Biden administration to halt controversial ‘Remain in Mexico’ program
"Remain in Mexico," formally known as the Migration Protection Protocols Policy, forced back more than 60,000 asylum-seekers during the Trump administration, as part of an effort to deter migration at the southern border.
latimes.comDems allege cover-up on Secret Service texts, demand records
Top congressional Democrats have requested sit-down interviews and internal documents from the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general as part of a deepening investigation into the agency's handling of now-deleted Secret Service text messages surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The leaders of the powerful House Oversight and Homeland Security committees wrote a letter to Inspector General Joseph Cuffari on Monday, detailing the urgent need for interviews with his staff regarding new evidence of alleged efforts to cover up the erasure of Secret Service communications. “We are writing with grave new concerns over your lack of transparency and independence, which appear to be jeopardizing the integrity of a crucial investigation run by your office,” House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney and Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson wrote in the letter.
news.yahoo.comSupremely out of order: Supreme Court order on ICE guidelines violates tradition
In the span of a month, the Supreme Court overturned a half-century-old abortion right, knocked down a century-old New York concealed firearm carry law, made it much harder to hold law enforcement accountable for constitutional violations, frustrated the EPA’s ability to regulate emissions and eroded the wall between church and state, a series of activist rulings in the name of constitutional ...
news.yahoo.comThe head of Trump's protective detail, there when the former president wanted to be taken to the Capitol on January 6, is among the 24 Secret Service members whose January 5 and 6 texts are missing
While the USSS is comprised of approximately 3,200 agents total, DHS requested communication from just two dozen agents.
news.yahoo.comOIG asks Secret Service to stop internal investigation into ‘erased’ texts
A government watchdog has asked the Secret Service to stop its internal investigation into what it deemed were “erased” text messages. The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, made the demand in a letter late Wednesday after notifying lawmakers earlier this month that the agency appeared to have erased text messages as…
news.yahoo.comBiden suspends rules limiting immigrant arrest, deportation
The Biden administration, reacting to a federal court ruling in Texas, has suspended an order that had focused resources for the arrest and deportation of immigrants on those who are considered a threat to public safety and national security. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Saturday it will abide by the decision issued this month, even though it “strongly disagrees” and is appealing it. Immigrant advocates and experts on Monday said the suspension of Biden’s order will only sow fear among immigrant communities.
news.yahoo.comUS sees heightened extremist threat heading into midterms
A looming Supreme Court decision on abortion, an increase of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and the midterm elections are potential triggers for extremist violence over the next six months, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday. The U.S. was in a “heightened threat environment" already, and these factors may worsen the situation, DHS said in the latest National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin. “In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets,” DHS said.
news.yahoo.com70 missing children, many abused and sex trafficked, found in Texas
From the Odessa American, Texas (TNS)Seventy missing children were found by a law enforcement task force in West Texas from the end of April through mid-May. According to a news release from the Department of Homeland Security, the children were found in Ector, Midland, El Paso and Tom Green counties by a task force comprised of officers from numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Odessa Police Department, Ector County Sheriff’s Office and the Ector County Independent School District. Some of the children had been sex trafficked and suffered physical and sexual abuse. Victim services workers, including those from Harmony Home and Medical Center Hospital, were on hand to provide services and counseling to the children and their families. The task force is investigating additional information it obtained throughout Operation Lost Souls.
mlive.comWill an Emergency Law Used to Keep Out Migrants Become Permanent?
At the start of the pandemic, the Trump Administration invoked an obscure provision called Title 42 to effectively stop migration. Even as other COVID restrictions are lifted, anti-immigration politicians insist that it remain in place.
newyorker.comHow the Biden administration let right-wing attacks derail its disinformation efforts
Nina Jankowicz was the subject of online attacks from the moment she was named head of the newly created Disinformation Governance Board. Three weeks later, the Department of Homeland Security said the board's work would be "paused."
washingtonpost.comAgents with Homeland Security team to wear body cameras
Agents with an investigative unit of the Department of Homeland Security will wear body cameras for the first time as part of a six-month pilot program that will focus on the costs and benefits of using the technology in federal law enforcement.
AP seeks answers from US gov't on tracking of journalists
The Associated Press is seeking answers from the Department of Homeland Security on its use of sensitive government databases for tracking international terrorists to investigate as many as 20 American journalists, including an acclaimed AP reporter.
Supreme Court orders 'Remain in Mexico' policy reinstated
The Supreme Court says the Biden administration likely violated federal law in trying to end a Trump-era program that forces people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. With three liberal justices in dissent, the high court refused Tuesday to block a lower court ruling ordering the administration to reinstate the program informally known as Remain in Mexico.
Supreme Court orders 'Remain in Mexico' policy reinstated
The Supreme Court says the Biden administration likely violated federal law in trying to end a Trump-era program that forces people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. With three liberal justices in dissent, the high court refused Tuesday to block a lower court ruling ordering the administration to reinstate the program informally known as Remain in Mexico.
Supreme Court halts reinstating 'Remain in Mexico' policy
The Supreme Court is temporarily halting a judge’s order that would have forced the government to reinstate a Trump administration policy forcing thousands to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. Justice Samuel Alito issued the temporary stay late Friday night.
Appeals court won't delay 'Remain in Mexico' return
A federal appellate court has refused to delay implementation of a judge's order reinstating a Trump administration policy forcing thousands to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling late Thursday.
US-Canada border travel restrictions extended through May 21, 2021
“I have family in St. Clair Shores. I can’t get in my car and cross by myself to go see my family,” St. Louis said. “But I can get on a plane through Toronto with thousands of people on a crowded flight to fly to Detroit. Like, does that make any sense?”
Senators press for more on SolarWinds hack after AP report
Key lawmakers say they’re concerned they’ve been kept in the dark about what suspected Russian hackers stole from the federal government and they pressed Biden administration officials for more details about the scope of what’s known as the SolarWinds hack.
Michigan reportedly may be used to ease overcrowding at border facilities
DETROIT – Michigan may play a role in easing overcrowding at border facilities. The Great Lakes State was mentioned in a list of states along the Canadian Border to potentially be used in a little-known immigration program to help decrease over-crowding. According to emails obtained by the Washington Post, officials have requested air support from U.S. Immigration to relocate migrants to states like Michigan, South Dakota or Montana. The DHS program, known as ICE Air, was used during the Trump Administration at the height of immigration in 2019. Rep. Rashida Tlaib visited the U.S. southern border Friday alongside other lawmakers to tour a facility in Texas.
US-Canada border travel restrictions extended through April 21, 2021
The restrictions at the border took effect March 21, 2020 while allowing trade and other travel deemed essential to continue. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)DETROIT – Travel restrictions across the U.S.-Canada border will remain in place at least through April 21, 2021, officials announced Thursday. The same rules will still apply: Essential travel, including certain workers and transportation of goods, is still allowed to cross the border between the neighboring countries. Nonessential travel is prohibited across the U.S.-Canada border. AdRead more: Canada: US border measures to last until COVID is under controlFor the latest on cross-border programs and services, travelers can call the Canada Border Services Agency’s Border Information Service at 1-800-461-9999.
US shifts state grant focus to extremism, cyberthreats
About half of the money covered comes from two widely used grants: the State Homeland Security Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative. AdThat translates into at least $77 million to address domestic extremism, funds that Mayorkas said can be used to improve intelligence sharing across state lines, training and public awareness. AdConcerns about domestic extremism have been mounting in recent years. DHS listed domestic violent extremism, particularly by white supremacists, as among the top threats facing the nation late last year, and in January for the first time used a national terrorist advisory to warn about domestic extremism. In the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have called for increased focus on domestic extremism.
US reverts to targeted immigration enforcement under Biden
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – Immigration enforcement in the U.S. would be more targeted under President Joe Biden than under his predecessor, with authorities directed to focus on people in the country illegally who pose a threat, according to guidelines released Thursday. Under Biden, ICE would primarily apprehend and remove people who pose a threat to national security, committed crimes designated as “aggravated” felonies or recently crossed the border. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimated that 87% of noncitizens in the country without authorization would not be priorities for enforcement if Biden used the national security and public safety criteria as was done under Obama. AdThe national security category includes anyone suspected of involvement with terrorism or espionage. The public safety category applies to anyone convicted of a crime that involved their “active” participation in gang activity or convicted of an aggravated felony.
US won't make immigration arrests at virus vaccination sites
Drivers with a vaccine appointment enter a mega COVID-19 vaccination site set up in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. One of the largest vaccination sites in the country was temporarily shut down Saturday because dozen of protesters blocked the entrance, stalling hundreds of motorists who had been waiting in line for hours, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Los Angeles Fire Department shut the entrance to the vaccination center at Dodger Stadium about 2 p.m. as a precaution, officials told the newspaper. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)WASHINGTON – The U.S. government says it won’t be making routine immigration enforcement arrests at COVID-19 vaccination sites. Vaccination sites will be considered “sensitive locations” and generally off limits for enforcement actions, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Monday.
The Latest: Wash. state warns hospitals on VIP vaccinations
The state crossed that mark Monday, exactly a year after officials reported the first case of a coronavirus infection in Massachusetts. — Maryland’s acting health secretary says the state’s hospitals have received less than half of their expected allocations of second doses of the coronavirus vaccine for front-line health workers this week. Schrader says state officials were talked with the federal Department of Health and Human Services all weekend trying to figure out what happened. The CDC says Iowa has delivered 190,689 first vaccine doses to individuals, or 6,044 per 100,000 people, the third lowest rate in the nation. Ad___PRAGUE — The Czech Republic is not planning to limit use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for elderly people like some other European Union nations.
Michigan Congressional Republicans question deployment of National Guard troops
LANSING – Hundreds of Michigan National Guard members are being sent to Washington, D.C. after the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning that the deadly Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol Building could motivate more domestic terrorists. In a letter House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Michigan’s Congressional Republicans asked for “an immediate intelligence briefing” about why 1,000 troops from the state’s National Guard are being redeployed to protect Washington. Rep. Lisa McClain said she hasn’t been given a briefing by the speaker or congressional leaders about any imminent threats. Three GOP officials from Michigan -- including McClain -- still voted to object to election results after the insurrection that killed six people. National Guard troops are expected to stay in D.C. through March.
US terrorism alert warns of politically motivated violence
FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. In contrast, the deadly attack by rioters on the U.S. Capitol targeted the very heart of government. It brought together members of disparate groups, creating the opportunity for extremists to establish links with each other. The document singles out crimes motivated by racial or ethnic hatred, such as the 2019 rampage targeting Hispanics in El Paso, Texas, as well as the threat posed by extremists motivated by foreign terror groups. The alert comes at a tense time following the riot at the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump seeking to overturn the presidential election.
Judge bars Biden from enforcing 100-day deportation ban
A federal judge on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. Tipton said the Biden administration had failed to provide any concrete, reasonable justification for a 100-day pause on deportations. (AP Photo/Emilio Espejel, File)HOUSTON – A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November.