During a specific discussion Friday 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 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.– Leahy welcomed Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies Mark Krikorian.
Read the full story
Early in 2019, a firestorm of criticism descended upon veteran journalist Tom Brokaw because he said on NBC’s Meet the Press that Hispanics “should work harder at assimilation” and shouldn’t isolate themselves “in their communities.” NBC condemned his comments as “inaccurate and inappropriate,” media outlets ran articles and editorials calling them racist and factually wrong, and Brokaw apologized.
Contrary to the blowback against Brokaw, scholarly sources show that modern Latino immigrants are not assimilating like previous generations of immigrants. Furthermore, this is having negative economic impacts on them and the nation at large. These facts have nothing to do with race and everything to do with factors that can foster or impede economic prosperity.
Read the full story
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden published a sweeping immigration plan that called for an overhaul of the Trump administration’s agenda, but it remained largely moderate compared to his progressive contenders.
Read the full story
Officials in Green Lake County, Wisconsin said they have arrested six men suspected of being in the country illegally for sex trafficking a young girl who escaped from captivity last month.
Read the full story
The third Democratic presidential candidate debate took place in Houston Thursday. The candidates answered questions on a range of issues, including health care, gun control, immigration and an ongoing U.S.-China trade war.
Read the full story
A former GOP congressman declared victory in a Colorado mayoral election days after Election Day, marking yet another defeat for anti-ICE activists and other immigration enforcement opponents who failed to mobilize voters in 2019.
Read the full story
Tens of thousands of people who successfully enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program carried prior arrest records, according to data the Trump administration released Saturday.
Read the full story
Wednesday 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 – Leahy and Carmichael were joined on the line by the former acting director of ICE, Tom Homan.
Read the full story
Speaking at an Iowa town hall event, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg said migrant families separated by the U.S. government deserve “compensation.”
Read the full story
A federal judge has, at least temporarily, blocked the Trump administration from implementing a rule that would require immigrants prove that they have health insurance or can afford to pay for it.
Judge Michael Simon of the federal district court in Portland, Oregon, issued a nationwide temporary restraining order Saturday, barring President Donald Trump from implementing his health care requirement for foreign nationals applying for legal permanent status.
Read the full story
The Democrats often claim that they alone will protect people with pre-existing conditions. Well, unfortunately for us, this popular catchphrase delivered the greatest catch in the history of politics: under Obamacare, insurance companies couldn’t deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions — but doctors could.
Read the full story
The Trump administration is moving forward with a plan to collect DNA samples from asylum seekers, a policy intended to crack down on immigration-related crime and fraud at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full story
Several prominent businesses headquartered in Minnesota signed on to an amicus brief in support of upholding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Read the full story
In an exclusive interview Wednesday 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 Michael Patrick Leahy spoke with Dr. Manny Sethi in-studio to discuss his background and reasons he is running for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in Tennessee. Sethi told Leahy that, if elected and sworn in as a Republican United States Senator, he will not vote for Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Senate Majority Leader. “Right now, we’ve got Mitch McConnell up there, and this guy just shuts everybody down. And the career politicians, the establishment, they just run the day. But that’s why we need folks up there who come from outside the government, to change things,” Sethi said. “Mitch McConnell, if the Republicans maintain control of the Senate, he will still probably be the Majority Leader,” Leahy said. “He won’t have my vote,” Sethi responded. “He won’t have your vote?” Leahy asked. “I will not vote for him. I don’t know who I’ll vote for, but I won’t vote for that guy,” Sethi said. “You just made some news here,” Leahy noted. “If you…
Read the full story
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro voiced his support for a late union leader who ardently opposed illegal immigration into the country.
Read the full story
On Friday’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 – host Leahy welcomed Congressman Scott DesJarlais to the third hour of the show to speak on comprehensive immigration solutions and the recent impeachment inquiry.
Read the full story
A new poll finds that Democratic voters are increasingly embracing lax immigration enforcement policies, putting them in contrast with overall voters.
Read the full story
The Trump Administration is continuing to take steps to enforce existing immigration laws. And the response from the Left and the mainstream media (at this point, one and the same) has been what you’d expect.
Read the full story
Imagine a homeless man. Does he have a long, frazzled beard and unkempt hair? What do his clothes look like? Probably ratty and full of holes—moth nests in the pockets. Maybe he has a shopping cart full of cans and a mangy dog named “Rusty.”
Read the full story
The Mexican government is claiming the number of U.S.-bound illegal migrants traveling through its country has decreased by 39% since May, a result of their bolstered enforcement efforts.
Read the full story
by Victoria Macchi The Trump administration is considering more dramatic cuts to the U.S. refugee program, with one official suggesting the White House not allow any refugees into the country in the coming fiscal year. In a Politico report released Thursday, government officials from several federal agencies attended a meeting last week and discussed several options that included a ceiling of 10,000 — well below the current refugee ceiling of 30,000, which is already an all-time low for the program. The U.S. resettled 23,190 refugees since the beginning of fiscal 2019 last October. With 2½ months remaining until the count resets, the U.S. is on track to fall short of this year’s cap, according to U.S. State Department data. Since the so-called “refugee ceiling” is an upper limit, and not a quota, the government is not required to meet the annual admissions number. Multiple figures Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief, one of the primary refugee resettlement nongovernmental organizations in the U.S., said he has heard multiple figures proposed for the coming fiscal year, all well below the program’s historical annual threshold of around 60,000 to 70,000. In President Barack Obama’s last year two years in office, his administration made…
Read the full story
A bombshell report released Thursday claims that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) entered the country fraudulently in 1995 as a member of the “Omar” family, which allegedly isn’t her real family. The article was published Thursday at Powerline by David Steinberg, formerly an editor of PJ Media who has written extensively on Omar over the past three years. In his article, Steinberg claims: “In 1995, Ilhan entered the United States as a fraudulent member of the ‘Omar’ family. That is not her family. The Omar family is a second, unrelated family which was being granted asylum by the United States. The Omars allowed Ilhan, her genetic sister Sahra, and her genetic father Nur Said to use false names to apply for asylum as members of the Omar family.” He goes on to claim that Omar’s real name, before applying for asylum, was Ilhan Nur Said Elmi. The family split up in 1995 when three of her siblings were granted asylum by the United Kingdom, including Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, whom Omar allegedly married in 2009 and divorced in 2017. As The Minnesota Sun has previously reported, this alleged marriage to her brother occurred at a time of massive immigration fraud. Steinberg cites…
Read the full story
by Christopher Roach Democrats have renewed their vows to unwavering support of open borders. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tussled last week with former Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Thomas Homan. After she described fence-hoppers as asylum seekers, Homan reminded her that they all have the option of presenting their asylum claims at the ports of entry. Her attempt at “gotcha” backfired. Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) got tongue tied on “The View,” saying that she didn’t want to “decriminalize” illegal immigration, but that “we’re not going to treat people who are undocumented [and] cross the borders as criminals, that is correct.” Most dramatically, the entire lot of Democrats running for president raised their hands in support of giving free healthcare to anyone who makes it into the country, legally or otherwise. Is There a Crisis on the Border? Only a few short months ago, the Democrats mocked Trump for suggesting there was a crisis on the border. Now they agree there is a crisis, but they’re chiefly concerned with the conditions of the detainees. While kids every day are separated from parents who are caught with a bag of weed, and our prisons are chaotic nightmare worlds for nonviolent offenders,…
Read the full story
by George Rasley, CHQ Editor Tuesday night Fox News’ Tucker Carlson had a great monologue about immigration, especially from Muslim countries and he singled-out freshman Democrat Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-5), who came to the U.S. as a refugee from Somalia, is “living proof” that U.S. immigration laws are “dangerous.” “No country can import large numbers of people who hate it and expect to survive. The Romans were the last to try that with predictable results. So be grateful for Ilhan Omar, annoying as she is. She’s a living fire alarm, a warning to the rest of us,” Carlson said during his monologue. “Omar is now at the age of only 36, one of the most powerful women in America. It’s an amazing story really. Only in this country could it have happened,” he said. “Ilhan Omar has an awful lot to be grateful for, but she isn’t grateful. Not at all,” Carlson then said. “After everything America has done for Omar and for her family, she hates this country more than ever.” “Omar isn’t disappointed in America. She’s enraged by it,” he continued. “That should worry you, and not just because Omar is a sitting member of Congress. Ilhan…
Read the full story
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…
Read the full story
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke was welcomed by a large, raucous crowd during his Nashville campaign stop Sunday afternoon. Former U.S. Rep. O’Rourke (R-TN-16) tweeted a video from the rally. Nashville! pic.twitter.com/Gx6aGYvvPY — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) July 7, 2019 In promoting the event, the Tennessee Democratic Party tweeted, “2020 Democratic presidential candidate @BetoORourke will hold a campaign rally at @MMusicWorks in Nashville tomorrow, July 7th at 3 p.m. CT! The event will feature live music from @Elizabeth_Cook and @RaelynNelson Band.” 2020 Democratic presidential candidate @BetoORourke will hold a campaign rally at @MMusicWorks in Nashville tomorrow, July 7th at 3 p.m. CT! The event will feature live music from @Elizabeth_Cook and @RaelynNelson Band. RSVP: https://t.co/WfP0aAVus7 — Tennessee Democratic Party (@tndp) July 6, 2019 The venue was Marathon Music Works on Clinton Street. Music was provided by Elizabeth Cook and the Raelyn Nelson Band. O’Rourke’s campaign billed the visit as his first stop in the Volunteer State. O’Rourke retweeted this tweet: “HAPPENING NOW! @BetoORourke in Nashville, Tennessee! He believes background checks on every gun sale can save lives and recognized @MomsDemand as making a difference across America! #gunsense #tnleg”. https://twitter.com/krayoncolorz/status/1147986578695950336 The Tennessee Holler, a liberal activist site, tweeted a photo with O’Rourke…
Read the full story
by Evie Fordham Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s immigration plan announced Tuesday would sidestep Congress and drastically change U.S. immigration policy through executive orders. “But we can’t wait for Congress to act, which is why, as president, Cory will start on Day One to end the abuses of the Trump Administration and use his executive authority to reform our immigration system,” a statement on Booker’s presidential campaign website reads. NEW: I’m introducing a plan to fix our broken immigration system—without Congress. https://t.co/PFCuvn4yOg pic.twitter.com/d8hyHlZjYG — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 2, 2019 Booker’s plan isn’t wildly different from those of other 2020 candidates, but it is one of the most detailed, according to The Associated Press. Tenets of Booker’s plan include steps to: “Virtually eliminate our nation’s reliance on immigration incarceration, including ending the use of for-profit detention facilities.” “Stop treating immigrants as criminals [because] criminal prosecution of improper entry has been used by the Trump Administration as a basis for the separation of thousands of families.” End the Trump administration’s travel ban of several Muslim-majority countries. Booker’s plan would also squash a Trump administration proposal to make it easier to deport immigrants who are deemed “public charges” because they…
Read the full story
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…
Read the full story
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,…
Read the full story
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) recently defended fellow freshman Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), who’s facing ongoing criticism for calling immigrant detention centers “concentration camps.” Ocasio-Cortez made the comment during a Tuesday night live stream on Instagram, and has continued to stand by her remarks. “This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying,” she wrote on Twitter. “This is not hyperbole. It is the conclusion of expert analysis.” This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying. This is not hyperbole. It is the conclusion of expert analysis ⬇️https://t.co/2dWHxb7UuL — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 18, 2019 She later accused the GOP of supporting the building of “mass concentration camps on the southern border.” “Kids and families are dying. Now they want money for more—with zero negotiation on how money is spent,” she added. The GOP has supported building mass concentration camps on the southern border. Kids & families are dying. Now they want money for more – w/ ZERO negotiation on how $ is spent.…
Read the full story
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…
Read the full story
The Mexican government recently claimed that some funding for the “illicit support of migrant caravans” came from individuals within the United States. In a June 6 press release, Mexico’s Finance and Tax Secretariat announced that it has “blocked the bank accounts of various individuals and corporations that allegedly participated in the trafficking of migrants and the illegal organization of migrant caravans.” As Breitbart first reported, the Mexican government identified 26 individuals who made “several questionable financial transactions from the cities of Chiapas and Queretaro during the times that the migrant caravans were moving through those places.” The press release states that “illegal payment for migrant smuggling” came from individuals in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Cameroon, the United States, and England. Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit froze the accounts of 26 unnamed people for their “probable link with migrant smuggling and illicit support of migrant caravans.” The press release states that complaints have been presented to Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office for prosecution. Breitbart points out that the action came at “a time when Mexican officials are meeting with their U.S. counterparts in an attempt to keep the Trump administration from levying tariffs on international commerce as a punitive measure over the…
Read the full story
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…
Read the full story
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…
Read the full story
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…
Read the full story
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…
Read the full story
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) called for abolishing ICE and ending the “criminalization” of “immigrants and those crossing the border.” The comments were made during a speech Omar gave at a rally Thursday in Washington, D.C. The event was hosted by MoveOn and its allied organizations, who brought a replica of the State of Liberty to “make clear America welcomes immigrants and refugees.” LIVE we brought the Statue of Liberty to D.C. to make clear #americawelcomes immigrants and refugees https://t.co/pJB5MSD6kE — MoveOn (@MoveOn) May 16, 2019 “We unveiled a Statue of Liberty replica in D.C. as a reminder to everyone that our immigration policies must be rooted in dignity, human rights, and respect,” Omar wrote on Twitter. During the rally, Omar said she decided to participate “because we live in a country that was founded on the idea of justice, of liberty, and of the pursuit of happiness.” “But those core beliefs, these ideas, are being threatened by this administration,” she continued. “This administration has explicitly targeted immigrants and people of color at every single turn. This president would rather demonize immigrants and cage children than pass a comprehensive immigration reform.” We unveiled a Statue of Liberty replica in DC…
Read the full story
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.…
Read the full story
by George Rasley Rumors have been swirling that President Trump is planning another effort to pass an immigration reform bill, and CHQ was invited to join a small group of conservative opinion leaders in meeting with senior White House staff to preview some of the ideas the President is considering. There was a lot of good give and take during the meeting and many of the ideas discussed have their roots in Senator Tom Cotton’s RAISE Act, which we have long considered to be the best of the recent immigration reform proposals and the floor below which no conservative immigration legislation should go. But what is missing from the RAISE Act, and has been missing from every recent immigration reform proposal proposed by Republicans, is any effort to address the most important failure of our current immigration system: Its total lack of any effort to assimilate the immigrants we so generously allow into our country. While the gross number of immigrants allowed in matters a lot – and we would certainly suggest that the current number is too high – the real problem is our government’ utter failure to make any coherent effort to assimilate them into American culture…
Read the full story
by Jason Hopkins Jared Kushner developed a comprehensive immigration proposal that consists of fortifying border security and shifting U.S. immigration to a more merit-based system. Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, formulated a tactic to immigration reform, and he hopes to present a legislative form of the plan to Trump within the coming days. The package essentially takes a two-pronged approach to immigration reform. The first part of the plan tackles legal immigration into the U.S., with Kushner looking to limit the number of low-skilled migrants who enter the country based on family ties. In their place, high-skilled foreign nationals would be encouraged to join the U.S. workforce under an immigration program that is more similar to the merit-based systems seen in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, CNN reported. The second part of the proposal pertains to border security. Trump’s son-in-law hopes to build more barrier walls on the U.S. southern border in areas that see high levels of illegal immigration. He also wants to modernize ports of entry so everything coming into the country is scanned, preventing anything illegal from getting past immigration enforcement. Changes to asylum laws and seasonal guest worker programs are also included…
Read the full story
by CHQ Staff The government and immigration continue to stand apart from other issues when Americans are asked to name the most important problem facing the U.S. These two issues, mentioned in an April 1-9 poll by 23 percent and 21 percent of U.S. adults, respectively, are the only ones cited by more than one in 10 Americans, as they have been for all but one of the past 13 months. Immigration scores three times higher than health care (21 percent to 7 percent) and seven times higher than Environment/Pollution/Climate change, 21 percent to 3 percent. According to Gallup’s Lydia Saad, the lone exception since April 2018 in double-digit mentions outside of government and immigration occurred last November, when 11 percent of Americans named healthcare at the same time that 18 percent mentioned government and 21 percent immigration. Today, healthcare ranks a more distant third at 7 percent, followed by race relations or racism at 6 percent. Three issues — the economy, poverty and unifying the country — tie for fifth, all mentioned by 5 percent. Another nine issues are mentioned by at least 2 percent of Americans, including the environment/pollution/climate change at 3 percent, unemployment at 2 percent,…
Read the full story
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,…
Read the full story
Lucas County, Ohio joined the City of Dayton Tuesday as the newest member of Welcoming America’s “Certified Welcoming” program. According to the organization’s website, the “Certified Welcoming” program “formally evaluates and assesses your community’s efforts to provide an inclusive place for all.” “Candidates submit an application; complete a self-assessment; and receive an evaluative site visit and a detailed final report that identifies local strengths and provides a road map for areas of growth,” the website states, noting that the certification process generally takes between six months and a year. The “certification fee” for eligible cities is $12,000, but was discounted to $6,000 for 2019, according to the website. The “Certified Welcoming” label is valid for three years, and participating communities must continue to “meet the core criteria” listed in Welcoming America’s “Welcoming Standard.” The Lucas County commissioners were joined by a representative from Welcoming America Tuesday for a press conference to announce the designation. “When people come here, when people aspire to come here, when people work hard to come here, we are a welcoming community, and we have a certification to prove it,” Commissioner Pete Gerken said, according to The Toledo Blade. Lucas County is the fourth community…
Read the full story
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), now a 2020 presidential hopeful, placed the fault for the current migrant crisis squarely on the shoulders of President Donald Trump Sunday, stating that “the president has caused it” by being “lazy.” The nine-term congressman made the statement during a wide-ranging interview with Kasie Hunt on MSNBC. Hunt asked specifically if there was a migrant “crisis” on the border, and Ryan replied by stating: It is [a crisis], and I think that the president has caused it, to be quite honest with you. He has failed to address the issues in Central America. Quite frankly, the president is lazy. He doesn’t read his presidential daily briefing. He ignored this problem. We want presidents to deal with the root of problems. Central America is a mess, and we are doing nothing to stabilize that region. Other Democratic legislators have been hesitant to label the current issues at the Mexico-U.S. border a “crisis,” opting instead to call it a “challenge.” "Quite frankly the president is lazy"@TimRyan says the president helped cause the humanitarian crisis at the border with Mexico. pic.twitter.com/nT95qXxho7 — Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@WayTooEarly) April 15, 2019 Ryan went on to state that issues such as…
Read the full story
by Henry Rodgers The Republican National Committee (RNC) will spend six figures on advertisements criticizing Democrats for their proposals on how to fix the immigration system, according to internal information obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The advertisements will point out Democrats’ refusal to work with President Donald Trump to secure the U.S. border and point out their positions on immigration, including open borders and sanctuary cities. The ad buy is directed at states Trump won in 2016 and focuses on districts where there is an opportunity for pick-up seats. This initial ad buy is the first of many for the cycle and includes a refined list of Democrats the committee hopes to expand upon as the November 2020 elections get closer. It will reach voters in 15 Democrat-held congressional districts, all of which are on the NRCC’s target list, with important presidential states such as Iowa, Michigan and Virginia. The blitz will feature 83 versions of the ad across various platforms, including Facebook and Google. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the committee is doing this to call out Democrats for their positions on illegal immigration. “While Democrats continue to put American lives at risk by refusing to…
Read the full story
Cincinnati is one of two self-declared sanctuary municipalities in Ohio, but its mayor has been silent thus far on President Donald Trump’s latest immigration proposal. The Washington Post reported last week that Trump was reconsidering a plan to place migrants in sanctuary cities, such as Cincinnati and Franklin County. Trump later confirmed the report on Twitter 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.” But when The Cincinnati Enquirer called Mayor John Cranley’s office for comment on how the city would respond to Trump’s proposal, he didn’t respond, nor has he released any public statements on the matter. Cranley first declared Cincinnati a sanctuary city in 2017, and said it was something he would wear as a “badge of honor.” According to The Enquirer, Cincinnati and Franklin County are the only sanctuary cities in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Julie LeMaster, executive director of the Ohio-based Immigration and Refugee Law Center, called Trump’s proposal a…
Read the full story
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 and Leahy talked to One America News Networks Neil McCabe about the recent Trump Administration firings and why they didn’t last. Further into the segment the men talked about the leaks coming from the White House and the non-committed holdovers from Obama’s administration that are allegedly sabotaging the Trump agenda. Leahy: We are joined now on the line as we are every Tuesday morning at this time by our very good friend Neil McCabe the Washington correspondent from One America News Network. Welcome Neil! McCabe: How you doing men? We’re all very excited about what’s going on in DC this week. (Leahy laughs) Leahy: Has anyone been fired in the last twelve hours? (Laughing) McCabe: You know I think it’s interesting that in the first few years of a presidential administration, doesn’t matter who it is, there’s a lot of people who get white house jobs because they did a great job on the campaign. Leahy: Hmmhm.. McCabe: And they were sort of like loyal soldiers. And then they…
Read the full story
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 his campaign, throughout his two and a half years of presidency,” Grassley said Monday during an interview with The Washington Post. “He’s pulling the rug out from the very people that are trying to help him accomplish his goal.” Grassley’s tough comments come after President Donald Trump not only pulled Ron Vitiello’s nomination to permanently lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 4, but also accepted Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation on Sunday. The senior senator from Iowa said he was “very, very concerned” about reports that Lee Francis Cissna, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), was next on the chopping block. There is also speculation that John Mitnick, Homeland Security Department’s general counsel, may also be axed. “One, those are good public servants,” he said of the immigration officials. “Secondly, besides the personal connection I have with them and the qualifications they have, they…
Read the full story
by Edward Ring Apart from the fine weather unique to California, there is little stopping the homeless crisis that grips that state from infecting the rest of America. The Golden State’s other, even bigger problem—unaffordable housing—is also coming to America. All the elements are in place. The problem of increasing homelessness boils down to three fundamental policy failures: Massive immigration, overpriced housing, and an inability of state and local governments properly to deal with homeless people. Volumes could be written about each of these problems, because each one of them is symptomatic of deeper challenges. Immigration is fundamentally transforming our culture. Overpriced housing is only one element of the economic asset bubble that offers an illusory, unsustainable substitute for genuine economic growth. And our inability to deal with the homeless is just one example of a stultified society, mired in legal disputes, bureaucratic inertia, and corruption. Before exploring how these three problems exacerbate homelessness, it’s important to declare their larger significance. The way each of these problems affects homelessness and how each of them might be solved in order to resolve the problem of homelessness points the way to larger, more general solutions. Mass Immigration Raises Demand for Housing…
Read the full story
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…
Read the full story