Leiutenant Gov. Jeanette Nuñez plans a departure to Florida International University, and President Donald Trump plans an expansion of migrant detention. 

FIU trustees vote put forward Lt. Gov. Nunez as university's next president

Florida International University is tapping Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez as its interim school president, with the goal of getting her approved for the position long term.

It’s a return home for her. She earned bachelor’s and master's degrees from the school in South Florida.

Now that her appointment by FIU's Board of Trustees has been announced, the next step would be for her to resign her position of lieutenant governor. Eventually, her permanent appointment would need final approval. Although the entire process could take weeks, she will get to work right away.

The decision also will open up her position in Tallahassee under Gov. Ron DeSantis. He will have an opportunity to appoint her replacement, and it’s not currently known who is on his list of possible contenders. The state's Constitution doesn't give the governor a timeline to replace her.

“I am particularly excited at the opportunity to have our first alumni serve as interim president. It’s a true testament to our maturity and relevance as a university,” FIU Board of Trustees Chair Rogelio Tovar said.

Everyone on the board of trustees voted yes on Nuñez, except one.

Now that she’s the interim president, she is expected to be considered as permanent president of the school. Her hiring still would have to be approved by the Florida Board of Governors.

Trump administration pushes to expand migrant detention as congressional Republicans mull funding

As President Donald Trump pushes forward with aggressive immigration enforcement measures, his administration is exploring ways to increase detention space. It has already had to release hundreds of undocumented immigrants from custody since he took office.

Nearly a dozen suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua left Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, and were sent to the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They were the first group undocumented immigrants flown there since Trump first announced his administration was going to use an immigration detention facility there that has been historically used to house migrants interdicted at sea.

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers ramp up arrests of undocumented immigrants in Texas and the rest of the U.S., the Trump administration has been scrambling to create new detention space. Even so, the administration conceded on Wednesday that 461 undocumented immigrants have been released in the U.S. since the president took office. Trump, as a candidate, frequently attacked the Biden administration for so-called “catch and release.” 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said none of those released had final detention orders and she provided some reasons for why they were released, which included serious medical conditions. 

“Some of the factors include a lack of significant likelihood of removal in the foreseeable future, lack of detention availability, which is something this president and this administration has been incredibly vocal about,” Leavitt said. “We need Congress's help to increase funding for Border Patrol and for ICE to increase detention capability.”

Meeting with Trump in Washington on Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott offered the federal government the use of 4,000 Texas jail cells to house detainees.

When asked about the offer, border czar Tom Homan said: “We'll be looking at that. All cards are on the table. We're looking for as many beds as we can get. We just got to hope Congress gives us the funding to buy as many beds as we can."

With Speaker Johnson by his side, Netanyahu says American-Israeli alliance is stronger than ever

One day after meeting with GOP congressional leaders at the U.S. Capitol, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday the American-Israeli alliance has never been stronger. 

During a brief news conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Netanyahu said the alliance wasn’t only between governments but the American and Israeli people.

“I’m now completing a week which began with an extraordinary meeting with President Trump,” Netanyahu said, citing the president’s decision to renew the supply of American weapons to Israel.

Earlier this week, Trump said he wanted to send $1 billion in weapons to Israel, including $700 million in 1,000-pound bombs and armored Caterpillar bulldozers worth at least $300 million. He also suggested removing all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and allowing the U.S. to take control so the territory could be turned into the "Riviera of the Middle East."

Netanyahu also praised Trump for signing an executive order Thursday that imposes sanctions on the International Criminal Court for investigating Israel. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, alleging they have committed war crimes in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel retaliated.

On Friday, Netanyahu said he and Trump discussed “substantive things,” such as ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon and making sure Hamas is destroyed.

“We’re not going to have a future for Gaza or a future for peace in our part of the world if Hamas remains there,” Netanyahu said. 

Johnson praised Netanyahu for his “unrelenting commitment to making the region and the world a safer place amid really extraordinary challenges. What Israel has done in the past seven months really is a testament to what can be accomplished when we do not let the enemy set the rules."

Johnson said he has developed a strong bond with Netanyahu since becoming speaker last year and speaks with him often. 

Netanyahu invited Johnson to Jerusalem this year, saying he will be “welcome on the red carpet.”