WTF Just Happened Today

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

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1/ Trump recently put Stephen Miller "in charge" of the administration's immigration policy "and he's executing his plan" to clean house at the Department of Homeland Security. "There is a near-systematic purge happening," one official said. Miller has been arguing to bring in more like-minded hardline immigration reform advocates, with the senior White House adviser reportedly calling federal departments and agencies to demand that they do more to stop the flow of immigrants. (Wall Street Journal / Politico / CNN)

2/ A senior White House official: DHS is not doing enough to crack down on immigration and more people could be forced out soon. Sources close to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen say Trump and Miller have called for changes at DHS that are legally questionable, which would make them operationally ineffective. Several DHS officials who will likely be forced out soon, include Claire Grady, DHS' acting No. 2 official, Lee Francis Cissna, head of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Kathy Nuebel Kovarik, one of Cissna's top deputies, and John Mitnick, the department's general counsel. (Reuters / Axios / New York Times)

3/ Congressional Republicans urged Trump not to fire any more top immigration officials. Senator Chuck Grassley said he was "very, very concerned" about reports that Cissna could be dismissed. Grassley said he texted Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, to express his concerns about removing Cissna, but Mulvaney "didn't seem to know who I was talking about." After Trump forced Nielsen's resignation, pulled his Immigration and Customs Enforcement nominee, removed his Secret Service director and threatened more firings, Senator John Cornyn called the situation "a mess." Cornyn added that he has no idea what Miller's "agenda" is for determining immigration policy because he isn't Senate-confirmed and doesn't talk with members of Congress. (Washington Post / Politico)

4/ The Trump administration plans to put Customs and Border Protection agents in charge of interviewing asylum-seekers. Miller has argued that the move will mean fewer migrants will pass the initial screening, known as a credible fear interview. Currently, asylum-seekers are interviewed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officers. (NBC News)

5/ Trump denied that he's planning to resume separating migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, despite pushing Nielsen to reinstitute a "zero-tolerance" immigration policy for months. Trump instead lied and blamed Obama for instituting the child separation policy and for building "cages." Obama had guidelines that prioritized the deportation of gang members, national security risks, and felons, while Trump's policy systematically separated families, eve...

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