A South Carolina state representative and co-founder of the Freedom Caucus was indicted on federal charges after allegedly using a Biden-themed account on a messaging app to share child sexual abuse material.A federal grand jury in Greenville, South Carolina, recently returned a 10-count indictment againstRep. Robert John "RJ" May III, a Republican from Lexington, for distributing child sexual abuse material, according U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina.In April 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber-tip from the social messaging app Kik, flagging several videos with the username "joebidennnn69" containing child sexual abuse, according to court documents.205 ARRESTED IN FBI CHILD SEX OPERATION, PATEL AND BONDI ANNOUNCEInvestigators reportedly connected the account to May's West Columbia home IP address and mobile device, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina.Authorities found at least 10 videos depicting child sexual abuse that were shared from the account, officials said.May was allegedly arrested at his home on Wednesday, according to a report from The State.LOUISIANA CHILD KILLER SPARED BY BIDEN FACES DEATH PENALTY AGAIN AFTER OUTRAGEOUS COMMUTATION: DAThe 38-year-old faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison with a minimum of five years, a fine of $250,000, and a term of at least five years of supervised release to follow any term of imprisonment.May, a father of two young children, is assigned to the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.The S.C. Freedom Caucus, where May previously served as vice chair, called for his resignation from the House.Read the statement below (App users click here)"The South Carolina Freedom Caucus stands firmly for the rule of law and the protection of children," according to the statement. "Although formal charges have not been made public yet, all indications are that these indictments will be for child sex abuse materials. These crimes are heinous and we expect that they will be fully investigated. We pray justice is served."The group said May has not been involved in the operations of the caucus since August 2024, when he was expelled from the group.NIGERIAN MAN EXTRADITED TO US FOR ALLEGED SEXTORTION SCHEME THAT LED TO SC TEENS SUICIDEThe case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, authorities noted.Dayne Phillips, who is reportedly representing May, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenattihas had his prison sentence for financial fraud reduced from an initial 14 years to just under eight following a resentencing hearing on Thursday in Los Angeles. Avenatti, a former high-profile attorney who rose to fame representing porn actor Stormy Daniels against President Donald Trump, was originally sentenced after pleading guilty to bilking his California clients and hiding millions more from the IRS.He had the sentence vacated in October by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which determined that it was based on calculations of a greater loss to his victims than was actually suffered-- and thus was too lengthy.U.S. District Court Judge James Selna on Thursday sentenced Avenatti to 135 months, minus 40 to account for a separate Stormy Daniels fraud sentence.MICHAEL AVENATTI TO PLEAD GUILTY IN REMAINING CRIMINAL CASESThe court previously ruled that the Stormy Daniels theft was similar in nature, happened in the same time period, and therefore could be considered when deciding the new sentence.The resentencing on Thursday took place with a heavy National Guard outside following riots in Los Angeles earlier this week. The doors of the courthouse were boarded up and some windows had cracks apparently from rocks.The 14-year sentence was nullified, but not dismissed entirely, and his convictions stillstand, with Avenatti guilty of wire fraud and tax obstruction.Authorities said Avenatti negotiated and collected settlement payments on behalf of his clients, then funneled the money to accounts he controlled and spent it on his own lavish lifestyle.The case is separate from Avenatti's other convictions for attempting to extort Nike and stealing money from Daniels. Avenatti's attempts to get those convictions and sentences overturned on appeal all failed.The 14-year sentence was initially handed down after he pleaded guilty in 2022 to four counts of wire fraud and one count of obstructing IRS administration for stealing settlement money from multiple clients.It came despite Avenatti not reaching a plea deal with federal prosecutors; he said he wanted to be accountable and spare his family further embarrassment.Avenattis initial release date was set for July 31, 2035, but he asked Selna for a sentence that would have him released in just a few years.Avenatti, who was suspended from practicing law in California, has been representing himself.DISGRACED LAWYER MICHAEL AVENATTI SEEKS MERCY AT RESENTENCING, CITING 'MODEL INMATE' RECORDProsecutors had asked for a sentence of only a few months less than the 14 years originally handed down.Ahead of his resentencing, Avenatti appealed for a more lenient sentence by providing details of his alleged personal transformationwhile behind bars in a 41-page memorandum filed last month.The memorandum detailed his life at the Terminal Island prison in Los Angeles, describing how he is trusted by prison officials to help other inmates including serving as "suicide watch companion."He also completed adrug abuse programand "regularly attended AA meetings and religious services." Avenatti also volunteered in the prison library, assisting academically challenged inmates with legal matters, per the memorandum."Since his 2022 original sentencing, [Avenatti] has lived every day of his incarceration seeking to atone for the harm he caused and set his life on a different path," the filing reads.The panel also XXX should run concurrently to prison time Avenatti is already serving for stealing book proceeds from Daniels who sued to break a confidentiality agreement with Trump to stay mum about an affair she said they had.Daniels' case with Avenatti centered on a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) tied to an alleged affair between her and Trump, and the legality of a $130,000 hush money payment made shortly before the 2016 election.Fox News' Lee Ross and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said America under President Donald Trump looks more like the C.S.A. than the U.S.A., and demanded House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., step in and "speak up" against what he called immigration enforcement "terrorism."Brandon Johnson said at his weekly presser that when he refers to "what terrorism looks like, this is it," and that there is a "tyrant in the White House.""There should be no question to what our country would look like had the Confederacy won we're seeing it on full display," the mayor said, suggesting the country is being run as if Mississippi's Jefferson Davis rather than fellow Illinoisian Abraham Lincoln had held court in the White House as of 1864.Brandon Johnson said the federal government is operating as a "one-branch" authority, and that checks and balances have been mooted by Trump whom he accused of taking over the judiciary and wielding executive power as a cudgel against critics."They are hypocrites. They're dangerous. There's one branch of government right now in this country the Congress says nothing. And so people are terrified. But in the city of Chicago, we are going to remain vigilant and firm in protecting what is sensible about our existence," Brandon Johnson went on."This is literally just using the power of the federal apparatus to insert its will on whomever there's right now in our country," he added later in the press conference. "There's no check and balance. It doesn't exist right now. Speaker Johnson, who is third in [line]. If something were to happen to the president [he] won't even raise his voice as a believer, as a believer in faith and justice; these individuals are cowards."As he took questions from reporters, an aide appeared to snipe at one reporter being called on, asking him to keep his question short.CHICAGO MAYOR CALLS DOGE ACT OF WAR, COMPARES SECOND TRUMP TERM TO THIRD REICH"Jeez, I thought the theme of todays press conference was freedom of speech," the reporter quipped, before asking Brandon Johnson about accountability to Chicago taxpayers in terms of his lax immigration stance.The reporter noted Brandon Johnson earlier this week had called for Chicagoans to "rise up" against ICE."You have called on [them] to fight back against ICE Many Chicagoans, including Black and brown [residents], tell me that that sounds like a call to violence. In light of the violence that we're seeing in Los Angeles now, the looting, the damage to property, the attacks on law enforcement, would you consider withdrawing that violent call to violence?" the reporter asked.The mayor bluntly responded: "I believe in nonviolence.""The real Chicagoans are now facing tax increases because you've spent millions of their tax dollars on migrants Why would you think that real Chicagoans should trust you to spend their money after you've already wasted millions of it on illegal aliens?" the reporter asked.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe mayor replied, "we are investing in people" and quickly moved to another question.As one of the reporters assembled alluded to, Brandon Johnson's approval rating in the Windy City has cratered over time, sinking below 20% as of February according to FOX-32, with some reports that it is edging toward single digits.Chicago has not seated a Republican mayor since William Thompson left office in 1931.Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Speaker Mike Johnson for comment.

Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University anti-Israel ringleader, has posted bond after the Trump administration was temporarily blocked from deporting him amid their continued effort to hold him on "foreign policy" grounds.Khalil posted his $1 bond on Thursday afternoon. He has not been released.The move came after U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz sided with Khalil on Wednesday, writing: "The government cannot claim an interest in enforcing what appears to be an unconstitutional law."FEDERAL JUDGE SIDES WITH ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL, HALTS TRUMP ADMINISTRATINO'S DEPORTATION BIDANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL'S FREE SPEECH LAWSUIT AGAINST US GOVERNMENT MUST BE HEARD: JUDGEThe ruling was a significant legal setback for the administration's efforts to deport Khalil, who has been held at a detention facility in Louisiana following his involvement in anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University.The courts decision will remain on hold until Friday morning, giving the government time to appeal.Khalil, a green card holder, was arrested after leading student protests on the Ivy League campus. He has argued that his free speech rights were being "eroded" by the Trump administration.Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attorneys have argued that Khalil's free speech claims were a "red herring," saying that the 30-year-old lied on his visa applications.FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS ATTEMPTED DEPORTATION OF ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL MAY BE UNCONSTITUTIONALKhalil, they said, willfully failed to disclose his employment with the Syrian office in the British Embassy in Beirut when he applied for permanent U.S. residency. The agency also accused Khalil of failing to disclose his work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and membership in Columbia University Apartheid Divest.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cited a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to justify Khalil's removal from the U.S. The provision allows the Secretary of State to deport noncitizens if the secretary determines their presence in the U.S. "would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences."Rubio accused Khalil of participating in "antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which foster a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.""Condoning antisemitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective," Rubio wrote.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPKhalil has Algerian citizenship through his mother, but was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria.

Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands, lashed out at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a tense House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Wednesday."Maam, thats incorrect," Bessent said in a response to a chart displayed by Plaskett, which was referencing the cost of living, but the chart only went until February of this year."Excuse me. Let me get something straight with you first here. I've seen you interrupt everyone. When you come to someone's house, you respect their rules. And in this house, we don't interrupt individuals. And you're not going to interrupt my time," Plaskett said."Im going to give you time to respond. You may want to jot down some notes about things you dont agree with me on so you can respond to them at that time. But while Im speaking, as the person holding this time, you will refrain from speaking, sir, until Im done, until Im done, then I will give you time to speak, OK?" she continued.DEMOCRAT CONGRESSWOMAN DRAWS BOOS OVER 'SHAMEFUL' SEXISM REMARK IN COMMITTEE HEARING WITH TREASURY SECRETARY"I look forward to facts," Bessent replied."Thank you. Ill look forward to your response whether theyre factual or incorrect either," Plaskett replied.Later on, Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, asked Bessent, "Where did [Plaskett] go wrong in her statement?""Well, first of all, I would fire the staffer who did that chart, because it stopped in February 2025 and prices are down substantially since then. But thats an inconvenient truth. Secondly, the S&P, if the congresswoman would care to check Bloomberg. The stock market is judged by the S&P, which is the most widely held index by American 401ks is up on the air, up," Bessent said.TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT DENIES THAT TARIFF PAUSE IS DUE TO MARKET DECLINESWhen Plaskett attempts to interject, Moran says, "Excuse me, maam, its my time.""And we dont interrupt, excuse me, we dont interrupt is what I learned," Bessent clapped back. "Since Jan. 1, it is my business for 40 years to know what the stock market does, and it is up in the air."After the hearing, Plaskett received a range of criticism, including a remark from an X user saying, "Do all these twats have their PMS cycle synced? Someone needs to ship a case of Midol to the Capitol this afternoon."SMALL BUSINESSES BARELY SURVIVED BIDEN. THEY CANT WAIT FOR TARIFFS TO FIX THINGSPlaskett replied to the user's response with an explicit comment."Excuse you!! This twat, [c--t], pum pum whatever you want to call it represents an organ that gives LIFE and is resilienr [sic] so thanks for the compliment. I can take one interruption but Bessent was out of control. And. I know I look good for my age but baby Im post menopausal and it still works," she replied, with emojis of cherries and a drop of water. The primary focus of the committee hearing was on trade and tax policies, both of which have sparked serious debate as Congress works through the reconciliation bill, and as the administration negotiates trade deals with other nations. As for Bessent, he'll be on Capitol Hill again on Thursday testifying before the Senate Finance Committee.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces killed a Syria-based ISIS official during an airstrike in the northern part of Syria on Tuesday, according to officials.CENTCOM shared news about the strike in a social media post on Thursday."On June 10, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Forces conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria killing Rakhim Boev, a Syria-based ISIS official who was involved in planning external operations threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and civilians," CENTCOM said. "This airstrike is part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, alongside regional partners, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against U.S. forces and our allies."Last month, President Donald Trump announced he would normalize U.S. relations with Syria by lifting decades-old sanctions.The move was a surprising shift from Trumps prior position, in which he said in December that "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT."The December collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime following the takeover by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate, not only signified an end to a decades-long oppressive regime, it also effectively dismantled years of Iranian investment in a major setback to its regional influence.Trump emphasized that this sanctions relief, which he argued will give the country a chance to recover and was soon followed by an EU order to lift sanctions, is a move to encourage Syria to normalize diplomatic ties with Israel.Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is also the leader of HTS, which is still a designated terrorist group under the U.S. and the UN, has not officially agreed to pursue diplomatic ties with Jerusalem a push that several Middle Eastern nations have flatly rejected amid its aggressive military operations in the Gaza Strip.Trump also emphasized that the new Syrian government needs to suppress the rise of Islamic extremist groups.Syria is not a united nation as conflict persists across the country among varying minority groups, former regime loyalists and terrorist organizations like ISIS.Secretary of State Marco Rubio also warned lawmakers last month that Syria could be just "weeks" away from a "potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions."These fractures pose a significant vulnerability for the new Syrian government.Fox News Digitals Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

Law enforcement agencies across the country are noting an alarming crime trend of hidden cameras being placed in residents' lawns and gardens.Officials believe the hidden cameras are strategically placed by burglary suspects to give them insight into when a target home might be unoccupied.On May 24, the NYPD received a report of unlawful surveillance just past midnight. The caller reported finding a cellphone, cellphone charger and cable buried in his front yard, according to a spokesperson."There is no arrest, and the investigation remains ongoing," the spokesperson said. "Anyone who thinks they have been a victim is encouraged to go to their local precinct and file a report or call 911."CALIFORNIA BURGLARIES COMMITTED BY SOUTH AMERICAN THEFT RING INVOLVE HIDDEN CAMERAS IN SHRUBBERY: AUTHORITIESThe victim declined to share more information about the incident so as not to compromise the NYPD's investigation, but the victim did share a photo of the hidden camera with Fox News Digital.The hidden camera trend has been popping up across the country, from California to Massachusetts, according to CBS News, which first reported on the hidden camera in Queens.COLOMBIAN NATIONALS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH DOZENS OF HOME BURGLARIES IN OREGON: POLICEIn May 2024, Los Angeles County, California, residents were similarly warned about a growing trend in which members of a South American theft ring were stashing hidden cameras in shrubs and gardens to stake out their next burglary.The LA County Sheriffs Office released images of a camera and battery pack that a resident turned in after finding the hidden surveillance equipment in a flower bed.CHILEAN MIGRANT GANGS TERRORIZE AMERICANS WITH HOME INVASIONS: WHAT TO KNOWCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPAccording to the sheriffs office, so-called South American Theft Groups are typically made up of Chilean or Colombian nationals in the U.S. on limited tourist visas.The "highly organized criminal enterprises" go from state to state, committing burglaries and thefts. The group uses technology that allows access to cameras from remote locations, giving them the ability to conduct real-time surveillance, the sheriffs office noted.Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Los Angeles residents may begin seeing Marines in the area as soon as Thursday, with protection operations in coordination with the National Guard set to begin Friday.The 700 Marines were reportedly sent by President Donald Trump to Seal Beach, which is south of L.A. County, to train for nonlethal weapons trainingincluding hand-to-hand combat and crowd control.Seal Beach training recently finished, and the Marines have moved to "familiarization" training alongside the National Guard in Los Angeles, a U.S. defense official told Fox News.NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS DETAIN ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS IN LOS ANGELES UNDER TRUMP'S ORDERS"They are finishing up training and transitioning to a mission-familiarization phase alongside the 79thIBCT," the official said Thursday. "So it's possible you'll start seeingMarinesin the L.A. area today. They have NOT officially begun operations yet."More than 2,000 National Guardsmen are still stationed in L.A., as protests are expected to continue through the weekend.MARINES STILL NOT ON LA STREETS, SEEN IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT TRAINING"No Kings" protests against President Donald Trump and the administration are slated to take place in thousands of cities across the U.S. on Saturday, as the nation's capitol hosts a military parade for the Armys 250th anniversary and Flag Day.The protests also coincide with the president's 79th birthday.Though the Marines, acting under NORTHCOMs direction, are only tasked with protecting federal property and law enforcement, the cost of the military endeavor has drawn criticism.Officials estimated sending the Marines and National Guard to California will cost taxpayers about $134 million, taking away from the operations and maintenance budget.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during aSenate Appropriations Committee hearing that the troops were necessary to keep the city and its residents safe.HEGSETH SPARS WITH SENATE DEMOCRATS OVER MARINE DEPLOYMENT TO LA ANTI-ICE RIOTS: 'NOT ABOUT LETHALITY'"[It's] not about lethality. Its about maintaining law and order on behalf of law enforcement agents who deserve to do their job without being attacked by mobs of people," Hegseth said. "We are very proud that the National Guard and the Marines are on the streets defending the ICE agents, and they will continue."Despite legal challenges by California Gov.Gavin Newsom, Hegseth said there is "plenty of precedent" for the U.S. supporting law enforcement officers.Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Lindsey Graham is pushing forward to fund President Donald Trumps border security agenda despite objections from a key Senate Republican who wants to cut the spending in half.The South Carolina Republican, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, unveiled the Senates plan to fund the presidents border security desires, with billions of dollars slated to go toward building a wall at the Southern border, beefing up Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) detention capacity and hiring more Border Patrol Agents, among others.TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' CRACKS DOWN ON BIDEN'S STUDENT LOAN 'SCHEME,' TOP REPUBLICAN SAYSBut Grahams decision to plow ahead with the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committees $128.4 billion bill, which funds the lion's share of the administrations border security request, comes after the committees chair, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., proposed to cut half the funding baked into the House GOPs bill.Pauls concerns mobilized White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller to hold a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans on Thursday to justify the price tag."As Budget Chairman, I will do my best to ensure that the Presidents border security plan is fully funded because I believe it has been fully justified," Graham said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "I respectfully disagree with Chairman Pauls proposal to cut the Trump plan by more than 50 percent.""The President promised to secure our border," he continued. "His plan fulfills that promise. The Senate must do our part."The Homeland Security Committee accounts for the bulk of the White Houses $150 billion request, but not all. The remaining money is expected to come from the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees. TRUMP ALLY STANDS FIRM AGAINST 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' DESPITE PRESSURE: 'IT'LL COMPLETELY BACKFIRE'Grahams bill, which closely mirrors the House GOPs version, includes $46.5 billion in funding to build the border wall and additional infrastructure, $4.1 billion to hire more border patrol agents, $2 billion for retention and signing bonuses for the new agents, $5 billion to improve border patrol facilities and $855 million to repair the Border Patrols vehicle fleet.The measure also includes $45 billion to beef up ICEs detention capacity, $6 billion to improve border surveillance, $6 billion to the Department of Homeland Security to "ensure adequate funding for border security across the board" and $10 billion in grant funding to reimburse states for border security efforts during the Biden years.Paul, who did not attend Millers meeting with Senate Republicans, said the White House "threw a number at the wall to see what would stick" and that certain line items, like the tens of billions for border wall construction, could be drastically reduced to roughly $6.5 billion when breaking down the cost of construction per mile.He presented his number to the Senate GOP on Wednesday and noted that there were "half a dozen senators" who agreed with him.When asked why Graham and the leadership opted to skip over him as chair of the committee to release the text of the bill, he said "because they disagree with me.""I think Sen. Graham's job, as he sees it, is to do what the president tells him to do, and my job is to do what I think is fiscally most responsible," he said. "And so we just have different agendas."Senate Republicans are in the midst of producing their version of the House GOPs "big, beautiful bill." Theyre using the budget reconciliation process to pass a sweeping bill advancing Trumps agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. They are also working to use it to bring down the national debt nearing $37 trillion with the aim of cutting $1.5 trillion in federal spending.NATIONAL DEBT TRACKER: AMERICAN TAXPAYERS (YOU) ARE NOW ON THE HOOK FOR $36,213,572,785,415.03 AS OF 6/11/25But whatever comes from the Senate has to pass muster with the House before making its way to Trumps desk.And Millers meeting with the Senate GOP was meant to shore up support behind the funding detailed in the Houses bill and answer lingering concerns from fiscal hawks who are trying to find ways to further cut spending in the reconciliation process.Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., lauded Miller after the meeting but noted that there were some lawmakers who "were upset, and some that just didn't want to hear.""I mean, Rand Pauls solution is to cut everything in half and call it good," he said. "That's not real budgeting."Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said there was "a little frustration" from some lawmakers who wanted to see a spreadsheet of the funding. He dismissed the notion that the meeting became tense and said "theres no way to precisely calculate what the administration is going to need" to clean up the "enormous mess" left by the Biden administration."If anything, we maybe ought to need more. It's such a big problem," Johnson said. "I dont think we're going to move the number up, but we're not going to shortchange it.""This is a mess we have to clean up," he said. "It's going to cost a lot of money, and we want to make sure this administration has the money to clean up."

Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tim Kaine D-Va., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., introduced legislation on Thursday to hold Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and other Salvadoran leaders "accountable" for their alleged human rights abuses and for the countrys "collusion with the Trump administration to imprison people from the United States without due process."Titled the El Salvador Accountability Act of 2025, the bill would impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on Bukele and other Salvadoran officials "who have engaged in international human rights violations or worked to deprive individuals residing in the United States of their rights under the U.S. Constitution." The measure would also block any U.S. funding to the Salvadoran government and instruct the U.S. to oppose international financial assistance being sent.This comes after the Trump administration sent over 200 illegal, alleged gang members to the infamous, high-security prison CECOT, which has served as a detainment facility for many of El Salvadors most notorious criminals.The move was met with staunch opposition by Democrats who accused the administration of depriving the illegal aliens removed of their due process rights. Democrats took particular issue with the deportation of illegal alien and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was sent to the prison in March.DOJ CHARGES KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA WITH HUMAN SMUGGLING AND CONSPIRACYVan Hollen was the first of several Democrats to fly to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia and to advocate for his return to the U.S.Abrego Garcia, whom the DOJ is prosecuting on human trafficking charges and who is also an alleged wife-beater, was returned to the U.S. on June 6 to stand trial.Van Hollen released a statement celebrating Abrego Garcias return, saying, "This is not about the man, its about his constitutional rights and the rights of all."In a statement announcing the bill on Thursday, Van Hollen accused Bukele and the Salvadoran government of "colluding with the Trump Administration" by "taking American taxpayer dollars to imprison people as part of a scheme to violate their constitutional rights."AG BONDI DETAILS VERY SERIOUS CHARGES FACING KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA"We must hold Bukele and his cronies accountable for these wrongful actions as well as for the gross violations of human rights they are committing in El Salvador," wrote Van Hollen."We must send a clear signal that these injustices are unacceptable and must end," he said.DEMOCRATS CELEBRATE RETURN OF SUSPECTED HUMAN TRAFFICKER KILMAR ABREGO GARCIAPadilla, who also flew to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, commented on the legislation as well, saying that "imposing economic sanctions and visa restrictions on Bukele and his corrupt government is a necessary step to push El Salvador to finally uphold international human rights law and respect fundamental civil liberties.""We must hold Bukele and all responsible parties accountable for the suspension of constitutional rights and continued collusion with the Trump Administration to imprison people from the United States without due process," he added.Padilla was detained by authorities on Thursday after attempting to disrupt a press conference being held in Los Angeles by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin responded to the legislation in a statement to Fox News Digital in which she quipped: "Is this just another excuse for Senator Van Hollen to fly down to El Salvador on U.S. taxpayers dime to dine with gang members and terrorists?"White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson also chimed in, telling Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that "Chris Van Hollen (D-Illegal Alien) continues to embarrass himself and betray his constituents by spending more time representing criminal illegal aliens than American citizens.""His taxpayer-funded vacation to El Salvador to sip margaritas with a terrorist, human-trafficker, and wife-beater wasnt enough now he wants to keep more criminal illegals in American communities," Jackson remarked, adding "All Americans should be grateful for CECOT, which houses violent criminal illegal aliens who threaten the safety and security of everyone."