International
US Supreme Court hears challenge to Biden admin immigration policy
| By AFP | Chris Lefkow |
The US Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in a case brought by border state Texas challenging the federal government’s right to decide which undocumented migrants should be targeted for deportation.
Defending the Biden’s administration’s policy, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said the federal government has to prioritize its efforts because it does not have the resources to pursue the 11 million undocumented “noncitizens” in the country.
“This is not about reducing enforcement of the immigration laws, it’s about prioritizing limited resources to say go after Person A instead of Person B,” Prelogar said.
After more than two hours of arguments, the nine justices on the conservative-majority court did not appear to fall clearly on one side or the other of the case, which also raises thorny questions of the legality of state challenges to federal policies.
“It means that states can challenge the federal government on any policy with which they disagree,” Prelogar said. “Federal courts should not be transformed into open forums for each and every policy dispute between the states and the national government.”
Texas filed suit after the Department of Homeland Security, in a September 2021 memo, instructed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to concentrate expulsion efforts on persons who “pose a threat to national security, public safety, and border security.”
“We do not have the resources to apprehend and seek the removal of every one of these noncitizens,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. “Therefore, we need to exercise our discretion and determine whom to prioritize for immigration enforcement action.”
Texas solicitor general Judd Stone said prioritizing expulsion of undocumented migrants to certain categories of persons would impose costs on the state, which shares a border with Mexico and is an entry point for hundreds of thousands of immigrants every year.
“Texas suffers injuries, regardless of what it does, whether it detains, releases or paroles individuals because we have not only law enforcement costs, but social services costs and very serious threats of recidivism,” Stone said.
‘Zenith of federal power’
Elena Kagan, one of the three liberal justices on the court, appeared skeptical about the costs argument and the potential danger of limiting federal authority.
“Immigration policy is supposed to be the zenith of federal power,” Kagan said. “And instead, we’re creating a system where a combination of states and courts can bring immigration policy to a dead halt.
“We’re going to be in a situation where every administration is confronted by suits by states that can, you know, bring a policy to a dead halt, to a dead stop, by just showing a dollars worth of costs,” Kagan said.
Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked the Texas solicitor general what would happen if the court rules in favor of Texas, whose Republican governor has been sending busloads of immigrants to Democratic-ruled states.
“If you prevail here, what will happen?” Kavanaugh said. “That’s a concern because I’m not sure much will change because they don’t have the resources to change.”
The Biden administration’s move to target individuals considered a threat to national security or public safety for deportation represented a shift from the policy of the administration of former president Donald Trump, which called for the expulsion of “all removable aliens.”
The Biden policy was immediately challenged by several Republican-led states as being too narrow and was blocked by a court in Texas.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling by the end of June.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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