across the country would fly at half-staff for a 30-day mourning period.

Abbott said in his announcement that "on January 20, our great nation will celebrate our democratic tradition of transferring power to a new President by inaugurating the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. As we unite our country and usher in this new era of leadership, I have ordered all flags to be raised to full-staff at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings for the inauguration of President Trump."

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION AND INAUGURATION

"While we honor the service of a former President, we must also celebrate the service of an incoming President and the bright future ahead for the United States of America," added the conservative three-term Texas governor.

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An Abbott adviser told Fox News that flags at the Texas Capitol and at state offices would resume flying at half-staff on Jan. 21.

"Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter," Abbott said in his statement. "President Carter’s steadfast leadership left a lasting legacy that will be felt for generations to come, which together as a nation we honor by displaying flags at half-staff for 30 days."

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According to the U.S. flag code, U.S. flags are flown at half-staff for a 30-day period to mark the passing of a current or former president, at federal government buildings, military installations and vessels, and at U.S. embassies and other facilities around the world.

Since the U.S. flag code dictates that no flag should fly higher than the American flag on the same or nearby poles, state flags also are lowered during such mourning periods.

Trump earlier this month claimed on social media that "Democrats are all ‘giddy’" about flags being flown at half-staff during his inauguration.

"Nobody wants to see this," Trump argued. "No American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

The U.S. flag code isn't mandatory, which means that Trump could technically override it once he's inaugurated as president.

The Associated Press observed that a flag at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida was flying at full height on Monday.

The flag had been flying at half-staff, but had been raised in the days after Carter's funeral service at National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and burial in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, both of which took place on Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Allstate insurance company for allegedly illegally collecting, using and selling the driving behavior data of over 45 million Americans.

Paxton filed the suit in the District Court for Montgomery County, Texas, on Monday morning. In the suit, he accuses Allstate, and its subsidiary data analytics company "Arity," of secretly using driving data from over 45 million Americans’ mobile devices, in-car devices and vehicles to build the "world’s largest driving behavior database," consisting of "trillions of miles" worth of data.

"Our investigation revealed that Allstate and Arity paid millions of dollars to install Allstate’s tracking software," Paxton said in a Monday statement. "The personal data of millions of Americans was sold to insurance companies without their knowledge or consent in violation of the law. Texans deserve better and we will hold all these companies accountable."

Allstate is one of the largest auto, home and life insurance companies in the U.S. It is headquartered in Glenview, Illinois.

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The suit said that in 2015, Allstate and Arity developed and integrated software into several third-party apps so that when a consumer downloaded these apps onto their phone, they unwittingly downloaded the tracking software. Once Allstate’s software was downloaded onto a customer’s device, they could monitor the consumer’s location and movement in real time.

According to the suit, the company used the driving data to justify raising customers’ insurance rates and further profited by selling the data to third parties, including other insurance companies.

"Defendants [Allstate and Arity] never informed consumers about their extensive data collection, nor did Defendants obtain consumers’ consent to engage in such data collection," the suit said. "Finally, Defendants never informed consumers about the myriad of ways Defendants would analyze, use, and monetize their sensitive data."

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Because tens of millions of Americans, including millions of Texans, were never informed about their driving data being gathered, Paxton argues that Allstate’s data-gathering scheme violates the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, the Data Broker Law, and the Texas Insurance Code’s prohibition on unfair and deceptive acts and practices in the insurance business.

He is asking the court to permanently block Allstate from continuing to gather and use customers’ data and to impose thousands of dollars in civil penalties per customer.

According to Paxton, this suit is the first enforcement action ever filed by a state attorney general to enforce a comprehensive data privacy law. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Allstate but did not immediately receive a response.

Texas authorities stumbled upon a suspected MS-13 gang member wanted for murder in El Salvador after pulling him over for defective brakes.

Luis Manuel Hernandez Bonilla was arrested Tuesday by Lakeway Police officers conducting standard patrol operations, according to a statement from the department.

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They saw Bonilla driving with "defective brake lamps," and, during the stop, realized he was a reported MS-13 gang member wanted by El Salvadoran authorities for homicide, according to the statement. 

Bonilla was taken into custody without incident, according to the LPD. 

He was then handed over to federal immigration authorities and transferred to the Boone County Jail in Burlington, Kentucky, according to ICE records.

"The Lakeway Police Department is dedicated to unsurpassed safety and service to our community through various law enforcement methods, including traffic enforcement and criminal interdiction," according to authorities.

In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump announcing he hopes to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," a Texas congressman offered a Lone Star-sized suggestion for compromise.

"Interesting compromise," Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw posted as a caption to a map showing the Gulf of Mexico’s label replaced with the emblem of a grinning Buc-ee the Beaver in his trademark red ball cap.

His post gained some traction on social media as someone commented enthusiastically: "The Gulf of Buc-ee’s!" 

While it has only started to increase its northward footprint, the Lake Jackson, Texas-based interstate-side gas station/meal-stop/country-store/convenience behemoth has a cult-like following in the South – as evidenced by the response to Crenshaw and others floating the idea.

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Known for 100-plus gas pumps dispensing at loss-leader prices that help draw in crowds, Buc-ee's has been described as both a 7-Eleven "on steroids" and "an amusement park without the rides."

Cooks can be heard regularly calling out "Fre-e-esh brisket on the board," as they continuously resupply visitors with Texas BBQ from a station in the middle of the store, while cheeky billboards advertise their massive, spotless bathrooms for miles.

The stores are also known for their mascot’s prized "Beaver Nuggets" snacks, fresh-made fudge, "wall" of jerky; vacation needs like camp chairs, clothing and even meat smokers. 

On Tuesday, Trump said he would change the name of the Gulf to the "appropriate" and "beautiful" "Gulf of America."

TRUMP ANNOUNCES GULF OF MEXICO TO BECOME ‘GULF OF AMERICA’

In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum posted an image of herself in front of an 18th century map showing a large portion of the United States as "Mexican America" and suggested facetiously that the name should revert.

Of Crenshaw’s "Gulf of Buc-ee’s" idea, social media was ablaze with support for the red hat-bedecked beaver.

"I’d support that," one X user wrote.

"Gulf of Buc’ees gets my vote -- that means brisket sandwich and a pitstop with hundreds of clean bathroom stalls every 3 hours...maybe picking up an iron skillet, crawfish boiler, or pair of Buc-ees pajamas too," a second user daydreamed of the idea.

Another commenter said they had yet to visit a Buc-ees but quipped, "I hope to someday be named among the blessed who have entered through the Brisket Gates. Gulf of Buc-ee’s -- I can support that."

Texas officials confirmed Wednesday that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu) has been detected in Austin-Travis County after tests were performed on dead birds discovered in North Austin earlier this month.

The Austin Public Health Department and Texas Department of State Health Services said the tests on the deceased birds were conducted by an area veterinary lab, which detected the virus.

Austin Public Health issued the advisory Wednesday as a reminder to the public that people who work with infected wild birds, poultry or dairy cows are at a greater risk of contracting the virus if they are exposed to a sick or infected dead animal.

While bird flu typically affects wild birds, especially waterfowl, and domestic poultry, over 60 human cases of bird flu have been detected across the U.S.

BIRD FLU PATIENT HAD VIRUS MUTATIONS, SPARKING CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN SPREAD

A patient in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with the first human case of bird flu died Monday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH).

The unidentified patient was over 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions, the agency said.

The same patient was found to have a mutated version of the virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last week, suggesting bird flu could potentially spread from human to human.

LOUISIANA REPORTS FIRST BIRD FLU-RELATED HUMAN DEATH IN US

Both the CDC and the LDH maintain that the risk to the public remains low.

Officials did caution, however, that those who come in contact with birds, poultry or cows are at a higher risk of contracting the virus.

As of Friday, there were 66 confirmed human cases of bird flu, including the Louisiana case, according to the CDC. Of those, 37 were in California, 11 in Washington state and 10 in Colorado. 

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Around 40 of the cases were related to exposure to cattle herds.

Avian influenza is a highly contagious virus that can spread through contact with infected animals, by equipment and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Austin health officials encourage anyone who comes across a sick or dead bird to contact the Texas Animal Health Commission at 800-550-8242. The officials also encourage anyone with a sick or dead pet bird to contact a veterinarian.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

HOUSTON — New photos taken by Fox News Digital provide a look inside Bourbon Street killer Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s home in Houston. 

Photos of the inside of Jabbar’s mobile home in a majority-Muslim neighborhood in north Houston revealed multiple copies of the Quran, a book on Christianity and a book about teaching children about Islam. 

Jabbar, 42, rammed a white truck into a crowd full of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans on Wednesday around 3:15 a.m. He then began shooting at law enforcement officers, who returned fire, killing Jabbar on the scene. The rampage, which is being investigated as a terrorist attack, left 15 dead, including Jabbar, and more than 30 people injured. 

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Jabbar, who served in the U.S. Army for 13 years, including one tour in Afghanistan, was flying an ISIS flag on his truck during the attack and was inspired by the Islamic state. 

The FBI and a Houston SWAT team raided Jabbar’s home early Thursday morning. The team left the front door off its hinges and cracked open, revealing much of the house’s living room, kitchen and a glimpse of a bedroom. 

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From outside the front porch, Jabbar’s living room could be seen left in a state of disarray by law enforcement officers who searched the home. A black suitcase lay strewn on the floor and a dart board and fake fireplace could be seen on the far side of the wall. 

Next-door neighbors described Jabbar to Fox News Digital as a quiet, respectful neighbor who was devoted to his Islamic religion. A bookshelf sitting near the front door seems to back his religious devotion, containing several copies of the Quran and books about Islam as well as one about Christianity. 

On the opposite side of the house, Jabbar had an elevated desk with a computer set up and a can of pepper spray, as well as several other items. A green, military-style backpack also lay near the kitchen. 

PRO-ISIS GROUP CALLED ON MUSLIMS TO CONDUCT NYE ATTACKS AHEAD OF NEW ORLEANS MASSACRE

Jabbar was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and was living in a rented mobile home in Houston. The house is in a neighborhood among several other mobile homes and RVs, just about a seven-minute walk from the Masjid Bilal Mosque and Darul Arqam Islamic school. 

Much of the neighborhood is in an extreme state of disrepair with dilapidated houses, parts of the road ripped up and trash and stray animals present throughout the street. Jabbar’s yard had several ducks and chickens wandering about and several goats were in another yard nearby. 

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK

A next-door neighbor, who asked not to be identified, told Fox News Digital he had seen Jabbar loading up a white pickup truck on Tuesday outside his Houston home, the morning before the attack in New Orleans, where he rammed the truck into New Year's revelers. The neighbor said he spoke with Jabbar, who told him he had gotten a job and was moving to Louisiana. The neighbor said he was under the impression Jabbar had gotten another job in information technology.

"He said he got the job that day in Louisiana," the neighbor said, describing how Jabbar was loading "very light stuff, handheld stuff, not heavy stuff" into the truck.

"The morning he was moving, I asked him if he needed help moving out, as a neighbor, 'Do you need any help for moving?' He said, 'I'm OK,'" the neighbor told Fox News Digital.

The neighbor expressed disbelief upon learning Jabbar was accused of the Bourbon Street bloodshed.

"Blow my mind, I was shocked, somebody seized the carpet under my feet, I was just like too shocked, unbelievable. 'This really happened?'" the neighbor said. "Like I said, we still don't believe, we still don't believe that that's the person, just there's no way, it can't be like that."

A teenager in Texas is facing a felony charge after allegedly killing a rival competitor's show goat a couple of months ago.

An arrest affidavit showed 17-year-old Aubrey Vanlandingham, who competes in livestock shows with her own goat, allegedly admitted to poisoning Willy, a younger competitor's goat, CBS Austin reported.

Vanlandingham is accused of using a drench gun to force-feed Willy a toxic pesticide inside the Vista Ridge High School's barn facility on Oct. 23, ultimately killing the 6-month-old goat, according to the outlet. Security footage allegedly showed the goat trying to escape the encounter.

The teenager was allegedly seen leaving Willy and returning to check on him two separate times during a two-hour period before calling the rival competitor's mother to tell her the goat wasn't doing well.

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Willy died in his owner's arms within 24 hours after experiencing convulsions and respiratory distress, CBS Austin said.

Vanlandingham allegedly admitted to killing her rival's goat because she thought the 15-year-old was "a cheater," the outlet reported from the arrest affidavit. She had tried to kill Willy before, but was unsuccessful.

Willy's cause of death was determined to be organophosphate intoxication from phosmet, a pesticide used for external parasite control in livestock.

The mother of the 15-year-old girl told the DailyMail that Vanlandingham doesn't appear to be remorseful. 

"It’s all bizarre. We want justice served, we don’t want a slap on the wrist. We want to make sure that she is punished. At this point, we don’t feel like she thinks she’s going to be punished and she needs to be. She needs to take ownership for what she’s done," she told the outlet, adding that they want her to go to jail and get mental help.

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A police investigation into Vanlandingham's phone revealed that she allegedly searched for information on lethal doses of bleach for animals and poisoning methods, according to CBS Austin. She also allegedly searched "how to clear search history."

The 15-year-old's mother determined Vanlandingham's alleged crime was fueled by jealousy, not cheating.

"You can’t even cheat when it comes to showing goats," she told the DailyMail. "It makes no sense, so that’s where the jealousy really kind of falls into place."

Vanlandingham was charged with cruelty to livestock animals, which is a felony in Texas punishable by up to two years in prison. She was arrested on Nov. 22 and released on a $5,000 bond the same day, jail records show.

Her court date is set for Jan. 15.

The Biden administration on Friday said it would stop selling off materials slated to be used to build a border wall ahead of the incoming Trump administration, which has promised to bring back tougher efforts to combat illegal immigration.

The Biden administration confirmed to a court that it will agree to a court order preventing it from disposing of any further border wall materials over the next 30 days, allowing President-elect Trump to use those materials, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said. 

The Biden administration has been auctioning off border wall parts since at least 2023, with parts listed for sale on auction marketplaces, after it abruptly shut down most border wall construction in 2021.

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President-elect Donald Trump then urged the Biden Administration to stop. Fox News Digital has reached out to Trump's representatives. 

"We have successfully blocked the Biden Administration from disposing of any further border wall materials before President Trump takes office," Paxton said. 

"This follows our major victory forcing Biden to build the wall, and we will hold his Administration accountable for illegally subverting our Nation’s border security until their very last day in power, especially where their actions are clearly motivated by a desire to thwart President-elect Trump’s immigration agenda," he added. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

In a news release, Paxton's office said that if the Biden administration disposes of border wall materials purchased with funds subject to an injunction in violation of a court order, "it would constitute unethical and sanctionable conduct and officials could be held in contempt of court."

Texas has said it intends to do all it can to help the incoming administration build the wall at the southern border when Trump enters office.

The Biden administration abruptly ended border wall construction in January 2021 after 450 miles had been built in the first Trump administration. While border hawks say a wall is a critical tool to stopping illegal immigration, some Democrats have said a wall project is xenophobic and ineffective.

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The auctioning off of border wall parts began in 2023 with parts listed for sale on GovPlanet.com, an online auction marketplace. The Defense Department's logistics agency told media outlets that the excess material had been turned over for disposition by the Army Corps of Engineers and was now for sale.

Those auctions have continued, with officials in Arizona telling Fox News Digital that auctions have been occurring weekly for some time. The practice drew attention last week when The Daily Wire published video showing unused wall parts being transported on flatbed trucks in Arizona, even though the materials could be used in the next Trump administration. 

Trump previously called Biden's efforts to sell unused border wall materials at a discounted rate "almost a criminal act."

Trump said the auctions would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to re-purchase the large steel bollards and concrete. He called on President Biden to "please stop selling the wall" and suggested his team would obtain a restraining order to halt the sales.

"What they're doing is really an act, it's almost a criminal act," he said. "They know we're going to use it and if we don't have it, we're going to have to rebuild it, and it'll cost double what it cost years ago, and that's hundreds of millions of dollars because you're talking about a lot of, a lot of wall."

Fox News Digital's Adam Shaw, Brooke Singman and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.