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Category: National

  • Border arrest video inflames debate ahead of Trump visit

    The illegal immigrant whose arrest by Border Patrol in southern California has gone viral online was a fairly high-level operator in an alien smuggling ring affiliated with a cartel, sources told The

    The illegal immigrant whose arrest by Border Patrol in southern California has gone viral online was a fairly high-level operator in an alien smuggling ring affiliated with a cartel, sources told The Washington Times.

    The woman, Perla Morales-Luna, was nabbed by agents last week while walking with her daughters, according to videos of the arrest posted on Facebook Thursday.

    The videos garnered more than 10 million views in less than 24 hours and ignited a searing debate over immigration enforcement just days before President Trump is due to visit the area to look at prototypes of his planned border wall.

    Immigrant-rights groups said the video of agents separating the woman from her children is evidence of an immigration operation run amok, spreading fear in communities.

    Activists said these kinds of cases aren’t singular — but this time there were several bystanders who caught it on video.

    Pedro Rios, program director at the American Friends Service Committee’s San Diego office, said it showed “the level of impunity that agents operate with.”

    “When agents essentially snatch a mother from her children without any consideration of welfare and safety, knowing they’re being videotaped, I think there is a level of comfort that the enforcement agencies have in operating in this way,” he said.

    Several Border Patrol sources said Ms. Morales was being mistakenly portrayed. They said she was not a low-level cartel flunky but was “intimately involved” in human smuggling operations, which made her a priority target for agents.

    “They were looking for her,” one source said.

    In an official statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Ms. Morales was arrested “for being in the country illegally” as part of a targeted operation.

    She was being held by Homeland Security pending deportation proceedings.

    William Baker, her lawyer, told The Times that they’ll ask for her to be released and reunited with her three U.S. citizen daughters while she fights the deportation case against her.

    And he said the fact that the Border Patrol is pursuing immigration proceedings against her rather than charging her with smuggling crimes undercuts the agents’ claims of criminal behavior.

    “A mom walking with children on the street shouldn’t be treated in that matter,” he said.

    The video made the rounds of social media Thursday and Friday, and sparked outrage from Latino advocates and anti-Trump progressive activists.

    “Your tax dollars at work,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, on Twitter. “Mother ripped away from her crying daughters by Border Patrol agents on a Southern California street corner. America in the age of Trump. Meanwhile, Congress on verge of giving Trump’s deportation force billions more.”

    Mr. Trump has proposed $25 billion to build new and replacement fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, and to hire more agents and expand technology to stop migrants attempting to sneak in.

    The plans have stalled in Congress, where Democrats who just five years ago voted for a massive wall-building campaign now oppose it. Mr. Trump has insisted his wall, as well as major policy changes to legal immigration, must be part of any deal to legalize illegal immigrant “Dreamers.”

  • ‘Dreamers’ turn ire on Democrats as DACA deadline passes

    Illegal immigrant Dreamers descended on Democrats’ national headquarters in Washington on Monday, staging a sit-in and vowing to make sure the party gets at least some of the blame as Congress slipped

    Illegal immigrant Dreamers descended on Democrats’ national headquarters in Washington on Monday, staging a sit-in and vowing to make sure the party gets at least some of the blame as Congress slipped past President Trump’s March 5 deadline for action on DACA.

    While the deadline lacked the urgency it once had, thanks to several court decisions keeping the Obama-era tentative deportation amnesty going, it maintains much of its political salience.

    The protesters who blocked the doors to the Democratic National Committee on Monday said there is blame to spread around, but they wanted to make sure Democrats felt much of the pressure, accusing the party’s leaders of a decade of betrayal culminating in this week’s failure.

    SEE ALSO: Judge rules Trump’s DACA phaseout legal

    “This party has shown me nothing but pain,” said Maria Duarte, a DACA recipient dressed in pink Hello Kitty pajamas and clutching a stuffed animal as she blocked the doors. She was choked with emotion as she shouted through a bullhorn, saying she “lost family members” to enforcement under the Obama administration.

    President Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in June 2012 as he was campaigning for re-election. The protesters said the move was designed to stave off potential electoral disaster.

    More than 800,000 people won protection over the years, and some 683,000 people are currently protected. They have renewable two-year stays of deportation and are entitled to work permits, which can earn them driver’s licenses, Social Security numbers and even some taxpayer benefits.

    But the program was legally suspect. Facing threats of a lawsuit, Mr. Trump last year announced a phaseout, giving Congress six months to come up with a more permanent solution.

    Now it’s the phaseout that is legally troubled. Two federal courts have ordered Mr. Trump to keep processing renewal applications, making the March 5 deadline less critical.

    Yet a third federal judge ruled late Monday, upholding Mr. Trump’s phaseout. For now, the decision does not surmount the original two court rulings, but Judge Roger W. Titus’ 30-page opinion does give some legal heft as the Justice Department defends the president’s decisions in higher courts.

    Activists, meanwhile, said March 5 remained the critical political deadline, serving as a milepost with midterm elections looming and both sides looking to avoid blame on an issue where an overwhelming majority of voters believe the Dreamers deserve legal status.

    DNC Chairman Tom Perez said it was Mr. Trump’s “cruel and reckless decision” to phase out DACA that spurred “an unnecessary crisis.”

    “And now his arbitrary deadline has passed without any action from the president or Republicans in Congress,” Mr. Perez said.

    Indeed, most immigrant rights groups, while wishing Democrats had fought more strenuously, do place blame on Mr. Trump and defend a program that they used to decry as a Band-Aid solution.

    But the activists who protested outside DNC headquarters Monday said Democrats missed too many chances to help.

    “You are losing people in this party,” said Roberto Juarez, an organizer with the Seed Project, which staged Monday’s protest. He held up his voter registration card and recounted his days of working to elect Mr. Obama in 2008.

    “I lied to my community because I told them we could pass immigration reform in the first 100 days if we voted him in,” Mr. Juarez said. “What happened? More deportations than any other president.”

    Protesters said Democrats had multiple chances to force the issue over the past few months by holding up government funding until legal status was granted.

    Democrats did force a brief government shutdown in January but quickly relented in exchange for promises of a Senate debate.

    When that debate began, however, it was anticlimactic. Democrats first blocked the freewheeling floor fight all sides had expected, and every plan was defeated when the voting finally began.

    The most promising option, a proposal negotiated by moderates from both parties and embraced as Democrats’ leading option, fell six votes shy of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. That plan would have coupled a generous pathway to citizenship and a tentative deportation amnesty for all 11 million illegal immigrants with border wall funding and small limits on chain migration.

    The House, meanwhile, has shunned a floor debate altogether.

    A group of conservatives, led by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Virginia Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has written a bill that offers a continuation of the DACA program — with critical congressional approval — in exchange for major enforcement enhancements and changes to legal immigration policy.

    But House Republican leaders who tested the bill’s popularity among their ranks say it’s short of the support needed and it’s unclear whether they can bridge the gap.

    Democrats predict that if Republicans relented and brought up one of several bipartisan bills, such as a proposal to extend a generous pathway to citizenship in exchange for promises of future border security, there would be majority support to pass it.

    At a press conference Monday, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus said it was “shameful” for Republican leaders not to hold votes. They also predicted that Mr. Trump would take the brunt of the blame.

    “Let’s all be clear that President Trump ended DACA. The responsibility lies on his shoulders,” Rep. Raul Ruiz, California Democrat, told reporters at the press conference.

    The White House said Mr. Trump has done his part, pointing to his middle-ground proposal that coupled citizenship rights for up to 1.8 million illegal immigrants with a plan to build his border wall, limit the chain of family migration and change the law to allow for faster deportations of new illegal immigrants.

    Democrats, though, called the enforcement changes too harsh, while House conservatives said the amnesty was too generous.

    White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it was “absolutely terrible that Congress has failed to act.”

    “The president gave Congress six months, and he also gave them a plan,” she said. “They claim to want to fix DACA. The president laid out a pathway and an exact way to do that. They failed to address it, but we’re still hopeful that Congress will actually do their jobs, show up and get something done and fix this problem, not kick it down the road and not continue to ignore it.”

  • Donald J. Trump National Parks Highway clears hurdle in Utah

    A plan to name a Utah highway after President Donald Trump is getting a nod of approval from Utah lawmakers.

    SALT LAKE CITY — A plan to name a Utah highway after President Donald Trump is getting a nod of approval from Utah lawmakers.

    Republican sponsor Rep. Mike Noel said Monday he wants to recognize Trump’s decision to shrink two national monuments that had been fiercely opposed by state leaders. They say the designations wrongly limited what can be done with the land.

    The Sierra Club, though, says Trump’s move was an attack on protections for public lands with rich natural and archaeological resources. The organization was among those saying Trump isn’t worthy of the honor.

    The proposal would rename National Parks Highway, which overlaps several roads to connect well-known parks like Zion, Arches and Bryce.

    If the bill becomes law, the name Donald J. Trump National Parks Highway would appear on road signs and maps.

  • Tyler Watson, Oregon man, sues Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods over gun policies

    Tyler Watson’s lawsuit filed Monday claims he faced age discrimination when he tried to buy a rifle in February at a store owned by Dick’s in Medford.

    PORTLAND, Ore. — A 20-year-old man in southern Oregon has filed a lawsuit against Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart after he says they refused to sell him a rifle.

    The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Tyler Watson’s lawsuit filed Monday claims he faced age discrimination when he tried to buy a rifle in February at a store owned by Dick’s in Medford.

    Watson says he was also refused when he attempted to buy a gun at the Grants Pass Walmart.

    Dick’s and Walmart restricted gun sales in the wake of the Feb. 14 Florida high school massacre. The lawsuit is believed to be the first filed over the new gun policies.

    Oregon law allows residents to buy shotguns or rifles starting at age 18.

    Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the retailer will defend its new policy. A representative from Dick’s hasn’t responded to a request for comment.

  • Rhode Island bill would require $20 fee to access online porn

    The bill would require that Internet providers block “sexual content and patently offensive material.” To get around that block, computer users must pay a $20 fee that the provider must then pass on t

    Some Rhode Island legislators want the Ocean State to get its cut of the porn racket.

    A bill introduced in the state Senate last week by Democratic Sens. Frank Ciccone of Providence and Hanna Gallo of Cranston would put the tax man in the bedroom (or at least the computer room).

    The bill would require that Internet providers block “sexual content and patently offensive material.” To get around that block, computer users must pay a $20 fee that the provider must then pass on to the state treasurer.

    The bill’s language, according to the Providence Journal, would require that the money go to the state’s Council on Human Trafficking.

    The proposal, which was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, would impose crippling fines — $500 per pornographic image — on any provider who didn’t set up the filter, the Journal reported.

  • Washington approves own net neutrality rules

    Washington became the first state Monday to set up its own net-neutrality requirements after U.S. regulators repealed Obama-era rules that banned internet providers from blocking content or interferin

    OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington became the first state Monday to set up its own net-neutrality requirements after U.S. regulators repealed Obama-era rules that banned internet providers from blocking content or interfering with online traffic.

    “We know that when D.C. fails to act, Washington state has to do so,” Gov. Jay Inslee said before signing the measure that lawmakers passed with bipartisan support. “We know how important this is.”

    As he has done frequently over the past year, Inslee took aim at President Donald Trump’s administration, saying the decision by the Federal Communications Commission was “a clear case of the Trump administration favoring powerful corporate interests over the interests of millions of Washingtonians and Americans.”

    The FCC voted in December to gut U.S. rules that meant to prevent broadband companies such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon from exercising more control over what people watch and see on the internet. The regulations also prohibited providers from favoring some sites and apps over others.

    Because the FCC prohibited state laws from contradicting its decision, opponents of the Washington law have said it would lead to lawsuits.

    Inslee said he was confident of its legality, saying “the states have a full right to protect their citizens.”

    The new law also requires internet providers to disclose information about their management practices, performance and commercial terms. Violations would be enforceable under the state’s Consumer Protection Act.

    While several states introduced similar measures this year seeking to protect net neutrality, so far only Oregon and Washington have passed legislation. But Oregon’s measure wouldn’t put any new requirements on internet providers.

    It would stop state agencies from buying internet service from any company that blocks or prioritizes specific content or apps, starting in 2019. It’s unclear when Oregon’s measure would be signed into law.

    Washington state was among more than 20 states and the District of Columbia that sued in January to try and block the FCC’s action. There are also efforts by Democrats to undo the move in Congress.

    Governors in five states – Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Montana and Vermont – have signed executive orders related to net-neutrality issues, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

    Montana’s order, for instance, bars telecommunications companies from receiving state contracts if they interfere with internet traffic or favor higher-paying sites or apps.

    Big telecom companies have said net neutrality rules could undermine investment in broadband and introduce uncertainty about what are acceptable business practices. Net-neutrality advocates say the FCC decision harms innovation and make it harder for the government to crack down on internet providers who act against consumer interests.

    The FCC’s new rules are not expected to go into effect until later this spring. Washington’s law will take effect in June.

    Ron Main, executive director of the Broadband Communications Association of Washington, which opposed the bill, said the cable companies his group represents have already pledged not to block legal content or engage in paid prioritization.

    He said that because the internet is an interstate service, only Congress can pass legislation “that gives all consumers and internet services providers the clarity and consistency needed for a free and open internet.”

    “There should not be a state-by-state patchwork of differing laws and regulations,” he said in a statement.

  • Protesters clash with police at Richard Spencer white nationalist speech

    Protesters have clashed with police and supporters of white nationalist Richard Spencer during his visit to Michigan State University.

    EAST LANSING, Mich. – Protesters have clashed with police and supporters of white nationalist Richard Spencer during his visit to Michigan State University.

    Police say at least a dozen people were arrested Monday. Michigan State allowed Spencer to appear, but the venue was an auditorium at a remote end of campus.

    Students are on spring break. But hundreds of protesters turned out, shouting profanities at Spencer supporters and police. Officers formed lines outside the auditorium to try to keep the peace and protect people who had tickets as they entered the event. The officers wore helmets and clutched batons.

    Spencer popularized the term “alt-right” to refer to a fringe movement that’s a mix of white nationalist and anti-Semitic beliefs.

    Katie Kuhn of Lansing led some anti-Spencer chants. She says there’s too much “hate and fear.”

  • San Francisco to remove ‘Early Days’ native american statue

    San Francisco arts commissioners have voted to remove a statue that shows a Native American man at the feet of a conquering Spanish cowboy and Catholic missionary.

    SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco arts commissioners have voted to remove a statue that shows a Native American man at the feet of a conquering Spanish cowboy and Catholic missionary. 

    Monday’s vote by the San Francisco Arts Commission was unanimous and is the final word on the removal of “Early Days.” The sculpture is part of the Pioneer Monument cluster near City Hall that depicts the founding of California. 

    Native Americans and others have long wanted to remove the statue which they say is racist and demeaning. Advocates for removal clapped and cheered after the voice vote. 

    The arts commission started the removal process after demonstrators clashed over the removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, last August. 

    Other statues in the cluster would not be affected. 

  • Oregon Democrats abandon bill to oust teachers’ union critic from state education board

    Democrats in the Oregon legislature have shelved a hotly contested bill that would have removed an outspoken critic of the teachers’ union from the State Board of Education.

    Democrats in the Oregon legislature have shelved a hotly contested bill that would have removed an outspoken critic of the teachers’ union from the State Board of Education.

    Kim Sordyl, a lawyer and mother of two children attending Portland public schools, was chosen last year by Secretary of State Dennis Richardson to represent him on the board, but the bill would have forced her to vacate the seat by requiring him to name a full-time state employee.

    House Democrats approved the legislation last week on a party-line vote despite an uproar from her supporters, but the Senate Democratic leadership told news outlets that the bill won’t advance before the end of the session, which could come as early as this weekend.

    Proponents argued that the legislation was needed to clarify the original intent of the 2009 bill adding two non-voting members to the board, while Mr. Richardson said the effort was “clearly designed to silence an advocate for our children’s education.”

     

    This is a victory for our children, their education, and for transparency. It should be clear that bills designed specifically to silence an advocate for our children’s education is the wrong direction for our state. https://t.co/Wox5b1VjhD#orpol

    — Dennis Richardson (@OregonSOS) March 2, 2018

     

    Ms. Sordyl, a Democrat who has filed numerous complaints against school districts on behalf of parents, was appointed to the board by the Republican Richardson after he was elected in 2016.

    The legislation was proposed by Democratic state Rep. Margaret Doherty, a 22-year consultant for the Oregon Education Association, which Ms. Sordyl has fought for years over rules designed to protect teachers that also make it more difficult to remove abusers.

    Ms. Sordyl said Friday she hoped an ethics investigation would be conducted into what she described as Ms. Doherty’s “unethical and dishonest abuse of her position.”

    “We should all be vigilant over the Representatives who voted in favor of silencing a voice for students,” she said in an email. “They appear to be loyal to union donors at the expense of student health, safety and education.”

    Ms. Doherty, who no longer works for the OEA, had no immediate public comment, but she indicated last month at a committee hearing that she didn’t know Ms. Sordyl.

    Republican political consultant Jonathan Lockwood called the bill’s shelving a defeat for the Democratic establishment.

    “The system is broken and it was only after Oregon Democrats were found out for targeting an outspoken advocate that this legislation died,” said Mr. Lockwood in a statement. “This was a battle victory, but the war against Gov. Kate Brown’s status quo is not over.”

    The State Board of Education has seven voting members appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate, as well as two non-voting members, one named by the Secretary of State and the other by the State Treasurer.

  • Man who shot himself outside White House has died: Secret Service

    A man is dead after he shot himself in the head with a handgun Saturday outside of the White House, according to the Secret Service.

    A man is dead after he shot himself in the head with a handgun Saturday outside of the White House, according to the Secret Service.

    “At approximately 11:46 AM, a white male suffered a self-inflicted gun-shot wound to the head outside the North White House fence line,” the Secret Service said in a statement Saturday afternoon.

    “The subject is deceased,” the statement said.

    Authorities have identified the person but are withholding his name until their next of kin is notified, the Secret Service said.

    The man appeared to have approached an area near the fence line, removed a concealed handgun and fired several rounds, according to the Secret Service.

    None of the shots immediately appeared to have been aimed toward the White House, and no other persons were injured as a result of the incident, the Secret Service said. Neither President Trump nor the first lady were were at the White House at the time of the shooting.

    Mr. Trump is currently in Florida and has been briefed on the incident, White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley told reporters Saturday.

    The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department will be the lead agency investigating the shooting, the Secret Service said.

    It was not immediately clear if law enforcement fired any shots during Saturday’s incident, and the MPD did not immediately return a message requesting additional information.

    The area on the north side of the White House near where the shooting occurred is typically open to pedestrians but is policed heavily. Last week, meanwhile, a woman was arrested for allegedly driving her automobile while armed with a gun into a barricade nearer the building’s eastern entrance.