Banks said his immigration package is needed as Republicans approach the midterms with control of Congress at stake and a shrinking window to deliver legislative wins to voters. The bills target birthright citizenship, visas, commercial driver’s licenses and other immigration policies Banks wants Congress to codify.

“I don’t just fear a Democrat majority. I fear a Democrat-Socialist majority because the [DSA] who control today’s Democrat Party support wide open borders, they support eliminating ICE, they are anti law enforcement, they want to defund the police,” Banks said.

While current Senate Democratic leaders are not aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, Banks argued a future Democratic-led Senate would be “owned by the socialist wing of their party.”

TRUMP ADMIN INVESTIGATING 75 TRUCK DRIVER SCHOOLS FOR FRAUD, HELPING NON-CITIZENS GET LICENSES

“I cannot believe that the Democrats are so radical and extreme today that they’re OK with what’s happened to our country [with] illegals taking jobs for Americans or allowing illegals to be behind the wheel of semi-trucks,” Banks said, pointing to his “Dalilah Law.”

The bill honors Dalilah Coleman, a first-grader who was critically injured when an illegal immigrant driving a big rig caused a multi-car pileup on an Indiana highway. Partap Singh, an Indian national licensed in California, was driving the truck. Coleman suffered catastrophic injuries, spent months in the hospital and had a craniectomy.

The Dalilah Law, described by supporters as the CDL equivalent of the Laken Riley Act, would require states to stop providing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and certain foreign nationals. It would also require states to revoke certain existing licenses and administer commercial driving tests only in English.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKERS ACCUSED OF MOWING DOWN AMERICANS IGNITE FURY OVER LOOPHOLES UNLEASHING DEADLY ROADS

Banks compared the CDL measure to Congress’ Reagan-era push to raise the drinking age by threatening federal transportation funds. He argued that several Hoosiers have been injured or killed in crashes involving foreign drivers licensed by “states that hand CDLs out like candy,” including California, Pennsylvania and New York. He also wants Congress to take greater control over Temporary Protected Status authority, which he said previous Democratic administrations abused.

“If we legislate it and give Congress power to determine when TPS is appropriate when it’s not, then we’ll be able to address these issues long after President Trump leaves the White House,” Banks said.

ILLEGAL TRUCKER CASES FUEL GOP PUSH TO CRACK DOWN ON CDL MILLS AS DEMS LARGELY SILENT

The American Tech Workforce Act would raise the minimum salary threshold for many H-1B visa positions from $60,000 to $150,000. Experts have said the change would significantly alter incentives for companies seeking to hire young foreign workers.

Immigration attorneys argued Banks’ bill would make the U.S. “far less attractive as a study destination” and encourage foreign talent to look to Canada instead.

“Many employers would be unable or unwilling to meet this threshold, effectively limiting H-1B hiring to top tech companies or highly specialized roles,” Texas firm Reddy Neumann & Brown said on its website.

AMERICA’S BROKEN LEGAL IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS REPLACING US WORKERS BY DESIGN

Proponents have argued such changes would give American graduates a better chance of entering the job market after college.

Other bills in the package would provide additional border security funding to the War Department, restrict chain migration and target grants to colleges employing illegal immigrants.

“These seven bills are common sense, everything from stopping illegals from driving semi-trucks to banning birthright citizenship, to stopping chain migration, to cracking down on those who misuse the H-1B visas for cheap labor,” Banks said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., for comment on the package and to ask whether any of the bills will be expedited ahead of the midterms.

Fox News Digital’s Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.

The Defense Department’s Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, released Friday, estimated that 20,492 active-duty service members, including 9,860 women and 10,632 men, were sexually assaulted in the year preceding the fiscal year 2025 survey, down from 29,000 in 2023.

The 2025 figures represent a drop in sexual assaults from roughly 35,900 in 2021.

“The FY 2025 report underscores our ongoing commitment to maintaining high standards, protecting our people, and building a unified, ready, and lethal fighting force,” Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata said in a statement Friday.

The assault estimates were derived from the department’s 2025 Workplace Experiences Survey that polls troops on various topics such as sexual assault and harassment, work climate, leadership and training.

According to the fiscal year 2025 survey, the estimated rate of assaults dropped among active-duty women from 6.8% to 4.3%, and among active-duty men from 1.4% to 1.0%.

At the same time, reports of sexual assaults increased, with 7,998 filed in fiscal year 2025. Given the results of the survey, an estimated one in three individuals filed a formal report of an assault, up from one in four in 2023.

Defense Department officials have long encouraged service members to report assaults as a means to address the issue in the ranks. The Pentagon uses the reports metric to help determine whether department and service sexual assault prevention and reporting initiatives are succeeding.

“Estimated percentage of victimized service members making Restricted and Unrestricted Reports – desired state is increase,” the report stated.

According to the report, the Marine Corps had the highest prevalence of unwanted sexual contact against women, at 6.8% of female Marines. The Navy had the highest prevalence of unwanted contact against men, at 1.5%.

The Air Force had the lowest prevalence of unwanted contact reported by its members at 2.8% by women and 0.7% by men.

The report noted that a majority of service members trusted their leaders to handle the problem, with 72% of women and 80% of men saying that those involved were “treated fairly.”

Trust in the system also has risen since 2023, according to the data, but female members still struggle with confidence in the process.

In 2025, 64% of men and 41% of women said they believed the system would protect their privacy, up from 61% and 41%, respectively.

69% of men and 45% of women said they trusted the military to ensure their safety after a sexual assault, up from 66% and 43% in 2023.

Female service members reportedly expressed more confidence in the resources provided by their sexual assault response coordinators and support team, with more than 60% saying they were satisfied with support from their victim advocates, sexual assault response coordinators and assigned attorneys.

Male troops were less satisfied with the services of their sexual assault teams; however, between 36% and 47% expressed confidence in their victim advocates, response coordinators and counsel.

The military services were required in 2023 to establish independent legal structures to handle serious crimes, including sexual assault, domestic violence, murder and manslaughter. The Office of Special Trial Counsel directly handles investigations and decisions to prosecute such cases, removing the chain of command from a role it historically held in judicial proceedings.

The first survey since the Office of Special Trial Counsel’s creation found that men were “significantly more likely” than women to trust that the office would treat them fairly if they were to experience a sexual assault, with 65% of men reporting favorably. Just 44% of women expressed the same confidence, however.

In the past, service members have hesitated to report incidents of sexual assault out of fear of retaliation from their leadership, peers and/or perpetrator. A 2021 study found that 31% of men and 28% of women said they experienced retaliation after a sexual assault.

The report released Friday found that retaliation continues to be a concern. Among women service members who indicated an experience of Unwanted Sexual Contact (USC), 17% reported saying they experienced retaliation prohibited by law. For both men and women, one of the most common reasons for not coming forward was “worrying about backlash from coworkers and peers.”

Along with the decrease in sexual assault, the prevalence of sexual harassment also declined among men and women. An estimated 4.4%, or 44,656 service members, said they experienced sexual harassment, down from 5.8% in 2023. Among women, 17.5%, or 39,744 service members, said they experienced sexual harassment, down from 24.7% in 2023.

Protect Our Defenders, an advocacy group dedicated to promoting equality and ending sexual assault in the ranks, said Friday that its analysis of the 2025 data found that service members experienced 38% more unwanted sexual contacts than a decade ago. The group also noted that the 4.3% rate of sexual assault among military women in 2025 was the same as the rate reported in 2016.

The Defense Department cautions that the survey measure was substantially revised in 2021 and that prevalence estimates from 2021 onward cannot be scientifically compared with estimates from earlier years.

The rate among men, at 1%, was higher than the 2018 rate of 0.7%, the group noted.

The advocates said they have heard from personnel whose prosecutions never occurred or whose evidence and documents were lost, and victims were pushed out of the military without proper medical care, including mental health treatment.

“I wouldn’t take these numbers at face value, and neither should the American public. They are not what we are seeing,“ said Protect Our Defenders Senior Vice President Josh Connolly.

“Survivors are more afraid to come forward than they were two years ago, and this administration has spent the past year giving them reason to be – rolling back whistleblower protections, making it harder to report anonymously, warning people who come forward that they may be punished for it. A number that falls because people stopped talking is not progress,” Connolly said.

In the report, department officials attributed the decline to numerous changes they have made to address sexual assault and harassment in the ranks, which they called harmful behaviors that “act as internal adversaries, eroding the very foundation of our operational readiness and unit lethality.”

According to the department, the DoD assessed Sexual Assault and Prevention and Reporting Offices in Indo-Pacific Command in 2025, engaged at joint bases to improve collaboration across the services, conducted unit evaluations and standardized the workforce to address issues with the program.

“Dignity, respect, and discipline are foundational to the warrior ethos and the overall preparedness of the force. Sexual assault and sexual harassment undermine these values, eroding trust and threatening the mission,” Tata said in the release.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the man disrupted services at Central Synagogue on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.

The NYPD later identified the suspect as Larry Montes, 46, of the Bronx, and said he was charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, among other charges.

NORTH CAROLINA WOMAN CHARGED IN ALLEGED HOUSTON SYNAGOGUE ATTACK PLOT AS INVESTIGATORS SEARCH FOR 2 OTHERS

“As synagogue security was escorting him out, he struck a member of the congregation, damaged synagogue property, and then spit at and headbutted a member of the security team,” Tisch said in a statement posted on X.

An NYPD sergeant working a paid detail at the synagogue immediately intervened and took Montes into custody, according to Tisch.

No one was seriously injured, and the incident remains under investigation, Tisch said.

“I have spoken with the rabbi of the synagogue, and I’m relieved that no one was seriously injured,” she said. “Those who were hurt were evaluated at the scene and are doing well. There are no known additional threats at this time, and additional NYPD resources have been deployed to the synagogue.”

JEWISH LEADERS FAULT MAMDANI RHETORIC AS UPPER WEST SIDE STABBING, HATE CRIME PROBE CONTINUES

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was “horrified” by the incident.

“I am horrified by the assault at Central Synagogue during services today,” Mamdani said.

“I can only imagine the pain and fear an attack like this, during Shabbat services, causes for the congregation and for Jewish New Yorkers across our city,” he continued. “Every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence.”

“This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe,” he added.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also condemned the alleged attack.

“What happened at Central Synagogue tonight is appalling,” Hochul posted on X. “Jewish New Yorkers have every right to worship openly, proudly, and without fear. I’m grateful the suspect is in custody and that no one was seriously injured.”

Tisch said the incident was particularly personal because she grew up attending Central Synagogue.

“I understand the sanctity of this space and its meaning for congregants,” she said. “Central Synagogue is where I grew up. In joy and in sorrow, it has always been a place of comfort and peace. What happened there tonight is deeply painful. A place of worship should never be a crime scene.”

Jackson, a one-time logger and a former state Senate president, was chosen a couple of weeks ago by Maine Democrats to replace embattled oysterman Graham Platner, who won the June Democratic Senate nomination in a landslide before imploding and dropping out of the race last month amid rape allegations that he denied.

Jackson is challenging longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a high-stakes race that’s among a dozen that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority.

MAINE DEMOCRATS CROWN TROY JACKSON AS PLATNER REPLACEMENT FACES INTENSE SCRUTINY

Collins is the only GOP incumbent running for re-election in a state President Donald Trump lost in the 2024 election. A Fox News poll in Maine released on Wednesday indicated Jackson holding a slight two-point edge over Collins, which was within the survey’s sampling error.

“Troy Jackson is Graham Platner 2.0: Violent and unhinged,” the Republican National Committee charged in a social media post.

Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, referring to Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, wrote on X, “Is this incredibly disturbing report of violence and abuse not enough for you to drop Troy Jackson?”

WHAT THE NEW FOX NEWS POLL IN MAINE’S CRUCIAL SENATE RACE SHOWS

The Bangor Daily News reported that the police report accused Jackson of assaulting another man during a late-night brawl on March 12, 1988.

The brawl was over Jackson’s longtime partner Lana Pelletier, who, according to records, is also his second cousin. Jackson and Pelletier share two adult children.

The police report indicates that Pelletier told officers at the time that Jackson “pushed her around,” a statement she now denies making.

According to the report, the then-19-year-old Jackson went to a home in Fort Kent, Maine around 2 a.m.

After the occupant of the house told Jackson to go away, the report says the future state lawmaker “kicked the door in” and grabbed his rival by the throat before punching him in the face, causing the victim’s glasses to leave a cut. The report added that a friend broke up the ensuing fight.

DEMOCRATS STAND BY JACKSON AFTER LATEST CONTROVERSY

Jackson said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, “Nearly forty years ago, when I was 19 years old, I got into a fight with another man. I took responsibility for it then, and I take responsibility for it now.”

“But let me be clear: I have never been violent with my partner Lana, or any other woman. This happened nearly four decades ago, and I assure Mainers this incident in no way reflects the man I am today or the life I’ve led in the years since,” the Democratic Senate nominee added.

Pelletier told Fox News Digital in a statement, “I do not remember making the statements attributed to me and they are not accurate. This is the first time I have seen this report from 40 years ago. Troy and I have built a life and family together and I know the person he has been through the decades since, both as a caring partner and father.”

“I understand Maine voters want to learn about Troy as he seeks to represent them but personal attacks on my family are unacceptable,” she added. “In the 40 years since he made a mistake as a 19-year-old kid, Troy has grown to be a passionate advocate for Mainers and dedicated his life to making things better for our state while Susan Collins has been in Washington enriching herself at our expense.”

WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN: CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Meanwhile, the Jackson campaign told Fox News Digital that Troy “acknowledges going to the residence and getting into a physical confrontation with another man. The case was resolved with a $50 fine.”

On Thursday, the conservative-leaning Maine Wire reported that a man from Allagash, Maine, who says he’s known Jackson for decades alleged that he witnessed Jackson strike Pelletier, in a separate incident, years ago.

Jackson, who hails from the remote northern tip of Maine, is a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago.

As he quickly became the front-runner in the abbreviated race to replace Platner, he faced a slew of reports over his alleged temper and workplace conduct, as well as reported claims of mortgage improprieties and other potential liabilities, including his past strict anti-abortion stance.

Asked by Fox News Digital last month about any vetting concerns, Jackson said, “I think a lot of this obviously is Sen. Collins trying to make sure she win can the election on a really bad record. But, for me, I’ve been in the legislature for 20 years. I do believe I’ve been vetted, I’ve been tested. People know exactly what I’m fighting for. I have their back. And they know they can trust me.”

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The scrutiny and negative reports are raising concerns by some in the party that Democrats landed another unvetted nominee after the Platner implosion.

“This is a bit of a rocket vetting process,” a Democratic strategist who works on Senate races who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital. “Maine Democrats have made their choice, and they’re just going to have to ride with it.”

The NRSC, in a series of social media posts directed at Democratic senators and Senate nominees who have endorsed Jackson since he landed the nomination, ask if those politicians will “call on Troy Jackson to drop out?”

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Jackson, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, campaigned alongside Platner during the primary. And he quickly made the case that he was the best equipped candidate to grab the mantle of the progressive and populist movement that had backed Platner.

Similar to Platner, Jackson is running on a platform aimed at working-class voters. He backs raising taxes on billionaires, the universal healthcare system known as “Medicare-for-all,” abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and he opposes military aid to Israel at a time Democrats are increasingly divided on support for America’s longtime Middle East ally.

The woman, who previously played for Kress at Fairfield University, informed SJSU officials in October 2024 of her alleged experience with the coach.

“SJSU has known I feared for the safety of the women in the program since October of 2024 and yet they have allowed Todd to continue to coach and travel with the team,” she told Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity.

“I informed both Fairfield and SJSU of my 1998 encounter with Todd after reading accounts of young women on the 2024 SJSU team describing his intimidation, coercive, and manipulative behaviors.

“Why don’t some women come forward after being assaulted by those in positions of power? It’s a fair question. One needs to look no further than the situation at SJSU.”

INSIDE THE FALLOUT OF THE SJSU VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: ‘THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM’

Kress’s alleged victim is speaking out two weeks after the allegations were first reported.

Neither SJSU nor Kress has addressed the allegations since then despite multiple inquiries, and the coach has made multiple social media posts boasting his new recruiting class in that time as well.

Fox News Digital reported on July 7 that during the SJSU volleyball trans athlete scandal’s peak in the fall of 2024, administrators received an email from the woman in October of that year. The email included a letter to Fairfield that included the allegations that Kress attacked the player in a hotel room in 1998.

Emails obtained by Fox News Digital via an independent verified source show that SJSU officials acknowledged the receipt of the allegations, met with the former Fairfield player and her lawyer, thanked her for coming forward and even apologized for her experiences.

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to SJSU seeking emails related to an investigation of those allegations, but the request was denied, with SJSU citing privacy exemptions and attorney-client privilege.

“Did SJSU investigate my complaint? They were given information that would have allowed them to corroborate my claims. Their refusal to release their investigative steps and final determination allows for much speculation,” the former player added.

“My singular motivation was a hope that in bringing to the attention of school administrators what Todd did to me, they might act to protect young women. I trusted the system and chose to operate without public attention.”

Fox News Digital has verified her identity and that she played for Kress at Fairfield in 1998.

Slusser, who played under Kress for two seasons in 2023-24, previously told Fox News Digital that she and other teammates in 2024 were not told of the allegations that fall.

“The school gave us absolutely zero information. This was never brought up once.” Slusser said. Slusser is currently suing SJSU for her own alleged experience playing under Kress and alongside Fleming.

The alleged incident involving Kress and the former Fairfield player occurred in a hotel after Fairfield’s loss to Clemson in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament in December, according to her letter.

Part of the letter alleges, “He immediately took caramel from a plastic container and smeared it all over my face and hair. He then forcibly threw me on the bed and held me down. I was in shock. He let go of me and then pulled his pants down and put his back side in my face.

SJSU DIDN’T PENALIZE VOLLEYBALL COACH DURING TRANS SCANDAL AMID TITLE IX COMPLAINTS, FEDERAL FINDINGS ALLEGE

“Todd again grabbed me, picked me up, and threw me into the bathtub where he held me down and threatened to turn on the shower with me laying there to ‘clean the caramel off of my face.’ At this point I was fighting back to get away from him.

“Todd let me get out of the tub, laughing, and then he stood in front of the door blocking my exit. Todd told me he would only let me leave if I took a shot of liquor, which I did only to get him to move away from the door. Once he did, I ran for it. He chased me. I got into my room and although he seemed to be in a rage, he turned and calmly walked out,” the letter alleges.

Fox News Digital has sent multiple inquiries to Kress, SJSU and the California State University system (CSU) for a response to the allegations and the player’s latest statements, but none of the parties has addressed the issue.

The allegations have been public for 14 days.

A U.S. Department of Education (ED) Title IX investigation into SJSU over the transgender scandal determined that the university allegedly made the decision to not suspend or relieve its head volleyball coach during the team’s 2024 transgender scandal, despite Title IX-related complaints against the coach. The investigation’s findings made no mention of the former Fairfield player and her letter.

The findings do not mention the coach by name, but Fox News Digital reasonably believes the figure titled “Coach 2” in the findings to be Kress.

“Additional notes indicate the decision to not suspend Coach 2 also included the improper consideration: ‘If we relieve him… [w]e could also spark more media attention…. ‘ University records indicate University officials, including the President of the University, agreed to not suspend Coach 2 because they felt his suspension would unduly disrupt the team,” the findings state.

However, the investigation did not disclose what those complaints were, and SJSU and the CSU are suing the department to challenge those findings.

Meanwhile, former associated head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose was suspended and later did not have her contract renewed, after submitting a Title IX complaint over the team’s alleged handling of Fleming and the women on the team in 2024. Batie-Smoose is waging a wrongful termination lawsuit against SJSU.

Fox News Digital recently submitted a public records request to SJSU seeking emails related to SJSU’s investigation of the allegations against Kress, but the request was denied.

“SJSU has conducted a reasonable search for these records under California Government Code §7922.535 and has determined the requested records are not disclosable under the Public Records Act,” the SJSU public records office responded.

“First, the request seeks documents exempt under attorney-client privilege. Additionally, the requested communications implicate substantial privacy interests. Disclosure of these records would therefore constitute an invasion of privacy that outweighs the public interest in disclosure.”

Prior to that, Fox News Digital submitted a formal public records request to San Jose State University seeking copies of the Oct. 24, 2024 complaint letter that was sent to the school by Kress’s former player, a Nov. 1 follow-up email, and a Nov. 7 response to the woman from the university’s Title IX office.

But that record was also denied.

“The requested communications implicate substantial privacy interests,” the university’s response stated.

“Disclosure of these records would therefore constitute an invasion of privacy that outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Specifically, these records are being withheld subject to the following exemptions: Personnel Records/Privacy… General Privacy Rights… [and the] Balancing Test. Here, the public interest served by disclosure is minimal and is outweighed by the public interest served against disclosure in protecting substantial and significant privacy rights.”

Fox News Digital was given copies of emails exchanged between SJSU and the former Fairfield player, from an independently verified source. The letter with the allegations was forwarded to SJSU administration on Oct. 24, 2024, and a response acknowledging receipt of the letter was sent later that same day.

Then on Nov. 4, 2024, former SJSU interim Title IX and Gender Equity Officer Peter Lim reached out to set up a meeting with the former player and her attorney.

“Thank you for sharing your concerns about Coach Todd Kress. I am sorry to hear about your experiences. I have reviewed your letter and would like to meet with you to better understand your experiences with Coach Kress. The purpose of the meeting would be to help me assess potential next steps, which may or may not include an investigation into the reported conduct,” Lim wrote.

Three days after that, on Nov. 7, Lim sent another email to the former Fairfield player, thanking her and her attorney for meeting with them.

“I am so sorry about your prior experiences with Todd Kress at Fairfield University. I appreciate the time you took to describe those experiences, the impact those experiences continue to have on you, and the safety threat that you believe he presents to SJSU’s volleyball team,” Lim wrote.

“We are evaluating the information you provided and determining appropriate next steps. If it is okay with the two of you, I would appreciate staying in touch.”

There was no further correspondence between the two parties after that exchange, Fox News Digital has learned.

Fox News Digital has posed multiple questions to Kress, Lim, SJSU admins and public records office clerks, and CSU spokespeople regarding their responses to the allegations, the woman’s recent statements, Slusser’s statements, what, if any, investigation took place into the allegations, and why they deem disclosure of the requested records are not enough in the public interest to warrant disclosure. But no response to those questions has been given by any of the parties.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Fairfield for a response to the former player’s allegations and recent statement, but was told by a spokesperson, “The university does not comment on former or current personnel matters.”