Daily Update | March 13, 2019
Mackenzie Walz // 3/13/19 //
The Trump Administration intends to close the international division of the USCIS by the end of the year and redirect those resources toward handling the immigration backlog in the United States. The New York Attorney General’s office issued subpoenas to Deutsche Bank and Investors Bank for records relating to four Trump Organization projects. President Trump’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year proposes significant cuts to Medicaid, which would negatively affect people with disabilities. President Trump’s decision to eliminate the requirement to publicly disclose civilian casualties from US counterterrorism strikes reduces transparency, but Congress can fill this gap. Speaker Pelosi does not support impeaching President Trump unless there is compelling and bipartisan support because impeachment is divisive and Trump is “just not worth it.”
TRUMP: INVESTIGATIONS AND LITIGATION
The New York Attorney General’s office issued subpoenas to Deutsche Bank and Investors Bank for records relating to four Trump Organization projects (NYT; WaPo).
IMMIGRATION
The Trump Administration intends to close the international division of the USCIS by the end of the year and redirect those resources toward handling the immigration backlog in the United States (LATimes).
- This decision could have negative consequences for legal migration (NYT).
The Trump Administration’s policy requiring Central American asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their claims are adjudicated is being applied at ports of entry near the San Diego border (WSJ).
JUSTICE & SAFETY
Some DOD officials have expressed concern that the Pentagon’s program designed to speed up the screening process of potential recruits with foreign ties may hinder recruitment and service (WaPo).
Because President Trump alone cannot transform the reduced tension between the United States and North Korea into a verifiable agreement, it is time for experts to take the lead, contend John Tierney and James McKeon at Just Security.
The fact that the United States’ global arms sales have increased while Russia’s have decreased suggests the United States still has greater international influence, argues Leonid Bershidsky at Bloomberg.
REGULATION
President Trump’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year proposes significant cuts to Medicaid, which would negatively affect people with disabilities (Disability Scoop).
President Trump’s approach to regulatory reform is in part a continuation of the approaches taken by past presidents, but he is also setting precedents of his own, asserts Adam White at The Regulatory Review.
CHECKS & BALANCES
President Trump’s decision to eliminate the requirement to publicly disclose civilian casualties from US counterterrorism strikes reduces transparency, but Congress can fill this gap, argues Larry Lewis at Just Security.
REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
Speaker Pelosi does not support impeaching President Trump unless there is compelling and bipartisan support because impeachment is divisive and Trump is “just not worth it” (WaPo).
- Some Democratic representatives have expressed disagreement with Speaker Pelosi’s stance on impeachment (Politico).
- Opting not to pursue impeachment could set a dangerous precedent, discuss Peter Baker and Emily Cochrane at The New York Times.
Tags:
Immigration Checks & Balances Regulation Justice & Safety Removal from Office