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President Trump decision to end DACA was lawful, Justice Department says

The Justice Department submitted a legal brief to the Supreme Court Monday that stated President Trump acted lawfully when he decided to end the Obama-era immigration program known as DACA in September of 2017, according to a new report.
The Department of Homeland Security, “correctly, and at a minimum reasonably, concluded that DACA is unlawful,” Justice Department lawyers wrote in a brief submitted to the Supreme Court late Monday.
The Supreme Court will begin to hear arguments in November. A ruling is expected in the presidential election year, putting the high court at the center of one of the most politically charged issues of debates. A decision in favor of Trump would allow for the president to deport more than one million young adults residing in the U.S. under DACA protection, the New York Times reported.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, was created under an executive order in 2012. The program gives some illegal immigrants -- known as "Dreamers" -- who were brought to the United States as children-- the opportunity to receive a renewable two-year reprieve from deportation and become eligible for a work permit.
In 2017, the Trump administration announced its plan to phase out the program, but federal courts have ruled that the phase-out could not apply retroactively and that the program should be restarted.
The White House fought back on those decisions, saying the president has broad authority over immigration enforcement policy. Federal appeals courts around the country have rejected efforts by the federal government to move ahead with phasing out the Obama-era program.
DACA proponents have also argued that Trump’s planned termination of the program violates federal law requiring adequate notice-and-comment periods before certain federal rules are changed, as well as other constitutional equal protection and due process guarantees.
A decision from the Supreme Court to end DACA could galvanize young Americans to ensure Trump does not see another four years in the White House, the Times report stated. On the other hand, if the Court chooses to continue the Obama-era program, conservatives could argue Trump needs another four years to fulfill his campaign promises on immigration.
Fox News’ Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.

Trump administration tightens rules for immigrant work permits

The Trump administration issued new policy guidance on Monday tightening the rules for awarding discretionary work permits to immigrants who have been temporarily allowed into the United States for "urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit" under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The move came a week after the White House issued a long-awaited rule strengthening the ability of federal officials to deny green cards to immigrants deemed likely to rely on government aid.
Section 212(d)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act affords the Department of Homeland Security the discretion to decide when to afford aliens entry under "extraordinary" circumstances, such as to visit a dying relative or obtain life-saving medical treatment. The one-time entry is a privilege, not a right — and the administration's guidance made clear that officials were wary it was being abused.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the new guidance emphasizes "the use of discretion when determining whether to grant employment authorization for foreign nationals paroled into the United States in keeping with existing policies."

Migrants return to Mexico using the Puerta Mexico bridge that crosses the Rio Grande river in Matamoros, Mexico, July 31, 2019, on the border with Brownsville, Texas.  (AP Photo/Emilio Espejel)

The bulletin also "provides a list of positive and negative factors that an officer may consider when balancing the totality of the circumstances and determining whether an applicant warrants a favorable exercise of discretion," according to USCIS.
“USCIS has determined that it is necessary to issue this guidance at this time because there is a national emergency at the U.S. southern border where foreign nationals are entering the U.S. illegally," the agency said in a statement.
The White House has touted its tough immigration policies as the cause for a recent decline in immigrant detentions at the border. The number of migrants encountered by U.S. authorities at the border with Mexico dropped below 100,000 for the first time in five months amid increased collaboration by Mexico and Guatemala to crack down on the flow of humanity, according to government data released earlier this month.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 82,049 people in July, down 21 percent from June when there were 104,344 people and down 43 percent from May. The number of families and minors crossing the border also dropped.
Although seasonal declines are common, U.S. officials said the drop was far greater than last year's in the same timeframe.
To avoid punishing tariffs threatened by the Trump administration, Mexico agreed in June to dramatically expand its border enforcement efforts. The country has employed a variety of tools — including a giant X-ray and Mexican National Guard troops —  to uphold its end of the bargain and catch hundreds of migrants.
The U.S. has also escalated its domestic enforcement efforts. An operation carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month resulted in the detention of 680 illegal immigrants. Agents targeted a food processing plant in Mississippi and swarmed the facility with federal search warrants in hand.
"The execution of federal search warrants today was simply about enforcing the rule of law in our state and throughout our great country," U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst said in a statement at the time.
"I commend these federal agents, our state and local law enforcement partners, and our federal prosecutors for their professionalism and dedication to ensure that those who violate our laws are held accountable."
2020 presidential hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., called the move a part of a "campaign of terror."
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan emphasized last week that, despite the successes, the situation remains an emergency.
“The situation is improving by every available metric, but, and I want to be very clear about this, we remain at and beyond crisis levels,” McAleenan said.
Fox News' Matt Leach and Nick Givas contributed to this report.

CNN commentator to Republican guest: 'White men who think like you' are the 'greatest terrorist threat' in US

Liberal CNN commentator Angela Rye had a fiery exchange with a Republican strategist during a panel discussion Monday night, telling him that "white men who think like you" are the "greatest terrorist threat in this country."
The conversation began when GOP campaign veteran Patrick Griffin argued that President Trump should "play the lottery" since Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., brought new attention to their relationship with Isreal.
However, Rye appeared to take offense after Griffin claimed that the "Squad" has "hijacked" the Democratic Party from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
“It’s so interesting that you use the term — the only two Muslim women in Congress, the term you chose to use, sir, is ‘hijacking,'” Rye said.
"It has nothing to do with whether they're Muslim or not," Griffin responded. "Nothing to do with that... They've hijacked from their own principles."
“That’s a real interesting word choice, and you understand why,” Rye talked over the panelist. “You can talk over me all you want to but the bottom line is the greatest terrorist threat in this country is white men, white men who think like you. That is the greatest terrorist threat in this country.”
Griffin dismissed her remarks as "silly rhetoric."
"No, it's not!" Rye shot back. "You know what's silly? The fact that you're on here knowing how dangerous times are right now defending this nonsense."

Ingraham: Liberals 'rooting against America' because they're 'furious' they might lose in 2020

Fox News' Laura Ingraham took on members of the Democratic Party for what she said was "rooting against America" and disparaging supporters of President Trump, and said the left is largely "furious" they may lose the 2020 election to the New York Republican.
"Rooting against America, referring to millions of voters as 'deplorables' or 'racists' or bigot-coddlers is not the language of a confident optimistic party," she said Monday on "The Ingraham Angle."
"It is the language of people who are furious that they could lose another presidential election," she said.
Ingraham said Democrats were hoping former Special Counsel Robert Mueller would be a key figure in their attempts to damage the president, as the Russia investigation concluded.
"Trump's reckoning -- they were confident -- would be delivered by the highly respected prosecutor Bob Mueller. In other words, the 2020 election would be a 'gimme' for any Democrat," she said.
More recently, Democrats have lodged racism claims against the president, she said.
"The crestfallen Dems decided to go all-in on the race issue. "The Angle" told you this would happen. Using bogus charges of racism, the left has a goal of blunting any momentum the president may have with minority voters in 2020."
"The president condemned white nationalists in Charlottesville and El Paso," she added. However, she pointed to three 2020 Democratic hopefuls who have invoked the race issue.
When a CNN anchor asked former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, whether the president is a "white nationalist," the ex-lawmaker answered in the affirmative.
In another interview, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared it is "time to get white nationalism out of the White House."
In Ingraham's third example, South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg was asked whether it is a "racist act" to vote for Trump in 2020.
The 37-year-old responded that "at best, it means looking the other way on racism."
Summing up the clips, Ingraham said some of the commentaries from the left shows Trump supporters are becoming occasional subjects of ridicule.
"The new Democratic playbook requires the relentless demonization of American history, including the founders, and now the American people themselves -- at least the ones who support Trump."