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Immigration did not come up at all during the first presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Moderator Chris Wallace oversaw an unruly affair which he struggled to contain. Wallace did not pose a single question on immigration despite it being one of the hallmarks of the Trump presidency and an issue that would be greatly affected by the result of November’s election. The president did refuse to categorically denounce white supremacists, instead calling on the Proud Boys, who are labeled an anti-immigrant hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, to “stand back and stand by.” Documented
In other federal immigration news…
Trump Races to Build the Wall
The Trump administration is an all-out push to build the wall on the U.S.–Mexico border before the election on Nov. 3, with 341 miles built so far. Construction crews are adding 2 miles per day in hopes of living up to Trump’s 2016 election promise to build the wall. Customs and Border Protection reports the rate of construction has nearly doubled since the beginning of the year. Border agents have broken up indigenous groups protesting the construction of the wall near ancestral burial sites, and steep sides of the Guadalupe Canyon have been leveled with dynamite to make way for the construction. CBP is preparing for a ceremony next month to mark the completion of 400 miles of new fencing. The Washington Post
Undocumented Teens Will be Allowed to Have Abortions in Shelters
The Trump administration on Tuesday dropped its argument in court over the right for pregnant undocumented teenagers in government custody to get abortions. The administration had been arguing since 2017 over a policy that allows teenagers in shelters operated by the Office of Refugee Resettlement to get abortions. A series of court orders had forced the administration to reverse its ban. BuzzFeed News
DHS Allegedly Ignored Central American Conditions While Making Immigration Deals
House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Tuesday issued subpoenas to the Department of Homeland Security to compel it to turn over documents and deliver testimony over a whistleblower complaint. It alleged the department downplayed evidence of Russian election interference and white supremacist violence, as well as ignored conditions in Central American countries where DHS was striking immigration deals. Joseph Maher, acting head of DHS’ Office of Intelligence and Analysis, was ordered to testify. Politico
Refugee Cap Remains a Mystery
The Trump administration remains silent on the number of refugees that will be admitted in fiscal year 2021, which begins this week. The Trump administration has decreased the cap every year, taking it to the lowest level since 1980, when the program began. CNN
