4,000 Criminals Escape Haiti’s Prisons Amid U.S. Border Crime Concerns

Luis Cornelio
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4,000 Criminals Escape Haiti’s Prisons Amid U.S. Border Crime Concerns

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) An estimated total of 4,000 incarcerated individuals escaped from two of Haiti’s largest prisons following armed clashes between the national police and armed gangs, according to multiple local media outlets on Sunday.

Haiti’s national police union reported on Sunday evening that armed gangs fired “many shots” intending to dismantle the police force. Subsequent footage from the Haitian Times depicted bodies with gunshot wounds at the prison entrance.

Among those detained in the notorious prison were 17 Colombian nationals accused of assassinating former President Jovenel Moise in 2021. The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged special protection for these individuals who have been in custody since 2021. 

This security breach followed armed gangs taking control of certain areas in the capital, Port-au-Prince, leading the Department of State to reiterate the evacuation of U.S. citizens from the country.

This news comes amid widespread concerns that countries granted Temporary Protected Status may exploit federal protection to commit crimes in the U.S.. Haiti has a high number of individuals attempting illegal entry into the U.S., with some granted TPS for staying in the U.S. with work visas.

Federal immigration data reveals a significant increase in border encounters with Haitian nationals. In Fiscal Year 2024, Border Patrol encountered 85,740 Haitian nationals, nearly double the 48,727 encountered in FY2021. In FY 2023, border officials encountered 163,781, according to federal data reviewed by Headline USA.

Venezuela is among the countries whose citizens are granted TPS. However, disturbing reports of Venezuelan nationals carrying out high-profile crimes in the U.S. have changed the political discourse for TPS and Venezuela.

For example, 26-year-old Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan national residing illegally in the U.S., faces murder charges for the brutal killing of nursing student Laken Riley. Ibarra, paroled by the Biden administration in September 2022, was later arrested by the NYPD in September 2023, but ICE did not issue a retainer for his release. 

The gruesome details of the murder prompted Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, to suggest amending its sanctuary policy to allow local police to report violent criminals to federal immigration authorities. 

Critics point to Ibarra as an example of why TPS may be halted for individuals like him. Some Haitian nationals were granted TPS due to dire safety conditions in the Caribbean country.

Similarly, Venezuela is currently under the violent, socialist regime of Nicolás Maduro, accused of releasing violent criminals to encourage them to come to the U.S.

Conservatives Mock Haley’s DC Victory as ‘Most Swamp Thing’ Ever

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Conservatives Mock Haley’s DC Victory as ‘Most Swamp Thing’ Ever

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley emerged victorious in the District of Columbia’s Republican primary contest on Sunday. Despite the victory, some vocal critics took to Twitter to mock her seemingly insignificant achievement.

Mocking reactions surfaced after Haley secured 1,274 votes, representing 62.8 percent, compared to Trump’s 676 votes, accounting for 33.3 percent. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who exited the race last year, managed to secure 38 votes.

Trump reacted to Haley’s victory by saying he purposely stayed away from D.C., which he referred to as “‘Swamp.'”

Critics were unrelenting in their responses to Haley’s D.C. victory. Joel Berry, the managing editor of the Babylon Bee, bluntly stated, “It’s official: the worst people on planet earth want Nikki Haley.”

Podcast host Benny Johnson echoed Berry’s sentiments, saying, “The only GOP Primary Nikki Haley will win is Washington D.C. if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know, then I don’t know what does.”

The editor of the National Pulse, Raheem Kassam, highlighted the low number of Republican voters in Washington D.C.: “To give you an idea of how many Republicans are in DC, a city of 670k proper, Nikki Haley got 1200 votes lol.”

Former Michigan congressional candidate Travis Wines, popularly known as “Travis_in_Flint,” added: “Nikki Haley winning only DC is the most swamp thing anyone could ever do. She should never become President of anything.”

Despite the mocking responses, the Haley campaign celebrated the victory. Campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas highlighted that Haley became the first woman candidate to win a state. 

However, compared to Trump’s conservative triumphs in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, the U.S. Virgin Islands and South Carolina, Haley’s victory appears less significant. On Saturday alone, Trump secured wins in Missouri, Michigan and Idaho. 

Trump is also poised to secure major victories ahead of Super Tuesday, where several states — including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia — will choose their nominee.

Other critics were equally forceful in their responses to Haley’s victory:

 

Raskin Whines Supreme Court May Uphold Trump’s Immunity Defense

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Raskin Whines Supreme Court May Uphold Trump’s Immunity Defense

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., whined on Sunday that the Supreme Court agreed to hear former President Donald Trump’s executive immunity defense in response to the federal indictment related to the 2020 election 

In an interview on MSNBC’s Inside with Jean Psaki, Raskin argued that the Supreme Court should have dismissed Trump’s appeals and let the D.C. Circuit Court’s ruling stand, rejecting the former president’s claim that his attempts to challenge the election results fell within his presidential duties. 

“We don’t have a king here, we had a revolution against a king and the Constitution is written so that presidents’ main job is to take care [that] the laws are faithfully executed, not faithfully violated in his own interest,” Raskin claimed about Trump. 

Raskin conveniently told Psaki that the lower court’s decision was “completely exhaustive” and “totally compelling.”  

The Democratic lawmaker said that the lower court concluded that “the claim that the president can escape criminal prosecution for criminal acts that he conducts in office is utterly antithetical to everything that we know about our constitution.” 

Raskin’s remarks followed the Supreme Court’s decision to review Trump’s defense in the criminal case led by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to investigate the former president’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and his efforts to question the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Trump faces four counts related to these efforts, including one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.

Trump appealed the charges, asserting that he is shielded from criminal prosecution due to his role as president. 

Judge Tanya Chutkan, currently presiding over the case, rejected in December Trump’s arguments. The D.C. Circuit Court similarly dismissed these claims, leading to the case’s elevation to the Supreme Court. 

The high court, on Feb. 28, agreed to hear Trump’s defense, with the first hearing potentially taking place during or before April 22.

Rep. Donalds Tells Haley to Pack Her Bags: ‘It’s Basically Over’

Luis Cornelio
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Rep. Donalds Tells Haley to Pack Her Bags: ‘It’s Basically Over’

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., has suggested that Democrats are infiltrating GOP primaries to lend support to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in her 2024 presidential race against former President Donald Trump.

Instead, Donalds said Sunday that Trump is the clear favorite and that Haley’s pathway to victory has expired. “It’s basically over,” he said during a Fox News Sunday interview with host Shannon Bream.

Despite Trump’s primary victories, Bream questioned the Florida lawmaker about Trump losing “30 or 40 percent” of primary voters. To which Donalds offered a clever response.

“In these early states, they allow Independents and Democrat voters to vote on the Republican side when it comes to picking a nominee,” Donalds explained, emphasizing Trump has secured victory despite the participation of non-Republican voters. 

In the same interview, Donalds hinted at a blockbuster Super Tuesday for Trump. “Now we move to Super Tuesday and let me just tell you, it’s basically over already,” he said. “It’s going to over on Tuesday night when the Super Tuesday ballots come in because there is no path to victory for Nikki Haley.” 

Despite losing every primary contest, Haley has pledged to remain in the race at least until Super Tuesday. Haley positions herself as a viable alternative to Trump, calculating that his legal woes could cost him in the general election. 

Donalds commended Haley for seeking the nomination but he pointed out that most Republican voters undoubtedly prefer Trump as their choice. 

“The Democrats are the ones who basically kicked Robert F. Kennedy out of their primary,” he said. “They basically stopped Dean Phillips from even being able to even try to mount a campaign against Joe Biden.” 

Donalds added: “Nikki Haley had an opportunity to run like anybody else. They all lost. Donald Trump’s the nominee we are moving forward to November.” 

Donalds’s remarks come as speculation mounts that Trump could consider him as a potential running partner ahead of the November general election.

Biden Shill Caught Claiming 2021 ‘Amnesty’ Bill Was Border Security

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Biden Shill Caught Claiming 2021 ‘Amnesty’ Bill Was Border Security

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., made a dubious claim on Sunday, asserting that President Joe Biden took immediate action on border security in his first week in office after introducing a border bill. 

Notably, the mentioned bill was an amnesty bill that has long been pointed to as the root cause of the ongoing border chaos. 

Murphy appeared on ABC News’s This Week in a Sunday interview with co-anchor Jonathan Karl, who challenged Murphy’s demonstrably false statement. 

“Why did it take so long for the president to address this crisis at the border in terms of the flow of migrants?” Karl asked Murphy. 

In response, Murphy argued, “Well, I don’t know that that’s fair. In the first week that the president was in office, he sent to Congress a comprehensive immigration and border reform.” 

However, Karl correctly interjected, pointing out that the cited bill merely provided a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens already residing in the U.S. 

“But wait a minute, that bill was to provide a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented citizens, residents here in the country,” the ABC host said. “It was not a border security bill.” 

A seemingly defiant Murphy retorted, “No, it was also an asylum reform bill, right? And reforming the asylum.” However, Karl stated that the so-called bill did not reform the asylum process, pushing back against Murphy’s claim. 

The senator from Connecticut has made these claims while promoting a contentious border bill aimed at addressing the rising number of illegal border crossings. However, the infamous bill was shut down by House Republicans who argued that Biden has the authority to resolve the crisis if he chooses to do so. 

Republicans argue that the current border crisis was caused by Biden’s pro-immigration rhetoric and policies implemented since his inauguration. The 2021 bill is just one example of these policies.

In 2021, Biden sent to Congress an immigration bill named “The U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021″ to provide “hardworking people who enrich our communities every day and who have lived here for years, in some cases for decades, an opportunity to earn citizenship.”

SCOTUS May Shut Down Anti-Trump Ballot Efforts Before Super Tuesday

Luis Cornelio
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SCOTUS May Shut Down Anti-Trump Ballot Efforts Before Super Tuesday

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Supreme Court hinted on Sunday at an imminent ruling on whether former President Donald Trump is disqualified from appearing on primary ballots in Colorado.

This potential decision could put an end to nationwide efforts to block conservatives from voting for the clear GOP front-runner. 

As reported by the New York Times, the court announced that Monday’s rulings would be released on the website and clarified that the justices, currently not scheduled to return until March 15, “will not take the bench.” 

This arrangement is unusual but coincided with the Colorado primary ahead of Super Tuesday. Justices have typically ruled from the bench, except during the COVID-19 pandemic, commentators wrote on social media. 

The battle over Trump’s eligibility originated from a Colorado Supreme Court decision in December, which blocked the former president from appearing on the state’s primary ballot.  

The argument against Trump was based on the assertion that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution bars elected officials who participated in insurrection from holding public office again. 

The state’s judges ruled that the protest on Jan. 6, 2021, constituted an insurrection, with Trump participating in it.  

Despite these assertions, Trump has not been charged with such an offense even as he faces several criminal counts led by left-wing prosecutors or appointed by Democrats, such as Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Trump has scolded the Colorado judges, accusing them of “taking the vote” away from his backers.

“Almost everybody agrees, even most of the most crazed, radical left lunatics that the Colorado decision is political delusion,” he said in a video posted on Jan. 10 on Truth Social. “You cannot take the vote away from the people. I’m leading in the election by a lot against Joe Biden.”

On January 3, Trump formally appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, and the justices agreed to expedite the hearings.

Observers predict that the court will overturn Colorado’s decision. However, commentators still debate whether the justices will determine what constitutes disqualification or who has the authority to decide which officials are disqualified from holding office and under what circumstances.

Some House Democrats implied last month that if the justices merely place Trump back on the ballot but refuse to determine his eligibility, they may not vote to certify the 2024 election in the event of a Trump victory. 

Sunday’s announcement came after Trump clinched victories in the Missouri, Michigan, and Idaho primaries. Before that, Trump had safely emerged victorious in every single Republican primary, including Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, the U.S. Virgin Islands and South Carolina. 

Super Tuesday is one of the key moments in U.S. presidential elections, with several states holding their primaries. These states include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.

Mayorkas Calls Ga. Murder ‘Tragedy,’ Silent on Deportation of Illegal

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Mayorkas Calls Ga. Murder ‘Tragedy,’ Silent on Deportation of Illegal

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has described the brutal murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley as “an absolute tragedy” but refrained from acknowledging that the alleged perpetrator, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, should have been deported from the U.S. for previous offenses. 

Mayorkas made these comments during a Sunday interview on CBS News’s Face the Nation, where host Margaret Brennan pressed the DHS chief on whether 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra could have been handed over to ICE for prior alleged crimes before allegedly committing Riley’s murder.

“First and foremost an absolute tragedy and our hearts break for and our prayers are with the family,” Mayorkas said while reading off his notes. “As a prosecutor having prosecuted violent crime and other crimes for 12 years: one individual is responsible for the murder and that is the murderer.” 

Mayorkas asserted that DHS works “very closely with” state and local officials to detain individuals threatening public safety. Intriguingly, Ibarra had been arrested in New York City for driving a scooter without a license and later for a shoplifting case in Georgia. 

Despite these arrests, Ibarra was not handed over to immigration, prompting Brennan to question whether the so-called cooperation with local law enforcement may have fallen short. 

“But are you saying there that the federal government had been informed about this individual and the alleged crimes he had committed in those states because he could have been deported if that was the case? Was there a breakdown in the system?” Brennan questioned. 

Mayorkas responded that cooperation with cities varies, with Brennan pointing out that New York City did not pass the individual to immigration after his scooter violation arrest. 

Mayorkas retorted: “We firmly believe that if a city is aware of an individual who poses a threat to public safety then we would request that they provide us with that information so that we can ensure that that individual is detained if the facts so warrant it.”

The CBS News host pressed Mayorkas on whether New York City, an infamous sanctuary for illegal aliens, did not coordinate with federal immigration authorities, to which Mayorkas replied: “Well, different cities have different levels of cooperation. We were not notified in this instance.” 

Riley, a beloved 22-year-old nursing student at the University of Georgia, met her tragic end while jogging near campus when she encountered Ibarra. The two did not know each other, as law enforcement officials stated that the attack was random.

Ibarra had entered the country illegally in September 2022, with the Biden administration admitting him on parole. He proceeded to New York City, where he was arrested in September 2023 for driving a moped with a minor on board. Eventually, he made his way to Georgia, where he allegedly committed the brutal murder of Riley.

U.S. Adding $1 Trillion in Debt Every 3 Months Since Last June

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U.S. Adding $1 Trillion in Debt Every 3 Months Since Last June

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) The U.S. began adding $1 trillion worth of debt about every three months beginning last June, a Bank of America investment strategist Michael Hartnett first pointed out in an investment note published last week.

The national debt is currently $34.48 trillion and rising. It surpassed $34 trillion for the first time in U.S. history on Jan. 4.

Three months prior, the debt first reached $33 trillion on Sept. 15, 2023. Three months prior to that, it first reached $32 trillion on June 15, 2023.

“The national debt is the amount of money the federal government has borrowed to cover the outstanding balance of expenses incurred over time,” the Treasury Department explained.

“Simply put, the national debt is similar to a person using a credit card for purchases and not paying off the full balance each month,” it said. “The cost of purchases exceeding the amount paid off represents a deficit, while accumulated deficits over time represents a person’s overall debt.”

The national deficit is $531.86 billion fiscal year to date.

“Compared to the national deficit of $460 billion for the same period last year (Oct 2022 – Jan 2023), our national deficit has increased by $72 billion,” the federal agency tasked with U.S. fiduciary responsibility stated.

Hartnett predicts a 100-day pattern will continue, with the national debt reaching $35 trillion this month, as CNBC first reported.

Last November, Moody’s Investors Service lowered the U.S. federal government’s credit ratings from “stable” to “negative” citing the national debt and growing budget deficit. When announcing the downgrade, it said, “In the context of higher interest rates, without effective fiscal policy measures to reduce government spending or increase revenues, Moody’s expects that the US’ fiscal deficits will remain very large, significantly weakening debt affordability.”

Fitch also cut the U.S. government’s credit rating last year from AAA to AA+, citing “fiscal deterioration over the next three years.”

At the time, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo pushed back, saying, “The American economy remains strong, and Treasury securities are the world’s preeminent safe and liquid asset.”

But by the beginning of 2024, economists and CEOs had already begun warning that a recession is on the way due to high interest rates “killing companies,” massive layoffs, and a jobs report that indicates more people are working part-time jobs, including multiple part-time jobs, to make ends meet.

The economic warnings come as food stamp costs for family meals increased 31% over the past three years, and car insurance rates increased 26% nationally, with some states reporting 44% increases in one year, The Center Square has reported. To combat hard economic times, one CEO recommended Americans eat cereal for dinner, The Center Square also reported.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to testify this week before the House Financial Services and Senate Banking committees to address ongoing financial concerns and the Fed’s outlook and proposed solutions. The Fed is also expected to cut interest rates this month, some analysts have predicted.

More Inflationary Woes: In One Year, Car Insurance Rates Surge 26%

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More Inflationary Woes: In One Year, Car Insurance Rates Surge 26%

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) Car insurance rates surged 26% nationwide in the past year and are expected to remain elevated until 2025.

That’s according to the “True Cost of Auto Insurance” report from Bankrate, an independent comparison service company.

The report used the most recent median income data from the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate 2024 percentage of income spent on auto insurance. Previously, it used average income data. Bankrate switched to using median income data in 2024 because it said it was more representative “of what people earn in a given geographic area.”

Bankrate’s insurance editorial team also analyzed the average total percentage of household income spent on car insurance to determine the its true cost and assigned a true cost ranking to each state and 25 metro areas in the country. The higher the ranking, the higher the true cost of car insurance, it notes.

The average annual premium cost for full coverage car insurance in 2024 nationwide is $2,543, the report found, up from $2,014 in 2023 and $1,771 in 2022. For an individual with a median household income of $74,580, car insurance accounts for 3.41% of the individual’s income.

The state with the greatest percentage increase in the average annual cost of full coverage car insurance is Missouri, with a 44% spike. Rates went from $1,943 in 2023 to $2,801 in 2024, the largest increase of all 50 states.

Floridians pay the highest average rate of full coverage car insurance at $3,945 per year, an increase of $762 from the previous year.

Louisiana drivers pay the greatest average percentage of their income on car insurance, at 6.53%, the report found. Florida ranked second highest at 5.69%. Arkansas ranked third at 3.95%.

By comparison, Massachusetts drivers pay the least percentage of their income on car insurance – 1.76%.

When evaluating car insurance rates in 25 major metro areas, the report found that “drivers in Detroit pay the highest net average cost of car insurance and highest true cost of car insurance, with a staggering 7.98 percent of income spent on auto coverage.”

The average annual premium true cost for Detroit drivers is $5,687 in 2024.

Three Florida cities ranked behind Detroit in the top five: Miami ranked second highest ($4,213), Tampa ranked third highest ($4,078), and Orlando ranked fifth highest ($3,631).

St. Louis ranked fourth-worst ($3,352), rounding out the top five most expensive metro areas.

In the two most populous states, in the 25 metros analyzed, Californians living in Los Angeles, Riverside-San Bernardino, San Diego and San Francisco pay the highest average annual premiums. Texans living in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas pay the most.

“Auto insurance rates have been rising at a breakneck pace,” Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate, said. “And though the pace of increases will eventually slow, that doesn’t mean premiums are coming down. The insurance market is very competitive – lots of commercials – so shop around and compare coverage to see if you can get a better deal elsewhere. If you have a healthy savings cushion, see if increasing your deductible can reduce your premiums.”

The report notes that multiple factors influence a rate beyond a policy holder’s control, including increased car accidents and driving habits overall in their zip code, medical bills related to car accidents, increased costs for parts and labor, state-mandated car insurance requirements, population density, among other factors.

“Inflation and extreme weather, which are both significant influencers for rates in 2024, are also beyond your control,” the report notes.

Driving history, vehicle type, and credit history are all variables drivers can use to help positively influence their premium, the report notes.

Trump Endorses Mark Robinson for North Carolina Governor

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Trump Endorses Mark Robinson for North Carolina Governor

(Headline USA) President Donald Trump has endorsed North Carolina Lt. Gov Mark Robinson for governor, fulfilling a pledge the former president made several months ago.

Trump listed Robinson among several candidates that people should vote for in Tuesday’s North Carolina Republican primaries, saying “they have my complete and total endorsement.”

Trump is also on the primary ballot as he seeks to all but eliminate his last remaining rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, from mathematical contention for the GOP nomination.

Despite the lack of a formal endorsement, the ex-president’s support combined with strong fundraising and popularity among the GOP’s base have helped make Robinson the GOP’s front-runner for the gubernatorial nomination.

Trump called Robinson, who also spoke at Saturday’s rally, an “incredible gentleman” and “great, natural speaker.”

Trump recalled how Robinson rose to fame following a 2018 speech to the Greensboro City Council in support of gun rights and police that went viral.

That led Robinson to a National Rifle Association board position and being elected the state’s first Black lieutenant governor in 2020 in his first bid for public office.

Robinson, a Greensboro native, said in a news release that he was “humbled” to have Trump’s endorsement and looked forward to working with Trump to “lead our united Republican ticket to victory in November, and get our state and country back on track.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

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