Southeast
Florida city criminalizes illegal immigration in historic move to enforce Trump, DeSantis mission
The city of Jacksonville, Florida, ignited an immigration firestorm, criminalizing illegal entry as a city council member touted the “public safety” benefits.
Fox News Digital spoke with at-large Jacksonville City Council member Nick Howland on the city’s ordinance #2025-0147, known as the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act, which was passed by the city council 12-5 last week and signed into law on Tuesday.
“We are the first city in the country to enact this kind of bill,” Howland said. “We’re standing with our president, with our governor, with our state legislature to secure our borders, to reverse the Biden wave of illegal immigration and to keep our streets and our neighborhoods safe.”
The bill not only criminalizes illegal immigration but also allocates resources to help the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office identify individuals without legal status.
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City leaders passed the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act. (Visit Jacksonville)
One of the main resources listed in the bill was a request for 25 mobile fingerprint scanners for law enforcement.
The legislation will also make it a local crime for undocumented immigrants to enter or reside in the city of Jacksonville. First-time offenders face a mandatory 30-day jail sentence, while repeat offenders could receive up to 60 days in jail.
“There are two main parts to the bill. The first is what we’ve already discussed; it criminalizes entering or residing in Duval County if you are an illegal immigrant. The second part focuses on determining whether someone is in the country illegally,” he said.
Sheriff T.K. Waters said this move helps the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Howland said, like most sheriff’s offices and police departments, Jacksonville uses fingerprint readers.
“This bill helps [Jacksonville] Sheriff T.K. Waters determine how many additional fingerprint readers are needed to equip every patrol unit operating 24/7 throughout the city and county,” he said.
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Jacksonville covers over 800 square miles, and the bill allocates $76,000 for 25 more fingerprint readers.
“That will bring the department’s total to just over 150, roughly one for every patrol,” he said. “This is critical because it gives the sheriff another tool in the toolbox.”
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In 2024, 602 undocumented immigrants were detained in Duval County. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took custody of 334 for deportation, according to the legislation, written by City Council member Kevin Carrico. The rest either served their time or were released on bail.
Among those 334 deportation cases, there were 94 charges for battery, 140 for DUI, as well as cases involving murder and sexual assault.
“This is, at the end of the day, a public safety bill,” Howland said. “This is keeping people off the streets that would otherwise endanger our community. And we need to know when someone is legal or illegal and the fingerprint readers help.”
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan spoke out against the ordinance at a press conference on April 2, 2025. (City of Jacksonville)
While proponents of the law, like Howland, have boasted about its potential impact on public safety, others have criticized it for its redundancy and the implementation of “stop and frisk” policies.
“It has always been my position that we will provide the equipment and resources they need. So they will receive the funding for the 25 fingerprint scanners that have been requested. I wish that alone had been all 2025-147 was,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said in a news conference.
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“But it’s not. Instead, it includes language that is hurtful and performative but not substantive,” she said. “There is nothing in this bill that isn’t already required by federal or state law. And in fact, the state law already carries a harsher penalty. So why would JSO need to arrest someone under a new local ordinance when they already have a stronger state law?”
Deegan noted that the city has had an agreement with ICE since 2008 and that sanctuary cities have been banned in the Sunshine State since 2019.
“Any suggestion to the contrary is intentionally misleading,” she said. “On top of it being redundant, this bill puts our local government in a lane where it doesn’t belong. Courts have repeatedly ruled that immigration enforcement is a function of the federal government.”
At-large Jacksonville City Council member Nick Howland said the legislation is “at the end of the day, a public safety bill.” (Visit Jacksonville)
Howland said that even if there are already laws on the books, this adds additional support and flexibility for local police, which makes it worthwhile.
“There’s nothing redundant about giving police another tool in their toolbox to ensure we have safe streets and neighborhoods,” he said.
He said the new city ordinance goes a step further than state and federal laws, making it a local offense to enter or reside within Jacksonville as an illegal migrant. It gives Jacksonville authorities more power to enforce immigration violations locally, he said.
“This allows the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to use the new law to detain individuals a bit longer, long enough to potentially turn them over to ICE,” he said.
“Why is that important? As I mentioned, over 600 people were detained last year, but only 334 were referred to ICE for deportation. With this law, the sheriff’s office can hold individuals longer if they’ve broken the law by entering the country illegally. That means we can increase the number of cases referred to ICE for potential deportation, if necessary.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office saw a massive drop in violent crime in 2024. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said the department has seen firsthand the consequences of “failed border policies on public safety.”
“The Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act provides our agency with additional tools and resources to help address those threats and ensure that offenders are held accountable,” he told Fox News Digital. “Furthermore, it sends a clear message that Jacksonville will not be a sanctuary for criminals who enter our country illegally.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
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The suspect accused of plotting a New Year’s Eve attack on a grocery store and fast-food restaurant in North Carolina worked at a Burger King and hid knives and hammers under his bed despite his grandparents trying to secure the potential weapons, prosecutors revealed Friday.
Christian Sturdivant, 18, of Mint Hill, a town outside Charlotte, was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Russ Ferguson said.
“What we do know is that the grandfather secured the knives in the home, secured the hammers, tried to make sure that Mr. Sturdivant did not have them. And, yet, when we executed the search warrant, they were found under his bed,” Ferguson told reporters at a news conference Friday.
Ferguson added the attack was planned to take place in Mint Hill, and the suspect worked at a Burger King.
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Christian Sturdivant, the 18-year-old suspect from Mint Hill, N.C., accused of plotting an attack on New Year’s Eve in support of ISIS. (Gaston County Sheriff’s Office)
“He was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die. And we were very, very fortunate they did not,” Ferguson said. “I can tell you from his notes he was targeting Jews, Christians and LGBTQ individuals.”
James C. Barnacle, Jr., special agent in charge of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, said Friday that Sturdivant first caught the bureau’s attention in January 2022, when he was still a juvenile.
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Prosecutors said “law enforcement seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a blue hammer, a wooden-handled hammer and two butcher knives hidden underneath the defendant’s bed.” On the right is a note titled, “New Years Attack 2026,” that prosecutors said law enforcement found during a Dec. 29, 2025, search of Sturdivant’s home in Mint Hill, N.C. (United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina)
“He was in contact via social media with an unidentified ISIS member overseas. Sturdivant received direction from this unidentified ISIS member to dress in all black, knock on people’s doors, and attack them with a hammer. In fact, Sturdivant did dress in all black. He left this house with a hammer, and fortunately his family stepped in,” Barnacle continued. “No charges were filed at that time. He was referred for psychological care, and he underwent psychological care.
“Christian Sturdivant pledged his loyalty to ISIS and committed himself to commit to killing Americans on New Year’s Eve.
“Law enforcement also seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a list of targets, as well as tactical gloves and a vest, acquired as part of the defendant’s planned attack,” prosecutors said. (United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina)
“We do have some intelligence that he was looking at a grocery store because there would be a lot of people there. He knew there would be a lot of people there grocery shopping. … He was looking for a high-profile place,” Barnacle added.
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“There’s a couple grocery stores in Mint Hill. He wasn’t set on just one. He was looking at multiple, whichever one had the most people in it.”
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Southeast
Georgia teen charged with murdering Uber driver in suburban carjacking, leaving him to die
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A 15-year-old boy has been charged as an adult with murder after an Uber driver was found shot to death early New Year’s Day after a carjacking in a suburban Atlanta community, authorities said.
The victim was identified as Cesar Tejada, 58, of Grayson, Georgia, who was working as an Uber driver at the time of the shooting, according to a release from the Lawrenceville Police Department. Authorities said that Tejada was a father of two.
Police responded around 5:20 a.m. Jan. 1 to a report of a person lying in the roadway in the suburban community of Lawrenceville, which is approximately 30 miles northeast of Atlanta. Officers found Tejada suffering from a gunshot wound, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators determined that Tejada had picked up the suspect around 4:13 a.m. and transported him to Groveland Parkway. Police said the suspect exited the back seat, shot Tejada and left him in the road before fleeing the scene.
An Uber driver was found shot to death in the roadway of the nearby 600 block of Groveland Parkway in the Meadow Grove subdivision Jan. 1, 2026. (WAGA-TV)
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Using FLOCK camera technology and working in partnership with Uber, detectives tracked Tejada’s vehicle back to the area where the trip originated. Officers later detained the suspect, identified as 15-year-old Christian Simmons, after observing him walking in the roadway near his residence, police said.
Simmons has been charged as an adult with murder. Police initially withheld his identity due to his age.
Christian Simmons, 15, was charged with murder as an adult after Uber driver Cesar Tejada, 58, was found shot to death in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on New Year’s Day. (Lawrenceville Police Department/Facebook)
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, an Uber spokesperson said the company is saddened by Tejada’s death.
“We’re saddened by this devastating loss, and our condolences go out to the driver’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve been in contact with the Lawrenceville Police Department to help support their investigation.”
Uber confirmed the rider account associated with the incident has been permanently banned. The company said it employs former law enforcement professionals to assist with investigations and offers in-app safety features such as an emergency assistance button, GPS trip tracking and rider verification.
The Lawrenceville Police Department discovered a deceased Uber driver in the roadway of the nearby 600 block of Groveland Parkway in the Meadow Grove subdivision Jan. 1, 2026. (WAGA-TV)
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Police described Tejada as a husband and father of two and extended condolences to his family. The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the Lawrenceville Police Department.
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In 2025, idyllic small towns across America were interrupted by acts of violence from Mississippi to Montana, Arkansas to Washington state.
The murders struck during homecoming weekends, inside neighborhood bars, at campgrounds and along hiking trails.
Together, the cases exposed vulnerabilities in small-town America: unresolved personal disputes, untreated mental health crises and domestic violence.
Clinton and Cristen Brink were murdered at Devil’s Den State Park on Saturday, July 26, 2025. (GoFundMe)
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Devil’s Den, Arkansas:
In northwest Arkansas, a visit to a state park ended in a double homicide.
Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristen Brink, 41, the parents of three children, were stabbed to death while hiking at Devil’s Den State Park on July 26.
The couple had recently moved to Arkansas to be closer to family and begin a new chapter. Friends described them as gentle, active and devoted parents.
“They loved to take the girls and go hiking,” said Mary Hinebauch, a friend from their former church in Montana. “That wasn’t an unnatural place for them to be.”
The Arkansas State Police arrested Andrew James McGann, 28, charging him with murdering the couple. Investigators said the killings appeared unprovoked. The arrest came a day after police released “a composite sketch of a man” they were “seeking to identify for questioning in connection with the double homicide.”
“This was a very safe place to be,” Hinebauch said. “It’s pure evil.”
To read more about this case, click here.
The FBI’s Jackson Field Office released this “seeking information” poster featuring four suspects wanted in connection with the Oct. 11, 2025, mass shooting in Leland, Mississippi, that left six people dead and 20 injured. (FBI)
Leland, Mississippi:
On Oct. 11, 2025, just after midnight in Leland, Mississippi, a small city in Washington County where the population hovers around 3,700, the excitement of homecoming weekend was shattered when a shooting broke out following a football game.
At least six people were killed and at least 19 others wounded.
The FBI’s Jackson Field Office announced that four people were arrested in connection with the shooting.
Three men, identified as Teviyon Powell, 29; William Bryant, 29; and Morgan Lattimore, 25, were charged with capital murder. A fourth suspect, Latoya Powell, 44, was charged with attempted murder.
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Investigators said they believe the violence stemmed from a personal dispute, though no final motive has been confirmed.
“This is not who we are as a community,” Leland Mayor John Lee said. “Our hearts are broken for these families.”
To read more about this case, click here.
Main Street in Anaconda, Montana, leads to the Deer Lodge County Courthouse with mountains in the background on Aug. 8, 2025. (Peter D’Abrosca/Fox News Digital)
Anaconda, Montana:
In Anaconda, Montana, a quiet bar in a former mining town with about 9,000 people was interrupted when a man opened fire on Aug. 1, 2025.
Authorities said that Michael Paul Brown, 45, an Army veteran and longtime local resident, entered The Owl Bar around 10:30 a.m. and opened fire. Authorities said Brown lived next door to the bar and was known to the patrons inside.
Four people were killed: Daniel Edwin Baillie, 59; Nancy Lauretta Kelley, 64; David Allen Leach, 70; and Tony Wayne Palm, 74. Kelley was working as the bartender; the others were regular customers.
Brown fled, sparking a massive weeklong manhunt involving more than 130 local, state and federal law enforcement officers. The FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service and Montana National Guard all assisted, deploying helicopters, air patrols and ground teams across rugged terrain.
The Department of Criminal Investigations in Montana released a photo of Michael Brown fleeing the scene after allegedly shooting and killing four people at a bar on Aug. 1, 2025. (Department of Criminal Investigations)
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Residents told Fox News Digital that fear settled over the town as the search dragged on.
“The town is just scared,” one bartender said. “Everybody’s on edge.”
Brown was captured Aug. 8 near a barn about five and a half miles from the bar. Authorities said he was armed.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen called the killings “cold-blooded.”
To read more about this case, click here.
Travis Decker was suspected of murdering his three daughters before disappearing into the Washington wilderness. (Chelan County Sheriff’s Office)
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Wenatchee, Washington:
In May 2025, a manhunt was launched for the fugitive father of three accused of murdering his three daughters before disappearing into the wilderness.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said Travis Decker, a military veteran and wilderness survivalist, failed to return his three daughters from a court-mandated custody visit in late May 2025. Days later, the bodies of Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, were found at a Chelan County campground.
According to police, the girls had been bound with zip ties and suffocated.
This undated photo provided by Whitney Decker shows Paityn, Olivia and Evelyn Decker. (Whitney Decker via AP)
A manhunt followed, spanning rugged mountain terrain and involving multiple law enforcement agencies. In September, human remains were discovered on Grindstone Mountain, less than a mile from where the girls’ bodies had been found. DNA testing later confirmed the remains belonged to Decker.
“This will bring a close to our case,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said after the DNA results were confirmed. “We wanted to show honor to them and let them know we haven’t forgotten.”
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Court records showed Decker’s ex-wife had previously petitioned to modify the parenting plan, citing his worsening mental health and unstable living conditions.
To read more about this case, click here.
Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca, Julia Bonavita, Michael Dorgan and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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