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Trump blasts Biden admin for releasing illegal immigrant now charged in fatal hammer attack on Florida mother
President Donald Trump on Thursday condemned a violent video allegedly showing a Haitian illegal alien fatally attacking a Florida mother with a hammer last week, blasting the Biden administration for releasing the suspect in 2022.
Rolbert Joachim, 40, is charged with second-degree murder and criminal damage to property after he was caught on camera bludgeoning the mother of two in broad daylight last Friday outside a Fort Myers gas station.
"An Illegal Alien Criminal from Haiti, who was released into our Country by the WORST President in History, Crooked Joe Biden, and the Radical Democrats in Congress, just beat an innocent woman to death with a hammer at a gas station in Florida," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "The video of her brutal slaying is one of the most vicious things you will ever see.
"This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies, and allow us to END THIS SCAM ONCE AND FOR ALL," he added.
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Joachim first entered the U.S. in August 2022, and was released into the country under former President Joe Biden, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
A federal judge later issued a final order of removal against Joachim, but he was granted Temporary Protected Status, which Trump has described as "a massively abused and fraudulent program." He has also blamed what he called "radical liberal district court judges" for blocking efforts by his administration to end it.
While a federal judge issued a final order of removal against him, Joachim was reportedly granted Temporary Protected Status, a program Trump called "massively abused and fraudulent" and difficult to eliminate due to Democratic support.
The suspect then remained in the country after his status expired in 2024.
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Trump further said Democrats are turning the United States into what he called a "dumping ground," flooded with tens of millions of unvetted and "mentally insane" individuals.
"To my fellow Republicans, and frankly all Common Sense Americans, NEVER FORGET that Joe Biden and the Democrat Party turned the United States of America into a dumping ground, allowing Tens of MILLIONS of Criminals, Lunatics, and the Mentally Insane from all over the World to pour into our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked through our wide Open Borders," he said.
"As I’ve said all along, if you import the Third World, you become the Third World, and that is what happened over the four years of Democrat Control."
In the attack, the female victim was reportedly a store clerk at the gas station.
According to the footage, she was repeatedly struck in the head with a hammer after confronting the suspect for smashing her car window.
Trump urged prayers for the victim, who was the mother of two teenage daughters, according to a report from local outlet Gulf Coast News.
"Please say a prayer for this innocent woman’s family. We will ensure quick and severe JUSTICE is served in this case!" Trump said.
Fox News' Alexandra Koch and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Coast Guard seizes over 4,500 pounds of cocaine worth $34M from suspected narco-terrorist vessel on Easter
The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than 4,500 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $34 million what officials described as a suspected "narco-terrorist" vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Easter Sunday, according to DHS.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Coast Guard cutter Escanaba was alerted by a maritime patrol aircraft that the crew of a suspected narco-terrorist vessel was throwing contraband overboard.
The Coast Guard deployed an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew to investigate the vessel, which was operating off the coast of Manta, Ecuador.
DHS said the Escanaba crew deployed a cutter pursuit boat and recovered more than 4,510 pounds of cocaine.
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DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the recovery was part of Operation Pacific Viper, a Coast Guard counter-drug operation launched in August 2025 in the Eastern Pacific.
"Operation Pacific Viper plays a central part of President Trump’s fight against the cartels at sea, cutting off their ability to make money by trafficking their poison into our country," Mullin said in a statement. "This operation has already seized over 215,000 pounds of cocaine and has arrested over 160 suspected narco-traffickers."
He added, "The brave men and women of the Coast Guard are saving American lives by keeping these deadly drugs out of our communities and off our streets."
DHS said the Coast Guard’s efforts to disrupt drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific are a key part of the Trump administration’s initiative to combat narco-terrorism and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.
Through Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard has seized more than 215,000 pounds of cocaine and apprehended more than 160 suspected narco-traffickers, according to DHS.
According to DHS, the operation included the Coast Guard's largest drug seizure in its history, when it recovered more than 76,000 pounds of illegal drugs in August 2025, valued at $473 million. The total reflects multiple interdictions combined into a single offload.
The Coast Guard also seized nearly 50,000 pounds of illicit drugs in November 2025, valued at $362 million — one of the largest totals attributed to a Coast Guard cutter from multiple interdictions, according to DHS.
ICE says more criminal migrants arrested on 1-year anniversary of program to support victims of migrant crime
Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Thursday it had arrested more alleged illegal migrants who have been convicted of various crimes, which coincides with the one-year anniversary of the agency reopening its program to support victims of migrant crime. The arrests and convictions described by ICE have not been independently verified.
ICE's Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office was relaunched on April 10, 2025, aiming to offer resources to victims of crimes committed by illegal migrants and the victims' families.
The program was first launched in 2017 under President Donald Trump's first administration but was replaced in 2021 by the Victims Engagement and Services Line, a different program under the Biden administration before it was relaunched last year after Trump returned to office.
ICE said the anniversary of the program's reopening comes just after multiple arrests were made on Wednesday of suspected illegal migrants convicted of crimes such as injury to a child, assault and robbery. ICE did not specify whether the individuals were newly arrested or transferred from local custody following prior convictions, nor did it provide dates for the underlying convictions.
"The brave men and women of ICE law enforcement continue to target criminal illegal aliens in our communities to prevent another American from being raped, maimed, or murdered by an illegal alien who should have NEVER been in our country. The American victims are [why] we fight," Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Lauren Bis said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Yesterday, ICE arrested multiple violent assailants, including one depraved monster who injured a CHILD. With every arrest, ICE is making American communities safer. We will never stop fighting for justice for the victims of illegal alien crime," Bis continued.
The agency offered a sample of some of the arrests. ICE did not say how many total individuals were arrested nationwide as part of this announcement.
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Juan Lorenzo Hurtado-Flores, from Peru, was convicted of criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation and injury to a child in White Plains, New York, according to ICE.
Vu Nguyen, from Vietnam, was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in Pasadena, California, the agency said.
The agency said Omar Alexander Rodriguez-Grande, from El Salvador, was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Harris County, Texas.
Oscar Fransisco, from Guatemala, was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Palm Beach, Florida, according to the agency.
ICE said Josue Coreas-Chavez, from El Salvador, was convicted of robbery in Riverhead, New York.
"Illegal aliens harming American citizens is unconscionable. But now, thanks to President Trump, we're able to help people victimized by criminal aliens through the VOICE Office," ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said when the relaunch of the program was announced last year. "I'm extremely proud of ICE’s entire workforce — the officers and agents on the ground who are enforcing immigration law fairly, the support staff who pull these operations together and handle logistics, and those who help shine a light on those who have suffered harm at illegal aliens’ hands."
VOICE was replaced in 2021 during the Biden administration with the Victims Engagement and Services Line to "serve as a more comprehensive and inclusive victim support system offered by ICE that will ensure services are offered to all victims regardless of immigration status of the victim or perpetrator."
"Providing assistance to society’s most vulnerable is a core American value. All people, regardless of their immigration status, should be able to access victim services without fear," then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at the time.
Supreme Court blocks candidate after alleged GOP infiltration scheme exposed
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a self-described "progressive" candidate’s bid to enter Ohio’s Republican primary, leaving in place a decision by state election officials to disqualify him for misrepresenting his party affiliation.
Samuel Ronan, a former Democratic state and national candidate, attempted to run as a Republican in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District against GOP incumbent Rep. Mike Carey. To do so, he signed a declaration of candidacy — under penalty of election falsification — swearing he was a member of the Republican Party.
However, court documents filed in U.S. District Court note Ronan was caught publicly admitting that his candidacy was part of a calculated strategy to run Democrats as Republicans in "deep red districts" to "get a foot in the door."
A Republican voter, Mark Schare, filed a protest with the Franklin County Board of Elections, presenting social media posts and interviews as evidence of Ronan's scheme to "trick" GOP voters.
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Ronan claimed in his application he did not lie about his affiliation, citing similar party deviations by politicians, including former President Ronald Reagan, President Donald Trump and "hundreds of others," according to a report from Courthouse News Service.
After the election board tied along party lines, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose stepped in to toss Ronan off the ballot.
LaRose said the case was a matter of "the integrity of the electoral process," slamming Ronan's alleged mission to infiltrate the party, according to court filings.
In response, Ronan filed a federal lawsuit claiming his First Amendment rights were violated because the state used his core political speech against him to remove him from the ballot.
Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison swiftly rejected Ronan's arguments, ruling the First Amendment does not protect a candidate who submits a fraudulent declaration of candidacy.
"It cannot be the case that a State must allow a candidate on a partisan ballot even if he lied about his party affiliation simply because the First Amendment is implicated," Morrison wrote in her opinion.
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She noted that while Ohio allows candidates to legally change their political affiliation, election officials are not required to ignore a candidate's public statements that directly contradict their sworn oath.
The court emphasized the state has a "substantial interest" in barring candidates from fraudulently attesting they belong to a political party when they do not.
Morrison also dismissed Ronan's claims that a Republican elections board member was unconstitutionally biased against him, finding that political association does not prove a risk of bias.
After the legal loss, Ronan asked the Supreme Court Monday to intervene prior to early voting.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee, referred the application to the full court, which denied Ronan’s request without explanation, according to Courthouse News Service.
MAN VS MACHINE: Philadelphians aren't taking kindly to sharing sidewalks with delivery robots
Philadelphia residents have been sharing sidewalks with robot delivery drivers for about a month, and they're not thrilled with the change. Uber Eats held a demo March 10 showing off Avride autonomous delivery robots, which officially launched in the city of brotherly love that same week.
The robots were described as "the future of delivery," but the humans around them quickly began resenting the automated couriers. In late March, an Uber Eats delivery robot in Philadelphia's Center City neighborhood was kicked multiple times.
The second time the autonomous delivery bot was kicked it toppled over, according to WPVI-TV, which noted that the people who attacked the robot put it on its wheels.
The kicking incident occurred just after another viral incident in which someone sat on one of the robots.
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"When delivery robots are introduced in a new area, it’s quite common to see heightened curiosity from people around them. Some may try to ‘test’ how the robot reacts — for example, by stepping in front of it or attempting to interact with it directly," Avride, the company that makes the robots, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
"This is a known and expected phase as people get used to the technology. These few cases of vandalism in Philadelphia did not affect our service area expansion plans.
"The robots are designed to respond conservatively. In most cases, they will simply stop and wait if someone approaches or interferes, resuming their route only once the interaction has ended. In practice, these moments are usually brief — people tend to satisfy their curiosity within a minute or so and then move on. At the same time, we do not condone intentional damage or unsafe behavior toward the robots."
Lindsay Ouellette, a third year PhD student in social psychology who is part of Temple University's Robot Social Navigation Amongst Pedestrians (roboSNAP) team, told BillyPenn the frustration with the robots is not new, just aimed at a new target. She said that just as pedestrians can be frustrated with fellow humans who walk slowly or are looking at their phones, they can also take issue with the delivery robots.
The delivery robots have been deployed to dozens of cities across the U.S., including Austin, Dallas and Jersey City. The robots keep the orders secure by requiring customers to unlock the cargo hatch through the Uber Eats app. Additionally, Avride is immediately notified if someone tampers with or tries to steal the device.
"The cargo compartment of each delivery robot is securely locked and can only be opened by the intended recipient through a mobile app. If anyone attempts unauthorized access or tries to steal the robot, it triggers an alert to our remote operator. The operator will immediately connect to the robot’s sensory feed to evaluate the situation and take appropriate action to secure it," Avride said on its website.
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While the robots are able to navigate without human intervention, Avride has a remote support team that is able to control the robots in the case of "an extraordinary situation arises."
The robotic delivery service is available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Center City, Chinatown and Old City. The robots use LIDAR sensors and cameras to navigate and are able to travel about 5 miles per hour.
Avride says its robots are able to operate in a variety of weather conditions, including rain and snow. Additionally, the company said its bots can interpret and recognize traffic light signals, giving them the ability to safely navigate busy city streets.
While customers have shown skepticism, business owners see robot delivery as an opportunity.
"I think more ability to deliver food is better for us," Jeff Newman, owner of Hi-Lo Taco Company told WTXF-TV.
"And certainly, right now, it started raining, and we see that we have a higher demand for takeout and delivery, but we also have fewer drivers."
Uber forwarded Fox News Digital's request for comment to Avride.
Child among 4 dead as accused arsonist allegedly drank beer during chaos
A New York City man is facing murder charges after allegedly randomly setting a fire in a Queens apartment building that killed four people, including a 3-year-old girl, and injured seven others, authorities announced.
Roman Amatitla, 38, of Maspeth, was arrested Wednesday and arraigned on multiple charges, including eight counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson, for the March 16 blaze at a three-story building in Flushing.
He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz called the incident an "act of mass murder," noting Amatitla's chilling lack of motive.
"Shockingly, the defendant had no known connection to the building or any of its occupants and selected the building at random," Katz wrote in a statement.
According to prosecutors, Amatitla entered and exited the Avery Avenue building multiple times late that morning, at one point urinating in front of the apartments.
He then went to a nearby gas station, where he bought a beer, stole a second one and took a pack of matches after refusing to pay for a lighter, authorities allege.
He then entered the apartment building for a fourth and final time, authorities said, allegedly lighting a piece of paper on fire and tossing it onto trash near a stairwell.
As smoke engulfed the street, he stayed in the immediate area to watch the building burn.
During a court hearing Thursday, Queens Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Reale said Amatitla "watched as people jumped from various windows, some of them living, one of them dying" while sipping on a beer, according to a report from the New York Post.
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Three of the people killed in the blaze, identified as Sihan Yang, 3, Chengri Cui, 49, and Chie Shin Ming, 61, were found in the building and pronounced dead from smoke inhalation.
A fourth victim, Hong Zhao, 64, died at a hospital after suffering multiple broken bones and brain trauma when he leaped from a window to escape the flames.
Among those injured were a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) lieutenant and a firefighter who plunged into the basement when a staircase collapsed during rescue operations, resulting in thermal burns and smoke inhalation.
Four other occupants were injured jumping from the building to flee the fire, while a fifth was rescued from a second-story window by firefighters.
Prosecutors said Amatitla "had to get his rage out on someone or something," though no official motive has been released.
New York City Police Department records note he is from Mexico, though his immigration status has not been confirmed.
The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.
Amatitla was ordered to remain in custody by Criminal Court Judge Thomas Wright-Fernandez and is scheduled to return to court April 13.
Neighbor fatally shoots alleged gunman after 2 women shot in domestic dispute
A Washington state man was shot and killed by a neighbor after allegedly opening fire on two women during a domestic dispute that spilled into a nearby driveway, police said.
Officers with the Puyallup Police Department (PPD) responded around 9:10 a.m. April 2, when investigators allege 47-year-old Arnino Guanlao shot two adult female relatives after a family argument escalated outside the home.
A neighbor, who had been inside at the time, went outside and intervened, fatally shooting Guanlao, according to police.
One of the victims, 23-year-old Christiannel Lyle Macapagal Maningat, died at the scene. The second woman was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
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Authorities said the case remains under investigation, including a review of the neighbor’s use of force.
Washington law allows a person to use force to protect himself or others if he reasonably believes it is necessary, but deadly force is only justified when facing an immediate threat of serious injury or death.
"That’s under investigation as to exactly how the circumstances took place," PPD Capt. Kevin Gill said during a press briefing.
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Witnesses described a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted in the neighborhood.
"There was a girl here who was face down, and she was still breathing a little and trying to move a little, but she wasn't doing much. And then pretty quick a cop came on scene, and he and I pulled her out, turned her over and found her gunshot wound on her abdomen," neighbor Michelle Weingarden-Bandes told FOX 13 Seattle.
"We are all not just in shock about what we saw, those of us who were out here this morning, but that this has happened in our neighborhood."
Investigators said the neighbor who shot the suspect is cooperating as detectives work to determine the circumstances of the use of force, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
Detectives are also working to determine what led to the dispute and are processing multiple sites linked to the incident, the outlet reported.
Residents reported hearing multiple gunshots during the incident.
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Law enforcement officials said detectives are continuing to interview witnesses, many of whom were left distraught by the violence.
Additional reporting by Law & Crime identified Guanlao as the victims’ stepfather and said he had been firing at his adult stepdaughters when the neighbor intervened.
Authorities have not said what sparked the initial dispute.
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The PPD said detectives with its Criminal Investigations Division, along with the Metro Cities Crime Response Unit, are continuing to investigate the incident.
Fox News Digital has reached out to police for additional information.
The violence has left the victims’ family reeling.
A GoFundMe created for the family says the victims’ mother is now caring for her surviving daughters while grieving the loss of one child and remaining at the bedside of another who is still hospitalized.
The fundraiser, which has raised nearly $19,000, says the family’s lives "changed in a matter of moments" and describes the emotional toll on the two other daughters now coping with the aftermath of the violence.
Organizers said the funds will help cover funeral costs, medical expenses and basic living needs as the family navigates the aftermath of the shooting.
California school board member refuses to follow state’s sanctuary policies, citing 'rule of law'
A California school district told Fox News Digital Thursday it is not following the state’s updated guidance on handling immigration enforcement.
Districts across the state were expected to update state guidance by March 1 to ensure students are shielded from immigration enforcement.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced in December 2025 that "approximately 133,000 undocumented children attend California’s public K-12 schools, and many more have parents or relatives who do not have legal status."
However, Lakeside Union School District in southern California believes the effort is merely political.
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"In Lakeside, we believe in the rule of law. I refuse to put my district's federal funding and the students it serves at risk by opposing federal law enforcement. It’s not our teachers or school secretaries' job to oppose law enforcement. That’s wrong," Lakeside Unified School District Trustee Andrew Hayes told Fox News Digital.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond mandated school districts update their policies "limiting assistance with immigration enforcement at public schools, to the fullest extent possible consistent with federal and state law, and ensuring that public schools remain safe and accessible to all California residents, regardless of immigration status."
In February, Hayes joined the chorus of California school board members accusing California education officials and teachers unions of "fearmongering" over immigration enforcement as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was criticized over the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
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The school board members reacted to Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho reporting earlier this year that students were not showing up to class in the second semester of the 2025-2026 school year due to concerns over immigration enforcement.
Responding to fearmongering claims from school board members, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital Thursday it had not entered schools to arrest children.
"ICE is not going to schools to arrest children. We are protecting children. Criminals are no longer able to hide in America’s schools to avoid arrest," the spokesperson said.
"The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense. If a dangerous illegal alien felon were to flee into a school or a child sex offender is working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect public safety."
Hayes doubled down in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying that the guidance issued by the state was all fanfare.
"This ‘model’ policy is purely political and not about kids. It’s all fanfare to advance Gavin Newsom’s political agenda. The fact is ICE isn’t coming to schools," Hayes said.
"That’s a narrative created by left-wing activists to instill fear and decrease enrollment so that the Sacramento education bureaucracy can go beg Newsom for more money to cover up their failure to educate our kids properly."
The trustee claimed his statement "reflects the opinion" of his colleagues.
The school district told Fox News Digital it "doesn’t have any comments regarding Board member Hayes’ statements."
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The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration and ramping up of deportation efforts have caused some schools to take action.
Oceanside Unified School District in San Diego County beefed up security and provided scripts for staff to "keep ICE out of schools." Visitors must be buzzed in to enter the front office. Front office signs were updated, and signs were put up to identify areas restricted to students and staff.
"OUSD is following updated state laws on this topic, though practices on law enforcement on campus have been part of our board policy since before 2020," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital in January.
Newsom's office did not respond to requests for comment.
The article was updated to include a statement from Lakeside Union School District.
Melania Trump's forceful Epstein denial draws bipartisan support from lawmakers
Reactions poured in Thursday after first lady Melania Trump issued a rare on-camera statement forcefully rebuking allegations linking her to disgraced financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking earlier in the day, Melania Trump said she was never friends with Epstein or his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, and stressed that neither played any role in her introduction to her husband, President Donald Trump.
"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," she said. "The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation."
As she emphasized that her name never appeared in court documents related to Epstein, several political figures quickly took to social media to publicly rally in support of the first lady.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., a leading congressional voice calling for the release of the Epstein files, praised Melania on X with a photo saying, "Melania Trump stands with Epstein victims."
She also applauded Melania for championing legislation that criminalizes the sharing of fake intimate images of women.
"Thank you to our First Lady for being a voice for victims across the country. From her work on the Take It Down Act to publicly standing for the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and calling for action and the truth," she said.
"The truth will prevail. America is strong when strong women stand up for what is right."
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Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has pushed for the release of documents through the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which he co-authored with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., addressed Melania’s effort to bring survivors in for congressional testimony and said leadership should face consequences over their handling of the files, including recently ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi.
"First Lady asks Congress to bring Epstein survivors in for testimony. With all due respect, that’s @DAGToddBlanche’s job!," he said.
"@RepRoKhanna & I already gave brave survivors a chance to tell their horrific stories on Capitol Hill. @PamBondi wouldn’t even acknowledge them. PROSECUTE!"
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Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., once a fierce Trump supporter before a public falling out with the president, also posted on X aligning with Melania’s remarks.
"I am grateful to the First Lady for her brave statement today about Epstein and his victims," she said. "I agree with her that the victims should be heard. I also agree with Thomas Massie. The DOJ needs to PROSECUTE!!! And the role of Congress is to legislate, not prosecute."
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Democrats also took to social media after her fiery remarks.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., called on House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., to schedule a public hearing "immediately."
"We agree with First Lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the First Lady’s request and schedule a public hearing immediately," he said in a post on X.
He also characterized the first lady’s speech as a significant moment, saying her remarks drew renewed attention to an investigation some critics argue has not progressed far enough.
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"The First Lady said two things," Garcia said. "1) She pushed back on Acting AG Todd Blanche & her husband’s efforts to kill this investigation. 2) She joined our efforts to call for a public hearing where survivors who choose to do so have an opportunity to testify."
California-based coffee shop Philz Coffee to pull LGBTQ pride flags despite progressive backlash
The San Francisco coffee shop Philz Coffee is removing LGBTQ pride flags from its stores despite growing progressive backlash.
Reports that the California coffee chain would be removing Pride flags from its stores came after a Change.org petition circulated from a group known as "Philz Coffee Baristas" demanding the company reconsider the decision.
"Philz Coffee's recent decision to remove pride flags from their stores has left many team members and customers feeling confounded and unsupported," the petition says.
"Within Philz's expressed core values, the company emphasizes its goal to create a 'customer and team-member focused' experience. The pride flags within the stores hold deep meaning and value to both staff and visitors, symbolizing that these locations are safe and welcoming spaces for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
"In todays [sic] society, businesses have an essential role in fostering inclusivity and support, and displaying the pride flag is a simple yet remarkably powerful demonstration of that role. Removing these flags risks alienating a core group of team members and loyal customers who see Philz not just as a coffee shop, but as a place where they are embraced and celebrated for who they are."
Philz Coffee confirmed the decision in a statement from CEO Mahesh Sadarangani to Fox News Digital Thursday, adding that stores will remove other flags as well.
"At Philz, we have always believed everyone who walks through our doors deserves to feel welcome and safe, and that belief is at the core of everything we do," Sadarangani said.
"Our longstanding support of the LGBTQIA+ community is unchanged. We are working toward creating a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores, including removing a variety of flags and other decor.
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"This is a change in how our stores look, not in who we are. Our allyship runs deeper than what is on our walls. It shows up in who we hire, how we treat one another and in our annual Pride Month Unity celebration, which returns this June as it has every year. Unity is fundamental to how we operate."
It is unclear when all the flags will be removed.
This is not the first time a Philz Coffee store has faced backlash due to the political environment. In 2020, the company reportedly fired four employees who took issue with the company's policies toward community police. One employee posted an image on the company's Instagram account demanding an end to 20% police discounts after the death of Breonna Taylor.
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"What’s your favorite iced coffee drink because ours is arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor," the employee wrote.
In 2023, five Philz Coffee employees were also sent home after refusing to remove "Free Palestine" pins.