President Trump's declaration that he will end birthright citizenship by executive order apparently came in spite of warnings from his own White House counsel's office.
The office that advises the president on legal issues had told Trump that he probably does not have the authority to end birthright citizenship by executive order, Politico reported Wednesday.
Trump told Axios that he discussed the idea with his White House counsel, claiming that unspecified people had told him he doesn't need Congress to end the guarantee that any child born in the U.S. is granted citizenship. Because this is a right protected by the 14th Amendment, conservatives who favor changing the law have generally proposed a constitutional amendment.
Trump's surprise declaration apparently caught administration officials by surprise. They didn't expect the president to discuss this route because it wasn't actually being seriously considered by the White House counsel's office; instead, the executive order idea was just one of a number of immigration proposals the office was looking at, Politico reports. Aside from the legal problems, some were just concerned about Trump wading into controversial waters with this idea, including former White House strategist Stephen Bannon of all people.
But now, it sounds like the White House is already giving Trump an out for not actually going through with an executive order — Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that the president is "looking at all options." Brendan Morrow
While he was serving his 13-month sentence in a Florida jail, financier Jeffrey Epstein continued to sexually abuse at least one of his victims, attorney Brad Edwards alleged during a press conference Tuesday.
Epstein was accused of molesting dozens of girls in the mid-2000s, but as part of a lenient plea agreement, was able to plead guilty to state charges of procuring and soliciting prostitution. During his 13-month sentence, Epstein left the jail six days a week to go to work, and Edwards claims he had "female visitors," including some who were under 21.
"All I can say is more than one person that visited him, they believed they were going there for something other than a sexual purpose," he said. "Once there, he turned his perfect master manipulation to turn the situation into something sexual." Edwards added that it's not clear what work was actually taking place at Epstein's office. "What he did on a daily basis was engage in these types of sex acts with minors and vulnerable women," he said. "Where did he make his money? I don't know."
A spokeswoman for the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office told The Daily Beast that while on work release, Epstein was picked up by a driver, and a sheriff's deputy met him at his office. She said the deputy was with Epstein the entire time he was in the building, and "was allowed no family, friends, or guests." Earlier this month, Epstein was arrested in New Jersey and charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy. Catherine Garcia
John Paul Stevens, the third longest-serving Supreme Court justice in history, died Tuesday in Florida of complications from a stroke. He was 99.
Nominated to the Supreme Court by President Gerald Ford, he served 35 years before retiring in 2010. Stevens told The New York Times in 2007 that he thinks "as part of my general politics, I'm pretty darn conservative," but he ended up leading the liberal wing of the court, and was known for standing up for the rights of individuals.
Stevens revealed that his one regret was voting to reinstate the death penalty in 1976, as he later decided that capital punishment is unconstitutional. He wrote a stern dissent in the landmark 2010 case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, saying the ruling represented a "rejection of the common sense of the American people, who have recognized a need to prevent corporations from undermining self government." He also led the opponents in Bush v. Gore. "Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year's presidential election, the identity of the loser is clear," he wrote. "It is the nation's confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law."
Born in 1920, the Chicago native served in the Navy during World War II as a code breaker, and graduated from the top of his class at Northwestern University School of Law. Following his retirement, he wrote three books, including Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution. He is survived by his daughters, Elizabeth and Susan, nine grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. Catherine Garcia
The Trump administration considers Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro an illegitimate leader who is causing havoc in his country, but does not plan on granting temporary protected status to Venezuelans.
The United States grants temporary protected status to people who flee from countries torn apart by armed conflicts and natural disasters, keeping them safe from deportation. The Trump administration supports the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, and routinely criticizes Maduro for causing economic instability in his country, which is suffering from food and medicine shortages. The United Nations, which says the Maduro regime has killed thousands of citizens, estimates the humanitarian crisis could displace as many as 8.2 million Venezuelans by the end of 2020.
In a letter sent to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Tuesday, Acting Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli said the government "continues to monitor the situation in Venezuela," but will not extend temporary protected status to any Venezuelans in the country. Durbin and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said in a statement that Trump "cannot have it both ways. He cannot warn Americans that Venezuela is so dangerous they should avoid traveling there and then turn around and tell Venezuelans in the U.S. they are forced to return."
In 2018, close to 30,000 Venezuelans applied for protection in the United States, The Guardian reports, while 336 were deported between October 2017 and September 2018. Catherine Garcia
The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a resolution condemning President Trump's "racist comments" directed at four Democratic congresswomen, all women of color.
Four Republicans — Reps. Will Hurd of Texas, Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Susan Brooks of Indiana — and one independent — former Republican Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan — voted with the Democrats to pass the resolution, 240-187.
Trump tweeted that the women should "go back" to their home countries — three were born in the U.S., and all are citizens — and has refused to apologize, instead doubling-down and saying people agree with him. Before Tuesday's vote, Trump tweeted, "Those Tweets were NOT Racist. I don't have a Racist bone in my body!" Catherine Garcia