(WASHINGTON) — The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted to advance acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to permanently lead the Department of Justice.

Blanche advanced in a 12-10 party line vote. All Republicans voted in favor of him, while all Democrats voted against. 

Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis ultimately supported Blanche after securing an agreement that clarified the scope of President Donald Trump’s IRS immunity deal and formally rescinded the administration’s so-called $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”

Despite the fact that the agreement reached has no language preventing the resurrection of the controversial fund under a different name or method, Cornyn said the DOJ has been “consistent” about their assertions that the fund is dead. 

“And of course, I expect them to live up to that in any future litigation,” Cornyn said in remarks on the Senate panel ahead of the vote.

Tillis also said the agreement reached with Blanche satisfies his concerns. 

“I believe that we have addressed the concerns that I have. The first one I called the ‘payout pot for punks.’ I’ve never liked this 1776 fund. It made no sense to me, and I thought it was an insult to the police officers and the people that defended us on January the 6th. It’s done. It’s been rescinded, and I am satisfied,” Tillis said.

Tillis said that both sides on the aisle “have a problem” when it comes to malicious prosecution. He said he hopes to see a “bending of the curve of this absurdity” when Blanche is confirmed.

Ahead of the vote, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley thanked Cornyn and Tillis for their work securing the agreement. He said many senators shared their concerns.

“Formally rescinding the fund and clarifying the scope of release of claims has put this issue to bed once and for all,” Grassley said.

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons took a different view on the so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” than his Republican colleagues, arguing that Blanche’s willingness to go along with its creation in the first place should disqualify him from the attorney general job. 

“In my view, we never should have gotten to this place. As acting attorney general, when asked by the president to do something plainly unethical and corrupt, Mr. Blanche should have simply said no. He did not do that, and I pressed him in his confirmation hearing whether he even tried to talk President Trump out of this widely rejected plan, and he refused to answer,” Coons said.

During the hearing, Blanche responded to Coons’ questions, saying he was not simply a “yes-man” in giving Trump counsel. 

“I will say that President Trump trusts me to give him counsel. Counsel does not mean I’m a ‘yes-man.’ And that’s true in my case, like it should be in any attorneys general case,” Blanche said during his confirmation hearing.

Several Democrats on the panel raised a number of concerns about Blanche.

“Today I think is a sad and embarrassing day for this committee, as it looks like, on a party line vote, we are going to advance out of this committee probably the most discreditable person ever to seek the office of attorney general of the United States,” Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said.

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, in a lengthy speech, warned that the country was in “dangerous waters” with Blanche.

“This man is not our lawyer. He is not America’s lawyer. He is about to become Trump’s sword against his adversaries and shield against any scrutiny,” Booker said.

What’s next for Blanche’s nomination? 

Blanche’s nomination is now ready for consideration on the Senate floor.

Unless there is an agreement to speed things along, the soonest the Senate can take a procedural vote on Blanche’s nomination is Friday. That would set up a final confirmation vote sometime on Saturday.

Though Tillis and Cornyn were the most closely watched Republican votes on the Senate Judiciary Committee, there remains other GOP senators who have raised concerns about Blanche.

With Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell still absent from Congress, Blanche will ultimately only be able to lose the support of two Republicans when his nomination comes up for a vote on the Senate floor.

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(NEW YORK) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 51,000 individuals in July, according to sources familiar with the data.

The arrests are the largest in a single month in DHS history, according to data.  

It comes as ICE is ramping up arrests at airports — with ICE arresting over 30 people at airports in July, agency data shows.

Those being detained in some cases do not have criminal records and have valid work authorization or parole documents, according to one immigration attorney that spoke with ABC News.

The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment about the numbers.

In June, DHS announced that the total number of deportations so far this fiscal year is 356,389, according to the numbers posted by ICE.

ICE has quietly been increasing their operations around the country, according to a law enforcement source.

Some allies of President Donald Trump say the numbers should be released in full and the enforcement doesn’t go far enough.

“The point is the numbers remain wildly disproportionately low to the scale of illegals let in by Biden and the promise of mass deportation,” Mike Howell, the president of the Trump-aligned Oversight Project, told ABC News. “The numbers will stay low until worksite enforcement is the central pillar of the strategy. I’m very worried about the amnesty lobby continuing to use inflated deportation statistics to push for a grand compromise and sell out.  That’s why I’m suing DHS for real data and will keep doing it until I don’t have to.”

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(NEW YORK) — Hundreds of Haitian immigrants in Ohio who had Temporary Protected Status have been summoned by the Department of Homeland Security for in-person “check-ins” with the agency, where some have been fitted with ankle monitors, immigration advocates tell ABC News.

The move from the government comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the Trump administration could end TPS for about 350,000 Haitians, as part of the administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.

Steve Foster, the immigration policy coordinator for the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, said “Haitians with TPS, regardless of whether they have a pending asylum claim, have gotten a ‘DHS Call-In Letter’ to appear at ICE offices in person.”

Some have been given ankle monitors and future court dates, Foster said.

Viles Dorsainvil, executive director of a Haitian support group in Springfield, Ohio, confirmed the government’s effort to call Haitians in Ohio with TPS into ICE offices and fit some of them with ankle monitors.

“We are just helping these folks to go to this appointment, and when they get there, they interview them and eventually put [an] ankle monitor on them,” Dorsainvil said.

TPS status, established by the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, provides work authorization and protection from deportation if a foreign country is deemed by the government to be unsafe because of armed conflict, natural disaster, or “extraordinary and temporary conditions.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said, “Temporary Protected Status is exactly that — temporary. For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.”

“What we would say now is it’s closing time, which means you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,” the statement said.

Dorsainvil said that some TPS holders have lost their work permits, while others who have pending asylum cases still have valid work authorization.

“There is so much anxiety, and they are fearful, and they are uncertain when it comes to what they should do next,” he said.

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(WASHINGTON) The first two deaths of the cyclosporiasis outbreak have been reported in Michigan, the state’s health department announced Monday.

Both people had “significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration,” the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) added. No additional information will be provided, according to the department.

The deaths come as cases in the state have surpassed 11,000 for a total of 11,234, including 193 hospitalizations, MDHHS data shows.

MDHHS added that cyclosporiasis is typically not a life-threatening illness and that deaths are uncommon in the U.S.

Federal health officials have so far linked cases in Michigan and eight other states to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants. 

Taylor Farms, the supplier of the lettuce, issued a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. Consumers are being advised to throw out or return any iceberg lettuce.

Taco Bell said last month that it is no longer using lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico at any of its restaurants. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote on its website that it “is aware of two cyclosporiasis-related deaths in people with underlying health conditions from Michigan as part of this outbreak. CDC will update its website to include laboratory confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths.”

The CDC has previously said it is investigating other outbreaks and illnesses of cyclosporiasis nationally that are unrelated to the nine-state outbreak.

Since May 1, cases of cyclosporiasis have topped 18,000 in 45 states, according to data updated by the CDC on Wednesday.

There are at least 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, including 423 hospitalizations, the data shows.

The agency is also aware of at least 11,500 additional cases that have not yet been laboratory confirmed or require further investigation and analysis.

The CDC said it can take up to six weeks to determine if a sick person should be counted in the agency’s tally, meaning nationally reported cases may be lower than state totals.

Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published data last week showing a “sharp rise” in cyclosporiasis infections among travelers returning from Mexico.

Between April 30 and July 15, 67 cases have been reported among returning travelers in England, Wales and Scotland. Comparatively, an annual average of 93 cases has been recorded between 2022 and 2025.

UKHSA said it is advising all travelers to take precautions when traveling abroad including “maintaining good food and water hygiene to reduce their risk of infection.”

Cyclospora, the parasite that causes infection, usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the CDC.

Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, the CDC says.

The most common symptom of cyclosporiasis is watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC. Other symptoms nay include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or bloating.

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