Tennesee Governor Bill Lee (R) announced that he would hold a special session beginning January 27 to address how it will implement the policies of the incoming Trump administration.
As President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas approach the conclusion of their tenure on January 20, Mayorkas' border policies remain a significant point of contention. Reports indicate that by then, approximately 1.5 million illegal migrants will have entered the U.S. through parole programs established under Mayorkas' leadership.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it will ban Red No. 3 in food, drinks, and pharmaceutical products. Red No. 3 is a synthetic coloring frequently used in candies, desserts, and some drugs.
The state of Oklahoma has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, accusing it of causing "massive chaos" in the state's public school system through lax border policies over the past four years.
Washington State Senator Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle) has introduced a bill that would allocate state funds to provide unemployment benefits to illegal immigrants, despite the state's $10-17 billion budget deficit. The proposed legislation, SB 5023, aims to create a separate program for workers ineligible for federal unemployment insurance due to their immigration status.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) called for a special legislative session to require local governments in the state to enforce incoming President Donald Trump's deportation goals.
The New York Times editorial board proposed a sweeping plan to resolve America’s immigration challenges, advocating for increased legal migration while sidelining concerns of many Americans. The op-ed, titled “A Big Idea to Solve America’s Immigration Mess,” frames migrants as essential for economic growth while casting native-born Americans as a declining population incapable of meeting labor demands.
A federal judge in Vermont sentenced Luis Fernando Barragan-Palacios, 29, to 18 months in prison for smuggling nearly 100 migrants across the Canadian border into the United States. Barragan-Palacios, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, earned approximately $500,000 from the human smuggling operation over a five-month period. He is expected to be deported upon completing his sentence.
