Nicandro Iannacci, Mackenzie Walz  //  11/16/18  //  Daily Update

New data from USCIS shows that denials of legal immigration applications have increased by 37 percent under the Trump administration. Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the Mueller investigation. In a new report on police use of force, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called for the Trump administration to increase oversight of local police departments. Hours after Saudi Arabia announced it will seek the death penalty for five people accused of killing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump administration announced sanctions against 17 people accused of involvement in the killing.

TRUMP: INVESTIGATIONS & LITIGATION

In his latest attack, President Trump called the Mueller investigation “a disgrace to our Nation” on Twitter (NYT, WaPo, WSJ). 

• The administration is generally worried about what Special Counsel Mueller will announce in the coming weeks (Politico).

Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the Mueller investigation (WaPo).

IMMIGRATION

Ronald D. Vitiello, President Trump’s nominee for ICE Director, was questioned by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (NYT, WaPo).

The first migrants in the caravan from Central America arrived in Tijuana along the U.S. border (NYT, LAT).

• Defense Secretary Jim Mattis defended the deployment of troops to the border, citing historical examples including President Woodrow Wilson’s response to a cross-border raid led by Pancho Villa (WaPo).

New data from USCIS shows that denials of legal immigration applications have increased by 37 percent under the Trump administration, writes David Bier at The New York Times.

• Bier explores the data further for Cato at Liberty.

CIVIL RIGHTS

In a new report on police use of force, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called for the Trump administration to increase oversight of local police departments (WaPo).

• The report is here.
• It comes in the wake of a memorandum from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions limiting the use of consent decrees (NYT).

The DOJ brought hate-crime charges against Gregory Bush, the alleged shooter of two African Americans at a grocery store in Kentucky last month (WaPo).

JUSTICE & SAFETY

The DOJ is preparing to prosecute Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, with new hopes that Assange can be brought to the U.S. (WSJ).

Hours after Saudi Arabia announced it will seek the death penalty for five people accused of killing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump administration announced sanctions against 17 people accused of involvement in the killing (NYT, WaPo, WSJ, Politico).

Vice President Mike Pence said North Korea must produce a complete list of nuclear weapons and facilities before a bilateral summit planned for early next year (WaPo, Politico).

The President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee is calling for a cybersecurity “moonshot” spearheaded by a new council and director (The Hill).

Questions persist about the State Department’s decision in August to decline condemnation of Myanmar for “crimes against humanity” (WaPo).

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The Family Research Council’s Tour and Summit, which will be held at Trump International Hotel and potentially include a White House briefing, raises questions about President Trump’s business conflicts (Politico).

RULE OF LAW

The Office of Legal Counsel’s memorandum defending the legality of Whitaker’s appointment as acting attorney general is professional but fails to sufficiently address weaknesses and counterarguments, explain Walter Dellinger and Marty Lederman at Just Security.

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE

A Trump appointed judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the special counsel’s indictment against a Russian firm for interfering in the 2016 election (Politico; The Hill).

• The opinion is available here.

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