ICE arrests over 32,000 migrants in US illegally in 1st 50 days

(WASHINGTON) — The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump.

The panel voted along party lines, 14-13.

It was a high-stakes vote for Kennedy, as with the committee’s makeup it would have taken just one Republican to oppose him for his nomination to be potentially sunk.

All eyes were on Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and longtime physician who, during last week’s hearings, expressed deep concerns about the impact of Kennedy’s past comments casting doubt on vaccines, including saying on a 2023 podcast that “no vaccine is safe and effective.

Cassidy told Kennedy he was “struggling” with his nomination as those proceedings came to a close. The two spoke more over the weekend, according to one person familiar with the discussion, though it’s unclear what was said. Cassidy avoided reporter questions ahead of the vote on that conversation and on whether he’d support Kennedy.

Cassidy voted on Tuesday to move forward with Kennedy’s nomination.

“I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning,” Cassidy said in a statement posted to X earlier Tuesday, explaining his vote. “I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel. With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes.”

President Trump said on Monday he’s called senators who have concerns about Kennedy. Vice President JD Vance had also been quietly lobbying senators to line up behind Kennedy, ABC News previously reported.

Kennedy’s nomination will next head to the floor for consideration before the full Senate. A final vote could occur this week or early next week.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that they expect “all Senate Republicans to stand tough and strong” and vote to confirm Kennedy to Trump’s Cabinet.

“Make America Healthy Again, that is a very popular slogan and it’s a very popular movement in this country. And there’s tens of millions of Americans who are hopeful that RFK Junior will be the next HHS secretary and we expect all Senate Republicans to stay on tough and strong and vote for him,” Leavitt said as she gaggled with reporters on Tuesday.

Questions have continued to swirl around Kennedy’s views on vaccines. He said several times during the hearings last Wednesday and Thursday that he supports vaccines and is not “anti-vaccine” but “pro-safety.”

However, Kennedy has openly questioned the widespread administration of both measles and polio vaccines, and has falsely linked the former vaccine to autism, despite several high-quality studies finding no such link.

He also pointed to a flawed paper to suggest there is evidence to claim that vaccines cause autism. Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said he saw problems with the paper’s methodology upon first look.

Kennedy also cast doubt on the lifesaving benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines, saying he doesn’t think that “anybody” can say the vaccines saved millions of lives.

A 2022 study from the Yale School of Public Health and University of Maryland Medical School estimated the vaccine saved 3 million lives and prevented 18 million hospitalizations.

Senators were also befuddled by comments Kennedy made in the past. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado read aloud alleged past comments made by Kennedy, including unfounded claims about transgender children.

Kennedy denied making such comments despite repeated an unfounded conspiracy theory during an episode of his podcast in 2022, suggesting endocrine disruptors, including phthalates — which make chemicals more durable — and pesticides, can influence sexual orientation or gender identity.

ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Protesters gathered nationwide Wednesday as part of a movement opposing the Trump administration’s policies and Project 2025, the controversial conservative presidential wish list.

The protests, which took place largely in state capitals, were organized by an online movement dubbed 50501 — meaning 50 protests, 50 states, one day.

The grassroots effort has been organized across social media sites using hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, calling on Americans to “fight fascism.”

Protesters marched and gathered in cities including Atlanta, Austin, Boston and Philadelphia, holding signs with messages like “Silence is violence,” “Defend democracy,” “Impeach Trump” and “Death to fascism.”

Vermont college student Andy Cole was among those protesting outside the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday.

“I came out here today because it’s important for people to be here,” Cole told ABC Montpelier affiliate WVNY. “As a young person, it’s important for me to be here. As a human, it is important for me to be here.”

“I would not be able to sleep at night if I didn’t become engaged and didn’t be active in my community, especially with everything that’s happening right now,” Cole continued.

In the first weeks of his new term, President Donald Trump has signed a slew of executive orders, some of which are already facing legal challenges.

Protesters on Wednesday highlighted Trump’s immigration policies, carrying signs saying “No human is illegal,” as the administration takes unprecedented action to remove as many undocumented migrants from the United States as possible.

Demonstrators also protested actions targeting LGBTQ+ people, the same day that Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports. Last week, he signed an order seeking to restrict gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19.

Protesters also called to save the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which oversees foreign aid, disaster relief and international development programs.

Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said this week he was “in the process” of “shutting down” the agency with the backing of Trump, as part of efforts to trim the size of the federal government and eliminate waste.

Many demonstrators took aim at Musk in particular, highlighting his efforts to dismantle government agencies and gain access to government data. Signs with the message “No one voted for Elon Musk” could be seen at multiple protests.

Vice President JD Vance alluded to that sentiment on X on Wednesday, saying, “They did however vote for Donald Trump who promised repeatedly to have Elon Musk root out wasteful spending in our government.”

Ahead of Wednesday’s day of action, an Instagram account claiming to be the official account of the 50501 movement shared flyers for planned protests with phrases like “Reject fascism” and “We the people reject Project 2025.

A “Declaration of Equal Liberty” posted to the Instagram account claims that Project 2025’s “rhetoric intends to divide, isolate, and alienate our society, as well as dismantle the foundational liberties of our country by attacking our institutions.”

Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 on the campaign trail but went on to nominate several of its authors or contributors to his administration.

ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The number of apprehensions along the southwestern U.S. border plummeted by a third during January, according to statistics obtained by ABC News on Tuesday.

There were 61,465 apprehensions along the southwest border in January, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, down from 96,048 in December 2024.

The numbers fell even more after President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, according to the data.

In the three weeks before the inauguration, there was a daily average of more than 2,000 apprehensions, which fell to a daily average of 786 migrant apprehensions after the inauguration.

There were 176,195 migrant apprehensions along the southwest border in January 2024.

From Jan. 21 through Jan. 31, the number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border dropped 85% from the same period in 2024, according to data obtained by ABC News. In the 11 days after Jan. 20, migrants apprehended at ports of entry declined by 93%.

Trump signed executive orders shortly after taking office that declared a national emergency at the border and authorized active duty military and National Guard troops to support CPB’s law enforcement activities. The government has been using military planes to return migrants to their home countries. In addition, the administration has said it is targeting gang members and violent offenders in its crackdown. It also rescinded a policy that barred law enforcement activities at schools and churches and at courthouses.

“The men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection are aggressively implementing the President’s Executive Orders to secure our borders. These actions have already resulted in dramatic improvements in border security,” said Pete Flores, acting CBP commissioner. “The reduction in illegal aliens attempting to make entry into the U.S., compounded by a significant increase in repatriations, means that more officers and agents are now able to conduct the enforcement duties that make our border more secure and our country safer.”

CBP and military troops have “dramatically increased” patrolling the southern border, according to CBP.

Numbers of monthly border apprehensions fell below 100,000 for the first time in years in November 2024, according to CBP data.

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