Southeast
Trump's Florida allies oppose abortion amendment as former president decides how to vote
Allies of former President Trump in Florida are explaining which way they will vote on an abortion ballot question in the state’s November election after the Trump campaign’s clarification that he has yet to decide his position.
A ballot initiative in Florida to amend the state constitution to enshrine the right to an abortion into law is known as Amendment 4. It states, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”
Additionally, it says, “This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”
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Trump allies, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., revealed where they stand on the Florida abortion amendment. (Reuters)
Trump, a resident of Florida, was asked Thursday how he would vote by a reporter.
“I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” he said in response.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), promptly responded with a statement, saying, “President Trump has consistently opposed abortions after five months of pregnancy. Amendment 4 would allow abortion past this point. Voting for Amendment 4 completely undermines his position.”
“We strongly support Florida’s current heartbeat law,” she added. “For anyone who believes in drawing a different line, they still must vote against Amendment 4, unless they don’t want a line at all. Amendment 4 would lock unlimited abortion into the state constitution, preventing the Florida legislature from enacting any changes.”
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Former President Trump said six weeks was not enough time. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Afterward, SBA corrected the statement to add that Dannenfelser spoke with Trump on Thursday night.
“He has not committed to how he will vote on Amendment 4,” she said.
Trump’s campaign also issued a statement after his remark.
“President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida. He simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s office told Fox News Digital he will be voting against the amendment, which would enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution. A spokesperson referred Fox News Digital to an April interview when the senator explained his stance.
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Advocates want to enshrine the right to an abortion into the Florida constitution. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
“My fundamental challenge, and that’s at the core of it, is I believe that the right from which all of the rights emanate is the right to live, the right of a human being to live. And that right to live when it comes to abortion is in conflict with a woman’s right to choose. And, so, we have to choose in public policy, what do we prioritize? The right to live or the right to choose in those circumstances. And it’s a tough choice for a lot of people, and I understand it. But, for me, I’m going to be on the side of life,” Rubio said at the time.
Another Trump ally, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital in a statement, “I do not believe abortion policy belongs in the constitution. This matter should be addressed by the state legislature.”
Representatives for Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., did not provide comment in time for publication when asked by Fox News Digital how they plan to vote.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has come out against the amendment. (Cheney Orr/AFP via Getty Images)
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office did not provide comment but referred Fox News Digital to an outside campaign against the amendment, which is run by allies of the governor. Taryn Fenske, a representative for the Vote No On 4 Florida campaign, pointed Fox News Digital to her post on X in response to Trump.
“Donald Trump has consistently stated that late-term abortions where a baby can feel pain should never be permitted, and he’s always stood up for parents’ rights,” she wrote. “Amendment 4 would allow late-term abortions, eliminate parental consent, and open the door to taxpayer-funded abortions. It’s extreme and must be defeated.”
DeSantis has publicly opposed the amendment in the past.
Opponents of the amendment have pointed to its vague language as an issue, noting it could be read to allow elective abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy as deemed necessary by employees of abortion clinics, rather than solely doctors. The amendment also does not define viability, typically understood to be around 20-25 weeks, leaving more gray area to be interpreted.
Another concern brought by the amendment is its language regarding minors getting abortions. The text says that the amendment would not change the legislature’s ability to require parents to be notified about a minor’s abortion. However, it leaves out the legislature’s authority to require parental consent for such a procedure. The amendment is understood by critics to overturn current parental consent laws.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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Southeast
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 )
“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.
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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Southeast
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)
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.
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.
Lee County High School’s communications team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Southeast
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.
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)
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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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