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Ocasio-Cortez continues to compare border conditions to 'concentration camps,' critics accuse her of misinformation campaign

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has sparked controversy in recent weeks with arguably increasingly inflammatory rhetoric in her conversations about the conditions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite coming under fire last month for saying the U.S. government is "running concentration camps on our southern border," Ocasio-Cortez once again made the same comparison on Twitter on Tuesday. On Monday, after traveling to a border detention center in El Paso, Texas, with almost a dozen members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, she blasted border officials as “violent” and “inhumane” while claiming agents forced detained migrant women and children to drink toilet water.

Current and former immigration officials rejected the congresswoman's allegations and accused her of pulling a political stunt. Hispanic pastors who toured the same facility Ocasio-Cortez visited said the conditions at the detention center were "drastically different" than what she described. They said they were "shocked at the misinformation of the crisis at the border." The controversy over AOC's latest comments come as a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration cannot categorically detain asylum seekers while they pursue their cases.



Navy SEAL rejoices in not guilty verdict

Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher said he feels thankful and vindicated after a jury on Tuesday found him not guilty on almost all charges he was facing, including murder and attempted murder, in the 2017 killing of a teenage ISIS war prisoner in Iraq. "I'm happy and I'm thankful," Gallagher told reporters after the verdict, as he joked with his legal team that "it's Independence Day," his freedom coming days before the Fourth of July. Jurors did find him guilty of the seventh charge, posing for a photo with a corpse, considered the least egregious of the crimes, which carries a maximum prison sentence of four months. Having already served seven months in confinement ahead of the trial, Gallagher, a Bronze Star recipient, is expected to go home a free man after his sentencing, his defense lawyers said.

TUNE IN: Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher will speak out in an exclusive interview on "Fox & Friends" today at 6 a.m. ET

Trump detractors sound the alarm as military vehicles roll in for July 4 celebrations

Appearing on "Deadline: White House," MSNBC's Joy Reid insisted on Tuesday that President Trump is using the upcoming Fourth of July "Salute to America" celebration as a "threat" to Americans who oppose him. Trump has longed talked about showing off America's military capabilities in celebration of Independence Day, and now his vision is coming to fruition as tanks arrive in Washington, D.C., ahead of Thursday's festivities. Reid claimed that Trump aspires to be a "mini" North Korean leader Kim Jong Un or Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Fox News' Geraldo Rivera, these kind of complaints are the ramblings of Trump haters.

Still, as preparations were underway Trump's July 4 celebration, a few problems emerged along the way as military vehicles were hauled into the capital city. On Tuesday, a flatbed carrying the tanks was apparently unable to clear an underpass, according to photos tweeted by a Politico reporter. A crane was later employed to resolve the issue. Retired U.S. Army Gen. Thomas Spoehr, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense, told the Daily Reporter that some local roads are ill-equipped to handle the weight of the tanks.

Missing Connecticut woman’s estranged husband maintains innocence

Fotis Dulos, a Connecticut real-estate developer charged in connection with the disappearance of his estranged wife Jennifer Dulos, maintained his innocence Tuesday during his first sit-down interview about the case, claiming he's "worried" about his wife and never wished her "ill in any way." “I know what I’ve done, I know what I haven’t done,” the 51-year-old Greek immigrant told New York City’s WNBC-TV. “I have to stand and fight and hope that the truth is going to come out.” Jennifer Dulos, 50, hasn't been seen since dropping her children off at school in New Canaan, Conn., on May 24.

Remembering Lee Iacocca

Lee Iacocca, the father of the Ford Mustang and former chairman of Chrysler, has died of natural causes at his home in Bel Air, Calif., his family said Tuesday. He was 94. Iacocca, born in Allentown, Pa., on Oct. 15, 1924 as the child of Italian immigrants, started working at Ford Motor Co. in 1946 and is heralded as the leader of the team that created the first Mustang in 1964. He ascended to CEO of the company in 1970 but was fired by Henry Ford Jr. in 1978. He moved on to Chrysler Corp. in 1978 and became the CEO a year later, pulling the company out of bankruptcy after taking it over. Iacocca successfully persuaded the federal government to provide the company a $1.2 billion loan in 1979 and made major cuts to the workforce, slashing wages -- including his own, which he shrunk to $1 a year -- and closing plants. He also introduced fuel-efficient cars and the minivan. His efforts were successful and Chrysler made a comeback, profiting $20 million. The turnaround made Iacocca a media star. Later, he was a key figure in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and creation of the Ellis Island museum.

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TODAY'S MUST-READS

DOJ says citizenship question being dropped from 2020 Census.

Former Google exec ran 'sex ring,' estranged wife claims in civil complaint.

Vatican to open two tombs in decades-old disappearance of teen.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Charlie Ergen presents significant obstacle in T-Mobile-Sprint negotiations with DOJ.

WATCH: Facebook, YouTube tweaking algorithms to fight misinformation: Report.

These are the highest paid White House employees.

#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."

SOME PARTING WORDS

The All-Star panel on "Special Report" sounds off on the backlash Customs and Border Protection officials are facing over holding facility conditions.

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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day and Fourth of July festivities on Thursday! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday morning.