Texas could implement a plan to bus migrants directly to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in an effort to get them processed for deportation, according to media reports. 

The move would be a departure from the state’s program, part of Operation Lone Star, that has bussed thousands of migrants to sanctuary cities, a source told the New York Post. It has yet to be approved by Gov. Greg Abbott. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Abbott’s office and ICE. 

“We are always going to be involved in border security so long as we’re a border state,” a Texas government source told the newspaper. “We spent a lot of taxpayer money to have the level of deterrent that we have on the border, and we can’t just walk away.”

Abbott has been especially aggressive in combating illegal immigration, bussing migrants to blue cities in an effort to bring attention to the border crisis. Under the proposed plan, buses chartered by Texas from border cities will be taken to federal detention centers to help ICE agents process migrants quickly, the Post reported.

Texas has been in a legal fight with the Biden administration over its efforts to curb illegal immigration. On Wednesday, an appeals court ruled that the state has the right to build a razor wire border wall to deter migrants. 

Officials have also offered land to the incoming Trump administration to build deportation centers to hold illegal immigrant criminals.

“My office has identified several of our properties and is standing by ready to make this happen on Day One of the Trump presidency,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said during a visit to the border Tuesday.

Authorities have also warned of unaccompanied migrant children being caught near the border. On Thursday, a 10-year-old boy from El Salvador told state troopers in Maverick County, Texas, that he had been lost and left behind by a human smuggler. 

The boy was holding a cellphone and crying, Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Chris Olivarez posted on X. The child said his parents were in the U.S. 

On Sunday, troopers encountered an unaccompanied 2-year-old girl from El Salvador holding a piece of paper with a phone number and her name. She told authorities that her parents were also in the U.S. 

That morning, state troopers also encountered a group of 211 illegal immigrants in Maverick County. Among the group were 60 unaccompanied children, ages 2 to 17, and six special interest immigrants from Mali and Angola. 

“Regardless of political views, it is unacceptable for any child to be exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks,” Olivarez wrote at the time. “With a record number of unaccompanied children and hundreds of thousands missing, there is no one ensuring the safety & security of these children except for the men & women who are on the frontlines daily.”

He noted that the “reality is that many children are exploited & trafficked, never to be heard from again.” 

A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that Texas has the right to build a razor wire border wall to deter illegal immigration into the Lone Star State. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the ruling on X, saying President Biden was “wrong to cut our razor wire.” 

“We continue adding more razor wire border barrier,” the Republican leader wrote. 

Wednesday’s 2-1 decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals clears the way for Texas to pursue a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of trespassing without having to remove the fencing.

It also reversed a federal judge’s November 2023 refusal to grant a preliminary injunction to Texas as the state resisted federal efforts to remove fencing along the Rio Grande in the vicinity of Eagle Pass, Texas.

Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan, a Trump appointee during the president-elect’s first term, wrote for Wednesday’s majority that Texas was trying only to safeguard its own property, not “regulate” U.S. Border Patrol, and was likely to succeed in its trespass claims.

Duncan said the federal government waived its sovereign immunity and rejected its concerns that a ruling by Texas would impede the enforcement of immigration law and undermine the government’s relationship with Mexico.

He said the public interest “supports clear protections for property rights from government intrusion and control” and ensuring that federal immigration law enforcement does not “unnecessarily intrude into the rights of countless property owners.”

Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton called the ruling a “huge win for Texas.” 

“The Biden Administration has been enjoined from damaging, destroying, or otherwise interfering with Texas’s border fencing,” Paxton wrote in a post on X. “We sued immediately when the federal government was observed destroying fences to let illegal aliens enter, and we’ve fought every step of the way for Texas sovereignty and security.”

The White House has been locked in legal battles with Texas and other states that have tried to deter illegal immigration. 

In May, the full 5th Circuit heard arguments in a separate case between Texas and the White House over whether the state can keep a 1,000-foot floating barrier on the Rio Grande.

The appeals court is also reviewing a judge’s order blocking a Texas law that would allow state officials to arrest, prosecute and order the removal of people in the country illegally.

President-elect Trump said he spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, saying she has agreed to “stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States” following threats this week to significantly tariff goods from coming into the U.S. from its southern neighbor. 

Trump vowed to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada if both nations failed to do more to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. Sheinbaum, who recently took office, said on Wednesday that Mexico would retaliate if Trump followed through on his promise. 

“If there are U.S. tariffs, Mexico would also raise tariffs,” she said during a press conference. 

On Wednesday, Trump said he spoke with his Sheinbaum about the matter. 

“Just had a wonderful conversation with the new President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo,” he wrote on Truth Social. “She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border. We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also, U.S. consumption of these drugs. It was a very productive conversation!”

In a subsequent post, he said that: “Mexico will stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately. THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARD STOPPING THE ILLEGAL INVASION OF THE USA. Thank you!!!”

In a post on X, Sheinbaum said she spoke with Trump by phone and that the two discussed “strengthening collaboration on security issues” and that the conversation was “excellent,” Reuters reported. 

Trump has long complained that Mexico has failed to do enough to stop the flow of migrants and illicit drugs on its side of the southern border.  

In a post on X, Sheinbaum said she explained the “comprehensive strategy” Mexico has employed to address the “the migration phenomenon, respecting human rights.”

“Thanks to this, migrants and caravans are assisted before they reach the border,” she wrote. “We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”

Trump also threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on China over the massive amounts of fentanyl coming into the U.S. from Mexico. 

U.S. officials have frequently said that illicit fentanyl is manufactured in Mexico using Chinese precursors and then smuggled across the border by drug cartels.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and can be fatal in small doses, has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans and is a factor in many drug overdose deaths. 

On Wednesday, Trump said he would be working on a large-scale ad campaign explaining the dangers of fentanyl. 

“Millions of lives being so needlessly destroyed. By the time the Campaign is over, everyone will know how really bad the horror of this Drug is,” he said.

In response to the threat of more tariffs, the China Daily newspaper – which is run by the Chinese Communist Party – published an editorial Tuesday saying, “The excuse the president-elect has given to justify his threat of additional tariffs on imports from China is far-fetched,” according to Reuters.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.  

Incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan reacted to news of death threats against Trump nominees on Wednesday and said he now takes the death threats he has previously received seriously. 

“I have not taken this serious up to this point,” Homan told Fox News anchor Gillian Turner on “The Story” on Wednesday, referring to previous death threats made against him and his family. 

“Now that I know what’s happened in the last 24 hours. I will take it a little more serious. But look, I’ve been dealing with this. When I was the ICE director in the first administration, I had numerous death threats. I had a security detail with me all the time. Even after I retired, death threats continued and even after I retired as the ICE director. I had U.S. marshals protection for a long time to protect me and my family.”

Homan explained that what “doesn’t help” the situation is the “negative press” around Trump. 

“I’m not in the Cabinet, but, you know, I’ve read numerous hit pieces. I mean, you know, I’m a racist and, you know, I’m the father of family separation, all this other stuff. So the hate media doesn’t help at all because there are some nuts out there. They’ll take advantage. So that doesn’t help,” he said.

Homan’s comments come shortly after Fox News Digital first reported that nearly a dozen of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees and other appointees tapped for the incoming administration were targeted Tuesday night with “violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” prompting a “swift” law enforcement response.

The “attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting,’” according to Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” she told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “In response, law enforcement acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.” 

Sources told Fox News Digital that John Ratcliffe, the nominee to be CIA director; Pete Hegseth, the nominee for secretary of defense; and Rep. Elise Stefanik, the nominee for U.N. ambassador, were among those targeted. Brooke Rollins, who Trump has tapped to be secretary of agriculture, and Lee Zeldin, Trump’s nominee to be EPA administrator, separately revealed they were also targeted. 

Threats were also made against Trump’s labor secretary nominee, GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and the family of former Trump attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz. 

Homan told Fox News that he is “not going to be intimidated by these people” and “I’m not going to let them silence me.”

“What I’ve learned today I’ll start taking a little more serious.”

Homan added that he believes “we need to have a strong response once we find out who is behind all this.”

“It’s illegal to threaten someone’s life. And we need to follow through with that,” he said.

The threats on Tuesday night came mere months after Trump survived two assassination attempts.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill into law that will prevent schools from allowing students of the opposite sex into restrooms and locker rooms. 

The legislation, the Protect All Students Act, dubbed the “bathroom bill,” was sent to DeWine’s desk earlier this month after the state Senate passed the bill 24-7 on a party-line vote. The House version of the bill was passed before the chamber went on summer break in June. 

The law will take effect in 90 days and will restrict transgender students from using facilities associated with their gender identities.

It applies to public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. It requires schools to designate separate bathrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations “for the exclusive use” of either males and females, based on one’s gender assigned at or near birth, in both school buildings and facilities used for a school-sponsored event.

DeWine’s signature was not guaranteed and Democrats, teachers unions and civil rights groups had hoped that his veto earlier this year to a ban on sex changes for minors and hormone therapies for transgender individuals under 18 would yield a similar course of action. In the end, the state’s Republican-dominated Senate voted to override that veto and the ban came into force.

DeWine did not release a statement announcing he signed the bathroom bill on Wednesday.

“Common sense is on a winning streak in America today,” said Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, which backed the bill, in a statement.

“No student should be forced to go into the bathroom or locker room with a student of the opposite sex, and Ohio’s kids are better protected now because of Governor DeWine’s decision to sign this bill.”

Riley Gaines, a former 12-time All-American swimmer at the University of Kentucky and an advocate of keeping biological males out of female sports, echoed those words.

“Common sense is making a comeback nationwide,” Gaines wrote on X.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost thanked DeWine “for siding with biology, history, safety and common sense.”

The ACLU of Ohio was among the groups that had lobbied for a veto and condemned the measure as a violation of the right of privacy of transgender Ohioans that would make them less safe.

“We will always have the backs of our trans community,” the organization wrote on X. “Every Ohioan deserves the freedom to be loved, to be safe, to be trusted with decisions about healthcare and to access the facilities that align with their gender identity. We will not leave anyone behind. Trans Ohioans belong.”

School employees, emergency situations and people assisting young children or someone with a disability are exempted from the restrictions, and schools can still offer single-use or family bathrooms.

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Various battles regarding the issue of transgender people using bathrooms that align with their gender as well as participating in female sports are playing out across the nation. President-elect Trump has repeatedly vowed to keep men out of women’s sports.

At least 11 states have adopted laws barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s bathrooms in public schools and, in some cases, other government facilities.

The laws are in effect in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. A judge’s order putting enforcement on hold is in place in Idaho.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The Republican National Committee (RNC) said it has filed national lawsuits to stop several states from counting mail-in-ballots after Election Day, as California has taken nearly a month to certify some races.

“It is absurd for California to accept ballots by mail up to 7 days after Election Day and take almost a month to count them,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley wrote on X. 

Whatley said the RNC, alongside the California Republican Party, “will continue to fight aggressively to force all states to stop accepting ballots after Election Day.” 

Republicans on the ground in California are working with attorneys and observers “throughout the process of voting, curing, and counting,” he added. The RNC has also partnered with the National Republican Congressional Committee and Elon Musk’s PAC to launch a new statewide ballot curing operation. 

“The RNC, NRCC, and CAGOP’s election integrity operation was on the ground in California before Election Day, on Election Day, and has continued working ever since November 5th. Our attorneys and trained volunteers are in place to ensure transparency throughout the election process,” Gates McGavick, senior adviser to Whatley, told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

California’s vote-counting process has been prolonged due to the high volume of mail-in-ballots, with a majority of Californians opting to vote by mail. In the state’s 2022 election, nearly 90% of votes were cast via mail-in ballots.

State law also permits mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive up to a week later. Mail-in ballots are typically put through a verification process that can also lengthen the amount of time they are tallied. The election certification deadline is Dec. 16. 

As of Wednesday, several races remain undecided in the Golden State, including for the 13th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. John Duarte is being challenged by Democrat Adam Gray. 

“Every vote in every state matters, and the RNC will work with our state parties and candidates to ensure Election Integrity across the country,” Whatley said. “It is clear that we need real election reforms to Protect the Vote in California.”

Liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed several laws during his term to expand mail-in voting. In 2021, Newsom signed AB 37, making California one of the first states to require that all active registered voters automatically receive absentee ballots, codifying a temporary COVID-era emergency measure passed in 2020. Two laws signed in 2023, AB 626 and AB 545, require a curbside voting option at all polling places and permit voters to drop off their mail-in ballots at polling stations to have them counted immediately. 

California is one of 14 states where voters are not required to show voter ID at polling stations. In March, officials in Huntington Beach — a conservative hotspot on the southern coastal line — passed a local measure requiring voter ID to vote in elections, which Newsom quickly bucked through state legislation in September that prohibited local governments from enforcing laws that require voter ID.

“The right to freely cast your vote is the foundation of our democracy and Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy flies in the face of this principle,” state Attorney General Bob Bonta said in a statement at the time.

Republican criticism of extended vote-counting periods has intensified this election cycle, including in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Prior to Sen. Bob Casey’s concession last week in Pennsylvania’s Senate race to his Republican opponent, Dave McCormick, national and state Republican parties went to court arguing counties should not count mail-in-ballots where the voter either didn’t write a date on the return envelope or wrote the wrong one, The Associated Press reported. 

President-elect Trump has also taken notice of California’s voter ID laws, writing on his Truth Social account he would demand proof of citizenship and voter ID in elections. Meanwhile, Newsom is gearing up to “Trump-proof” the state and has called an emergency special legislative session on Dec. 2. 

“California is ready to fight,” Newsom wrote on X after the election. “Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate action – we refuse to turn back the clock and allow our values and laws to be attacked.”

EXCLUSIVE: Nearly a dozen of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees and other appointees tapped for the incoming administration were targeted Tuesday night with “violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” prompting a “swift” law enforcement response, Fox News Digital has learned. 

The “attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting,’” according to Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. One of the officials issued a statement describing his incident as having involved a “pipe bomb threat” with “a pro-Palestinian themed message.”

Sources told Fox News Digital that John Ratcliffe, the nominee to be CIA director; Pete Hegseth, the nominee for secretary of defense; and Rep. Elise Stefanik, the nominee for UN ambassador, were among those targeted. Brooke Rollins, who Trump has tapped to be secretary of agriculture, and Lee Zeldin, Trump’s nominee to be EPA administrator, separately revealed they were also targeted. 

“Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” she told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “In response, law enforcement acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.” 

Local law enforcement officials responded to the threats and visited the homes of several nominees and appointees, Fox News Digital has learned. New York State Police said in a statement that members and K9 units “trained in explosives detection swept” Stefanik’s home in Saratoga “and did not locate any explosive devices.”

The FBI also issued a statement on Wednesday noting the bureau was “aware” of the spate of incidents.

“The FBI is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners,” it said. “We take all potential threats seriously and, as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”

Leavitt said Trump and the transition team “are focused on doing the work of uniting our nation by ensuring a safe and prosperous future.” 

“With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us,” she said. 

Zeldin was among several officials who posted on social media or released statements about being targeted. He also revealed details about his particular incident.

“A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at my home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,” the Zeldin statement read. “My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops. We are thankful for the swift actions taken by local officers to keep our family, neighbors, and local community secure.”

Stefanik’s office confirmed in a post on X that she was one of the targets of the incident.

“This morning, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, her husband, and their three-year-old son were driving home to Saratoga County from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence,” the post stated. “New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism. We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7.”

Rollins, in a post on X, said her “home and family” were threatened.

“This morning, we learned that a threat was issued against our home and family,” she wrote. “Thanks to the swift efforts by the @fortworthpd we were unharmed and quickly returned home. I want to express my deep gratitude to the law-enforcement professionals who did their utmost, in both speed and expertise, to protect us — as they protect our community every single day.”

Hegseth, a former “Fox & Friends Weekend” host, revealed later on Wednesday that he and his family were targeted in a recent bomb threat.

In an X post, Hegseth said that he was approached by authorities about a credible bomb threat earlier that morning.

“This morning, a police officer arrived at our home – where our seven children were still sleeping,” the former Army National Guard officer wrote. “The officer notified my wife and I that they had received a credible pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family.”

Hegseth added that his family is safe, and the threat has since been cleared.

“We want to thank law enforcement for their professionalism and bravery,” Hegseth wrote. “I will not be bullied or intimidated. Never.”

“President Trump has called on me to serve – and that is what I intend to do,” he added.

Trump’s pick for Labor secretary, GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, as well as his choice to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner, posted on social media that they were also targeted.

“Last night, my family and I were targeted with a pipe bomb threat at our Oregon home,” DeRemer posted on X. “Thanks to the quick response of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, we are safe. We deeply appreciate their dedication to protecting our community.”

“On the eve of Thanksgiving, my home was targeted by a bomb threat, as were the homes of several of my colleagues,” Turner posted on X. “I’m grateful for the swift and professional response from local law enforcement in ensuring everyone’s safety. Nothing will shake my resolve to serve in @realDonaldTrump’s administration and bring much-needed change to @HUDgov.”

Local police officials in Florida also released a statement that a family member of Matt Gaetz, who recently withdrew himself as Trump’s attorney general nominee, received a threat, but it is unclear if there is any connection to the other threats.

“We received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area around 9 a.m. this morning,” the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office posted on Facebook. “A family member resides at the address but former Congressman Gaetz is NOT a resident. The mailbox however was cleared and no devices were located. The immediate area was also searched with negative results.”

A White House spokesperson said Wednesday in a statement that President Biden has been briefed on the situation. 

“The White House is in touch with federal law enforcement and the President-elect’s team, and continues to monitor the situation closely,” the spokesperson said. “Federal law enforcement’s response, alongside state and local authorities, remains ongoing. The President and the Administration unequivocally condemn threats of political violence.”

Incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan spoke with Fox News on “The Story” on Wednesday and said that up until today he had not been taking threats against himself and his family “seriously,” but after the recent developments with other officials being threatened, he now does. 

The threats come mere months after Trump survived two assassination attempts.

Just days before accepting the Republican nomination, Trump was shot at a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the event, Trump was displaying a chart highlighting skyrocketing illegal immigration under the Biden-Harris administration. As he turned toward the chart, he was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear by the now-deceased would-be-assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. Trump credits the chart for saving his life.

Weeks later, in September, another would-be-assassin hid in the bushes at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The alleged gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, had an AK-47-style rifle pointing through the fence toward Trump as the GOP nominee was golfing. Trump was rushed off the golf course by U.S. Secret Service agents unharmed.