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High migrant numbers break multiple records in new blow to Biden border strategy
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Saturday announced that migrant numbers at the southern border for the month of September had reached new levels with the highest monthly encounters on record as well as the highest fiscal year total on record, in a significant blow to the Biden administration’s border strategy.
There were 269,735 migrant encounters in September, of which 218,763 were encountered entering illegally by Border Patrol agents. That brings the yearly total for migrants at the southern border for FY 23 to 2.48 million, higher than the 2.38 million in FY 22 and 1.73 million in FY 21. There were just 458,088 encounters in FY 2020.
Of those who entered, 43,000 individuals were processed in through ports of entry via the controversial CBP One app, which allows migrants to schedule an appointment to be paroled into the U.S.
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Meanwhile, there were 18 encounters of people on the terror watch list between ports of entry at the southern border, taking the total for FY 23 up to 169 — a new record and more than the last six fiscal years combined.
In a statement, acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said that the agency is surging resources and personnel “in response to high rates of encounters” at the border. The White House this week asked Congress for $14 billion in funding for its border strategy, including more staffing and money for migrant services.
Miller also noted the start this week of deportation flights directly to Venezuela, where a significant part of the migrant population is coming from.
“We are continually engaging with domestic and foreign partners to address historic hemispheric migration, including large migrant groups traveling on freight trains, and to enforce consequences, including by preparing for direct repatriations to Venezuela,” Miller said. “CBP will continue to remain vigilant, making operational adjustments as necessary and enforcing consequences under U.S. immigration law.”
“The supplemental funding request announced yesterday would provide critically needed additional resources, including additional CBP agents and officers to support our essential missions: from border and migration management, to countering fentanyl and keeping dangerous drugs out of our communities,” he said.
The numbers mark the latest blow for the Biden administration’s post-Title 42 border strategy, which focused on reasserting “consequences” for illegal entry while working with international partners and expanding what it calls “lawful pathways” for migrants to enter the U.S.
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Numbers dropped sharply after the end of Title 42 in May after record-high daily numbers leading up to it, bucking predictions from Republicans that there would be an explosion in encounters at the border.
As numbers remained relatively low through June, the administration pointed to the numbers as a sign that the strategy was working — just as it called on Congress to provide more funding and provide immigration reform to fix what it says is a “broken” overall system.
“Our approach to managing the borders securely and humanely even within our fundamentally broken immigration system is working,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told House lawmakers in July. “Unlawful entries between ports of entry along the southwest border have consistently decreased by more than half, compared to the peak before the end of Title 42.”
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Numbers skyrocketed in July, August and September, leading to increasing criticism from not only Republicans but also Democratic officials in large cities, like New York, which have been overwhelmed by migrants flooding into their communities.
“This fiscal year may have ended, but the historic crisis at our Southwest border sparked by Secretary Mayorkas’ policies rages on,” House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green said in a statement. “These numbers demonstrate beyond a doubt that Secretary Mayorkas’ refusal to enforce the law and secure our border is jeopardizing our safety and security. Additionally, CBP and the Border Patrol continue to be completely overwhelmed by the flood of illegal immigration that has not stopped since he and President Biden took office.”
“We also can’t forget about the 1.7 million known gotaways, some of whom may be seeking to cause the same type of devastation we saw in Israel on October 7. Secretary Mayorkas’ policies have failed, but he has only doubled down on them,” he said. “He must be held accountable.”
The administration has continued to lean heavily on “lawful pathways,” including establishing migrant processing centers in Central America to help migrants identify refugee, parole and other pathways for which they may be eligible. It also granted deportation protections and work permits for over 470,000 Venezuelan nationals last month.
There have also been some signs of greater enforcement measures from the administration, which this week touted not only its direct deportation flights to Venezuela, which resumed this week, but also highlighted statistics that it has returned over 110,000 people via expedited removal since May. It has previously said that it has returned or removed more people since Title 42 ended than in the same period in FY 2019 during the Trump administration.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also recently cited an “acute and immediate need” to waive federal regulations in order to build the border wall in South Texas this month, which led to claims from Democrats and Republicans that it is changing its anti-wall position. But DHS said it has been obligated to spend that money due to an FY 19 appropriation, and that its position of opposing wall construction has not changed.
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White House says Biden didn’t hear question after responding ‘yes’ about Israel delaying ground invasion
In a press conference Friday President Biden responded “yes” to a question about Israel delaying a ground invasion until more hostages taken by Hamas are released, the White House later retracted the statement, saying Biden didn’t hear the question.
A reporter asked Biden if Israel should “delay the ground invasion until you can get more hostages out?” Biden responded “yes.”
White House Communication Director Ben LaBolt later said it was a miscommunication.
“The president was far away. He didn’t hear the full question,” LaBolt said. “The question sounded like ‘Would you like to see more hostages released?’ He wasn’t commenting on anything else.”
The White House said Biden was responding “yes” to the second part of the question, that he does want more hostages released.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for further comment.
Two American hostages, a mother and daughter, were released from Hamas control on Friday, a joint effort between the United States, Qatar and Israel.
Biden traveled to Israel last week to speak with high-ranking officials of the Israeli government and to announce a $100 million humanitarian aid package intended for the civilians of Gaza.
On Wednesday in Tel Aviv, Biden cautioned Israel not to make the same mistakes the United States made after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Still, Biden pledged U.S. support for Israel in its mission in remarks from the Oval Office Thursday.
Biden has vowed U.S. support for Israel in its counterattack against Hamas since the start of the conflict, declared a war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Oct. 7 after the group entered the country in a surprise attack.
On Friday, the White House sent a roughly $100 billion emergency aid request to Congress that will send money to the border, allies in the Indo-Pacific, Ukraine and Israel. Israel would receive $14 billion to fund its defense against Hamas.
Airstrikes from Israel have hit Gaza, including areas declared as “safe zones.” More than 1 million Palestinians, roughly half of Gaza’s population, have been forced to flee after Israel told them to evacuate.
Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 12,500 others have been wounded. More than 1,400 people in Israel were killed in the initial surprise attack.
Go to Source: Administration News | The Hill
Pence says he would have had boots on the ground in Gaza if president: ‘We’re talking about Americans that have been captured and taken hostage’
Former Vice President Mike Pence said he would put boots on the ground in Gaza if he were president Friday.
“We’re talking about Americans now,” Pence, a 2024 GOP presidential primary candidate, told CNN anchor Jake Tapper. “Jake, we’re talking about Americans that have been captured and taken hostage, by the brutal Hamas terrorists.”
Pence said he “welcomed” the release of two Americans taken as hostages by the Palestinian militant group Hamas during its attack on Israel earlier this month.
“I said the better part of two weeks ago, Jake, that if I was president, I would have already been on the phone with the Joint Special Operations Command, I would have given orders for Delta Force and the Navy SEALs to be prepared to work with Israeli Defense Forces to engage in hostage rescue and then I woulda told Hamas that you have– you got 12 hours to turn loose every American, every Israeli hostage or we’re gonna come and get ’em,” Pence said.
Biden said he was “overjoyed” at the release of the two American hostages yesterday in a statement.
“These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal, and we should all respect their privacy in this moment,” Biden said.
Pence isn’t the only GOP presidential primary candidate who has said he would want American military force involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said Thursday he would ask Congress to authorize the use of military force against Hamas.
“As President, I would ask Congress to give authorization for military force against Hamas,” Hutchinson, a 2024 GOP presidential primary candidate, said in an interview on NewsNation.
Go to Source: Administration News | The Hill
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Biden suggests Hamas attack related to increased diplomacy between Israel, Saudi Arabia
President Biden suggested Friday evening that the Hamas attack on Israel earlier this month that sparked the recent violent conflict was related to increased diplomacy between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
“One of the reasons…why Hamas moved on Israel, is because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,” Biden said during remarks at a campaign fundraiser, according to The Associated Press.
“Guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel[.]” the former president continued.
Israel and Saudi Arabia have been coming closer to normalization in recent times, and Biden has been working to foster a relationship between the two.
“I think that under your leadership, Mr. President, we can forge a [historic] peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told Biden last month, according to The AP.
As a portion of any larger deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia was pressing for expanded Palestinian rights. However, in the wake of the Hamas attacks, talks stalled between the two countries.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) was in Saudi Arabia the weekend of the Hamas attack on Israel. She was meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on a possible peace agreement with Israel.
“We had left the meeting the night before with such optimism, and then when we found out about the attacks on Israel, it really struck us that this has just made our task that much harder,” Ernst told The Hill.
“Obviously we were very sad about what was happening in Israel, the dynamics in the Middle East are very difficult, very difficult…it just really was difficult for us to face that next day knowing that, where we thought we were making advances, now it’s probably going to be on hold for just a bit.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Go to Source: Administration News | The Hill
Socialist Twitch star Hasan Piker raises $1 million for Palestinian aid
Leftist commentator Hasan Piker raised more than $1 million for Palestinian medical relief in a matter of days through a Twitch campaign.
“I’m incredibly proud of you guys,” Piker told his fans as the donations poured in. “It’s incredible, it’s unimaginable, it is ridiculous. This is where this community thrives,”
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More than 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers have died since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7. Retaliatory strikes from Israel have killed more than 4,000 Palestinians and injured thousands more, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Piker launched the fundraiser about a week ago. Fans raised $180,000 in the first 40 minutes and surpassed $1 million as of Wednesday afternoon. Piker kicked in at least $50,000, according to the Tiltify page.
The funds will be split between ANERA, Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, Palestine Red Crescent Society and Medical Aid for Palestinians, according to Piker.
Piker did not respond to an interview request from Fox News about the fundraiser.
A self-described socialist, Piker is one of the most-watched streamers on Twitch. The live-streaming service is often used by gamers, but Piker has amassed millions of followers for his political commentary. He previously contributed to the left-leaning news and commentary outlet The Young Turks, which his uncle co-founded.
He has been a vocal critic of the “colonial apartheid” and accuses Israel of imposing on Palestinians. In a recent stream, he unleashed a profanity-laden tirade justifying Hamas’ invasion.
“If they f—ing subjugated you to a open-air prison your whole f—ing life, you’re going to break out eventually when you realize that there is no other way to get out of it,” Piker said. “Do you think that this happened out of nowhere? Do you think this happened out of thin air? Are you f—ing stupid? Do you think that the Israeli state was just, like, peacefully co-existing and then these guys came in with f—ing gliders out of nowhere?”
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Thursday, Piker took a dig at President Biden, who announced $100 million in new U.S. funding for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the West Bank. Speaking in Israel, Biden said the money would help “1 million displaced and conflict-affected Palestinians.”
In response, Piker posted on X, “damn, we raised a million for palestine, step your game up brandon.”
Humanitarian funds for Palestinians have been a hot-button issue for years, with critics arguing aid will fall into the hands of Hamas.
State Department officials previously warned that sending U.S. aid to the Gaza Strip could risk benefiting terrorist groups, while also arguing that such a trade-off is necessary for national security.
“We assess there is a high risk Hamas could potentially derive indirect, unintentional benefit from U.S. assistance to Gaza,” the State Department wrote in a March 2021 draft sanctions exemption request obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. It is unclear if the warning made it into the final request.
On one of his hours-long livestreams, Piker acknowledged the “great difficulty in getting money into Gaza for obvious reasons” and said the four charities he selected are “heavily scrutinized.”
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