Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Washington Correspondent for the Tennessee Star Neil W. McCabe to the newsmakers line to weigh in on the unmasking of the woman at the border who blocked Senator Ted Cruz’s video and Kamala Harris’s wait for the presidency.
Read MoreTag: Department of Homeland Security
House Passes Two Immigration Bills as Border Crisis Intensifies
The House passed two separate immigration bills Thursday evening, marking the first time the 117th Congress has voted on the issue under President Joe Biden.
The pair of bills are the first immigration proposals to be voted on since a surge of migrants reached the southern border, resulting in heightened scrutiny on the Biden administration over its handling of what Republicans have labeled a serious crisis.
The House first passed H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (ADPA), with nine Republicans voting with Democrats in favor of the bill. The act would provide a pathway to citizenship for so-called “Dreamers” who were brought to the United States as young children, as well as for Temporary Protected Status recipients and Deferred Enforced Departure beneficiaries. The legislation, sponsored by California Democratic Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, could give over 4.4 million people a path to permanent status, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
Read MoreBiden Leaves Key Immigration Posts Vacant Amid Border Surge
There was no break-in period for the new Department of Homeland Security secretary.
Alejandro Mayorkas went from his confirmation hearing in the Senate to confronting a surge of migrants along the southern border almost immediately, and while the new DHS chief won’t call the current situation a crisis, he did announce Tuesday that the nation is on track to record the highest number of apprehensions in over two decades.
Read MoreEleven States File Motion to Intervene in Ninth Circuit Case over Public Charge Rule
Eleven states, led by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, have filed a motion to intervene in a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case over challenges to a 2018 public charge rule change that required immigrants coming to the U.S. to prove they could financially support themselves.
The Biden administration removed the rule change, effective March 9. Subsequently, the Department of Homeland Security announced on March 11 it will no longer apply the rule.
In a statement, it said it had “closed the book on the public charge rule and is doing the same with respect to a proposed rule regarding the affidavit of support that would have placed undue burdens on American families wishing to sponsor individuals lawfully immigrating to the U.S.”
Read MoreBiden Quietly Nixes Trump-era Rule Combating Chinese Communist-Funded ‘Propaganda’ Centers
The Trump administration attempted to enact a policy that would force American universities to reveal cooperation with chapters of the Confucius Institute. President Joe Biden quietly revoked the policy a few days after his inauguration.
Axios reported that in the final days of his presidency, Trump enacted a policy that would compel primary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions to disclose all contracts and transactions with the Confucius Institute. Under the policy, schools that do not report information would lose certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
Read MoreHomeland Security Nominee Mayorkas Raked in Millions at Corporate Law Firm Representing Utility Company Responsible for Fatal Gas Explosion
by Chuck Ross Alejandro Mayorkas, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of homeland security, received $3.3 million last year as a partner at his law firm, where he represented a defense contractor accused of kickbacks to secure a Department of Energy contract and a utility company found responsible for…
Read MoreMicrosoft Attempts Takedown of Global Criminal Botnet
Microsoft announced legal action Monday seeking to disrupt a major cybercrime digital network that uses more than 1 million zombie computers to loot bank accounts and spread ransomware, which experts consider a major threat to the U.S. presidential election.
Read MoreDems Ask That Public Charge Rule Not Apply to Immigrant Coronavirus Treatment, Which It Already Doesn’t
A group of House Democrats is asking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) not to penalize green card applicants for seeking medical care for coronavirus, but the government already made clear it wouldn’t.
Thirty-eight House Democrats signed a letter delivered to acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Tuesday, asking him to remove any assistance for COVID-19 care as part of the recently-enacted public charge rule. The rule takes into account a migrant’s past use of government-funded assistance when they apply for permanent status.
Read MoreIllegal Border Crossings Drop by Half Under Coronavirus Shutdown
Since the Trump administration ordered a shutdown of the U.S.-Mexico border, government officials are reporting a roughly 50% drop in illegal alien apprehensions.
Under orders from the Centers for Disease Control, the Trump administration on Friday declared a lockdown of the southern and northern borders, permitting only the flow of “essential” travel. In that short time, border officials have revealed that they are seeing a huge drop in the flow of illegal aliens.
Read MoreObama-Era DHS Whistleblower Philip Haney Found Dead with Gunshot Wound to Chest
An Obama-era whistleblower was found dead Friday morning in a remote area roughly an hour outside of Sacramento, California with a gunshot wound to his chest.
Philip Haney, one of the founding members of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), exposed the Obama Administration’s dangerously P.C. national security policies in 2015 and 2016. His body was found next to a vehicle near Drytown, California.
Read MoreDHS Chief Rips Nancy Pelosi’s Claims on Travel Ban Expansion as ‘Grossly Inaccurate’
Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, accused Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of “grossly inaccurate and irresponsible” rhetoric for claiming that the administration’s updated travel ban affects 350 million people.
“Facts are stubborn. The new travel restrictions do not apply to 350 million people — as some of our critics would lead you to believe. Such statements are grossly inaccurate and irresponsible,” Wolf tweeted out on Sunday, linking to an official statement from Pelosi regarding the administration’s new travel ban rules.
Read MoreDHS Chief Calls Out Double Standard From Border Wall Opponents
Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accused many border wall critics in Congress of having a double standard, noting how many of them became opponents during the Trump administration.
Read MoreDHS Reports Border Apprehensions Drop for Sixth Consecutive Month: ‘Catch and Release Is Over’
Enforcement actions at the U.S.-Mexico border fell again in November, marking six consecutive months of declining apprehensions.
Read MoreIf a Butterfly Flaps its Wings in Court, a Judge May Block Construction of the Border Wall
A judge in Hidalgo County, Texas, granted a temporary restraining order that allegedly prevents We Build the Wall Inc. from working on a section of border wall, Jurist reports, and you’ll never guess the excuse — it’s butterflies.
Read MoreTrump Admin Proposes Using Facial Recognition on all Airport Travelers – Including Americans
The Department of Homeland Security is proposing a rule that would allow the government to use facial recognition data to identify everyone traveling to and from the country, including U.S. citizens.
Read MoreMark Green’s New Intelligence Enterprise Act Passes House
U.S. Rep. Mark Green, a Republican representing Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District, announced Thursday that his Unifying DHS Intelligence Enterprise Act, passed the House of Representatives. According to a press release from Green’s office, the bill directs the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to establish a homeland intelligence doctrine, synchronizing…
Read MoreICE Facilities to Receive Security Overhaul Following Violent Attacks
Immigration and Customs Enforcement will soon beef up security at facilities in response to a recent slate of violence against the agency’s detention centers and offices across the country.
Read MoreUS Deploys Surge of Doctors to Tend to Illegal Immigrants
A substantial increase in medical and humanitarian care has followed the surge of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexican border, according to Department of Homeland Security statistics.
Read MoreDHS Chief McAleenan Praises Supreme Court Decision: ‘Big Victory’ for Border Wall
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan lauded the Supreme Court decision allowing the administration to use military funds to build additional border wall.
Read MorePresident Trump Puts Limit on Asylum Claims at Border
by Fred Lucas While waiting for Congress to act on closing immigration loopholes, the Trump administration is imposing a new rule to limit asylum claims by requiring professed refugees to first seek asylum in another country closer to home. The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security announced…
Read MoreFlorida Officials, Congressional Delegation Demand FBI Disclose Election-Hack Details
by John Haughey Russian hackers gained access to voter information files in Washington County, a sparsely populated Republican-dominated Panhandle county, where 77 percent of its 11,000 votes cast in the 2016 presidential election went to Donald Trump. The revelation was reported by The Washington Post Thursday night, citing two…
Read MoreRep. Green Introduces Bill to Streamline Intelligence Sharing at Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) on Thursday introduced a bill that would streamline and improve intelligence sharing at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security’s Chief Intelligence Officer (CINT) to establish a homeland intelligence doctrine for the department, according to a press…
Read MoreCommittee on Foreign Investment May Not Be Able to Handle Its Exploding Caseload
by Riley Walters The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. is often compared to a black box. Investors may be aware of what it does, but few know what really goes on inside. The nine members of the committee, drawn from various federal agencies, are in charge of…
Read MoreDemocrat Senator Sinema Bucks Party, Calls on Lawmakers to Better Secure the Border
by Jason Hopkins Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema on Wednesday echoed the White House in calling for immigration enforcement to be aided with additional resources and staff. Arizonans bear the brunt of Washington’s failure to address our broken immigration system. We must secure the border with a comprehensive, smart,…
Read MoreGrassley Sends The White House a Warning on Immigration
by Jason Hopkins Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley warned the Trump administration to end its purge of top immigration officials, arguing that the changes risk destabilizing the Department of Homeland Security. “The president has to have some stability and particularly with the number one issue that he’s made for…
Read MoreKevin McAleenan, the Upcoming Leader of Homeland Security
by Jason Hopkins Kirstjen Nielsen will officially vacate her position atop the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, leaving Kevin McAleenan as the acting head. President Donald Trump, frustrated over the growing immigration crisis on the U.S. southern border, accepted Nielsen’s resignation after meeting with her at the White…
Read MorePresident Trump Accepts DHS Chief Kirstjen Nielsen’s Resignation, Names Kevin McAleenan as Replacement
by Chuck Ross President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Kirstjen Nielsen is resigning as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, bringing an end to an at-times rocky relationship between the two. Trump said on Twitter that Kevin McAleenan, the current commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, will…
Read MoreTrump Administration Asking Congress to Make It Easier to Deport Migrant Children
by Jason Hopkins Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is requesting Congress pass a legislative measure that gives her department greater authority to address the growing migrant crisis at the U.S. southern border. Nielsen asked lawmakers to make it easier for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deport unaccompanied…
Read MoreWatchdog: US Agency Error Exposes 2.3 Million Disaster Survivors to Fraud
Reuters The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) exposed 2.3 million disaster survivors to possible identity theft and fraud by sharing sensitive personal information with an outside company, according to an internal government watchdog. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) said FEMA had shared…
Read MoreTrump Donates $100,000 of His Salary to Help Fund Immigration Enforcement
by Jason Hopkins President Donald Trump announced that he is donating $100,000 of his salary to the Department of Homeland Security, following a promise he made before entering office. While the press doesn’t like writing about it, nor do I need them to, I donate my yearly Presidential salary…
Read MoreHomeland Security Secretary Insists Border Crisis Is ‘Real’
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen insisted Wednesday the crisis at the southern border is not manufactured, as she faced questions from Democrats for the first time since they took control of the House. “We face a crisis — a real, serious and sustained crisis at our borders,” she said at…
Read MoreTrump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy Is Changing How Immigrants Try to Enter the US
by Jason Hopkins The Trump administration’s asylum policy is prompting more migrants to try their luck at crossing illegally rather than seeking out legal ports of entry, Customs and Border Protection data suggest. The proportion of foreign nationals attempting to cross the border illegally rather than reporting to legal…
Read MoreDHS Created a Fake School in Michigan to Identify Illegal Immigrants
The Department of Homeland Security set up a fake university in Michigan to snare student immigrants in the United States who were without proper authorization, according to federal indictments unsealed Wednesday. Eight people were arrested and indicted for conspiracy to commit visa fraud and harboring aliens for profit. The indictment…
Read MoreIllegal Alien in Lebanon to Serve 50 Years for Raping Child
This week an illegal immigrant in Lebanon pleaded guilty in state court to two counts of rape of a child, according to the Lebanon Police Department. That man, Edwin Alfredo Velasquez- Curuchiche, 42, will serve 50 years for that crime. He will serve that concurrently with a 50-year federal sentence…
Read MoreCalifornia Judge Blocks TPS Cancellation, Says Trump’s Decision was Based on Racial Prejudice
by Will Racke A federal judge in California blocked the government’s plan late Wednesday to wind down a humanitarian program for hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals living in the U.S., citing concerns the decision was motivated by racial animus on the part of President Donald Trump. U.S. District…
Read MoreTwo More Countries are Hit with Visa Sanctions for Refusing to Take Back Deportees
by Will Racke The Trump administration has hit certain government officials from Burma and Laos with visa sanctions as punishment for both countries’ refusal to take back their citizens the U.S. is trying to deport, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Tuesday. Going forward, the U.S. embassy in…
Read MoreRestaurant Manager Where Secretary Nielsen Was Mobbed ‘Happy About What Happened’
by Julia Cohen The Mexican restaurant where Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was swarmed by protesters Tuesday in Washington, D.C., took no action to quell the protesters or ensure Nielsen’s safety, a manager told The Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday. “We are not upset the protesters…
Read MoreTrump Administration to End Quasi-Amnesty for Nicaraguans After 20 Years
The Department of Homeland Security indicated Monday that it would end a quasi-amnesty program for 5,300 people in the U.S. from Nicaragua, but extend it for 86,000 people from Honduras. The U.S. had originally granted Temporary Protected Status to people from both countries after they were ravaged by Hurricane Mitch…
Read MoreGubernatorial Candidate Mae Beavers Applauds President Trump’s Constitutional DACA Decision
Gubernatorial candidate Mae Beavers is standing with President Donald J. Trump and his decision to terminate the DACA program. “The Executive Order that President Barack Obama relied upon to create DACA was unconstitutional and should never have been allowed to remain in place as long as it has,” Beavers said…
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