Friday, June 16, 2017
Trump scraps Obama policy that protected immigrant parents from deportation
An Obama-era immigration program intended to protect parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents from deportation has been formally cancelled, fulfilling a key campaign promise from President Trump, the Homeland Security Department announced late Thursday.
Homeland Security John Kelly formally revoked a policy memo that created the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program. The revocation came on the fifth anniversary of another effort that has protected hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation.
The program to protect parents was announced by President Obama in November 2014 but was never fully launched because it was blocked by a federal court, according to Reuters.
It was intended to keep the immigrant parents safe from deportation and provide them with a renewable work permit good for two years, but it was blocked by a federal judge in Texas after 26 states filed suit against the federal government and challenged the effort’s legality.
Republicans decried the effort as “backdoor amnesty” and argued that Obama overstepped his authority by protecting a specific class of immigrants living in the United States illegally.
The protection program for parents, like the one for young immigrants, was created with a policy memo during the Obama administration. Both programs required that participants meet certain conditions, including not having a criminal history. As part of the expansion to protect immigrant parents living in the United States illegally, the Obama administration also sought to provide the young immigrants with work permits good for three years at a time. That provision was also blocked by the Texas judge.
Revoking the memo and ending the stalled program fulfill a key campaign promise by Trump, who pledged to “immediately” cancel both efforts. Trump has not said what he plans to do about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but so far most immigrants protected by the effort have not been targeted by stepped-up efforts to find and deport immigrants living in the country illegally. As of March 31, about 787,000 young immigrants have been approved for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, according to government data.
Arrests of immigrants in the interior of the country have increased under the Trump administration, but deportations are slightly down as fewer people have been caught crossing the Mexican border into the United States illegally.
Trump has made immigration enforcement a top priority and has vowed to continue a crackdown on those living in U.S. illegally and those trying to sneak into the country.
Reuters reported that Trump previously said that his administration was considering different options.
“They shouldn’t be very worried,” Trump told ABC News in January, referring to DACA recipients. “I do have a big heart.
Rosenstein warns Americans to 'exercise caution' about anonymous reports
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Thursday evening that Americans should "exercise caution" before believing anonymously sourced reports, an apparent reference to ongoing leaks surrounding the investigation into alleged connections between Russian officials and President Trump's campaign.
"Americans should exercise caution before accepting as true any stories any stories attributed to anonymous 'officials,'" Rosenstein said in a statement, "particularly when they do not identify the country — let alone the branch or agency of government — with which the alleged sources supposedly are affiliated."
Though Rosenstein's statement did not reference the Russia investigation specifically, it was released hours after the Washington Post reported that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Jared Kushner — Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law — over his finances and business dealings.
ROBERT MUELLER APPOINTMENT TO LEAD RUSSIA PROBE WINS BIPARTISAN PRAISE
Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, did not comment on the Post report when reached by Fox News, but did say that the special counsel's office "has undertaken stringent controls to prohibit unauthorized disclosures that deal severely with any member who engages in this conduct."
Trump and his supporters have repeatedly complained about leaked reports about the progress of Mueller's investigation, many of which have appeared in either the Post or The New York Times.
On Wednesday, the Post reported that Mueller was examining whether Trump has tried to obstruct justice and was seeking interviews with three administration officials: Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence; Michael Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency; and Richard Ledgett, the former NSA deputy director.
Now PlayingRussia investigation: Who’s Who
The Post report cited anonymous sources who were briefed on requests made by investigators. It was not immediately clear whether the FBI was the source of the information.
The president himself took to Twitter Wednesday morning to complain about the "phony story" in the Post, then did so again in the afternoon to question why Hillary Clinton's conduct during the probe of her private email server was not under more scrutiny.
Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller special counsel in the Russia investigation last month, testified to lawmakers Tuesday that he has seen no evidence of good cause to fire Mueller and that he is confident that Mueller will have "the full independence he needs" to investigate thoroughly.
Pres. Trump: Obstruction of Justice Probe is a ‘Witch Hunt’
President Trump is pushing back against reports of an obstruction of justice investigation.
In a tweet Thursday morning, the president called the investigation “phony” and a “witch hunt”.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating President Trump after he fired former FBI director James Comey last month.
Mueller is reportedly trying to determine if the administration pressured officials into killing the investigation into the president’s alleged campaign ties to Russia.
President Trump’s attorney called the leak of information to the reports “inexcusable” and “illegal.”
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Steve Scalise shooting: 'Political rhetorical terrorism' contributed to attack, rep says
The
shooting Wednesday at a congressional baseball practice prompted swift
calls to ratchet down the country’s heated political rhetoric, with one
Republican congressman who was at the scene saying the “hateful
rhetoric” on both sides has to stop.
Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., specifically blamed “political rhetorical terrorism” – heated rhetoric on social media and in the news – for Wednesday’s shooting, in which House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and several others were wounded.
“This is the result, I believe, of political rhetorical terrorism. That has to stop,” he told “America’s Newsroom.”
According to a well-placed source, the suspect has been identified as Illinois resident James T. Hodgkinson.
Davis was at bat when the shooter opened fire in Alexandria, Va. He credited Scalise’s security detail with helping prevent the attack from being a lot worse, calling the officers “true heroes.”
But he said the country needs to take ratchet down the political discourse.
“Political rhetoric has led to this violent type of activity that has got to stop in this country,” Davis said.
He and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaking on the Senate floor, both noted this was practice for a bipartisan charity event.
Davis expressed disbelief that this type of event would be targeted.
The vitriol of political rhetoric has been increasing for years, but has been particularly high under the Trump administration.
Davis stressed, though, that many bills are still passed on a bipartisan basis and some of his best friends “are on the other side of the aisle.”
“I stand here today and say stop, we have to stop,” Davis said, urging the country to come together as Americans, not Republicans and Democrats.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., also said this is the time to come together.
“We’ve seen ourselves engulfed by the spirit of division and oppression and we have to find a way to crawl our way out of this hole,” he said.
Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., specifically blamed “political rhetorical terrorism” – heated rhetoric on social media and in the news – for Wednesday’s shooting, in which House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and several others were wounded.
“This is the result, I believe, of political rhetorical terrorism. That has to stop,” he told “America’s Newsroom.”
According to a well-placed source, the suspect has been identified as Illinois resident James T. Hodgkinson.
Davis was at bat when the shooter opened fire in Alexandria, Va. He credited Scalise’s security detail with helping prevent the attack from being a lot worse, calling the officers “true heroes.”
But he said the country needs to take ratchet down the political discourse.
“Political rhetoric has led to this violent type of activity that has got to stop in this country,” Davis said.
He and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaking on the Senate floor, both noted this was practice for a bipartisan charity event.
Davis expressed disbelief that this type of event would be targeted.
The vitriol of political rhetoric has been increasing for years, but has been particularly high under the Trump administration.
Davis stressed, though, that many bills are still passed on a bipartisan basis and some of his best friends “are on the other side of the aisle.”
“I stand here today and say stop, we have to stop,” Davis said, urging the country to come together as Americans, not Republicans and Democrats.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., also said this is the time to come together.
“We’ve seen ourselves engulfed by the spirit of division and oppression and we have to find a way to crawl our way out of this hole,” he said.
Scalise shooting: Of course this was going to happen
What did you expect?
“Julius Caesar,” dressed and looking on purpose like Donald Trump, is knifed to death nightly in a New York theater presentation lauded by CNN as “a masterpiece.”
Tom Perez, the head of the Democratic National Committee, says “Republican leaders and President Trump don’t give a sh*t about the people they were trying to hurt.”
That noted political philosopher, Madonna, thinks a lot about blowing up the White House.
Words have weight. And now, a former campaign volunteer for Bernie Sanders has used violence to express his feelings. The scale on which he stepped registers the weight of guilt.
That’s no reflection on Senator Sanders, who despite his vicious criticism of Trump, has kept his remarks within the bounds of decency.
There is a kind of head-shaking inevitability about the attack on Rep. Steve Scalise, his protective detail and his aides. Democrats are fully justified in being disappointed, even enraged, that Trump was elected instead of Sanders or Hillary Clinton. But far too many seem to feel that because Trump is an unconventional president, there are no bounds to what can be said, threatened, broadcast or published about him.
Are there any late-night comedians who haven’t joined the competition to say the most shocking things about the president? Stephen Colbert, willing to do anything to breathe ratings life into his deeply unfunny show, concocted, that’s right, concocted a term to suggest Trump performs oral sex on Vladimir Putin. The result: uproarious laughter and higher ratings.
The once-venerable New York Times, whose anti-rich people, pro-transgender, government as nanny state agenda has been on view for years, has abandoned any attempt at objective reporting on the current administration. Surprisingly, some people still read the Times, and cannot help but be influenced by its out-there stridency.
Bellwether won’t even bother to call for restraint, now that the violent passions on display have crossed the line to shooting violence. Restraint seems too noble a goal to hope for. Instead, how about three days of silent, personal reflection among all the anti-Trumpers who have worked themselves into a collective hissy-fit that knows no trip-wire? Seventy-two hours of keeping your minds open and your mouths shut. Too much to ask?
No one expects liberals to fall in line behind Trump, who has made it easy to hate him with his undisciplined, sometimes uncouth speeches and tweets. He has magnified the natural, understandable conflicts that arise in politics.
It is possible to despise the president and his policies without violence? It is impossible to justify what happened Wednesday morning. But, just watch. Some will try.
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