Southwest
Over 40 lawmakers sign brief to support Texas in immigration fight with Biden administration
FIRST ON FOX: A group of over 40 lawmakers signed on to an Amicus brief supporting the state of Texas in its legal battle with the Biden administration after the Justice Department sued the state earlier this year over a law that would allow Texas police the ability to arrest illegal migrants.
“I am proud to lead 45 of my colleagues in an Amicus Brief supporting Texas’ Article 1 Section 10 to stop the chaos, secure the border, and protect Texans — not only is the Constitution on our side, but the American people are on our side as well,” Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the leader of the effort, told Fox News Digital.
Arrington’s comments come as Texas will go to court to defend a state law signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in December that allows Texas law enforcement officers the ability to arrest and charge illegal migrants, which the Justice Department argues falls under federal authority.
“The United States brings this action to preserve its exclusive authority under federal law to regulate the entry and removal of noncitizens,” the lawsuit, which was filed in an Austin federal court, states. “Texas cannot run its own immigration system. “Its efforts, through SB 4, intrude on the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate the entry and removal of noncitizens, frustrate the United States’ immigration operations and proceedings, and interfere with U.S. foreign relations.”
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES TEXAS OVER LAW TO LET POLICE ARREST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Left: President Biden. Right: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Connect)
But Arrington argues that the law is not only constitutional, but was made necessary by the Biden administration’s lack of ability to contain the crisis plaguing the U.S. border with Mexico.
“It is clear to any honest and objective person living in this country that President Biden has willfully disregarded the laws of the land, abdicated his constitutional duty to provide for a common defense, and unilaterally surrendered control of our border to terrorist drug cartels,” Arrington said. “Not only has President Biden failed to enforce our laws and secure our border – he has aggressively obstructed Texas’ efforts to do the job of the federal government, including the DOJ lawsuit over SB4.”
The brief, which was filed in the U.S. district court for the western district of Texas—Austin Division Tuesday evening and reviewed by Fox News Digital, accused the federal government of an “abdication of its duty to protect States from invasion and to take care that the nation’s immigration laws are faithfully executed.”
The brief also accuses the Biden administration of “purposefully” facilitating the “mass illegal entries” of migrants into the U.S., making it necessary for Texas to “secure its borders and repel the invasion of criminal drug cartels and the flood of illegal aliens from around the world.”
Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas., one of the lawmakers to sign on to the brief, told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration “has proven that they are unwilling to protect Texans from the life-and-death consequences of mass illegal migration.”
An inflatable barrier along the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass to deter illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S. (Texas DPS)
JOHNSON CALLS MIGRANT CRISIS ‘TRULY UNCONSCIONABLE’ DURING VISIT TO BESIEGED SOUTHERN BORDER
“Instead of suing the State of Texas for doing the federal government’s job, the President should be focused on protecting the safety of American citizens,” Pfluger said.
The Texas law gives migrants who have been arrested the opportunity to follow a judge’s order to leave the U.S. or be charged with a misdemeanor for illegal entry. Migrants who choose not to leave can face felony charges if arrested again.
The law can be enforced anywhere in the state of Texas, though some places such as schools and churches are off-limits.
The legal battle comes at the same time Texas is involved in another legal battle over the installation of razor wire near the border, a barrier that also angered Mexican officials.
But those measures are part of the state’s right to “defend itself,” Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital.
HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE SETS FIRST MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT HEARING
“Texas has the constitutional right to defend itself. There is an outright invasion going on at our southern border and Secretary Mayorkas and the Biden Administration refuse to act,” Burgess said. “I will continue to support Texas’ actions of self-defense which are necessary only because of the Biden Administration’s gross negligence. I am thankful to Rep. Arrington for leading this much needed amicus brief in support of our state.”
Texas Army National Guard members walks by the border. (Texas Military Department )
Arrington, Pfluger, and Burgess were joined by several Republican colleagues in supporting the brief, including Reps. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., Mike Collins, R-Ga., Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., Mike Rogers, R-Ala., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Keith Self, R-Texas, Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Carol Miller, R-WVa., Jim Banks, R-Ind., Erin Houchin, R-Ind., Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., Troy Nehls, R-Texas., Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., Clay Higgins, R-La., Ronny Jackson, R- Texas, Brian Babin, R-Texas, Mary Miller, R-Ill., Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., Pete Sessions, R-Texas, Chip Roy, R-Texas, Michael Cloud, R-La., Judge Carter, R-Texas, Lance Gooden, R-Texas, Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Randy Weber, R-Texas, Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, Kat Cammack, R-Colo., Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, Jake Ellzey, R-Texas, Ralph Norma, R-S.C., Beth Van Duyne, R-N.Y., Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, David Rouzer, R-N.C., Pat Fallon, R-Mass., Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, Roger Williams, R-Texas, Michael McCaul, R-Texas, Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, Kay Granger, R-Texas, and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.
According to Clyde, Texas law is an example of the state exercising its right to defend itself.
“Under President Biden’s open border policies, every state is a border state. Yet under the Constitution, every state has the power to fend off the Biden Administration’s intentional illegal invasion,” Clyde told Fox News Digital. “I’m proud to join Chairman Arrington’s critical amicus brief in support of Texas’ right to exercise its Article I, Section 10 authorities, and I applaud Governor Abbott for holding the line against President Biden’s self-inflicted border crisis.”
The White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
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A broken water main sent water gushing from an apartment building and turned nearby streets into rivers in West Hollywood early Thursday morning. The break was reported around 3 a.m. near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard. “It’s a rupture of one of the significant mains that goes through here. West Hollywood, as it turns out, […]
After more than four decades, the remains of a woman who was found buried in the mountains of Riverside County were identified as a multi-millionaire who went missing in 1981.
The body of Thelma Gaston was discovered by a person gathering firewood in a mountainous area near Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Pinyon Crest community on Nov. 28, 1981.
After experiencing a series of heartbreaking life events, including the death of her husband and her 32-year-old son in the same year in 1957, Gaston continued forging ahead, focusing on her business of buying repossessed properties and selling them.
By 1980, she had amassed a fortune estimated to be over $20 million, SFGATE reported.
On June 28, 1981, a note was left on the front door of her home near Century City, saying she was out searching for her cat. However, she never returned home and her loved ones did not hear from her.
By then, Gaston was 80 years old. As Los Angeles Police Department detectives investigated her disappearance, they discovered a younger man, Lawrence Remsen, then 39, had recently entered her life and was the woman’s romantic companion, SFGATE reported.
At one point, the woman’s friends said Gaston had wondered about Remsen’s motives in being with her.
Police eventually found letters and documents reportedly signed by Gaston that gave Remsen power of attorney. Another letter allegedly written by the woman claimed she had run away “to have some fun in life.” However, her friends said the move was completely out of character.
Detectives later confirmed the letters were certified with a stolen notary stamp and her signatures were believed to be forged.
Remsen had tried selling some of Gaston’s properties and attempted to withdraw more than $100,000 from her bank accounts. Remsen eventually fled the Southern California area.
A few months later, he was arrested by border agents when he tried to enter the U.S. from Mexico. He was charged with Gaston’s murder even though the woman’s body had not been found.
During a trial hearing, Remsen later claimed he found the woman dead of natural causes in her home and, attempting to take her fortune, had disposed of her body in the ocean.
The judge disagreed and later ruled that Remsen had killed the woman “intentionally and with malice.” He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Gaston’s body was later discovered buried in a shallow grave in the mountains. However, due to the poor condition of the remains, investigators were unable to narrow down an identity.
A breakthrough occurred in 2022 when the Riverside County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau received new funding to reexamine long-standing unidentified cases.
“Combined with significant advances in forensic science, this funding opened new avenues for identification,” the sheriff’s office said.
In May 2026, utilizing investigative genetic genealogy and dental records, the remains were positively identified as Gaston’s.
“The Riverside Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau extends its sincere appreciation to everyone whose dedication, expertise, and perseverance made this identification possible,” officials said in a statement. “Together, these efforts have ensured that Ms. Gaston has her name—and her story—returned to her.”
Remsen, who is now 83 years old, continues serving his life sentence at the California Institution for Men in Chino.
Southern California remains under an extreme heat warning as residents brace for the hottest day of the week on Wednesday.
“It will be roasty toasty in the valleys, lower mountain elevations and far interior, with highs ranging from 100 to 110 degrees,” the National Weather Service said. The warmest conditions are expected in the western San Fernando Valley.
An extreme heat warning remains in effect for much of Southern California until 8 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters say there is a high risk of heat-related illness for anyone outdoors for extended periods. Heat advisories are also in place for areas along the coast.
“Highs for today: 98 in Ojai, 100 in Ontario. Temecula, good morning to you, 100 degrees expected there. 112 in Palm Springs. Unbelievably hot,” KTLA’s Kirk Hawkins said Wednesday morning.
Residents are urged to adjust their afternoon plans to limit strenuous outdoor activities during the heat of the day, stay hydrated and check in on elderly neighbors and loved ones.
The Weather Service said record highs are slightly warmer than those forecast for Wednesday. As a result, despite the extremely hot conditions, few, if any, temperature records are expected to be broken.
A few degrees of cooling are expected Thursday, but a more significant cooldown will arrive Friday as onshore winds increase.
Afternoon highs are expected to cool even more over the weekend, with below-average temperatures possible in some areas.
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