Democratic mayors visit Biden, request $5B for immigration crises in their cities
Democratic mayors from some of the nation’s largest cities are meeting in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Nov. 2, to ask for more resources in handling the immigration crisis. Mayors from Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and Houston are asking the federal government for help. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was planning to be in attendance but had to cancel at the last minute.
The Biden administration has asked Congress to allocate $1.4 billion in food, shelter, and services for migrants needs in U.S. cities. While the five mayors thanked the president, they also requested that he triples the asking amount.
“While we are greatly appreciative of the additional federal funding proposed, our city budgets and local taxpayers continue to bear the brunt of this ongoing federal crisis,” the letter said. “We respectfully advocate for additional funding.”
The requested $5 billion is to cover expenses that the cities have already incurred and costs of migrants in the foreseeable future. According to the letter, Denver spends $2 million a week on shelter for migrants alone. Chicago has spent $320 million this year and New York has surpassed a total of $1.7 billion dollars on migrants there.
The mayors collectively listed four critical steps for success in handling the immigration crisis. The steps involve money, approving work authorizations more quickly, and increasing work opportunities for migrants. The last step listed is appointing regional coordinators to assist in dispersing migrants across the U.S. into cities with more capacity.
None of the steps involved slowing the influx of migrants into the country but rather how the country can better set migrants up for success upon arrival. In October, Mayor Adams clarified that New York City believes the border should remain open.
“We believe the border should remain open,” Adams said. “That is the official position of this city but we have made it clear there should be a decompression strategy that we could properly deal with the volumes that are coming into our cities and no cities should have to carry the burden of the national government.”
As the mayors meet in D.C. to discuss the overflow of migrants in their cities, more migrants are on their way in the form of a caravan. According to the caravan organizer, Irineo Mujica, the group has swelled from about 1,000 on Monday to more than 7,000 people as of Thursday.
Omaha group assists El Paso shelters amid migrant crisis
The migrant crisis is putting a strain on the resources and economies of U.S. border cities. Now, those cities are seeking help from communities and organizations across the country.
One group in Omaha, Nebraska, has been doing what it can to ease the burden on El Paso, Texas, which officials say has been stretched beyond capacity.
El Paso accounts for 20% of all illegal entries at the southern border for fiscal year 2023. Border Patrol agents apprehended over 425,000 migrants who crossed into El Paso, marking a 38% increase from the previous year.
The city had to establish emergency “overflow” shelters and house thousands of migrants in local hotels, but it eventually reached a breaking point.
Source: Reuters
“In the last 30 days, we have sheltered over 16,000 people who might have otherwise been on the streets in El Paso, and we’ve provided over 40,000 meals. We want to ensure we treat people in the right manner,” Mayor Oscar Leeser said.
The majority of these migrants are awaiting deportation hearings, some of which could be years away.
One Texas-based shelter sought assistance from Omaha to provide temporary accommodation and support for these families while they make arrangements for their legal proceedings.
“Omaha Welcomes the Stranger” was established just one year ago in response to the significant increase in asylum-seekers in El Paso.
“We received an inquiry from a man named Ruben Garcia at Annunciation House, who said that, at that time, he worked in El Paso, Texas, and there were more people coming across the border than the local shelters could accommodate for temporary hospitality,” said Tom Hoarty, a board member at Omaha Welcomes the Stranger. “He asked if it would be possible for us to receive some of those asylum-seekers here in Omaha and give them a temporary place to stay while they made their arrangements to go to other parts of the country.”
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Last year, Omaha Welcomes the Stranger welcomed 39 asylum-seekers who arrived by bus from El Paso. The organization focuses on assisting families, including parents and children of various ages.
“Margaret and I volunteered in 2019 and 2021, and so we became familiar with the process at the local shelter in El Paso,” Hoarty said. “We saw the faces of the people, and once you’ve talked to the people and seen them face-to-face, and you’ve seen their children, you think ‘those children don’t look a whole lot different from my grandchildren. Why shouldn’t they have the opportunity to have a safe place to live?’”
Recently, more families are coming from Venezuela and often lack friends or sponsors in the United States. This makes the support that the organization offers even more crucial. According to the El Paso city website, Venezuelan nationals comprise 70% of the migrant population.
“Well, if the need arises for us to take a larger group of people like it did a year ago, we’re prepared to do that.” Hoarty said. “And we have a network of volunteers who have agreed to help us.”
For migrants seeking permanent residency, Hoarty believes that many would be more than willing to fill employment roles if given the opportunity.
“I think it’s important to realize that our country was built on the concept of immigration.” Hoarty said. “As you drive down any street in Omaha, you see signs that say ‘we’re hiring’ or ‘help wanted.’ We think there are a lot of people who would be more than happy to fill those jobs. So we try to do what we can to place people in situations where they can do that.”
The impacts of migration on small cities are intricate. Omaha Welcomes the Stranger represents a small-scale, privately funded initiative aimed at providing support to asylum-seekers. The organization is currently helping six families during their immigration process, and Hoarty says they are ready in case they are called on again.
We’re prepared to take a few families, as many as we can, and try to help them find places to live and work in Omaha.
Tom Hoarty, Omaha Welcomes the Stranger
“We receive donations from individuals across the region,” Hoarty said. “If anyone is interested in contributing, they can contact us through St. Pius the 10th Catholic Church in Omaha, and the church will forward the donation to us.”
Adams announced Monday, Oct. 16, that he is limiting shelter stays for migrant families with children to 60 days, tightening rules as the city’s housing system remains overwhelmed by a large influx of asylum seekers over the past year. Source: AP Images.
The new rules require asylum-seekers who reach the shelter time limit to leave their current shelter and reapply for admittance. This move comes as the city grapples with over 126,000 asylum-seekers in the past year.
“The unhoused population has exploded with the addition of the new arrivals,” Juan De La Cruz, director of the Coalition for the Homeless, NYC, said. “For example, here at St Bartholomew’s Church, where we start serving, we’re seeing on average, anywhere from 250 to 275 people, more or less regularly. Once the new arrivals started coming, our numbers got up over 400 people.”
In recent weeks, the city has been receiving an astonishing 600 new arrivals daily. To address this unprecedented challenge, the city has taken significant steps, including opening 61 new shelter sites and allocating over $1 billion.
The Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan, closed for three years, then reopened to house an expected surge of asylum-seekers, mirroring the conversion of other New York City hotels into emergency shelters.
Migrants sit in a queue outside of The Roosevelt Hotel, which is being used by the city as temporary housing, Monday, July 31, 2023, in New York. Source: AP Images.
At a breaking point
“New York City is full,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “We are past our breaking point. New York’s compassion may be limitless, but our resources are not. Our patterns at the state and federal levels know this. We continue to face impossible decisions about allocating our resources, and that means a lose-lose for our most vulnerable New Yorkers, as well as those seeking asylum.”
Preliminary results indicate that the new policy is having the desired effect. City officials revealed that less than half of the migrants required to reapply for housing following the 60-day limit have returned to the city’s shelter system.
Measures taken
However, these measures, especially those focused on families with children, may test the city’s legal obligations regarding shelter.
Mayor Adams is actively seeking to suspend a unique legal agreement that mandates the city to provide emergency housing to single adults.
New York’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro, far left, Health and Hospital Vice President Dr. Ted Long, second from left, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, second from right, and Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol, far right, hold a news briefing in the sleeping area of the city’s latest temporary shelter on Randalls Island, Oct. 18, 2022, in New York. Source: AP Images.
“All of these strategies share the same goal,” Anne Williams-Isom, deputy mayor of Health and Human Services, NYC, said. “Helping people connect to work, move out of shelters, and establish their own lives as quickly as possible.”
Mayor Adams has said that many asylum-seekers set out for New York in the belief they would receive jobs and rooms in “five-star hotels” upon arrival, led astray by misinformation spread by smugglers and on social media.
As we continue to respond to this ongoing humanitarian crisis and manage this unprecedented surge, we must continue to implement new strategies to relieve the pressure on our shelter system.
Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom.
Additionally, the city announced that a 1,300-acre facility will soon open to accommodate around 500 more families with children seeking asylum.
Texas builds barrier along border with New Mexico to curb illegal migration
Texas is facing challenges in light of new border security measures. According to Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens, in just the first 16 days of the new fiscal year, the migrant situation continues to present challenges. Owens reported that more than 18,000 “known gotaways” have made their way into the states.
Migrants wait in line adjacent to the border fence under the watch of the Texas National Guard to enter into El Paso, Texas, May 10, 2023. Source: AP Images.
Texas is exploring various ways to address this issue, from Operation Lone Star to deploying floating border buoys, and even considering busing migrants across the U.S.
Gov. Greg Abbott is now installing more barriers, but not along the southern border. Instead, he’s focusing on the Texas border with another state.
"Texas National Guard reinforces border with razor wire following Governor Abbott's orders."
This is on the border between Texas and NEW Mexico.
Migrants are entering New Mexico illegally then crossing into Texas.
In an effort to combat illegal immigration, Abbott has ordered the Texas National Guard to deploy 18 miles of razor wire along the New Mexico-Texas border, which he believes contributes the most to illegal immigration in El Paso.
“New Mexico is in what’s called the El Paso sector, El Paso is in Texas,” Abbott, R-Texas, said. “Most of the people coming into the El Paso sector they don’t come to the United States through Texas, they come through New Mexico and then go over to El Paso. So not only are we building border barriers between the border of Texas and Mexico we’re also having now to build border barriers between Texas and New Mexico.”
Legal concerns
Some are questioning if this move is even legal. Texas Democratic Chair Gilberto Hinojosa and New Mexico Democratic Chair Jessica Velasquez are condemning Abbott’s decision.
“This is the latest Operation Lone Star initiative funded by the working Texas families’ tax dollars.” Hinojosa and Velasquez said in a joint statement. “They argue it will result in environmental damage, community division, and harm to vulnerable migrants.”
Legal experts say that Abbott is well within his power to enforce laws that protect the health and security of the state’s citizens. However, that authority ends when it starts to impact another state.
To halt the border fence construction in New Mexico, either the attorney general or the governor’s office must initiate a lawsuit.
Additional security measures
In addition to the interstate barrier, the Texas Senate has also introduced a divisive bill to the floor six times. Senate Bill 11 would make unlawful entry a state offense, allowing local and state police to arrest undocumented immigrants.
The Texas State Capitol building on March 24, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto).
These bills are in a House committee and not yet law, but concerns over their constitutionality and the potential burden on the state remain.
“We’ll have to build multiple, multiple, multiple state jails to hold these prisoners.” Chris Tritico, a Texas criminal justice attorney, said. “Coupled with the extra law enforcement officers, the extra judges, the extra bailiffs, the extra jailors. I don’t think the cost of enforcing this law has been adequately thought about.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released a statement, saying, “This is the third time the Texas Senate has passed this critical legislation. The Senate is committed to securing the southern border and will pass this bill over and over again until it is approved by the Texas House.”
Civil rights activists argue that this legislation could severely hinder migrants seeking asylum, a legal right protected by federal and international laws.
Biden to address nation on Israel-Hamas war: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 19, 2023
President Biden is set to address the nation following his visit to Israel. And, after 18 years, the main suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway confesses – these stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.
Biden to address nation on Israel-Hamas war; aid headed to Gaza
President Joe Biden will address the nation during a speech from the Oval Office Thursday night, Oct. 19, where he will update Americans on the U.S.’ response to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Biden returned home after visiting Israel, where he reaffirmed the United States’ support of Israel in its war with Hamas following the terrorist attack that killed 1,400 people, including 31 Americans.
Biden also announced he secured a deal with Egypt to allow humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. According to Gaza authorities, more than 3,400 people have been killed since Israel began its airstrikes.
The president spoke to reporters about the need for aid while aboard Air Force One.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the press in front of the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, onboard of Air Force One. (Reuters)
“I was very blunt with the Israelis. Israel has been badly victimized, but the truth is, if they have the opportunity to relieve suffering of people who have nowhere to go — it’s what they should do — and if they don’t, they’ll be held accountable in ways that may be unfair,” Biden said. “My point to everyone is if you have the opportunity to alleviate the pain, you should do it. Period.”
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Israel agreed to give aid to Gaza as long as it doesn’t benefit Hamas and said it would open its own checkpoints for aid only after Hamas releases the roughly 200 hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack.
Biden said aid would likely begin to arrive in Gaza on Friday, Oct. 20.
The president’s visit to Israel came just a day after a blast at a hospital in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 471 people were killed in the explosion.
While Gaza authorities said it was caused by an Israeli airstrike, the United States government has sided with Israel, saying evidence points to a failed rocket launch by a Palestinian militant group being behind the blast.
Back in the U.S., anti-war protesters descended on the Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Straight Arrow News was there as approximately 300 people were arrested after protesting inside a congressional building. Hundreds of protesters blocked Independence Avenue directly outside the capitol building.
This all occurred as senators received a classified briefing regarding Israel.
U.S. resumes deportation flights to Venezuela
The United States resumed deportation flights of Venezuelan migrants on Wednesday, Oct. 18. The first plane, with about 130 passengers, took off from Texas and made a stop in Miami before landing in Venezuela.
This is the first time in years that U.S. immigration authorities are deporting migrants to Venezuela as the Biden administration searches for solutions to the growing number of people seeking asylum in the United States.
An official with ICE said the passengers prioritized for the first flight included migrants who recently arrived in the country and those who have committed crimes in the U.S.
Border Patrol said all the passengers had entered the U.S. illegally.
The U.S. plans to have “multiple” deportation flights per week to Venezuela.
Joran van der Sloot confesses to killing Natalee Holloway
Joran van der Sloot, the chief suspect in the 2005 disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway, has admitted to her mother he was responsible for Natalee’s death.
Van der Sloot made the confession in an Alabama courtroom Wednesday, Oct. 18, where he pleaded guilty to federal extortion and wire fraud charges.
The confession was part of a plea deal in which van der Sloot agreed to provide additional information to Natalee’s mother Beth Holloway about her daughter’s disappearance.
“Today, I can tell you with certainty that after 18 years, Natalee’s case is solved. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. It’s over. Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter’s murder. He is the killer,” Beth Holloway said.
Van der Sloot was charged with extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from Natalee Holloway’s family in exchange for information following her disappearance.
In June 2023, van der Sloot was extradited to the U.S. from Peru, where he was serving a 28-year sentence in the 2010 murder of a 21-year-old college student.
Van der Sloot was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 18, to 20 years in prison, which will run concurrently with the time he’s serving in Peru.
Jim Jordan fails to get enough votes for second time
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is hoping the third time is the charm as he intends to hold another vote on the House floor on Thursday, Oct. 19, to become the next speaker.
The Ohio Republican failed to reach a majority again during Wednesday’s, Oct. 18, vote, losing support the second go-around. Twenty-two House Republicans voted against Jordan, up from 20 on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
Following the second speaker vote, a spokesperson for Jordan said, “We’re going to keep going.”
As the House remains without an official speaker, a group of House Republicans is considering a measure to expand the power of temporary speaker Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., in order to address issues like preventing a government shutdown and funding aid packages for Israel and Ukraine. But others are opposed, saying that would be unconstitutional.
Our political correspondent Ray Bogan has more on these developments in his report.
Woman arrested for trying to approach Trump during trial
An arrest was made during the civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump in New York on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
A woman was taken into custody after trying to approach the former president, who was attending the trial for the second time this week. She was quoted as saying, “I want to speak to Mr. Trump.”
A court officer told her to sit back down, and then, moments later, she was escorted out of the courtroom by several officers.
The woman, later identified as a court employee, was arrested on a contempt charge for disrupting a court proceeding. A court spokesperson said the woman has been placed on administrative leave and is barred from entering state courts during the investigation.
When asked about the arrest, Trump said he was not aware of the incident as it happened behind him in the courtroom.
The former president and his company are being accused by the New York attorney general of overvaluing his assets to banks and insurance companies. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
Wheaties features video game character on box for first time
History is being made at the breakfast table on Thursday morning, Oct. 19. Wheaties, “the breakfast of champions,” as the cereal’s tagline goes, is doing something it has never done in its 100-plus years — feature a video game character on its box.
The General Mills cereal brand is releasing a special edition box featuring Marvel’s Spider-Man character. The collaboration between Wheaties and Marvel coincides with the release of the “Spider-Man 2” video game on Friday, Oct. 20.
The limited-edition box is exclusively available on the Wheaties website.
But it’s going to take the Marvel superhero a while if he wants to catch up to Michael Jordan, who has been featured on the Wheaties box 19 times — the most of any athlete.
Venezuelan migrants head to US border in record numbers
Since 2015, more than 7 million Venezuelan migrants have left their homes, with tens of thousands of them ending up in the U.S. Despite efforts to return Venezuelan nationals to their country of origin, the outflow of refugees and migrants from the country persists globally.
Earlier in October, U.S. officials announced they would resume the deportation of Venezuelan migrants just two months after the Biden administration increased protected status for Venezuelans who arrived in the U.S.
Ugochi Daniels, the deputy director of operations for the International Organization for Migration, emphasized that addressing the continuous influx of vulnerable people toward the United States requires a more comprehensive and coordinated effort for a long-term solution.
“Obviously, it’s not an issue that can be solved by any one country.” Daniels said. “It requires regional dialogue, and all of the countries along what we call the route to the U.S. need to sit around the table and have a discussion about how they’re going to manage migration.”
As the number of Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S. continues to grow, now exceeding 500,000, the conditions within Venezuela show little signs of improving.
A skeleton is adorned with Venezuelan Bolivar bills to draw attention to the devaluation of the currency and hunger, during an opposition march in Caracas, Venezuela, March 10, 2020. Source: AP Images.
According to the Venezuelan Finance Observatory, economic activity in the country decreased by 7% in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year, while inflation reached 398%.
Economic and societal hardships are some of the forces driving many to leave.
Mayela Villegas, her partner and their six children spent days sleeping on the concrete surrounded by masses of other migrants, hoping to take a train north to the U.S.
Mayela Villegas, whose family spent three days in Irapuato waiting for the train, was among 7.7 million people to leave Venezuela in recent years, and spent three years in neighboring Colombia. Source: AP Images.
“My goal is to be able to get to the United States and enter legally with my family,” Mayela said. “To have the opportunity to work. For my children to also have the opportunity to study, learn other languages, and explore new horizons.”
Recently, they spent three years in neighboring Colombia. Her family set up a barbershop, but xenophobia and low pay made life difficult. Threatened by a gang, she and her partner chose to go to the U.S., believing the risks were worth it for their children’s future.
Despite the risks we take, I would say we have no alternatives until we reach our destination.
Yorver Liendo, Venezuelan migrant
For years, neighboring countries have received the majority of Venezuelan migrants, such as Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. These nations have called for increased support. At the U.S. border, authorities are encountering more Venezuelan migrants than ever before.
Juan Pappier, deputy director of the Americas for Human Rights Watch, noted that even the international community’s response to the influx of Venezuelans into Colombia has been grossly inadequate.
“What we need is a bolder and coordinated response to distribute the economic burden and redistribute the location of these people, ensuring a fair distribution that takes into account their needs and the capacities of different states to respond to this migration flow,” Pappier said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, listens as Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena, left, speaks during a press conference at a meeting on security, at the National Palace in Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. Source: AP Images.
At a press conference, Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena said that nearly 10,000 migrant encounters were registered at the U.S.-Mexico border in just one day, emphasizing that human migration is at historic numbers. She mentioned that Mexico is willing to cooperate with South American countries in finding solutions to poverty, violence and development.
Meanwhile, in 2022, U.S. border authorities encountered Venezuelan migrants 190,000 times, more than any other year on record.
Mexico busing migrants north despite vow to help US alleviate border crisis
Near Mexico’s southern border, hundreds of families wait for buses headed north to Mexico City. It’s just one stop on a nearly 1,800-mile migration into the United States.
This is a new stop. Buses are available for $80 a ticket to families who may or may not have appointments with immigration officials.
Mexican officials opened the site last month hoping to reduce the risks migrants face traveling north. However, the move appears to be having deadly consequences.
The most recent bus crash killed at least 16 Venezuelan and Haitian migrants. It departed from an immigration center in southern Mexico. The move is also in direct opposition to recent agreements with the U.S.
A crashed bus sits attached to a tow truck the side of the road near Villa de Tepelmeme, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. At least 16 migrants from Venezuela and Peru died early Friday in the bus crash, authorities said. Source: AP Images.
“Almost all of them pass through Mexico, and we must take care of migrants and protect them, but we must avoid an increase in the migrant flux because there is a risk,” Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said.
The Mexican government’s migration authority said it has deployed over 260 buses and vans to disperse over 8,000 migrants from the southern city of Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala, to other parts of the country.
Mexican authorities had promised to help deport certain migrants to their countries of origin, not help them seek asylum.
“We will continue to take strong actions and measures, including efforts already in place about assisted returns, coordinating the dismantlement of trafficking, human trafficking network,” Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena Ibarra said at a joint press conference.
Bárcena Ibarra added that Mexico receives about 6,000 migrants daily at its southern border, with 1,500 crossing the Darien gap from Colombia, and more than 8,000 people arriving at the country’s northern border daily.
In a statement, Mexico’s National Migration Institute didn’t specify when the deportations would begin or how long they would last. Instead, it emphasized its intention to initiate negotiations with neighboring countries to ensure the orderly repatriation of its citizens to their respective countries.
The institute added from January to September 2023, federal immigration agents have rescued over 1.4 million migrants. More than 788,089 of them have been returned to their countries.
Government officials take action
This move has sparked action by senior government officials from both countries to congregate during the third U.S.-Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue — a chance for officials to promote binational safety and security.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland will join Mexican government counterparts. It’s a joint meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities.
“For our part, the United States is increasing refugee resettlement and we’re expanding legal pathways,” Blinken said. “Including launching our Safe Mobility initiative, so that people can find out whether they’re eligible to come to the United States from their own countries without having to make the journey to our borders.”
Since 2008, under the framework, $3 billion in aid has been allocated to Mexico. The aid addresses issues related to transnational organized crime and human trafficking.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), this initiative encompasses various major U.S. contributions, including personnel training and checkpoint equipment aimed at addressing Mexico’s security challenges.
Other programs have focused on providing training and assistance to Mexican officials from the justice sector, border security, military and law enforcement. Mexico has 54 migration stations throughout its 32 states.
Source: Reuters.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) representatives have offered Mexican authorities assistance to address the immigration issue at airports and train stations to reduce the numbers of people who use these routes.
U.S. relations with Mexico
The growing relationship relies on Mexico to help manage cross-border crime and migrant smuggling, while Mexico relies on the U.S. to mitigate the flow of firearms into Mexico and decrease U.S. demand for drugs.
Despite ongoing security assistance, safety in Mexico has significantly worsened over the last 15 years. The United Nations says between 2007 and 2021, the homicide rate in Mexico more than tripled. Deaths rose from eight homicides to 28 per 100,000 people.
According to Mexico, fentanyl seizures have topped nearly 25% of the world’s supply. Simultaneously, more than 200,000 firearms enter Mexico every year in return.
Actions taken by U.S. government
The Department of Homeland Security has announced executive actions allowing border wall construction to continue in southern Texas to mitigate the migration surge.
In addition, DHS has expanded the Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) program. The program expidites the removal of families without a lawful basis to remain. Families are placed into expedited removal proceedings to occur within 30 days. Launched in May, this program has processed over 1,600 families and continues to scale up.
President Biden faces backlash over border wall construction
The ongoing immigration crisis at the U.S. southern border has made its way to cities across America, forcing President Joe Biden to change his immigration policies and politics. Now, it’s resulting in pushback from many of his supporters.
“There will not be another foot of wall constructed under my administration,” Biden said while campaigning in 2020.
Back in 2019, Congress allocated funds under the Trump administration to build the border wall. From the Oval Office on Thursday, Oct. 9, Biden mentioned that he had asked Congress to reappropriate those funds, but it refused.
“I tried to get them to reappropriate, to redirect that money,” Biden said. “They didn’t, they wouldn’t.”
Biden was then asked if he thinks a border wall works. He responded, “No.”
“He’s been asking Congress to reappropriate the funds,” Jean-Pierre said. “He has been for the last couple of years, and Congress refused, and we have to comply by law to get this done and that’s what you’re seeing happening right now.”
The decision comes after Democratic leaders — including in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts — turned up the heat, criticizing the Biden administration’s border policies. They’ve all declared states of emergency after receiving tens of thousands of migrants seeking asylum in their states, which has overwhelmed shelters and dwindled resources.
According to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley sector is an area of “high illegal entry.” As of early August 2023, it has “encountered over 245,000 such entrants attempting to enter the United States between ports of entry in the Rio Grande Valley sector in fiscal year 2023.”
The DHS also revealed that the federal government is waiving 26 federal laws to expedite the construction process, including provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
The proposed construction cuts near the lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, drawing criticism from climate, wildlife and Indigenous activist groups.
The Center for Biological Diversity, which helps to save endangered species, released a statement saying in part, “Every acre of habitat left in the Rio Grande Valley is irreplaceable… we can’t afford to lose more of it to a useless, medieval wall that won’t do a thing to stop immigration or smuggling. President Biden’s cynical decision to destroy crucial wildlife habitat and seal the beautiful Rio Grande behind a grotesque border wall must be stopped.”
Voces Unidas RGV, an immigrant rights groups, also condemned Biden’s border wall decision saying, “We are confused and angered by the decision to further punish the most innocent, most vulnerable people in our communities.”
In a statement Wednesday, Oct. 4, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said CBP “will implement sound environmental practices as part of the project covered by this waiver.”
US fighter jet shoots down Turkish drone: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 6, 2023
The U.S. military shot down an aircraft belonging to a NATO ally in an act of self-defense. And we take a few steps in learning more about the history of humans in America. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
U.S. fighter jet shoots down Turkish drone in Syria
A United States fighter jet shot down an armed Turkish drone flying near American troops stationed in Syria on Thursday, Oct. 5, the first time the U.S. has brought down an aircraft of a fellow NATO member.
Pentagon press secretary, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder called the incident “regrettable” and said the U.S. troops went into bunkers for their safety.
“U.S. commanders assessed that the UAV, which was now less than half a kilometer from U.S. forces to be a potential threat and U.S. F-16 fighters subsequently shot down the UAV in self-defense at approximately 11:40 local time. It’s important to point out that no U.S. forces were injured during the incident. We have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. forces,” Ryder said.
U.S. officials say the F-16 shot down the drone after more than a dozen calls to Turkey military officials saying troops were on the ground and the U.S. military would take action if the drone did not leave the airspace.
Ryder said forces on the ground had seen drones doing airstrikes in the morning inside the area the U.S. declared a “restricted operating zone,” about a half mile from where troops were located.
About four hours later, a Turkish drone entered the zone again. After warnings went unanswered, Ryder said U.S. commanders on the ground took “quick action.”
A defense ministry official from Turkey said the drone did not belong to the Turkish armed forces.
America’s support of Kurdish forces in northern Syria has caused tension between Turkey and the U.S. Turkey views those forces as members of the militant Kurdish Workers Party.
This incident occurred on the same day a drone attack killed at least 80 people and injured 240 others during a military graduation in Syria. Syria’s military blamed insurgents for the attack but did not name any particular group.
Biden administration to restart deportation flights to Venezuela
As the number of migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border continues to climb, the Biden administration announced another step to discourage that from happening. On the Oct. 5 edition of The Morning Rundown, we reported the administration was waiving 26 federal laws to make way for the construction of a border wall in Texas. Now, the U.S. announced immigration authorities will restart deportations to Venezuela immediately.
An official with the Biden administration said they would resume flights back to Venezuela to “show how we are committed to imposing consequences on those who cross the border unlawfully.”
Officials have not said how many flights to Venezuela the administration would operate or how many migrants are expected to be flown back.
The U.S. is facing record levels of migration of Venezuelans as hundreds of thousands look to reach America amid poor economic conditions and food shortages in their country. Officials say Venezuela has agreed to accept its nationals back.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security extended Temporary Protected Status for 18 months for approximately 472,000 Venezuelans already living in the U.S. as of July 31.
Trump endorses Jordan to be next speaker of the House
With the House looking to vote on its next speaker in the upcoming days, the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 presidential election has voiced his opinion. Former President Donald Trump says he is backing Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
In a post on his Truth Social site Thursday night, Trump said Jordan has “my complete and total endorsement.” In January 2021, Trump awarded Jordan the Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor.
In his post, Trump spoke highly of Jordan’s college wrestling days and his degrees in law and education.
Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., announced their bids to fill the vacant seat after Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was removed in a historic vote this week.
Some Republicans have suggested Trump himself be nominated for speaker of the House. While the speaker does not have to be a member of Congress, a non-member choice would be another first for the House.
A vote for speaker is expected next week.
NYC subway shooter sentenced to life in prison
A gunman who went by the moniker “Prophet of Doom” in online videos was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for opening fire on a New York City subway. The April 2022 attack left 10 people injured, ranging in age from 16 to 60.
The suspect, 64-year-old Frank James, disguised as a construction worker, was able to walk away from the mass shooting scene which set off a citywide manhunt. James was eventually arrested after calling a police tip line to turn himself in.
Prior to sentencing, three of the victims spoke out in court, with one saying, “I have not been able to make sense of it.”
Lawyers for James sought a reduced sentence citing mental illness. James, who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges earlier this year said in court that he alone was responsible, while also criticizing the country’s mental health system.
The district court judge was not swayed and called James’ actions “pure evil.”
Chicken prices hit record highs just before holiday season
With Thanksgiving just over a month away, it’s common this time of the year to talk turkey, but today we’re talking chicken and the rising costs to buy it.
Chicken prices in grocery stores have hit record highs. While that’s good news for top producers like Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride, two companies who have dialed back their poultry production to improve earnings, it means more money coming out of the wallets of hungry shoppers. All at a time when consumers, weary of inflation, are turning away from pricier meats.
Beef consumption is forecast to be at its lowest level since 2018. Pork consumption is currently at its lowest since 2015.
The Department of Agriculture says U.S. consumption of chicken is expected to exceed 100 pounds per person this year for the first time ever.
Researchers provide new evidence of first signs of humans in America
American astronaut Neil Armstrong famously said the phrase ‘one small step for man’ as he stepped onto the moon in 1969. As for the actual first steps of man in the United States, that occurred much earlier, and new research is suggesting exactly when.
Footprints discovered at an ancient lakebed in White Sands National Park in New Mexico likely date back to somewhere between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago, according to research published Thursday in the journal ‘Science.’
The age of the footprints was first reported in 2021, but some researchers were not convinced. They debated the original dating method may not have been accurate. In this latest study, scientists used two new additional lines of evidence to support the date range.
The dates challenge what most have believed — that humans didn’t reach the Americas until about 15,000 years ago. Researchers are hoping these findings are a big step in learning more about how humans lived many, many years ago.
Mayor Adams travels to Mexico to deter migrants as NYC deals with crisis
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is on a four-day trip south of the border. He says he will be discouraging migrants from traveling to the city after more than 120,000 have shown up in the Big Apple in the last year.
“We’re going to tell them that coming to New York doesn’t mean you’re going to stay in a five-star hotel,” Adams said at a news conference Tuesday, Oct. 3. “It doesn’t mean that the minute you get here, you’ll be allowed to work. We’re going to tell them what the real conditions are.”
Currently, New York City shelters are overwhelmed and migrants are sleeping on the streets. Adams says the migrant crisis will cost New York taxpayers upwards of $12 billion, and financial resources are strained.
According to NBC News, city hospitals and medical centers have seen 30,000 migrant patients seeking care, causing a strain on the hospital system.
Additionally, a taxpayer-funded legal clinic at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan is seeing clients from various backgrounds and helping those in need of legal services. Director Randye Retkin says the clinic is inundated with requests from migrants, and now, American citizens who are seeking legal assistance are waiting weeks, if not months, for the same services.
“If you ask me, ‘Do you need more resources for legal services?’ I would say, ‘Absolutely, yes!’” Retkin said in an interview with NBC News.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., announced there are 18,000 open jobs at 400 companies across the state willing to hire migrants with legal work status.
“Well, we want them to have a limit on who can come across the border,” Hochul said. “It is too open right now. People coming from all over the world are finding their way through simply saying they need asylum.”
Right now, Mayor Adams is on the ground in Latin America, hoping to deter asylum-seekers from making their way to New York City.
“And I say to those pursuing the American dream, it should not turn into a nightmare,” Adams said while in Mexico. “And when you see children making the long trek through a jungle, and then have living conditions of trying to congregate in shelters, not having the real environment that they deserve, the inability to work, it just makes it extremely challenging.”
Before Adams left for his trip, the city filed a request late Tuesday, Oct. 3, asking the courts to suspend a decades-old “right to shelter” law, while the city is under a state of emergency. City officials say the city can no longer fulfill this obligation and find housing for every migrant seeking shelter.
