U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has apprehended an immigrant living in the country illegally, accused of abducting a 4-year-old girl from a laundromat in New York, as reported by a local news outlet.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to the New York Post that Carlos Corte-Corte, a 38-year-old Ecuadorian national, was detained by ICE on March 31. He was placed in removal proceedings following the incident that occurred on March 28 at the Laundry Kingdom in Patchogue.

“This individual, who has already been deported three times, allegedly kidnapped an innocent child from a Long Island laundromat,” stated Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. She criticized local officials, claiming, “New York’s sanctuary policies let this kidnapper roam free, endangering more children by releasing him from jail instead of collaborating with ICE.”

Bis further emphasized, “The political stance of sanctuary cities often places public safety at risk. This approach can lead to increased crime and more victims.”

The incident at the Laundry Kingdom in Patchogue, New York, has sparked significant concern, as the laundromat was the scene of this alarming alleged kidnapping. (Image: Google Maps)

The Suffolk County Police Department said that, “While a woman was with her two children at a laundromat, located at 138 East Main St., Carlos-Corte, who was unknown to the woman, led her 4-year-old daughter out the back exit of the laundromat, at 12:08 p.m.” on March 28. 

“Her mother reported her missing, and patrol officers responded to the scene, where they reviewed surveillance video and began canvassing the area. During the search, the mother located her daughter in the children’s play area of the Patchogue-Medford Library, located at 54-60 East Main St. A patrol officer then located Corte near the laundromat and took him into custody,” police added. 

Corte-Corte was charged with second-degree kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk down a street during a multi-agency targeted enforcement operation in Chicago, Illinois, in January 2025. The agency rearrested Corte-Corte on March 31, according to the New York Post. (Christopher Dilts / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The day after his arrest, a Suffolk County district judge freed Corte-Corte on supervised release with a GPS monitor, the New York Post reported. 

The newspaper said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney disagreed with the judge’s decision and added that, “I think if you look at the facts of the case, clearly they’re concerning.” 

“He thought the girl lived alone without parents,” the New York Post quoted Corte-Corte’s public defender as saying in court. “He took her to the library and told an employee there as such, but there was a language barrier. It seems to be a mistake.”   

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer’s badge and gear. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for further comment. 

The recent decision by the Supreme Court to strike down bans on conversion therapy has sparked a heated debate over free speech rights, highlighting perceived inconsistencies in how similar bans are treated. Critics are questioning why bans on abortion and drag shows are held to different standards.

In its examination of the 2019 Colorado ban on conversion therapy through the case of Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court determined that a lower court had made an error in upholding the ban. The justices concluded that the ban improperly regulated speech based on viewpoint, a critical component of their decision.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, emphasized that, “A law regulating the content of speech cannot avoid rigorous First Amendment scrutiny simply because it predominantly regulates non-expressive conduct. The crucial factor is whether, in the specific instance, the law regulates speech.” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole dissenting voice in this ruling.

It’s important to note that the Supreme Court did not directly address the constitutionality of Colorado’s ban. Instead, the case was remanded to the lower courts with instructions to apply a more stringent standard when reviewing the law. At the heart of this decision is whether conversion therapy can be regulated by the government in the same way healthcare practices are.

Legal experts have commented on the narrow scope of the ruling, which may explain why it received such widespread support among the justices. University of Houston law professor Seth Chandler argued that from a First Amendment perspective, the ruling was appropriate. The decision underscores ongoing tensions between regulating harmful practices and protecting free speech.

“Colorado took sides, where it said it’s fine with us if you want to engage in gender-affirming speech, but we are going to prohibit you from engaging in ‘rethinking your sexuality’ speech,” Chandler said.  

“That enabled eight of the justices to find that that violated the First Amendment, because it was viewpoint discrimination, which is generally ranked as the highest form of discrimination.” 

Other observers saw parallels between this decision and other state-level regulations that have entered cultural discourse in recent years.

Several states have laws that require abortion care providers to convey certain information to patients, including information about fetal pain and unsupported claims that abortions could increase the risk of breast cancer. 

“What I think is so funny —  not funny but like ironic — is that for decades there have already been dozens of state laws that tell doctors what they can or cannot say about abortion,” Zoe Taylor, a family physician in Washington state and a former fellow at the Physicians for Reproductive Health advocacy group, told The Hill. 

“Doctors who provide abortions have been forced to tell patients things that are untrue, forced to give them pamphlets that say untrue things,” added Taylor. “Doctors who work for the VA or the military hospitals are not even allowed to counsel on abortion. So, how is that not a violation of free speech?” 

The court’s ruling was effectively a step toward distinguishing conversion therapy as being separate from medical care, despite proponents billing it as such. Organizations such as the Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity, which submitted an amicus brief in support of the plaintiff in Chiles v. Salazar, refer to themselves as “mental-health associations.”

The plaintiff in the case, Kaley Chiles, is a licensed counselor in the state of Colorado. 

Critics of the Supreme Court’s ruling say people who offer conversion therapy can’t have it both ways, being both an unregulated form of free speech and a type of health service. 

“Counseling is part of medical treatment, which has a long history of being regulated in this country. And that’s important so that people can trust that when they seek out care from a licensed professional, somebody that the state has validated as being bound by professional ethics, a standard of care, people should be able to trust that that means the care that they’re getting is evidence-based and safe at the very least,” said Casey Pick, senior director of law and policy at the Trevor Project. 

Pick sees contradictions between the conservative view on Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy and laws passed in red states banning children from drag shows or restricting drag performances. Both bans have been passed on the basis of protecting minors and have both been challenged as violations of free speech, she noted. 

“The drag bans that we’ve seen, when they’ve been evaluated in court under First Amendment scrutiny, have generally been pretty summarily knocked down,” Pick said. 

“Unlike in the context of professional counseling, there is no long and established history of regulation of dance performance in this country,” she added. “But you couldn’t make an argument that there is a compelling government interest in restricting that sort of speech the same way that there’s a compelling interest in protecting young people from abuse by licensed therapists who have a unique trust given to them because of their license.” 

According to Chandler, it would be in the best interest of people who offer conversion therapy to distance themselves from health care.

“If I were advising a conversion therapist, I would tell them to stay as far away from medicalized terms as possible,” he said. “Because the closer they get to being like a doctor who plays a variety of modalities to treat people, the more the court might distinguish the pure speech case.”

In a tense standoff outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, one terrorist was killed and two others suffered serious injuries during an intense 10-minute exchange of gunfire with police, officials reported.

The unsettling incident unfolded close to a permanent security checkpoint near the consulate building in the Turkish capital, as described by authorities and eyewitnesses.

Video footage captured one of the assailants, dressed in a dark top and carrying a backpack, as he fired shots using both an automatic rifle and a handgun while moving among police and security vehicles.

According to Turkey’s Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci, the three individuals involved were connected to a group that “exploits religion,” and he confirmed their status as “terrorists.”

During the prolonged gunfight, two police officers sustained injuries, authorities stated.

No Israeli diplomats have been stationed at the consulate since the Hamas-Israel ware broke out in 2023.

With Post wires

Sri Lanka has unveiled an unprecedented relief package valued at £242 million designed to aid farmers, fishermen, and low-income families grappling with escalating energy expenses exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Announced on Tuesday, this initiative represents the largest financial assistance program ever launched by the state.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake highlighted that the relief effort aims to support the most vulnerable segments of the island’s population, which numbers around 22 million. He explained that direct cash transfers would be made to the bank accounts of thousands of fishermen, as well as rice and tea farmers, to alleviate their financial burdens.

In addition, those living below the poverty line—approximately a quarter of the nation’s citizens—can expect to receive an extra £19 this month, a gesture timed to coincide with the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations. Furthermore, these households will benefit from subsidized electricity bills, providing a much-needed reprieve from rising costs.

President Dissanayake stated, “The total relief package is valued at 100 billion rupees over three months,” and assured that this ambitious endeavor will be supported through the current budget. This strategic allocation underscores the government’s commitment to cushioning its citizens against the challenging economic climate.

‘The total relief package is valued at 100 billion rupees over three months,’ Dissanayake said, adding ‘We are funding this through the existing budget.’

He said the government was keen to avoid a repeat of the 2022 meltdown, when the country saw record inflation of 70 percent after the government printed money to fund subsidies.

Sri Lanka is still on an IMF bailout programme that began in early 2023 when it secured a £2.2billion loan spread over four years.

Dissanayake said he was hopeful of drawing down the next tranche of about £529million from the IMF by the end of next month, following the conclusion of a staff-level agreement with the Washington-based lender this week.

Under the latest scheme, fishermen using smaller boats will get up to about £227 a month fuel subsidy, while operators of bigger boats will get about £365 a month for three months.

For farmers, the government will absorb about 30 percent of the cost of urea fertiliser, he said, adding that the state will also bear part of electricity generation costs, up to 15 billion rupees.

He said the government was keen to ensure continuity of supplies and was in talks with Russia to resume imports of gas, coal, fuel and fertiliser previously hit by US sanctions.

‘We have a window until April 11 to secure supplies from Russia after President Trump temporarily lifted sanctions,’ Dissanayake said.

Sri Lanka has increased fuel prices by a third while raising electricity tariffs by up to 40% since the start of the US-Israeli attacks against Iran on February 28.

A four-day working week introduced last month will be discontinued this week, as officials said the Wednesday day off had not led to expected energy savings.

The South Asian nation imports all its coal, gas and petroleum requirements and is heavily dependent on oil from the Middle East.

LOS ANGELES — Dreams are coming true once again! April marks World Wish Month, coinciding with Disney’s Week of Wishes. For over 45 years, Disney has teamed up with Make-A-Wish to fulfill the dreams of more than 170,000 children battling critical illnesses. To celebrate this spirit of giving, “American Idol” judge Luke Bryan reconnected with a former Make-A-Wish recipient.

Ashley Persson received a delightful surprise when she reunited with the country music superstar, whom she first met over a decade ago during his tour in Santa Clara. Reflecting on Bryan’s generosity, Persson shared with ABC7, “Luke Bryan’s actions reflect his values and his commitment to helping others. It’s remarkable how he uses his influence to make a positive impact on people’s lives.”

Bryan expressed his appreciation for the Make-A-Wish program, saying, “These kids are facing tough days, and if we can change their story even for a day, whether on the road or backstage, it’s something I truly treasure.”

When Persson first met Bryan through her Make-A-Wish experience, she had just completed cancer treatment and was preparing to start college. Now, she celebrates 11 years of being cancer-free. Meanwhile, Bryan has made it his mission to grant over 50 wishes to children through the program.

To witness Bryan’s heartwarming reunion with Persson, check out the video above!

“American Idol” airs live Mondays at 10/9c on ABC and streams live on Disney+. The fan-favorite competition series will also be available the next day to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC, Disney+, Hulu and this ABC station.

Last week, the bustling streets of Chicago were overtaken by a sea of young faces, engaging in what Mayor Brandon Johnson has termed “teen trends,” a phenomenon he cautions could escalate into dangerous situations.

Footage obtained by Fox News through ChitownCrimeChasers vividly illustrates the scene from March 30, with throngs of teenagers filling the streets and sidewalks, congregating around parked cars and navigating intersections en masse.

Additional video snippets from that evening depict a lively atmosphere with various individuals dancing and mingling amidst the urban backdrop. However, some recordings also capture moments where participants climbed atop vehicles and engaged in brief skirmishes amidst the crowd.

In the Hyde Park neighborhood, locals reported that this youthful takeover persisted for hours, stretching late into the night, leaving a significant impact on the community.

The events of March 30 have left Chicago residents and officials reflecting on the implications of such gatherings, as they seek to balance youthful exuberance with public safety concerns.

One resident, Jason Hale, said his car was among roughly 30 affected by crowds in Chicago that night.

“Yeah, it’s bad. The hood is messed up, terrible. A thousand worth of damage, dents everywhere, footprints everywhere,” Hale told FOX 32 Chicago.

Video shows groups of teens standing and moving on top of parked vehicles as crowds formed around them.

Chicago police confirmed to the local outlet that three curfew violations were issued in connection with the gathering. A 16-year-old girl was also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and disorderly conduct.

City officials and police have described these gatherings, which are often organized through social media, as part of a broader, growing trend across Chicago.

Recent events have drawn large crowds to neighborhoods including downtown and Hyde Park, with activity ranging from social gatherings to more chaotic crowd movement.

Mayor Brandon Johnson answers questions during a news conference at Chicago City Hall on Feb. 25, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service)

Johnson released a public service announcement telling parents to not let their kids attend the increasingly popular “teen trends across the city.”

“We’re currently tracking five. That’s right. Five teen trends across the city this weekend,” the mayor said in an April 3 message. “I’m calling on all parents. Check in with your children. See where they plan to be this weekend. Please, do not allow your child to attend any of these trends this weekend.”

“They’re unsafe, and they can turn deadly. Our police officers will be out enforcing the city’s 10 p.m. curfew,” he said.

Groups of young people took over the streets in Hyde Park, Chicago. (X/Chitown_Crime_Chasers)

Some residents say the repeated gatherings are raising concerns about safety and quality of life.

Hale said the incident has prompted him to reconsider staying in the city.

“Your kids should not be out here… I had parents who guided me,” he said. “And these parents, they just let them run rampant.”

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Joseph Duggar found solace in a letter from his brother-in-law while facing molestation charges. The message arrived during his detention following an arrest last month.

Austin Forsyth, who is married to Joseph’s sister Joy-Anna, advised the 31-year-old to turn to his faith during this challenging period. Forsyth, 32, emphasized the importance of spiritual strength in his note.

“I want you to know that I love you!” Forsyth expressed in the letter dated March 25. It was sent to the Washington County Detention Facility in Arkansas and later shared by People.

Forsyth reassured Joseph, stating, “Jesus loves you, and continues to draw you closer to Him. God works despite the sin of man for his good.”

While Forsyth acknowledged the gravity of the accusations, stemming from an alleged 2020 incident involving a nine-year-old girl, he chose not to delve into those matters in their correspondence.

Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for the family for further comment on the story. 

Joseph Duggar’s brother-in-law Austin Forsyth, 32, encouraged him to keep the faith in a jailhouse letter he received after he was arrested last month on molestation allegations 

Joseph has pleaded not guilty to a pair of counts of lewd and lascivious behavior and is slated to appear in court May 18; in the letter, which came before Joseph’s release on a $600,000 bond, Forsyth advised Joseph to ‘only be talking to your attorney.’

In the letter, Forsyth said he was ‘praising God’ that he and his wife Joy-Anna ‘started getting closer to’ Joseph and his wife Kendra ‘within the last year and a half.’

Kendra, 27, was arrested March 20 in connection with endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment, later being released on bond.

Forsyth said God ‘knew that Kendra was going to need help,’ saying he and his wife ‘will, and are helping her!’

Joseph replied with gratitude to Forsyth and his sister for their support of Kendra while he sat behind bars.

‘It means the world to have family like you!’ he said. ‘I’m soo [grateful] for all the people that [have] jumped right in and been there to support [her] … love [y’all] so much!’

Joy-Anna, 28, said in a statement on March 25, ‘My heart is with the victim, and I am grieved by the pain and harm caused. I have been a wreck this week and am taking time to process.

‘I have a few pre-filmed commitments that I have to post, but I will be taking some much-needed time with my family. Thank you for your prayers.’

Joe’s wife Kendra, 27, was arrested March 20 in connection with endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment, both in the second degree

Josh Duggar is currently serving a prison sentence in connection with his 2021 conviction for receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Joseph was arrested in connection with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12-years-old, authorities with Florida’s Bay County Sheriff’s Office said last month.

The incident involving Joe occurred in 2020 in Panama City Beach, Florida during a vacation, according to authorities.

‘As the vacation continued, he also asked [the victim] to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,’ officials said. ‘During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals.

‘Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs. The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.’

Joseph was also charged with lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older, officials said.

Joseph and Kendra wed in 2017 and are parents to four young children – ages seven, six, five and three.

Joseph’s arrest is not the first time one of the members of the reality TV family have been caught up in a legal situation involving underage sex. 

Oldest son Josh’s past molestation of five young girls led to the swift cancellation of the family’s TLC series in 2015. 

The letter was sent to Joseph while he was in custody following his arrest on molestation allegations 

The show, which began airing in 2008, was centered on Michelle and Jim Bob, the devout Arkansas couple who named all 19 of their children with the first letter J.

Jim Bob and wife Michelle posted a statement on Facebook at the time explaining how they dealt with the initial incident.

‘Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives,’ they said in a May 21, 2015 Facebook post. ‘When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes and we were shocked.

‘We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before.’

Jim Bob and Michelle continued, ‘We pray that as people watch our lives they see that we are not a perfect family. We have challenges and struggles everyday. ‘

Josh, 38, is currently serving a prison sentence in connection with his 2021 conviction for receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

For those who have been impacted by sexual abuse, text ‘STRENGTH’ to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.