Tag: illegal immigration

The Tennessee Star Report: Leahy Questions the Validity of Mayor-Elect Cooper’s Policies as They Relate to Tennessee State Sanctuary City Law

Julie Carr

On Tuesday morning’s The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy welcomed in-studio guest and good friend Norm Partin, ambassador to the Mayor-Elect Cooper administration. Leahy questioned the Mayor’s current stance on sanctuary city policy and recited the law as written. He explained that the Mayor-Elect has stated he would only honor judicial warrants which in Leahy’s view is a direct violation.

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Angel Mom Michelle Root Who Lost Her Daughter to Illegal Immigrant Says, ‘Angel Families Are the End Result of Open Borders’

Julie Carr

On Thursday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy welcomed Angel Mom Michelle Root to the show to speak about the death of her daughter by the hand of a Honduran illegal immigrant who at the time of incident had a previous warrant for his arrest but was still let off on bond.

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‘King’ David Briley Fails to Show Up at The Tennessee Star Report to Debate Steve Glover on His Recent Executive Order

Julie Carr

During a discussion Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Leahy talked with Steve Glover about the recent debate challenge he proposed to Mayor David Briley in regards to the executive order issued on Tuesday. As predicted by Leahy, Briley was a no show.

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EXCLUSIVE: The Tennessee Star Report Talks to Mark Green About His Recent Trip to El Paso and the Democrats’ Desire for Open Borders

Julie Carr

On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – the duo spoke to U.S. Rep. Mark Green, a Republican congressman representing Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District, who weighed in on his recent visit to the El Paso southern border.

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Commentary: Can President Trump’s New Asylum Rules Stem the Illegal Tide?

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by Rachel Bovard   Illegal immigration numbers remain at levels triple that of previous years, and Congress continues to bicker, foot stomp, other otherwise ignore the problem. In the face of this, the Trump Administration released its latest attempt to bring the border crisis under control. Under new rules issued last week, migrants will now be required to seek asylum in at least one country they pass through on their way north. In other words, to qualify for asylum in the United States, Hondurans and Salvadorans would first have to apply for – and be denied – asylum in Guatemala or Mexico. The response from critics was predictable. “These new regulations are illegal and flout our asylum laws,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted on Tuesday. In a press release, the ACLU stated that the “Trump Administration is trying to unilaterally reverse our country’s legal and moral commitment to protect those fleeing danger,” right after they vowed to file a lawsuit to fight the change. U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, described the regulations as “xenophobic and racist.” None of them, however, acknowledged a key feature of the new rules: they put the United States in compliance with exactly the way…

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Ilhan Omar Cosponsors Legislation to Ban Federal Agencies from Using Term ‘Illegal Alien’

Anthony Gockowski

  Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) recently signed on as a co-sponsor to a bill that would prohibit federal agencies from using the term “alien” to refer to illegal immigrants. The bill, H.R. 3776, was introduced by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) and would prevent “executive agencies from using the derogatory term ‘alien’ to refer to an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States.” Instead, federal agencies would be required to use either “foreign national” or “undocumented foreign national” when referring to illegal immigrants. “Words matter. It’s vital that we respect the dignity of immigrants fleeing violence and prosecution in our language. The words ‘alien’ and ‘illegal alien’ work to demonize and dehumanize the migrant community. They should have no place in our government’s description of human beings,” Castro said in a press release after introducing the bill Tuesday. His bill has 16 cosponsors, most of whom are members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that he chairs, and was referred to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration. “Immigrants come to our borders in good faith and work hard for the opportunity to achieve a better life for themselves and their family,” Castro added. “Eliminating this language from…

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Rashida Tlaib Says No Person Is ‘Illegal’

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by Jason Hopkins   Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib claimed that no person in the United States in “illegal,” while testifying before a House committee hearing. “First, no one is illegal. That term is derogatory now because it dehumanizes people. You can say any other forms of maybe ‘coming in without any regulations’ or so forth, but the use of ‘illegal’ is disrespectful and I ask my colleagues to try in so many way to not dehumanize our immigrant neighbors who are trying to come in for safe haven,” Tlaib said Friday during a House Oversight committee hearing. The congresswoman, herself the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, spoke about the southern border crisis and the alleged mistreatment of illegal aliens being held in detention facilities, and claimed that a “dangerous ideology” was governing the country. In an effort to paint a grim picture of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Michigan Democrat spent a significant amount of her time describing the different people she met in their custody, recounting moments she met a young child, a father, a pregnant mother and others who were detained after illegally crossing the border. “The dehumanization is not only with those families, but also with…

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ICE ‘Ready’ to Apprehend and Deport One Million Illegal Immigrants

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by Jason Hopkins   The acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the government is “ready” to identify, detain, and deport the illegal immigrants who have ignored court orders to leave the country. “They’re ready to just perform their mission, which is to go and find and detain and then deport the approximately one million people who have final removal orders,” Ken Cuccinelli said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Cuccinelli was referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency with the Department of Homeland Security that’s tasked with locating and deporting aliens living in the U.S. illegally. “Who among those will be targeted for this particular effort, or not,  is really just information kept within ICE at this point,” the acting USCIS director explained. Cuccinelli’s comments come after President Donald Trump announced — and then later scrapped — plans in June to conduct sweeping ICE raids across the country. The raids would’ve targeted major U.S. cities and roughly 2,000 undocumented immigrants who are disobeying deportation orders.  Trump, at the time, said the raids were postponed in order to work with Democrats on a solution to the immigration crisis, but other accusations make it unclear why exactly the raids were…

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Commentary: The Calamity at the Southern Border Belongs to the ‘Woke’ Democrat Congress

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by Rachael Bovard   The woke social media over the Fourth of July was something to behold. On America’s birthday, posts were full Trump-baby angst, references to illegal militias, treasonous criminality, and concentration camps, and carefully styled photos of summer desserts that spelled out “close the camps” on top of seasonal fruit. Because you know what you do if you think child migrants are actually being tortured by your government and dying in concentration camps? You channel all your first-world, virtue signaling rage into the creation of artsy and seasonally appropriate desserts that are just perfect for that People photoshoot. But the misplaced rage was not limited to social media. In the annals of Wokes versus People Living in Reality, this week was one for the books. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the avatar of lefty rage-emotes everywhere, visited the border and had a complete meltdown. Ocasio-Cortez told reporters she “was not safe from the officers,” and that migrants were forced to drink out of toilets while being subject to “psychological warfare.” “This has been horrifying so far,” she tweeted. “It is hard to understate the enormity of the problem. We’re talking systemic cruelty w/ a dehumanizing culture that treats them like animals.” If what she’s saying is true – members of Congress…

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Biden Comes Out Against Decriminalization of the Border

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by Jason Hopkins   Former Vice President Joe Biden took a centrist position on a major immigration issue, coming out strongly against the decriminalization of illegal immigration. “No, I don’t,” Biden said when asked by CNN’s Chris Cuomo if crossing the U.S. border illegally should no longer be a criminal offense during an interview that aired Friday. “I think people should have to get in line, but if people are coming because they’re actually seeking asylum, they should have a chance to make their case.” “I would be surging — as we did, and [former President] Barack [Obama] and I did — surging folks to the border to make those concrete decisions. Look, the other thing, Chris, why are they coming? The reason the vast majority of these people are coming from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador is because they’re in trouble. Crime rates are high. Education is terrible,” he said about the immigration crisis. Biden’s comments come as a bit of a reversal from the first Democratic presidential debates held in late June. When the debate moderator asked who onstage supported the decriminalization of illegal immigration into the U.S., Biden raised his hand halfway and gestured his forefinger up,…

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Poll: 59% of Americans Oppose Government-Provided Health Insurance for Illegal Migrants

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by Chuck Ross   Nearly 60% of Americans oppose making government-provided health insurance available to illegal immigrants, according to a CNN poll released Monday. “Do you think health insurance coverage provided by the government should or should not be available to undocumented immigrants living in the United States?” reads a question in the poll, which was conducted by the polling firm SRSS on behalf of CNN between June 28 and June 30. Of the 1,613 respondents, 59% said they oppose making government health insurance programs available to illegal immigrants. Thirty-eight percent supported it, while 3% expressed no opinion. The question matches one asked in Thursday’s Democratic presidential debate. All 10 Democrats raised their hands when asked whether they support making government-directed health insurance available to illegal immigrants. “A lot of you have been talking about government health care plans you proposed in one form or another. This is a show of hands question and hold them up so people can see. Raise your hand if your government plan would provide coverage for undocumented immigrants,” debate moderator Savannah Guthrie said. Candidates like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would include illegal immigrants in a Medicare for All plan, which would replace private health insurance with a single-payer…

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Biden: Congress Should Immediately Make ‘Dreamers’ Citizens

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  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, unveiling his immigration policy outline ahead of the first 2020 debates, is calling for Congress to grant citizenship immediately to more than 800,000 U.S. residents who were brought to the country illegally as children. The former vice president and Democratic polling leader unveiled some of his immigration priorities on Monday in a newspaper op-ed that blisters President Donald Trump for an “assault on the dignity” of the Latino community through policies and rhetoric designed to “scare voters” in 2020. “Trump repeatedly invokes racist invective to describe anyone south of the Rio Grande,” Biden writes, noting “horrifying scenes … of kids being kept in cages” and other “actions that subvert our American values and our ability to lead on the global stage.” Biden, who launched his 2020 campaign in April, calls for streamlining the asylum system for migrants and spending more on electronic security at U.S. borders rather than Trump’s proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall. And he blasts Trump’s latest threats of mass deportation and his decision to cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, three Central American nations that are sources of the increasing wave of migrants to the U.S. border. Trump, a Republican,…

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Senator Tom Cotton Fires Back at Fellow Senator Chuck Schumer: ‘Democrats Have A Radical, Open-Borders Position’

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by Jason Hopkins   Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton had a response of his own after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused the president of threatening to “tear families apart” with his upcoming illegal immigration raids. “When things aren’t going well, [President Donald Trump] plays to his base. Instead of putting forth solutions to fix our broken immigration system, instead of pursuing criminals, he threatens to tear families apart,” Schumer tweeted Friday. “This isn’t leadership. This is inhumane & unwise.” When things aren’t going well, @realDonaldTrump plays to his base Instead of putting forth solutions to fix our broken immigration system, instead of pursuing criminals, he threatens to tear families apart This isn’t leadershipThis is inhumane & unwisehttps://t.co/WZgtUsF6Ub — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) June 22, 2019 The New York Democrat’s tweet linked to an article about Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) plan to apprehend over 2,000 illegal aliens across the country Sunday, the first day of the Trump administration’s directive to execute mass deportations of foreign national living in the country illegally. Cotton responded to Schumer, pointing out a detail the minority leader left out about the upcoming raids. “[Schumer] conveniently omits that these illegal aliens’ cases have been heard & rejected, hence they’re under valid…

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Sureños 13 Gang Member in Country Illegally Charged with Attempted Murder And Kidnapping of Minnesota Woman

Anthony Gockowski

  Luis Alfredo Cortez Mendoza, a 23-year-old member of the Sureños 13 gang suspected of being in the country illegally, was charged Monday in Washington County District Court with attempted murder and kidnapping. His victim, a woman, was found in a pool of blood at 2:30 in the morning on June 9 in Stillwater. An Uber driver, who first thought the woman was “a dead animal in the street,” found her and led officers to the scene. Angel Ignacio Sardina-Padilla was arrested on Tuesday and charged with aiding and abetting attempted murder and kidnapping. According to the criminal complaint, Sardina-Padilla was “in charge” and Cortez Mendoza would reportedly “do anything Padilla asked him to.” Nicole Alberico, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), told The Star Tribune that Cortez Mendoza is suspected of being in the country illegally. He has been deported to his native Mexico four times, Alberico added. Alberico wasn’t able to offer any information on Sardina-Padilla’s immigration status, telling The Star Tribune that “to determine their immigration status, ICE officers must first interview the individual who still has outstanding warrants for this state investigation.” The woman was transported to Regions Hospital in critical condition but has…

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Climate Change, Open Borders Top Priorities in Klobuchar’s Plan for First 100 Days

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by Kyle Hooten   Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar’s campaign posted an agenda to Medium Tuesday for her first 100 days in office, should she win the 2020 presidential election. Several measures to relax immigration law rank among her top priorities. The Minnesota Senator stated she would also rejoin the Paris Agreement, ban “assault weapons,” raise the minimum wage and promote socialized medicine. Last February, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the immigration crisis. In doing so, he “used authority provided by Congress to access up to $3.6 billion in military construction funds provided by Congress” to secure the southern border, according to a White House release. “Senator Klobuchar will rescind [Trump’s] national emergency declaration,” and bar the use of military construction funds on the southern border, her Medium post states. In addition to diverting money away from border security, Klobuchar hopes to actively increase refugee intake. “Under President Trump, the State Department has dramatically lowered the annual cap on the number of refugees that can be resettled in the United States. Senator Klobuchar will direct the State Department to restore the cap to at least its pre-Trump Administration level,” her agenda reads. She further vows to “put…

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California Set To Give Full Health Care Benefits To Low Income Illegal Immigrants

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by Molly Prince   California lawmakers released a final draft of the state’s 2020 budget late Sunday evening that would expand health care to illegal immigrants and cost taxpayers nearly $100 million per year. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom reached an agreement with Democrats in the state legislature to become the first state in the nation to provide full health care benefits to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants. As part of a larger $213 billion budget, low-income illegal immigrants under the age of 26 will be eligible for California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, reported The Sacramento Bee. Under the agreement, approximately 90,000 new individuals would qualify with an estimate price tag of $98 million annually. California will begin taxing residents who don’t have health insurance in order to help ease the program’s financial burden, creating an individual-mandate penalty. Initially implemented under the Obama administration to help pay for the federal Affordable Care Act, more commonly referred to as Obamacare, Republicans rolled back the federal individual-mandate penalty in 2017. California Democrats contend that an individual mandate fine will prevent premiums from skyrocketing. “The budget agreement we’re finalizing tonight builds on the strong budget proposal of the governor, while adding significant legislative priorities,” said Democratic state…

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Bernie Sanders Stands by ‘Fake Border Crisis’ Comments, Criticizes Trump’s Deal with Mexico

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by Jason Hopkins   Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders dodged questions Sunday when explicitly asked if he would call the situation at the U.S.-Mexico a “crisis.” CNN host Dana Bash asked Sanders on CNN’s “State of the Union” about a tweet he sent Wednesday in which he called the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border a “fake border ‘crisis.’” Bash, however, noted that U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered over 144,000 illegal migrants in May, the highest number in 13 years. “Border facilities are dangerously overcrowded. Migrants are actually standing on toilets to get space to breathe. How is that not a crisis?” Bash asked the Vermont senator. In response, Sanders accused President Donald Trump of wielding a political strategy that involves demonizing illegal immigrants and Muslims in order to divide the country. He then called for changes to asylum laws that bring in “a whole lot more legal staff and judges.” Bash interjected, asking again if he would call the situation a crisis. “It is a serious problem, but it is not the kind of crisis that requires demonization of desperate people who in some cases have walked a thousand miles with chair children,” Sanders said. “It is an issue we have to deal with.…

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Commentary: The Entitled Uninvited

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by Pedro Gonzalez   On a Sunday afternoon in May, Etta Nugent found Marco Cobos, a Mexican national, at her doorstep in Houston after his truck had broken down nearby. Cobos knocked and Nugent, described by friends as “gentle soul” and a “good Christian woman,” answered. When Cobos asked her to help him fix his truck, the septuagenarian politely declined, citing her age. Feeling entitled to a different answer, Cobos forced his way into Nugent’s home and stabbed her in the chest. He proceeded to show himself to kitchen to look for “more knives,” he told prosecutors, while his victim lay grievously wounded. As Nugent attempted to flee, Cobos killed her in her home of 50 years, across the street from St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church where she had worshiped for most of her life. With cash stolen from the house, Cobos drove Nugent’s car to an auto parts store to buy a new battery for his truck. He stopped for food before returning to Nugent’s home, where he ate and lounged for hours, helping himself to Nugent’s credit cards, even paying his phone bill with one of them. Nugent’s horrific fate has become all too common in an America…

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Immigration Talks Already Underway as Mexico Rushes to Stave Off Tariff Threat

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by Jason Hopkins   Top Mexican government officials are in the United States as they attempt to dissuade the Trump administration from following though on tariff threats. A high-level delegation of Mexican officials, including Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Economy Minister Graciela Marquez, held a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Speaking from the Mexican embassy, the two leaders publicly called on the U.S. to reach a deal with their government instead of resorting to a tariff war. The press conference and meeting come before the two countries are set to kick off official negotiations Wednesday. Mexican and U.S. delegations will try to reach a deal on the immigration crisis before a White House-imposed deadline quickly approaches. The rush to reach a compromise comes after President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a 5% tax on all goods coming from Mexico beginning June 10, unless their government can prove that it is doing more to stop the record-flow of illegal migration running through its borders. Tariffs on Mexican goods, he added, would increase by 5% every month, with the rate reaching as high as 25% by October if Mexico fails to satisfy U.S. demands. Trump on Sunday continued to hammer the country for its perceived inaction…

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Cartel Control, Carrizo Cane, Fake Families and More: Eight Factors Enabling Illegal Border-Crossers at the Laredo, Texas-Mexico Border

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by Fred Lucas   LAREDO, Texas – Guarding this sector of the southern border involves a set of challenges that is quite different than nearby stations in the Lone Star State. I learned this during a tour of the border last week that included this city of about 250,000 across from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, just a few hours away across the Rio Grande Valley station. I traveled along the 171-mile stretch of the border as a reporter for The Daily Signal, and here’s some of what I learned firsthand from Border Patrol agents who guard it. 1. Cartel Control The violent Cartel del Noreste controls and profits from illegal immigration across the southern border. “The Laredo sector is unique compared to our bordering neighbors to the left and to the right of us, up river and down river, in that we sit right across the border from the headquarters of the Cartel del Noreste, formerly known [as] the Zetas Cartel,” Joel Martinez, deputy chief of the Border Patrol for the Laredo sector, told me during an interview. “They are the main reason we are not getting the massive humanity coming at us,” Martinez said of the drug cartel, “because they…

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Border Patrol Creating a New Position to Stymie the Immigration Crisis

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by Jason Hopkins   The U.S. Border Patrol announced that it’s creating a new position specifically tailored to processing and caring for migrants that reach the southern border, allowing agents to refocus their work on enforcement. The “Border Patrol Processing Coordinator” will assume certain responsibilities that have consumed the agency’s time as it deals with a surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) press release on Tuesday. The new position is meant to bring relief to agents who have long complained that the humanitarian crisis has kept them from performing their main role at the border. Coordinators are to be tasked with feeding, cleaning, transporting and other general tasks for illegal immigrants in Border Patrol custody. Migrants in need of medical care will be transported to hospitals by coordinators, who will also be assigned to watch over migrants as they receive care. “I am committed to providing the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol the resources they need to accomplish their border security mission,” Carla Provost, Chief of the Border Patrol, said in a prepared statement on Tuesday. “Border Patrol Processing Coordinators will take on processing, transportation, and custody responsibilities,…

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EXCLUSIVE: Steve Gill of The Tennessee Star Report Talks to FAIR Rep Dave Ray About Illegals ‘Gaming the System’ at the Border

Julie Carr

  In an interview on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast Wednesday on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Steve Gill spoke to the Federation for American Immigration Reform‘s representative Dave Ray about the President Trumps new immigration reform plan. Towards the end of the segment, the men discussed how people are gaming the system at the border and revealed the child smuggling that is occurring because immigrants are using them as a way to come into the country. Gill: President Trump has rolled out his new immigration reform plan. And among those who are urging parts of it and questioning other parts of it are our friends at FAIRUS.org. FAIRUS.org. Dave Raz is their communications director. He’s on the line with us to talk a little immigration this morning. Dave good to have you with us! Ray: Hey great to be with you, Steve. How are you doing this morning? Gill: You aren’t wearing your own brick wall suit this morning are you? (Ray laughs) Ray: Of course not. Gill: It’s more the steel bollard look. Ray: It’s not a brick wall. It’s…

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University of Minnesota Has Been Offering Scholarships and Financial Aid to Illegal Immigrants Since 2013

Anthony Gockowski

  Minnesota high school graduates who are in the country illegally but meet “certain criteria” are eligible for in-state tuition rates, financial aid, and scholarships at the University of Minnesota. Campus Reform recently exposed the story, though the policy has actually been in place since 2013, when the Minnesota Legislature passed its Minnesota Dream Act. According to Minnesota’s Office of Higher Education, students in the country illegally can qualify for in-state tuition rates, state financial aid, and privately funded scholarships provided by public schools if they meet a list of four criteria, including attendance at a Minnesota high school for at least three years and proof of graduation or a GED. Additionally, the state requires that students “provide documentation to show they have applied for lawful immigration status, but only if a federal process exists for a student to do so.” “There is currently not a federal process in place, so this documentation is not currently required,” the Office of Higher Education notes. The University of Minnesota explains on its website that the school’s Board of Regents adopted the Minnesota Dream Act as official university policy in July 2013, shortly after former Gov. Mark Dayton signed it into law. “At…

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Sen. Blackburn, Reps. DesJarlais, Green Publicly Support President Trump’s Meritocracy-Based Immigration Reform Plan

Jason M. Reynolds

  President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful, bold” immigration overhaul plan has at least three backers in Tennessee’s congressional delegation. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and U.S. Reps. Dr. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) and Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) issued statements backing the president. Trump this week rolled out a plan to “transform America’s immigration system” from one of random entry to a meritocracy, The Tennessee Star reported Friday. The president acknowledged that his proposal wouldn’t immediately pass and would have to wait until after the 2020 election. Provisions include: legal immigrants entering for jobs would rise from 12 percent to 57 percent; family-based immigration would decrease from two-thirds to one-third; asylum and diversity visas would decrease from 22 percent to 10 percent; and priority would be given to spouses, children and parents, but not extended family. Regarding the plan, DesJarlais said, “The President’s plan is a well-thought-out, sensible one that would end the chaos at the border and across the United States, because of weak border security, bad laws and judicial decisions. As opposed to the random lottery we have right now, we need a merit-based immigration system that attracts high-skilled workers who will not displace American citizens or become a public…

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Report: Nielsen Stopped Plan for Mass Migrant Family Arrests Shortly Before She Was Ousted

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by Jason Hopkins   Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and ICE acting director Ron Vitiello were both fired shortly after challenging a major White House plan to arrest thousands of illegal migrants across the U.S. Weeks before they were fired by President Donald Trump in April, Nielsen and Vitiello put a stop to a secret White House proposal to apprehend thousands of parents and children in an operation to crack down on illegal immigration, according to seven former and current Department of Homeland Security officials who spoke with The Washington Post. The plan — which had the backing of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and then-ICE deputy director Matthew Albence — involved arresting thousands of migrant family members across 10 major U.S. cities as a public display of force, and help deter the rising influx of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border. Targeted cities included Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and other top destination spots for Central American immigrants. The initial target by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations included 2,500 adults and children, but the proposal, which reportedly is still under consideration by the Trump administration, was treated as a stepping stone toward apprehending as many as 10,000 illegal migrants.…

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Illegal Immigrant Raped, Impregnated 11-Year-Old Ohio Girl Before Hiding Her in Closet

Anthony Gockowski

  Illegal immigrant Juan Leon-Gomez is being held on a $1 million bond in Stark County Jail on charges of raping and impregnating an 11-year-old Ohio girl. News quickly spread of the tragic story after Leon-Gomez’s May 1 arrest, but his immigration status went unreported until Friday, when police confirmed with Cleveland 19 News that he is in the country illegally. Leon-Gomez, 26, was arrested at his residency in Massillon after the 11-year-old’s mother reported her missing. When police arrived at the scene, Leon-Gomez turned off the lights and hid the girl in an upstairs bedroom closet, according to the police report. According to The Canton Repository, he now faces charges of felony rape and obstructing official business. He could face life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years. When asked during his May 3 court appearance if he speaks English, Leon-Gomez responded “no,” saying he speaks Spanish and is from Guatemala. The judge also placed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold on Leon-Gomez, meaning he’d be handed over to ICE if he were to post bail. Several news outlets used the story to criticize Ohio’s recently-passed “heartbeat bill,” which bans abortions in the state after…

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Commentary: Democrats Move to Defund Wall Even As April Border Apprehensions Top 100,000

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by Robert Romano   Apprehensions on the southern border hit 109,144 in April, the highest in a decade, according to data compiled by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It’s already larger than last year. Seven months into fiscal year 2019, with 531,711 apprehensions it has already topped the amount of apprehensions in all of fiscal year 2018, which was 521,090. This year could top 1 million if it continues accelerating. It also beats fiscal years 2017 and 2015, and after next month could be larger than fiscal years 2016 and 2014. According to a White House fact sheet, of the 109,144, “Over 61,000 of these illegal aliens arrived at the border as a part of family units, while over 9,000 were unaccompanied alien children,” accounting for almost two-thirds the total. And thanks to the 1997 Flores consent decree, the federal government is required to release illegal aliens with minors after 20 days. Plus, the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act makes it illegal to send unaccompanied minors from Central America back home to their countries. Making matters worse, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has just 52,000 beds to detain those apprehended at the border, meaning a good deal of those…

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Minnesota House DFL Voted Down Amendments to Make Sure Financial Aid Goes Only to Legal Residents

Anthony Gockowski

  The DFL-controlled Minnesota House voted down two amendments to its omnibus higher education finance bill last week that would have ensured state financial aid goes only to legal residents. One of those amendments was introduced by Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and would have made sure that only legal residents qualify for in-state tuition rates. “Members, citizenship is under assault,” Franson said on the House floor. “There are perks to being a citizen to the state of Minnesota, one of which is state grant dollars and in-state tuition. Taxpayers, though, should not be burdened with extra benefits that go to non-citizens.” Franson argued that “student citizens are hurt by the preference given to those here in this country illegally.” Her amendment was ultimately voted down, as was one introduced by Rep. Eric Lucero (R-Dayton). Lucero’s amendment would have guaranteed that, in the event of funding cuts, illegal immigrants would lose state financial aid before the family members of wounded or deceased first responders and veterans. The language surrounding financial aid for illegal immigrants stems from a bill introduced earlier this session by Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL-St. Paul). His bill, which was incorporated into the omnibus higher education finance bill, would…

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Radio Ads in Central America Are Encouraging Illegal Immigration, Border Patrol Says

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by Jason Hopkins   A Border Patrol agent said there are radio advertisements playing in Central America, encouraging locals to flee to the U.S. illegally to obtain the “American dream.” “The word is definitely out. They have advertisements by radio. You listen to your radio on your way to work — on your way to the grocery store. And that country is advertising, ‘If you want the American dream, we’ll help you out — we’ll teach you how to get it in the United States,’” an unidentified border agent said to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday. Bartiromo toured the southern border in the El Paso Sector, a region the agent described as “probably the busiest area in the country” in terms of illegal immigration. The Fox News host spotted a family crossing the border as she was filming, meeting one Ecuadorian woman with an infant who said she had been traveling for two months. The agent said they are encountering an “unprecedented” number of family units. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIv51igbOiA   Advertisements, paid for by human smugglers, encouraging Central Americans to migrate to the U.S. have become more prevalent in recent time, with many illegal aliens claiming they were prompted to make the trip specifically…

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Study: Nearly 100,000 Unauthorized Immigrants Graduate From US High Schools Per Year

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by Neetu Chandak   U.S. high schools are graduating nearly 100,000 unauthorized immigrants per year, according to a study released Wednesday. The Migration Policy Institute’s (MPI) research found 98,000 were graduating per year in 2016, an increase from 65,000 a year in 2003. California, Texas and Florida graduated 50 percent of unauthorized immigrants. The report cites several reasons for the increase in graduates like increase in illegal immigration and policies that support unauthorized immigrants to receive higher education. Unauthorized immigrants who graduated from high school used to be eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows children of illegal immigrants to work and study in the U.S. without getting deported. Current recipients can renew the status, but the program no longer accepts new applications. “While high school graduation represents an important milestone in the lives of many young people, these graduates will be at risk of deportation and will face severely limited opportunities to pursue further work and education,” the study said. The report studied 15 to 19-year-old unauthorized immigrants who lived in the U.S. for at least five years and who reached graduation age each year. This number came out to be 125,000. Graduation rates…

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Evangelical Kelly Kullberg Offers Free Bible Study Book to Help Christians Use Wisdom of Scriptures in Immigration Debate

Jason M. Reynolds

  No issue is dividing America – including Christians – more than immigration, evangelical Kelly Kullberg says. The American Association of Evangelicals (AAE) and Evangelicals for Biblical Immigration (EBI) say this division is tragic and unnecessary, when a biblical understanding of a wise welcome could heal both the Church and nation. Kullberg is founder of American Association of Evangelicals, the Veritas Forum and author of “Finding God Beyond Harvard.” Kullberg, AAE and EBI are offering a new, free, downloadable Bible study on the topic of immigration called “Wise Welcome: The Bible & Immigration.” The book can help Christians use the wisdom of scriptures in the immigration debate. Kullberg is author of “Wise Welcome: The Bible & Immigration;” co-author is Dr. James Hoffmeier, a former missionary child, refugee, legal immigrant, and Old Testament scholar and professor. The book may be downloaded from AAE’s website here. George Soros-funded “ministries” like Sojourners and Faith in Public Life help the open borders political project, but few know that the Bible does not teach open borders and blanket amnesty. It teaches discernment and “Wise Welcome,” Kullberg, a spokesperson for AAE, said in a press release. “Many people have heard the beautiful verse from Matthew 25,…

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Answers to Four Big Questions About Sending Illegal Immigrants to Sanctuary Cities

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by Fred Lucas   The Trump administration is exploring the legality of transporting illegal immigrants who the government can’t detain to sanctuary cities, which by definition welcome illegal immigrants. Prominent Democrats say they oppose the idea, and even supporters say President Donald Trump could be trolling Democrats in a public relations move. If Trump moves forward with the notion, it almost certainly would be litigated. Here’s a look at key questions surrounding the proposal. The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more >> 1. Where Would Illegal Immigrants Be Transported? More than 170 cities and counties have some sort of sanctuary law prohibiting local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration authorities, and in some cases jurisdictions may even obstruct enforcement. This includes most large cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. That’s according to data from the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank favoring strict immigration policies, which has a map of sanctuary cities on its website. Local sanctuary jurisdictions span 26 states. California, home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who is highly critical of Trump, is a sanctuary state.…

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White House on Sending Illegal Aliens to Sanctuary Cities: ‘We Are Certainly Looking at All Options’

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The White House on Sunday, echoing President Donald Trump, said sending illegal aliens to sanctuary U.S. cities that have protected them from deportation remains a possibility even though government agencies have said it would be impractical and there is no money allocated to do it. “We certainly are looking at all options as long as [opposition] Democrats refuse to acknowledge the crisis at the border,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told the “Fox News Sunday” show. Trump said late Saturday on Twitter, “Democrats must change the Immigration Laws FAST. If not, Sanctuary Cities must immediately ACT to take care of the Illegal Immigrants – and this includes Gang Members, Drug Dealers, Human Traffickers, and Criminals of all shapes, sizes and kinds. CHANGE THE LAWS NOW!” Democrats must change the Immigration Laws FAST. If not, Sanctuary Cities must immediately ACT to take care of the Illegal Immigrants – and this includes Gang Members, Drug Dealers, Human Traffickers, and Criminals of all shapes, sizes and kinds. CHANGE THE LAWS NOW! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2019 Hundreds of U.S. cities, along with California, the country’s most populous state, have declared themselves as havens for illegal aliens who have crossed…

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Kasich Calls Trump’s Latest Immigration Proposal ‘Wacky’ and ‘Just Crazy’

Anthony Gockowski

Former Gov. John Kasich called President Donald Trump’s latest immigration plan “wacky” and “just crazy” during a CNN interview Friday morning. The Washington Post reported Thursday night that Trump was once again considering a plan to release migrants into self-declared sanctuary cities. Trump confirmed the report in a pair of tweets Friday morning. “Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong consideration to placing illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities,” Trump said. “Only the radical left always seems to have an open borders, open arms policy—so this should make them very happy.” Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2019 Trump touted the idea again during a White House event Friday afternoon, according to The Hill. “We can give them an unlimited supply [of migrants] and let’s see if they’re so happy,” he said. “They say ‘we have open arms.’ They’re always saying they have open arms. Let’s see if they have open arms.” Speaker of…

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CRISIS: More Than 103,000 Migrants Reached Southern Border in March

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by Jason Hopkins   Law enforcement agents apprehended or turned back 103,492 migrants attempting to reach the U.S. southern border in March, marking the highest month in 12 years. The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 92,607 individuals between ports of entry at the southern border. Another 10,885 migrants appeared at a port of entry, but were deemed inadmissible and were turned away, according to data released by Customs and Border Protection. “The Border Patrol is facing an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis,” Brian Hastings, Border Patrol’s chief of law enforcement operations, told reporters Tuesday. “We’ve arrived at the breaking point.” Of all the foreign nationals turned away and apprehended in March, more than 53,000 belonged to family units and nearly 9,000 were unaccompanied alien children (UAC). Only 30,555 were single adults. The demographics indicate the crisis immigration enforcement agents are facing. U.S. trafficking laws, which were designed to handle illegal migrants made up of mostly single men from Mexico, have made it difficult for law enforcement officials to process the unprecedented volume of Central American families and children breaching the U.S.-Mexico border. The situation has stretched government resources beyond the breaking point, and leaving officials with no choice but to…

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Guatemalan Migrant Recruiter: It’s ‘Never Been Easier’ to Get Illegals Into the US

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by Jason Hopkins   Word is spreading among Central Americans that, if one reaches the U.S.-Mexico border with a child and claims asylum, it’s fairly easy to evade deportation. “It’s never been easier for us to get families in,” Germán, a client recruiter for human smugglers, said in an interview with The Guardian. Germán works in Huehuetenango, a Guatemalan district that has experienced the highest rate of migration in the country. “People want to leave, and we help them,” said Germán, 34. “And I happen to make money in the process.” Migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border have reached their highest in over a decade, causing what the Trump administration has dubbed an “emergency crisis.” Unlike years prior, the vast majority of the foreign nationals currently trying to get into the country hail from Central America and belong to family units. Originally intended to manage mostly adult, Mexican men traveling alone, the U.S. immigration system has buckled under the weight of Central American families and unaccompanied alien children arriving at the border — many of them actively seeking out border agents and immediately requesting asylum. A major motivation for migrants to make the dangerous trek across Mexico has been the…

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Trump, Newsom Clash Over Illegal Immigration as President Visits California Wall Construction

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by Fred Lucas   President Donald Trump was greeted Friday by a friendly crowd of border security officials in California, the state where he has the most political opposition and which has declared itself a “sanctuary state.” He also toured the site of some border wall construction there. Trump was briefed by officials from the U.S. Border Patrol in the Calexico, California, station near the border with Mexico. “We expect to have close to 400 miles [of wall] done within two years from now. That’s a lot,” Trump said. “We love California. But those people wanted us to build a wall, and we got it built, including wall in San Diego, which is pretty much completed. It’s had a tremendous impact. The wall has had a tremendous impact.” Trump said the country is “full” and insisted the immigration asylum laws must be changed. “We have a system that is full. It’s just full. … There’s nothing we can do about it,” the president said. “ … The system is full. When it’s full, there’s nothing you can do. You have to say, ‘I’m sorry. We can’t take you.’” California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized Trump’s call for changing the laws on…

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FAKE NEWS: The Washington Post Grossly Understates the Crime Rate of Illegal Immigrants

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by James D. Agresti   The Washington Post has published a blatant falsehood in support of the claim that illegal immigrants are less likely to commit serious imprisonable crimes than people born in the United States. Furthermore, the Post ignores data from the Census Bureau, Department of Justice, and Homeland Security that proves the polar opposite is true. These straightforward, comprehensive facts reveal that illegal immigrants are much more likely to commit such crimes. An Innocent Mistake or Deliberate Deception? In a recent “fact check“ of President Trump, Glenn Kessler, Salvador Rizzo, and Meg Kelly of the Post contend that Trump “exaggerates the link between immigration and crime.” As proof of this, they write that “almost all research shows legal and illegal immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than the native-born population.” The hyperlink above leads to their supposed evidence, an earlier article by Rizzo that makes a simple but major error. It compares the number of non-citizen immigrants in prison to the total number of immigrants in the United States. This is misleading because non-citizens only account for about half of all immigrants. The other half are immigrants who have become U.S. citizens. The Post’s mix-up, quoted below,…

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Commentary: Mr. President, Close the Border

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by CHQ Staff   We have said on a number of occasions that the Constitution is not a suicide pact and that a dysfunctional or politically gridlocked Congress should not be able to use specious separation of powers arguments to put the sovereignty of the United States and the lives and property of its citizens in jeopardy. That is why we believe that the President Trump’s Article II duty to enforce the laws of the United States and defend its Constitution trumps the appropriations clause of Article I and empowers the President to reprograms funds to secure the border in the absence of congressional action to stop the ongoing invasion of our country. But stopping the invasion is not a one solution problem – there are many actions the President can and should take to prevent millions more illegal aliens from entering the United States. One of the simplest and most effective actions he could take is to close the border with Mexico, and it seems like President Trump is inching toward the decision to do so. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Sunday that President Donald Trump is serious about possibly closing the U.S.-Mexico border this week. “It certainly…

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Minnesota Bishops Double-Down on Supporting Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

Anthony Gockowski

Leaders of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are doubling-down on their support of a bill that would provide driver’s licenses to people in the country illegally. Under House File 1500, a person would not be “required to demonstrate United States citizenship or lawful presence in the United States in order to obtain a noncompliant driver’s license or identification card.” As The Minnesota Sun previously reported, Archbishop Bernard Hebda spoke at a February press conference in favor of the bill alongside several Democratic politicians. “This legislation is an important human rights test. Will we as Minnesotans embrace our brothers and sisters and help them in a way that costs us nothing as a community? Or will we be overcome by what Pope Francis calls a ‘culture of indifference’ that fails in the duty to see the needs of others effectively?” Hebda said at the time. Hebda was recently joined in supporting the bill by Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Minnesota Catholic Conference Executive Director Jason Adkins, both of whom spoke with The Catholic Spirit about the proposal. “We believe it is very clear where Catholic principles take you in this decision,” Cozzens told The Spirit. “It is an intrinsic, moral…

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Another Migrant Caravan Is Heading Toward The US

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by Jason Hopkins   A caravan of mostly Central Americans began its trek toward the United States over the weekend, setting the stage for what will likely be another showdown between border enforcement officials and migrants. Around 1,200 migrants formed a caravan in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas and, following the same route as numerous groups before them, started their journey northward Saturday, according to Reuters. The U.S.-bound group is made of mostly Central Americans from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, but also includes Cuban migrants. The National Migration Institute — a department within the government of Mexico that tracks immigration — said the migrants were already within the country before they decided to assemble into a caravan near the country’s southern border with Guatemala. The latest caravan will likely further inflame tensions between these Central American countries and the White House. President Donald Trump, who has made increased immigration enforcement a hallmark of his executive agenda, has threatened Central American governments with repercussions for allowing migrants to freely make their way to the U.S. “… Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming…

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Neil McCabe Joins the The Tennessee Star Report From the #WeBuildtheWall Rally to Talk Border Security and the Wall

Julie Carr

On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill talked to Neil McCabe of One America News Network while he was in Cincinnati preparing for the #WeBuildtheWall rally. Gill and McCabe concluded the segment talking about illegal immigration statistics and how the influx of illegal migrants was putting a strain on American taxpayers, their schools, and their communities. Gill: And our own Neil McCabe from One America News Network is going to be there hosting the event. He’s on our news makers line in Cincinnati WKRP from Cincinnati, don’t let them do a turkey drop or anything Neil. (McCabe laughs) As god as my witness I thought turkey’s could fly. (McCabe bellows) McCabe: Hey good morning Steve. Gill: Good morning. McCabe: So does your news director have a line pasted on his floor like Les Nessman? Gill: He had to have his area of what was designated. Quick radio story because you’re a media radio kind of guy. Years ago we were doing a promotions meeting and I made some reference to hey yeah this promotion will be…

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