President Biden, Trump to go to US-Mexico border
President Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both visiting the southern border today in an attempt to seize the narrative around immigration ahead of their presidential match-up later this year.
The duelling visits by the two presumptive nominees follow a record influx of undocumented migrants entering the country with much of it then being directed from Texas to Democrat-run cities.
Mr Trump is visiting migrant hotspot Eagle Pass and is expected to accuse the Biden administration of failing to protect the border while offering his vision for a draconian immigration policy including mass deportations.
Mr Biden, meanwhile, has accused Republicans of blocking a border deal that would address many of the issues they have long complained about at the behest of Mr Trump. He is due to meet with US Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, and local leaders.
In Washington, the race to replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is underway following his announcement that he will retire. Senator John Cornyn was first to announce his intentions.
Finally, House GOP lawmakers are scrambling to try and justify the premise for their flailing Biden impeachment inquiry after yesterday’s deposition by Hunter Biden. Doubts over its prospects are rising.
Trump tries in charge Biden’s ‘border invasion’ for Georgia pupil’s jogging homicide
Mr Ibarra is just not a US citizen, reworking the fees in opposition to him right into a rallying cry for the precise — together with Mr Trump.
Oliver O’Connell29 February 2024 18:00
Biden in Texas: What to anticipate
A White House official mentioned President Joe Biden would go to the border neighborhood of Brownsville, Texas “to meet with US Border Patrol agents, law enforcement officials and local leaders” and “discuss the urgent need” for Congress to enact the bipartisan border safety and international support funding invoice negotiated by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz), James Lankford (R-Olka) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn), calling that compromise invoice “the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border in decades”.
Mr Biden’s go to comes simply over a 12 months after a January 2023 go to that was his first journey to the border as president, and it represents a deliberate effort by the president to put report crossings by migrants on the ft of Mr Trump, who personally intervened to stop GOP senators from approving the compromise invoice as a result of doing so would forestall him from attacking the forty sixth president for permitting too many nonwhite asylum seekers into the nation.
Republicans, notably Mr Trump, have lengthy used immigration as a cudgel to attack the Biden administration – even going as far as to question Alejandro Mayorkas, homeland safety secretary, by the smallest of margins within the House – 214-213.
Oliver O’Connell29 February 2024 17:49
Oliver O’Connell29 February 2024 17:45
Full story: Cornyn turns into first Republican to announce bid to switch McConnell
John Bowden stories from Washington, DC:
Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas threw his hat into the ring to switch departing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday, turning into the primary member of his celebration to take action.
Mr Cornyn, an in depth ally of the minority chief, launched an announcement asserting his candidacy wherein he pledged to finish “backroom deals” and provides members satisfactory time to learn laws earlier than it’s voted upon.
Oliver O’Connell29 February 2024 17:35
Republicans falling for ‘Russian propaganda’ in Biden probe, say Democrats
The Independent’s workforce on Capitol Hill spoke with lawmakers after Hunter Biden’s deposition:
Democratic members of the House Oversight & Accountability Committee accused Republicans of falling for Russian propaganda after Hunter Biden testified behind closed doorways on Wednesday.
Their phrases got here after President Joe Biden’s son Hunter testified behind closed doorways on Wednesday and insisted that “I did not involve my father in my business” and that House Republicans “built your entire partisan house of cards on lies” when it got here to opening an impeachment inquiry into the president.
Republicans have sought to tie the younger Biden to his father and say that Hunter concerned his father in his business dealings. But Democrats mentioned that the testimony from the testimony from the younger Biden confirmed how defective the GOP investigation is.
“I think that the American people deserve better,” Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas instructed The Independent.
Oliver O’Connell29 February 2024 17:30
Federal decide shoots down GOP ‘invasion’ claims whereas blocking anti-migrant Texas legislation
Alex Woodward stories on this breaking story:
A federal decide in Texas has briefly blocked a state legislation that will enable native legislation enforcement to arrest, detain and kick out migrants in the event that they’re suspected of being the in US with out authorized permission, going above federal authorities to implement what civil rights teams have condemned as probably the most “extreme anti-immigrant” legal guidelines within the nation.
The court docket’s determination on Thursday will block the legislation from going into impact whereas litigation continues from a pair of lawsuits from the US Department of Justice and a coalition of immigrant advocates.
Oliver O’Connell29 February 2024 17:20
Poll: Nearly one-third of Americans help autocracy
Against a tide of antidemocratic threats and an increase in autocratic actions across the globe, consultant democracy nonetheless stays largely fashionable, however help has slipped during the last decade, in accordance with the outcomes of a wide-ranging survey from Pew Research Center.
In the US, 32 per cent would help a type of governance led by a “strong leader” or the navy, in accordance with the ballot.
Alex Woodward seems to be on the outcomes of the survey:
Oliver O’Connell29 February 2024 17:15
Federal decide strikes down Texas legislation that will enable police to arrest migrants at border
Hours earlier than President Joe Biden and Donald Trump arrive in Texas for his or her duelling visits to the southern border with Mexico, a federal decide has struck down a Texas legislation that will enable police to arrest migrants. Supreme Court precedent says that states could not train immigration enforcement besides with the authority of the federal authorities.
The case was consolidated with a Justice Department case after a lawsuit from civil rights teams. Today’s order will briefly block the legislation throughout litigation.
Here’s an excerpt from the order:
Several elements warrant an injunction. First, the Supremacy Clause and Supreme Court precedent affirm that states could not train immigration enforcement energy besides as licensed by the federal authorities. Second, SB 4 conflicts with key provisions of federal immigration legislation, to the detriment of the United States’ international relations and treaty obligations. Third, surges in immigration don’t represent an “invasion” throughout the which means of the Constitution, neither is Texas participating in struggle by imposing SB 4. Finally, to permit Texas to completely supersede federal directives on the premise of an invasion would quantity to nullification of federal legislation and authority—a notion that’s antithetical to the Constitution and has been unequivocally rejected by federal courts for the reason that Civil War.
Alex Woodward29 February 2024 16:58
Florida Republicans axe ‘unborn child’ invoice after outcry over Alabama IVF ruling
Florida Republicans have determined to carry off on a invoice within the state’s Senate which might have allowed civil lawsuits over the wrongful dying of a foetus, showing to bow to strain following Alabama’s controversial supreme court docket ruling that frozen embryos might be thought of kids.
The invoice, titled “Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child”, was designed to permit mother and father to obtain monetary damages in some circumstances when a foetus has died.
On Monday, nonetheless, state senators determined to pause Senate Bill 476’s passage with just some weeks left of the present legislative interval.
Oliver O’Connell29 February 2024 16:45
McConnell ought to have ‘stuck with the courage of his convictions’ over Trump impeachment, says Raskin
Eric Garcia information this report from Capitol Hill:
Mr Raskin, the lead impeachment supervisor for Mr Trump’s impeachment trial within the Senate concerning Mr Trump’s incitement of the January 6 riot on the US Capitol, spoke to The Independent upon information Mr McConnell would step apart as Republican chief in November.
“I wish Senator McConnell had shown the courage of his convictions and his real sentiments,” Mr Raskin mentioned.
Oliver O’Connell29 February 2024 16:30