International
Arizona governor sends National Guard to border to handle migrant flow
December 18 |
Arizona’s governor on Friday ordered the state’s National Guard to be stationed along the border with Mexico to help federal authorities handle the influx of migrants.
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said she issued the executive order because “the federal government refuses to do its job to protect our border and keep our communities safe.”
“I’m taking action where the federal government won’t,” Hobbs added.
It is unclear when troops would arrive at the border or exactly how many elements would be mobilized.
Hobbs asked President Joe Biden’s administration a week ago to mobilize 243 Arizona National Guard troops already in the Border Patrol’s Tucson sector – which includes Lukeville – to help federal authorities reopen the border crossing that was closed indefinitely on Dec. 4.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has stated that it was necessary to close the crossing to allow personnel there to assist the Border Patrol in managing the hundreds of migrants who cross illegally through that area daily.
Although remote, the crossing is a popular route for Arizonans traveling to the Mexican resort of Puerto Peñasco, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the border on the northern coast of the Sea of Cortez.
Hobbs said National Guard soldiers will be stationed at various points along the southern border, including around Lukeville.
There, they will be supporting state and local authorities in maintaining security, as well as interdicting drug and human trafficking.
The San Miguel crossing, located farther east in the territory of the Tohono O’odham First Nation, has also seen hundreds of migrant arrivals each day, but tribal authorities said the National Guard would not be stationed on the reservation.
“We are in close communication with Gov. Hobbs on this issue,” said Verlon Jose, leader of the Tohono O’odham Nation. “We made it clear that no National Guard members would be deployed on the Nation and her office agreed. Today’s action by the governor is a necessary step to address the current crisis on the border.”
Hobbs said the Biden administration did not respond to his request that the federal government reimburse Arizona for border security spending.
CBP officials said they had no immediate response to the governor’s decision.
Lt. Gen. Kerry L. Muehlenbeck, who oversees the Arizona National Guard, noted that in September he concluded a 30-month active duty assignment providing support to law enforcement agencies in southern Arizona.
Muehlenbeck said the previous mission provided logistical, administrative, cyber and medical support.
U.S. Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, who represents southern Arizona, said he disagreed with Hobbs’ executive order.
“But I do appreciate that Governor Hobbs has rejected the brutal and cruel tactics of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who have taken advantage of this crisis to inhumanely and illegally use migrants as political pawns and to politicize and pander rather than work on real solutions,” Grijalva said in a statement.
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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