At least nine members of a Mormon family, three women and six children, were killed Monday in a deadly ambush while they were traveling near the southern border.
Read the full storyMormon Family Massacred While Traveling Along the US-Mexico Border
Tag: southern border
‘Key Component To The Success’: Administration Expands ‘Remain In Mexico’ Program Along Border
The Trump administration announced the expansion of a program that transfers asylum applicants back to Mexico while they wait for their claims to be processed by a U.S. immigration judge.
Read the full storyTrump Administration Testing Out a Program That Quickly Deports Migrants Who Arrive at the Border
The Trump administration has launched a pilot program that expedites the time it takes to process and deport asylum seekers at the U.S-Mexico border.
Read the full storyPresident Says He’d Rather Focus on the Southern Border Than Northern Syria Border
President Donald Trump said he would rather focus efforts on the U.S. southern border than the northern Syria border in a Monday tweet.
Read the full storyImmigration Court Cases Continue to Overwhelm US Government Resources
The federal agency tasked with processing migrant asylum claims completed the second-highest number of cases in history, but the tremendous backlog is still overwhelming the U.S. immigration system.
Read the full storyMexican National Guard Stopped, Turned Back Migrant Caravan Headed For US: Report
Mexican authorities stopped a caravan of about 2,000 migrants heading north for the United States, the latest action by their government to crack down on illegal immigration.
Read the full storyJudge Blocks Trump Admin Rule That Makes It Easier to Deny Green Cards to Poor Immigrants
A federal judge blocked a Trump administration rule just days before it was due to go into effect and make it harder for low-income migrants to obtain green cards, dealing a serious blow to the president’s immigration agenda.
Read the full storyThe Trump Administration Wants 450 Miles of Border Wall By 2020
The acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection said in a speech about the current immigration crisis that the Trump administration plans to build hundreds of miles of new border wall by the close of 2020.
Read the full storySouthern Border Arrests Totaled Nearly 1 Million in Fiscal Year 2019, CBP Chief Says
The Customs and Border Protection acting commissioner said Tuesday nearly 1 million “enforcement actions” took place on the southern border in fiscal year 2019.
Read the full storyJulian Castro Leads LGBT Migrants to US Border
Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro traveled to Mexico to escort a group of LGBT migrants to the U.S. border, an attempt to showcase how the Trump administration’s immigration policy hurts vulnerable immigrants.
Read the full storyThe Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Encouraging Illegal Immigration Is Protected Speech
The Supreme Court will decide whether a federal law that makes it a crime to “encourage or induce” someone to enter the country illegally violates the First Amendment.
Read the full storyThe Trump Administration Will Expand DNA Collection of Migrants
The Trump administration is moving forward with its plan to dramatically expand DNA testing of illegal migrants at the southern border, a move intended to help control the immigration crisis.
Read the full storyObama Judge Issues Preliminary Ruling Against Indefininte Family Detention
A federal judge has issued a tentative order against the Trump administration’s plan to detain migrant families for the entire duration of their court proceedings.
Read the full storyHector Garza, Vice President of the National Border Patrol Talks with Leahy About Growing Up on the Souther Border and What it’s Like to Be a Border Patrol Agent in America
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 – host Leahy welcomed Vice President of the National Border Patrol Council, Hector Garza to the show on radio row to talk about what kinds of problems border patrol agents face.
Read the full storySenate Lawmakers Vote Again to Stop President Trump’s Border Emergency
The Senate on Wednesday voted for the second time to end President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration for the U.S.-Mexico border, which was made possible by several Republicans breaking ranks.
Read the full storyTrump Administration Says ‘Catch And Release’ of Illegal Migrants Will Come to an End
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan announced Monday a combination of new immigration initiatives is helping lead to the end of “catch and release” and added that the White House will abolish the policy altogether as soon as next week.
Read the full storyReport: Trump Admin Considers Diverting Additional Military Funding for 500 Miles of Border Wall
The Trump administration is reportedly considering another plan to divert billions in dollars in military funding to pay for more border wall construction.
Read the full storyMore Than 550 Acres of Federal Land To Be Used for Trump’s Border Wall
The Department of the Interior is temporarily surrendering roughly 560 acres of land that sits on the U.S.-Mexico border in order for the government to build more border wall.
Read the full storyBacklog of Immigration Court Cases Surpasses One Million
The backlog of active cases within the U.S. immigration court system surpassed 1 million, revealing the government’s lack of available resources to deal with the immigration crisis, according to a records clearinghouse.
Read the full storyMigrant Mothers and Children Sue US Over Asylum Ban
More than 125 migrant mothers and children have sued the U.S. government, claiming the Trump administration has violated the rights of asylum-seekers through the arbitrary and capricious implementation of a virtual asylum ban at the southern border.
Read the full storyAOC Apologies to Illegal Aliens ‘On Behalf of the US’
At a congressional hearing on Wednesday, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) apologized to two illegal aliens who were testifying before the House Oversight Civil Rights and Liberties Subcommittee, Daily Caller reports.
Read the full storyCommentary: Trump Should Sanction Migrant Caravan Organizers as Border Migration Is Down 55 Percent Since May
Apprehensions on the southern border slowed precipitously in August to 64,006 as illegal immigration was curtailed, the latest data from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol shows. Migration is down 55 percent from its peak in May 144,255 as people continue fleeing Central America in droves.
Read the full storyReport: Trump Using $3.6 Billion in Military Funds to Build Border Wall
President Donald Trump is reportedly moving forward with his plan to redirect billions in military funds toward wall construction at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full storyHundreds of Border Patrol Agents Have Been Assaulted This Year
There have been hundreds of assaults against Border Patrol agents this fiscal year, demonstrating the dangers agents endure while protecting the U.S. from illegal immigration, drug smuggling and other crimes.
Read the full storyCDC Reports 931 Cases of Mumps in Migrant Detention Centers, Affecting Detainees and Staff Alike
A massive outbreak of mumps is plaguing migrant detention centers across the U.S., according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.
Read the full storyReport: Trump Administration Could Begin DNA Testing ‘Hundreds of Thousands’ of Illegal Aliens
Homeland Security officials are reportedly preparing to expand DNA testing of illegal aliens in their custody, an effort to clamp down on rampant immigration fraud at the southern border.
Read the full storyUS Military Approves Border Wall Expansion
PENTAGON – U.S. President Donald Trump’s border wall is expanding.
Read the full storyTrump Asks Supreme Court for Clearance to Enforce Tough Asylum Rules, Citing ‘Unprecedented Surge’
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court Monday to allow enforcement of new immigration rules that would deny asylum to migrants who did not seek protected status in a country they passed through on their way to the southern border.
Read the full storyDHS Using Loophole Around Flores To Address Immigration Crisis
The Trump administration is rolling out its own licensing standards for family residential centers, a move that will work around the Flores settlement and mitigate the illegal immigration crisis.
Read the full storyUS Deploys Surge of Doctors to Tend to Illegal Immigrants
A substantial increase in medical and humanitarian care has followed the surge of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexican border, according to Department of Homeland Security statistics.
Read the full storyGroups Sue to Block Trump Administration’s Expansion of Rapid Deportations
Advocacy groups sued the Trump administration on Tuesday in an effort to block a rule published last month that expands the number of migrants who can be subject to a sped-up deportation process without oversight by an immigration judge.
Read the full storyMexico Detaining Fewer Migrants As Crisis Shows Signs of Waning
Monthly migrant apprehensions in Mexico have begun to slow down, indicating that the government’s recent border crackdown is yielding results.
Read the full storyMexico Says Immigration Through Its Country Down Nearly 40 Percent
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 storyEXCLUSIVE: The Tennessee Star Report Talks to Mark Green About His Recent Trip to El Paso and the Democrats’ Desire for Open Borders
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.
Read the full storyCommentary: Democrats Try to Stop Wall Funding They Voted for in 2018 After Recent Supreme Court Decision
Brick by brick, figuratively speaking, with a serious assist from the Supreme Court ruling that reprogramming $2.5 billion of counter-narcotics monies may be used, Donald Trump is fulfilling his promise to get the southern border wall built.
Read the full storyAttorney General William Barr Puts Additional Limits on Asylum Claims
Attorney General William Barr ruled Monday that being a member of a family harassed by gangs is not enough to qualify for asylum.
Read the full storySupreme Court Allows Trump to Build 100 Miles of Wall With Military Funds
The Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to reprogram $2.5 billion in Pentagon funds to start construction on 100 miles of border wall in a late Friday order.
Read the full story61,000 Unaccompanied Illegal Alien Children Have Entered the US Since October
Upwards of 61,000 unaccompanied illegal immigrant children have flooded the U.S. southern border since October, according to the Washington Examiner.
Read the full storyCommentary: Address the Real Cause of Central American Migration
As we close into just a little over a year away from the 2020 elections, there is no clearer difference between Democrats and Donald Trump when it comes to law and order than illegal immigration. Take, for example, the Democrats’ outrage at recent “raids” by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service. If you were just listening to Democrats’ rhetoric, you would have thought masked storm troopers were breaking into the homes of American citizens in the dead of night, ripping families apart, sending people away never to be seen again.
Read the full storyCommentary: Can President Trump’s New Asylum Rules Stem the Illegal Tide?
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…
Read the full storyKyrsten Sinema, Eight Other Senators Sign Letter to Speed Up Removal of Certain Migrants
by Shelby Talcott Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is aiming to implement a program at the U.S.-Mexico border that would speed up the removal of migrants without valid asylum claims. The Arizona Democrat joined eight other senators in signing a letter Wednesday to acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, The Arizona Republic reported. The letter detailed how the pilot program, which is called “Operation Safe Return,” would allow for some migrants to be deported within 15 days, according to the letter. “This pilot program would apply to families who aren’t claiming ‘credible fear,’ which of course is the first threshold in seeking asylum,” Sinema told The Arizona Republic. “If someone says, ‘I left my country because I can’t make a living,’ [or] ‘It’s hard to take care of my family’ — that’s what we call an economic migrant.” Border Patrol would be given one to three days for “detailed, fair and accurate interviews” with migrant families. If the families are fearful of returning to their home countries, they would be deported, the newspaper reported. If a family is fearful, the next step would be for asylum officers to conduct a credible-fear interview. The officers would have nine days after the family…
Read the full storyPresident Trump Is Deploying an Additional 2,100 Troops to the Border
by Jason Hopkins The Trump administration is beefing up its resources at the U.S.-Mexico border as it continues to deal with a massive influx of illegal immigrants. Acting Defense Secretary Richard Spencer approved Tuesday night the deployment of 1,200 active-duty troops and another 1,000 Texas National Guard personnel to the U.S. southern border, Department of Defense spokesperson Maj. Chris Mitchell said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Texas National Guard troops will be split up in their duties, with 750 personnel to “provide supplemental holding support to [Customs and Border Protection] at CBP’s temporary adult migrant holding facilities in Donna, Texas, and Tornillo, Texas,” and the other 250 will provide “port of entry (POE) enforcement support at CBP-designated POEs and airports in Texas to enhance border security and improve the flow of commercial traffic,” Mitchell said. “Decisions regarding arming military personnel and related rules for the use of force will be informed by the circumstances of their mission and be made by the Governor of Texas, in consultation with CBP,” Mitchell continued in his statement. The announcement comes after the Department of Defense earlier in July requested the Pentagon to authorized an additional 1,000 Texas…
Read the full storyCommentary: Immigration by the Numbers
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 storyRep. Jim Jordan Slams Democrats for Handling of Border Crisis: ‘Fabricating Stories of Cruelty’
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) slammed Democrats for their handling of the crisis at the southern border during a recent hearing before the House Oversight Committee. “What we’re going to hear from Democrats this morning is astonishing. It will be truly astonishing. For months they’ve declared there wasn’t even a crisis on the southern border” Jordan began his remarks. He quoted previous comments from the Democrats, who’ve called it a “fake crisis” and “fear-mongering of the worst kind.” “But weeks later, Democrats sure have changed their tune. The Chairman just recently said ‘Congress cannot ignore the humanitarian crisis at the border.’ For years now, Republicans have been warning about the crisis and working to find solutions, and all the while Democrats have denied there was even a problem. This is not about politics. It’s always been about preserving the integrity of our border and preventing the humanitarian crisis that we are all now witnessing,” Jordan continued. He criticized Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD-07) for failing to hold a hearing on the border earlier in the year. “Instead he prioritized political hearings like, well, like the hearing we first had—Michael Cohen. Think about this. The president made his emergency supplemental request only…
Read the full storyThe Border Wall Fight Just Got to the Supreme Court
by Kevin Daley The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court for clearance to begin constructing 100 miles of fencing through drug-smuggling corridors along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Friday request comes after U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam forbade the administration from using $2.5 billion in military funds for border wall construction. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s request to stay that ruling while litigation continued on July 3. “The practical significance of the decision below for the government’s drug-interdiction efforts would weigh strongly in favor of further review,” the government’s stay application to the high court reads. “The decision prevents the Department of Defense from taking steps to support the Department of Homeland Security that the acting secretary of defense determined to be ‘necessary in the national interest’ to stanch the flow of illegal drugs across the southern border,” it adds. The trial court’s injunctions stalled border barrier construction projects in Arizona and New Mexico. The projects are high priorities for DHS given the volume of drug trafficking in those areas, according to government lawyers. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border on Feb. 15. Following the declaration, the Pentagon reprogrammed the…
Read the full storyRashida Tlaib Says No Person Is ‘Illegal’
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…
Read the full story‘Helping People Avoid Justice’: Border Patrol Union President Reacts to Clinton’s Advice to Illegal Aliens
by Jason Hopkins National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd blasted Hillary Clinton for publicly coaching illegal immigrants how to avoid apprehension from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. “I’m amazed that somebody that somebody that ran for president of the United States — that was willing to promise to uphold the laws of the United States, the Constitution of the United States — is now actively helping people avoid justice,” Judd, who leads the Border Patrol’s union of nearly 20,000 members, said Friday on Fox News. Judd’s comments follow a tweet Clinton sent Thursday. The former first lady and Democratic presidential candidate published an image that contained a list, written in Spanish, of recommendations for illegal aliens to follow in order to avoid apprehension and deportation from ICE agents. The instructions advised illegal aliens “not to open the door” for agents and to report their badge number, type of vehicle they are driving, and where they were seen. Clinton’s tweet was in response to President Donald Trump’s planned immigration raids. ICE agents are expected to target roughly 2,000 illegal immigrants across 10 U.S. states Sunday, the first day of an ongoing operation by the agency to apprehend and deport…
Read the full storyMark Green Files Legislation to Allow Taxpayers to Designate Funds on IRS Form to a Border Wall Trust Fund to Build a Wall
U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) announced he introduced legislation Thursday that would replace the Presidential Election Campaign Fund checkbox on the IRS 1040 with a Border Wall Trust Fund checkbox to allow taxpayers to designate their tax money toward building a southern border wall. “Taxpayer dollars should never be used to advance political campaigns,” Green said in a press release. “But, keeping Americans safe must be our #1 priority. My bill will give every American the opportunity to directly help President Trump build the wall.” Green tweeted, “Americans spoke loud and clear in 2016 that we want a wall to secure our southern border. Congress has clearly been unable to get the job done. My new bill will give every American the opportunity to directly help @realDonaldTrump #BuildTheWall.” Americans spoke loud and clear in 2016 that we want a wall to secure our southern border. Congress has clearly been unable to get the job done. My new bill will give every American the opportunity to directly help @realDonaldTrump #BuildTheWall. https://t.co/UYCbynv1AT — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) July 11, 2019 The current IRS 1040 form allows taxpayers to check a box to direct $3 (or $6 for married filing jointly)…
Read the full storyRecord Number of African Migrants Trek to Mexico
by Audrey Conklin Migrants traveling from Africa to Mexico in 2019 will break records, data from the Mexican Office for Domestic Affairs suggest. The number of undocumented African migrants Mexican officials registered tripled in the first four months of 2019, reaching 1,900 people, compared to the same time in 2018, Reuters reported Friday. Data from 2018 saw four times as many undocumented Africans compared to five years ago, reaching about 3,000 people. People from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is still recovering after a years-long regional conflict that killed millions, was the third largest group of new refugees globally at about 123,000 people in 2018, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Cameroon’s internally displaced population grew by 447,000. U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended over 500 African migrants in the Del Rio Sector in Texas between May 30 and June 5, most of whom came from the Congo, Angola and Cameroon, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). “The introduction of this new population places additional burdens on processing stations, to include language and cultural differences,” Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz said in a June statement. “This large group from Africa further…
Read the full storyBiden Comes Out Against Decriminalization of the Border
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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