First Lady Melania Trump landed in McAllen, Texas Thursday afternoon to visit an immigration detention center; vowing to gather information and take a personal tour of the border crisis currently impacting thousands of families.
According to a spokesperson from the First Lady’s office, Mrs. Trump wanted a “first-hand look” to “see a realistic view of what’s happening” along the US-Mexico border.
.@FLOTUS visits a child detention center in Texas. https://t.co/thDomNkh72
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 21, 2018
The visit comes just hours after President Trump signed an executive order that barred “family separations” along the border; effectively allowing young children to remain with their parents while being processed by federal agents.
Read the full story at Fox.
'TOTAL CATASTROPHE': Four Separate IMMIGRATION BILLS FAIL in US Senate
Four separate immigration bills crashed and burned in the US Senate this week, capping off a week of fiery debate, negotiations, and eventually defeat as both the President’s proposal and a bipartisan bill failed to secure enough votes.
Trump’s four-part immigration plan -which would provide a pathway to citizenship for nearly two million ‘Dreamers,’ fund his border wall, and end “chain” migration- went down in defeat, with many Republicans joining their Democrat colleagues and sinking the bill in a 39-60 vote.
The Senate’s bipartisan deal also fell short just hours after Trump threatened to veto the bill he described as a “total catastrophe.”
“The Schumer-Rounds-Collins immigration bill would be a total catastrophe. @DHSgov says it would be ‘the end of immigration enforcement in America.’ It creates a giant amnesty (including for dangerous criminals), doesn’t build the wall, expands chain migration, keeps the visa,” Trump tweeted.
The Schumer-Rounds-Collins immigration bill would be a total catastrophe. @DHSgov says it would be “the end of immigration enforcement in America.” It creates a giant amnesty (including for dangerous criminals), doesn’t build the wall, expands chain migration, keeps the visa…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2018
The Senate’s inability to pass any immigration deal comes as the March 5th deadline looms with the nation’s DACA program officially expiring; throwing into question the fate of millions of ‘Dreamers’ currently residing in the United States.
ASYLUM CRACKDOWN: Sessions Moves to ‘BLOCK’ Asylum Seekers from Entering US
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced new federal immigration guidelines Monday; cracking down on the level of asylum seekers hoping to enter the United States as a result of “domestic abuse” and “gang violence.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, Sessions outlined his decision this week; claiming “private crimes” such as family disputes are not “eligible” for asylum under pre-existing guidelines surrounding immigration.
“Generally, claims by aliens pertaining to domestic violence or gang violence perpetrated by non-governmental actors will not qualify for asylum,” Sessions wrote. “The mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes — such as domestic violence or gang violence — or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime, cannot itself establish an asylum claim.”
“Asylum was never meant to alleviate all problems — even all serious problems — that people face every day all over the world,” he added.
Read the full story at the LA Times.