International
An immigration reform, hard to achieve even with Biden’s victory
Now that Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, has won the U.S. presidential election, an immigration reform that legalizes the status of millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. is the hope.
Biden, who during his election campaign pledged to “secure our values as a nation of immigrants” and to “vigorously pursue policies that will safeguard” America’s security and provide “a fair and equitable system that will help grow and improve” the economy, while securing the country’s values, has succeeded, to some degree, in reassuring the day-to-day lives of these people who live in constant turmoil with President Trump’s frequently stated speech of racism and anti-immigration.
However, it is still premature to think about a path towards legalizing 11 million undocumented immigrants, with significant challenges and setbacks, according to immigration law experts and pro-immigrant activists.
“The scenario doesn’t look good. Because Biden will be working against a Republican-dominated Senate that will try to block any proposal,” attorney Luis Salgado, an immigration law expert, told El Tiempo Latino newspaper.
However, Biden’s immigration plan includes promoting an immigration reform bill in the first 100 days similar to the one approved by the Senate in June 2013 (Initiative S.744), that includes a way to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants who have been living in the United States for a long time, who lack criminal records and who pay taxes.
Just like the Presidency, the Senate’s vote is vital, since it is Senators who pass the bills and who hold the future of immigrants in their hands.
The November 3 election – without definition in Georgia – resulted in 50 Republican and 48 Democratic senators. Should two Republicans lose in Georgia, the Senate would be left with 50-50. The Vice-President would be the tiebreaker. In this case, it would be Democrat Kamala Harris.
Republicans currently have 53 Senators versus 47 Democrats.
While there are certain actions that the President-elect could take immediately upon taking office, there are others that will take longer to negotiate and others that will not even move forward.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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