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Trump says he is considering sending migrant detainees to sanctuary cities – live Trump reportedly promised to pardon CBP head if he violated immigration law – live
(32 minutes later)
Donald Trump urged Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan to close the US-Mexico border last week, even after he had publicly backed off a threat to close it, the New York Times reports.
The Times also confirms an earlier report from CNN that Trump promised McAleenan a pardon should he be charged with breaking the law as a result of closing the border. He may or may not have been joking.
The Trump administration has declined to name anyone to a UN committee on racism, Politico reports.
The White House intervened to to prevent the expected re-nomination of a human rights lawyer picked by former President Barack Obama for the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and instead let the deadline pass without naming anyone, a State Department official told Politico. “It cements the narrative that the Americans just don’t care about these kinds of things anymore,” the official said.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Donald Trump’s threat to flood sanctuary cities with migrants is not a “real idea or a real proposal” but rather “just another scare tactic.”
“We are proud to be a Sanctuary City and to continue to put forward proposals to support our immigrant communities,” she said.
Donald Trump promised to pardon Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan if he were jailed for illegally blocking asylum seekers from entering the United States, CNN reports.Donald Trump promised to pardon Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan if he were jailed for illegally blocking asylum seekers from entering the United States, CNN reports.
During a visit to Calexico, California last week, he told border agents to prevent asylum seekers from entering the country, which would be contrary to US law. He also told McAleenan he would give him a pardon if he faced charges for the policy, administration officials told CNN.During a visit to Calexico, California last week, he told border agents to prevent asylum seekers from entering the country, which would be contrary to US law. He also told McAleenan he would give him a pardon if he faced charges for the policy, administration officials told CNN.
McAleenan has since been named acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.McAleenan has since been named acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Donald Trump’s full remarks at the White House about his idea to floor sanctuary cities with migrants, via a pool reporter:Donald Trump’s full remarks at the White House about his idea to floor sanctuary cities with migrants, via a pool reporter:
"I call them illegals."via WH pooler @cam_joseph pic.twitter.com/3NVyzT5gvS"I call them illegals."via WH pooler @cam_joseph pic.twitter.com/3NVyzT5gvS
Donald Trump is using immigration as a “political drum” to rev up his supporters, Hillary Clinton said Friday at the Women of the World Summit. She went on:Donald Trump is using immigration as a “political drum” to rev up his supporters, Hillary Clinton said Friday at the Women of the World Summit. She went on:
“If you really wanted to solve this problem, you would double, you would quadruple the number of immigration judges, you would hire more people, you would send them to the border. You would begin to organize a system so that people could be quickly processed in a legal and humane way. We would not be separating families and putting babies in cages. You know, we’re rather good at things if we decide if we want to do them. We would have enough decent humane housing, you would have people in a system — one of the worst things this administration has done is to separate those children and have no system.“If you really wanted to solve this problem, you would double, you would quadruple the number of immigration judges, you would hire more people, you would send them to the border. You would begin to organize a system so that people could be quickly processed in a legal and humane way. We would not be separating families and putting babies in cages. You know, we’re rather good at things if we decide if we want to do them. We would have enough decent humane housing, you would have people in a system — one of the worst things this administration has done is to separate those children and have no system.
I would go to the big tech companies and say, okay, you’ve got 15 days, get me a system so that I can keep track of everyone. I’m not going to lose anyone. No baby, no older person. Everyone is going to be in the system, and we’re going to have enough judges. down there, we’re going to have decent housing conditions, and we’re going to start hearing those cases. That’s what someone who wanted to solve the problem would be doing as opposed to either denying or politicizing it and that is what I hope will eventually will be done.”I would go to the big tech companies and say, okay, you’ve got 15 days, get me a system so that I can keep track of everyone. I’m not going to lose anyone. No baby, no older person. Everyone is going to be in the system, and we’re going to have enough judges. down there, we’re going to have decent housing conditions, and we’re going to start hearing those cases. That’s what someone who wanted to solve the problem would be doing as opposed to either denying or politicizing it and that is what I hope will eventually will be done.”
The man apprehended outside the White House set his jacket on fire and is being treated for injuries, according to CNN.The man apprehended outside the White House set his jacket on fire and is being treated for injuries, according to CNN.
Secret service spokeswoman tells me a man set his jacket on fire in front of the White House. He is being treated for injuries. No threat to the PresidentSecret service spokeswoman tells me a man set his jacket on fire in front of the White House. He is being treated for injuries. No threat to the President
The Secret Service has apprehended a man who tried to set himself on fire outside the White House, according to reporters on the scene.The Secret Service has apprehended a man who tried to set himself on fire outside the White House, according to reporters on the scene.
HAPPENING NOW: ⁦@SecretService⁩ just apprehended man who tried to set himself on fire outside ⁦@WhiteHouse⁩ agent tells us pic.twitter.com/GvPYEZ8CnmHAPPENING NOW: ⁦@SecretService⁩ just apprehended man who tried to set himself on fire outside ⁦@WhiteHouse⁩ agent tells us pic.twitter.com/GvPYEZ8Cnm
The whole area in front of the White House is now secured. Nobody coming in, and we aren’t allowed out. pic.twitter.com/NPMZD4jDeTThe whole area in front of the White House is now secured. Nobody coming in, and we aren’t allowed out. pic.twitter.com/NPMZD4jDeT
Donald Trump said Friday at the White House he is “strongly looking at” the possibility of shipping immigrant detainees to sanctuary cities.Donald Trump said Friday at the White House he is “strongly looking at” the possibility of shipping immigrant detainees to sanctuary cities.
“We’ll give them to the sanctuary cities to take care of them, if that’s what they want,” he told reporters. “We’ll bring them to sanctuary City areas and let that particular area take care of it...We’ll give them a lot. We can give them an unlimited supply.”“We’ll give them to the sanctuary cities to take care of them, if that’s what they want,” he told reporters. “We’ll bring them to sanctuary City areas and let that particular area take care of it...We’ll give them a lot. We can give them an unlimited supply.”
“They’re always saying they have open arms. Let’s see if they have open arms” https://t.co/N3cwdwHP9P“They’re always saying they have open arms. Let’s see if they have open arms” https://t.co/N3cwdwHP9P
Beto O’Rourke compared Donald Trump to an “arsonist” who is worsening the immigration situation at the US-Mexico border.Beto O’Rourke compared Donald Trump to an “arsonist” who is worsening the immigration situation at the US-Mexico border.
“Donald Trump is the arsonist who gets the credit for putting out the fire,” the former Texas congressman and Democratic presidential candidate told CNN.“Donald Trump is the arsonist who gets the credit for putting out the fire,” the former Texas congressman and Democratic presidential candidate told CNN.
“What we need is someone who will not play games or politics with people’s lives or the security of this country but will invest in the smart decisions and policies like investing in Central America to stop the outflow before it even begins,” O’Rourke said. “We can try to address these problems at the US-Mexico border with walls or open arms, or we can address them in the countries of origin before they ever become a problem, and that’s what I want to do.”“What we need is someone who will not play games or politics with people’s lives or the security of this country but will invest in the smart decisions and policies like investing in Central America to stop the outflow before it even begins,” O’Rourke said. “We can try to address these problems at the US-Mexico border with walls or open arms, or we can address them in the countries of origin before they ever become a problem, and that’s what I want to do.”
My colleague Lauren Aratani writes:My colleague Lauren Aratani writes:
Hillary Clinton, speaking at the Women in the World summit in New York today, recalled dealing with Wikileaks’ disclosures when she was secretary of state:Hillary Clinton, speaking at the Women in the World summit in New York today, recalled dealing with Wikileaks’ disclosures when she was secretary of state:
“ I do have a personal connection to this because this happened in 2010 what I was Secretary of State. So there was a great deal of military information, there was a great deal of state department, diplomatic information because part of the reason you have an ambassador in a country is to have pick up information and report it back to the state department. There were memos and what were cables that were very honest, very candid, describing leaders, and saying ‘We heard this, and we met about that’. It was useful information because if you’re trying to figure out how to deal with a country, you want to have that material.“ I do have a personal connection to this because this happened in 2010 what I was Secretary of State. So there was a great deal of military information, there was a great deal of state department, diplomatic information because part of the reason you have an ambassador in a country is to have pick up information and report it back to the state department. There were memos and what were cables that were very honest, very candid, describing leaders, and saying ‘We heard this, and we met about that’. It was useful information because if you’re trying to figure out how to deal with a country, you want to have that material.
When all of this was exposed, we had to scramble like crazy. Because in that trove of material, there were names of people, people who had helped our embassy or our military in Afghanistan, human rights activists, people who were then, prisoners of conscience who were trying to convince the United States, meeting with our embassy personnel to help them. So there were names of people. I had to make the decision to try to remove people, get them out of danger, create identities for them to make sure they weren’t going to be hurt. So I take it seriously.”When all of this was exposed, we had to scramble like crazy. Because in that trove of material, there were names of people, people who had helped our embassy or our military in Afghanistan, human rights activists, people who were then, prisoners of conscience who were trying to convince the United States, meeting with our embassy personnel to help them. So there were names of people. I had to make the decision to try to remove people, get them out of danger, create identities for them to make sure they weren’t going to be hurt. So I take it seriously.”
Clinton said “I don’t know” whether Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should also be indicted for his role in publishing emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election.Clinton said “I don’t know” whether Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should also be indicted for his role in publishing emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election.
Greg Craig, the former White House counsel under Barack Obama who was indicted Thursday, pleaded not guilty today and was released on his own recognizance, CNN reports.
Craig is accused of lying to federal authorities about his work for Ukraine, charges that grew out of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón responds to Donald Trump’s threat to release immigrant detainees in sanctuary cities:
“With immigrants being less likely to commit crimes than the U.S. born population, and with sanctuary jurisdictions being safer and more productive than non-sanctuary jurisdictions, the data damns this proposal as a politically motivated stunt that seeks to play politics with peoples’ lives. The fact that such a proposal is being peddled by the leader of the free world is an all-time low for American discourse, and it’s the clearest sign yet that the president fully intends to chart a path to reelection on the back of racist rhetoric and policies intended to divide us.”
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called Donald Trump’s proposal to ship unauthorized immigrants to sanctuary cities “an outrageous abuse of power and public resources.”
“The idea that the administration thought in any way that it would be acceptable to use families and children - human beings - as political retribution against their enemies should infuriate every American,” she said on CNN.
Oakland is a sanctuary city, meaning it does not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
“I am proud to be the mayor of a sanctuary city,” Schaaf said. “The data is very clear that immigrants, and even undocumented immigrants, commit far fewer crimes than non-immigrants.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says of Donald Trump’s tweets: “He’s just being a freak, I mean, he’s just terrible.”
In an interview with Recode, Pelosi said Trump’s approach to Twitter has “cheapened the presidency.”
“There’s more of a responsibility for a president to communicate his point of view, which we should respect, he’s the president of the United States, whether you agree with him or not, he has a point of view. But to use the office of the president as an attack vehicle ... for his market, it seems to have worked,” she said.
Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to potential Fed picks Herman Cain and Stephen Moore saying she has “strong” and “significant” concerns about them joining the board, the Hill reports.
She wrote that both men have a “history of forming views on policy based on political loyalties.”
Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, is advising a Bronx Republican planning a run against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Magazine reports.
Ruth Papazian, a medical journalist, has been telling Republican operatives that Lewandowski has agreed to serve as an unofficial adviser.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Donald Trump’s idea to ship detained immigrants to sanctuary cities as a way to stick it to Democrats “unworthy” of the presidency.
“It’s just another notion that is unworthy of the presidency of the United States and disrespectful of the challenges that we face as a county, as a people, to address who we are: a nation of immigrants,” Pelosi told reporters Friday, the Hill reported.
Pelosi’s San Francisco district was reportedly one of those the White House wanted to inundate with released detainees.
“That you could use ICE — or any other federal agency — to penalize or to visit retribution for political reasons, that’s not the act of a democratic government,” House majority leader Steny Hoyer said, according to the Hill.
New York City comptroller Scott Stringer says Donald Trump’s idea of sending migrants to “sanctuary city” comes from a “warped mind.”
It takes a truly warped mind to think that releasing families who sought asylum at the border in Sanctuary Cities would be a “punishment.” These families are just seeking a better life, and Sanctuary Cities exist because we *want them here*. https://t.co/tSH9f6LjAf
New York is one of the so-called sanctuaries targeted by Trump, since it does not allow local police to participate in immigration enforcement and in most cases refuses to turn immigrant detainees over to ICE.
Trump’s tweet today doubling down on the idea is a reversal from his aides statements that it had been floated and rejected and was going nowhere.
White House yesterday: "This was just a suggestion that was floated and rejected, which ended any further discussion.”Trump today: “We are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing illegal immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only."
The Trump administration has finalized a rule to put new restrictions on food stamps, making it harder for states to waive work requirements for the assistance. The program requires able bodied adults with no kids to work or get job training in order to get food stamps, but many states waive the requirements.
It could result in 750,000 people losing food stamps, according to NPR.
Donald Trump called it a “major international victory” that the International Criminal Court rejected a request by the court’s top prosecutor to open an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan.
“We welcome this decision and reiterate our position that the United States holds American citizens to the highest legal and ethical standards,” said Trump, whose administration has attacked the international court on multiple fronts.