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Thursday, January 23, 2025

22 States Sue Trump for Executive Order Ending Birthright Citizenship

New York Times: Attorneys general from 22 states sued President Trump in two federal district courts on Tuesday to block an executive order that refuses to recognize the U.S.-born children of unauthorized immigrants as citizens, the opening salvo in what promises to be a long legal battle over the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Eighteen states and two cities, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., challenged the order in Federal District Court in Massachusetts, arguing that birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment is “automatic” and that neither the president nor Congress has the constitutional authority to revise it. Four other states filed a second lawsuit in the Western District of Washington (New York Times). Townhall: Predictably, left-wing lawmakers flew off the handle over this. Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker called it “unconstitutional…” The states bringing forward the lawsuit are being joined by the city of San Francisco and Washington DC to block the order. The states that joined the suit are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin (Townhall).

Trump Places All DEI Staff on Leave, Ends Affirmative Action Requirements for Contract Hires

BBC: President Donald Trump has ordered that all US government staff working on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) schemes be put on immediate paid administrative leave. The White House confirmed that all federal DEI workers had to be put on leave by 17:00 EST on Wednesday, before the offices and programs in question were shut down. In an executive order issued on Tuesday, Trump also called for an end to the “dangerous, demeaning and immoral” programs (BBC). National Review: President Donald Trump signed an executive order overturning President Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 executive order creating race-based hiring requirements for federal contractors… In addition to overturning affirmative action for contractors, Trump’s executive order declares DEI illegal and advises corporations and federally funded universities to end all illegal discrimination, with DEI falling under that umbrella. Likewise, Trump took action to rid the Federal Aviation Administration of DEI hiring practices and return the agency to a merit-based system (National Review).

Justice Department to Keep Tabs of Efforts of Local Governments to Obstruct Immigration Enforcement

ABC: The Justice Department is directing its federal prosecutors to investigate any state or local officials who stand in the way of beefed-up enforcement of immigration laws under the Trump administration, according to a memo to the entire workforce obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. The memo, written by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, also instructs the Justice Department’s civil division to help identify state and local laws and policies that “threaten to impede” the Trump administration’s immigration initiatives and potentially challenge them in court (ABC). Legal Editor Kerri Urbahn: Significant news coming out of DOJ today: all US Attorneys offices directed to investigate for possible prosecution any state and local actors who obstruct lawful immigration enforcement by the federal government. Any declination must be put in an urgent memo – something that goes straight to DOJ leadership (X).

Trump to Send Up to 1,500 Active Duty Troops to Southern Border

Associated Press: The Pentagon will begin deploying as many as 1,500 active duty troops to help secure the southern border in the coming days, U.S. officials said Wednesday, putting in motion plans President Donald Trump laid out in executive orders shortly after he took office to crack down on immigration… The active duty forces would join the roughly 2,500 U.S. National Guard and Reserve forces already there. There are currently no active duty troops working along the border (Associated Press). Just the News: President Trump has already signed multiple executive orders cracking down on illegal immigration. He vowed during his winning 2024 presidential campaign to secure the border while suggesting he’d use troops for both (Just the News).

Tom Homan Says Illegals Do Not Need to Be Convicted to Be Deported

Townhall: Border czar Tom Homan explained during an interview on CNN that there will be “collateral arrests” of illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities—a statement that stunned host Dana Bash. “There’s going to be more collateral arrests in sanctuary cities because they forced us to go into the community and find the guy we’re looking for,” Homan said… Homan said that’s the difference between the Trump administration and the previous one: “ICE is going to enforce the immigration law.” As he went on to note, there’s nothing in the Immigration and Nationality Act stating an illegal immigrant must be convicted of a serious crime to be deported (Townhall). Reporter Bonchie: Watch Dana Bash do a double-take in shock and horror as Tom Homan explains to her that an illegal alien doesn’t have to be convicted of a serious crime to face deportation (X).

Trump Institutes “One Flag Policy”

Free Beacon: The Trump State Department implemented a landmark “One Flag Policy” policy on Monday, barring U.S. outposts at home and abroad from flying any other flag but the Stars and Stripes. The newly issued order, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, effectively bans American facilities from displaying flags affiliated with left-wing movements, including the pride and Black Lives Matter flags that flew over U.S. government buildings under Biden (Free Beacon). Libs of TikTok: Trump’s State Department just instituted a “One Flag Policy.” Only the American Flag can be flown. No more woke nonsense taking over our Government (X).

Democrats Block the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

Hill: Senate Republicans failed on Wednesday to invoke cloture on a bill legislating care for infants “born alive” during attempted abortions, with the motion largely serving to get Democrats on the record as voting against a bill being framed as anti-infanticide. Republicans sought cloture on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, a bill that requires health care practitioners to provide the “same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence” for a child born alive during an attempted abortion, as they would during normal childbirth (Hill). Lila Rose: Every single Democrat Senator has voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The act would ensure essential medical care for babies that survive abortion attempts. Absolutely ghoulish (X).

Coast Guard’s Acting Commandant Reprioritizes Branch Resources to Accommodate Trump’s Orders

Fox News: The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday announced the deployment of personnel and equipment to various maritime borders in the United States, a day after President Donald Trump dismissed the military branch’s leader. In a statement, Coast Guard Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said coast guardsmen would work to detect and deter illegal migration in support of Trump’s executive orders issued this week. Key areas where authorities will focus their efforts include the waters off Florida to deter and prevent migrants from Haiti and Cuba from entering the U.S., and maritime borders around Alaska, Hawaii, as well as the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, American Somoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lunday also wrote in the release that the agency would target the “maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of America” (Fox News). Ian Miles Cheong: Admiral Linda Fagan, who oversaw the US Coast Guard, has been terminated for operational failure and misdirecting all of the organization’s resources away from training, retention, and border security over to Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) initiatives within the USCG (X).

Harvard University Settles in Antisemitism Lawsuits

NPR: Harvard University has agreed to strengthen its policies against antisemitism on campus as part of a settlement of two federal lawsuits accusing the school of not doing enough to prevent antisemitic discrimination and harassment. Under the deal, Harvard will adopt the broad International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (“IHRA”) definition of antisemitism, which considers certain cases of anti-Zionist or anti-Israeli criticism as antisemitism. Critics say the definition is overly strict and wrongly conflates the two, and will stifle free and open academic inquiry. Harvard calls the move one of many “robust steps” that will ensure that “Jewish and Israeli students are treated in the same manner and with the same urgency as all protected groups” (NPR). National Review: The Massachusetts university agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to the plaintiffs, but it did not admit to any wrongdoing or liability. Since October 2023, Harvard has been one of many elite educational institutions in the U.S. to see a rapid surge in antisemitism during the war in Gaza. It was also the site of a pro-Palestinian encampment that was taken down by the organizers by the end of the 2024 spring semester… Furthermore, the school will host an annual academic symposium on antisemitism and reaffirm every year that its leadership will not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hatred (National Review).

10.

Speaker Mike Johnson Captures Moment When VP Vance Enters the Oval Office For the First Time

Outkick: A new video shows the exact moment when Vice President JD Vance stepped into the Oval Office for the first time. And it’s awesome. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson filmed the moment where he and Vance were being led through the sacred halls of the White House and into the Oval Office – something that the Vice President had previously only seen in movies! “Do you want to go?” President Trump asked Vance. The VP correctly responded, “After you.” As the two walk in, however, Vance immediately becomes speechless and in awe of seeing the room where generations of Presidents made some of the country’s most important decisions (Outkick). Speaker Mike Johnson: As we gathered for our meeting at the White House yesterday, JD Vance mentioned to us that he had never before visited the Oval Office. I told him and President Trump that I HAD to capture the moment on video. Only in America can a hardworking young man from Appalachia rise from his humble circumstances to enter the Oval for first time as VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. What a country (X)!

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