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Biden border chief must answer after Jordanian nationals nearly breach Quantico: senators

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Biden border chief must answer after Jordanian nationals nearly breach Quantico: senators

Exclusive: A group of Republican senators signed onto a letter to Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas demanding more details on the two Jordanian nationals who were arrested after attempting to breach Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

“This incident and a number of similar incidents in recent months are in stark contrast with your statements to Congress that the border is ‘secure,’’ ‘no less secure than it was previously,’ ‘closed,’ and that DHS has ‘operational control’ of the border,” the letter, which was penned by Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., said. “The military community at Marine Corps Base Quantico and the American people deserve answers regarding the terrorism and counter-intelligence threats posed by the Biden administration’s open border policies.”

The letter comes as mystery still surrounds the two Jordanian nationals who attempted to breach Quantico by posing as Amazon drivers earlier this month, with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) still declining to release the pair’s identity to the public.

JORDANIAN WHO TRIED TO BREACH MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO WAS IN US ILLEGALLY, SOURCES SAY

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. (John Moore/Getty Images)

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One of the two suspects crossed into the U.S. illegally in April, multiple Department of Homeland Security sources told Fox News Thursday, crossing the border and the San Diego sector and later released with a notice to appear in court because of a lack of derogatory information found on him.

The other Jordanian national was also in the country illegally, the sources told Fox News, having overstayed a student visa.

Neither man had a criminal history in the U.S., the sources said, while both suspects are now in ICE custody awaiting removal proceedings.

The main gate of the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

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But the letter, which was signed by over a dozen GOP senators, notes that many questions remain unanswered, including whether or not one of the individuals was on a terrorist watch list. 

The senators also noted that similar incidents have taken place in recent months, including a March attempt by a Chinese national who was in the country illegally to break into Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California. 

The letter comes at the same time as a similar effort from House Republicans, with Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, R-Tenn., and other committee leaders issuing a letter to Mayorkas and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demanding answers.

“The Committee fears that the Department of Homeland Security’s relaxed vetting standards, which complement President Biden’s avowed desire to ‘surge the border’ with inadmissible migrants, have created an environment ripe for exploitation by individuals aiming to undermine the United States at its most critical points,” reads the House letter.

Meanwhile, the Senate letter pointed out that such attempts by Chinese nationals to gain access to U.S. military installations has happened as many as 100 times, including an instance of a group of Chinese nationals attempting to push their way past guards at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, claiming they had hotel reservations on the base.

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A group of over 100 migrants attempting to enter the US illegally rushing a border wall Thursday, March 21, 2024. In the process, the migrants knocked down Texas National Guardsmen before they were halted by the border wall. (James Breeden for New York Post / Mega)

“All of these events occur in the context of increasing U.S. Border Patrol encounters of aliens on the terrorist watchlist as well as a record number of Chinese national encounters at the southern border during the Biden administration,” the letter reads.

Sens. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; J.D. Vance, R-Ohio; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Mike Braun, R-Ind.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Mike Lee, R-Utah; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; Ted Cruz, R-Texas, John Hoeven, R-N.D.; and John Kennedy, R-La.

DHS did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

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Southeast

Illegal immigrant arrested after showing up to Florida Border Patrol office for contract IT work

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Illegal immigrant arrested after showing up to Florida Border Patrol office for contract IT work

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FIRST ON FOX: An illegal immigrant who reported to a U.S. Border Patrol site in Florida to perform some Information technology contractual work was arrested when authorities were made aware of his citizenship status, officials said. 

Angel Camacho, a Venezuelan citizen, reported to a USBP center in Dania Beach, Florida, Jan. 6 to do some IT work when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials began vetting him, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital. 

During its investigation, it was revealed Camacho was in violation of U.S. immigration laws, authorities said. 

Angel Camacho reported to a Florida U.S. Border Patrol center to perform contractual work when he was arrested, a Department of Homeland Security official said.  (Getty Images )

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“CBP vets all external visitors before allowing them to enter secure facilities to ensure safety and operational integrity,” DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. 

“During the vetting process, CBP uncovered this individual was a tourist visa overstay in the country for over five years.”

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This photo shows a U.S. Border Patrol patch on a border agent’s uniform in McAllen, Texas, Jan. 15, 2019. (Suzanne CordeiroAFP via Getty Images)

Camacho was arrested and transferred to ICE custody, Bis said. 

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His criminal history includes theft and resisting a Florida Highway Patrol officer, officials said. Federal authorities have nabbed several illegal immigrants in the process of trying to obtain employment in law enforcement and education. 

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One Sierra Leone citizen was recently arrested as he was training to become a Pennsylvania corrections officer. 

Another illegal immigrant, Ian Roberts, served as the former superintendent of Iowa’s largest district, Des Moines Public Schools, before he was arrested by ICE. 

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High school teacher arrested in alleged sex case involving student

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High school teacher arrested in alleged sex case involving student

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A Georgia high school teacher was arrested Wednesday after allegations of inappropriate contact between a teacher and a minor student surfaced at Lee County High School.

Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent or foster parent, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).

Lee County High School requested the Leesburg Police Department investigate the allegations on Feb. 3, and the GBI was called to assist the following day.

Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, Ga., is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

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Investigators identified Weaver as the “subject,” and identified the victim as a student under 18 years old at Lee County High School, according to officials.

GBI agents continued the investigation along with the Leesburg Police Department, and arrest warrants were obtained for Weaver on Tuesday.

A Google Maps street view photo of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga. (Google Maps)

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Weaver turned herself in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, and was later released on bond, according to a report from WALB News.

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This investigation is active and ongoing, according to the GBI.

The incident allegedly happened at a high school in Georgia. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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Once complete, the case file will be given to the Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Leesburg is located in South Georgia, and is about an hour and a half north of Tallahassee, Florida.

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Lee County High School’s communications team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Federal court clears way for Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana public school classrooms

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Federal court clears way for Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana public school classrooms

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A federal appeals court cleared the way Friday for a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, lifting a lower court block and reigniting debate over religion in public education.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 12-6 to lift a block first imposed in 2024, finding it was too early to determine the constitutionality of the law. Critics argue the requirement violates the separation of church and state, while supporters say the Ten Commandments are historical and foundational to U.S. law.

The court said in the majority opinion that it was unclear how schools would display the poster-sized materials, noting that the law allows additional content, like the Mayflower Compact or the Declaration of Independence, to appear alongside the Ten Commandments.

The majority wrote that there were not enough facts to “permit judicial judgment rather than speculation” when evaluating potential First Amendment concerns.

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A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a lower court block on Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom law, bringing the measure closer to taking effect. (John Bazemore/AP)

In a concurring opinion, Circuit Judge James Ho, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote that the law was constitutional and “consistent with our founding traditions.”

“It is fully consistent with the Constitution, and what’s more, it reinforces our Founders’ firm belief that the children of America should be educated about the religious foundations and traditions of our country,” Ho said, adding that the law “affirms our Nation’s highest and most noble traditions.”

Circuit Judge James L. Dennis, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, wrote in a dissenting opinion that displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms would amount to “exposing children to government‑endorsed religion in a setting of compulsory attendance.”

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A federal appeals court ruling on Feb. 20 allows Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom mandate to proceed for now. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)

“That is precisely the kind of establishment the Framers anticipated and sought to prevent,” he added.

The ACLU of Louisiana and other groups representing the plaintiffs said they would pursue additional legal challenges to block the law.

“Today’s ruling is extremely disappointing and would unnecessarily force Louisiana’s public school families into a game of constitutional whack-a-mole in every school district,” the groups wrote in a joint-statement. “Longstanding judicial precedent makes clear that our clients need not submit to the very harms they are seeking to prevent before taking legal action to protect their rights.”

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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised the appeals court decision on Feb. 20 allowing the Ten Commandments classroom law to move forward. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Friday praised the court’s decision, writing on Facebook, “Common sense is making a comeback!”

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a statement following the ruling, saying schools “should follow the law.”

“Don’t kill or steal shouldn’t be controversial. My office has issued clear guidance to our public schools on how to comply with the law, and we have created multiple examples of posters demonstrating how it can be applied constitutionally,” she said.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said schools should follow the Ten Commandments display law after a federal appeals court lifted a lower court block on Feb. 20. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

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Joseph Davis, an attorney representing Louisiana in the case, celebrated the court’s decision.

“If the ACLU had its way, every trace of religion would be scrubbed from the fabric of our public life,” he said in a statement. “That position is at odds with our nation’s traditions and our Constitution. We’re glad the Fifth Circuit has allowed Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments in its public school classrooms.”

Friday’s ruling came after the full court agreed to reconsider the case, months after a three-judge panel ruled the Louisiana law unconstitutional.

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A similar law in Arkansas faces a federal court challenge, while Texas implemented its own Ten Commandments classroom requirement last year.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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