Texas Democrat compares Holocaust to GOP redistricting plan
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Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Congress members trying to see ICE detainees at MDC Brooklyn jail barred from entry
NEW YORK — Officials at MDC Brooklyn barred three Democrat members of Congress from conducting an oversight visit of the jail's ICE detention operation, sparking a brief lockdown that led to cancelled legal visits for inmates seeing their defense lawyers. The Congress members, Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Nydia Velazquez and Dan Goldman, showed up at the notorious Sunset Park jail Wednesday morning, but were blocked at the door, then were briefly trapped between the iron gate in front of the jail and its entrance doors. Inside, about 20 defense attorneys visiting their clients abruptly had those visits cut short, multiple lawyers told the Daily News. Jail staff recalled those inmates back to their housing units, and wouldn't let their lawyers leave the MDC for about a half hour as the drama unfolded outside, the attorneys said. Those lawyers included Marc Agnifilo, who represents Sean 'Diddy' Combs and alleged healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione, both of whom are housed in MDC, sources said. Agnifilo did not return messages seeking comment Wednesday. 'We were trapped between the gate and the building,' Velazquez told The News. She said that the lawmakers entered the gate and approached the place's front door, and Espaillat asked a masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent outside to show his face. 'He [the agent] immediately jumped in front of the gate and locked us inside, and then went upstairs, climbed the steps for the federal building and locked the door so we could not get out to the street,' Velazquez said. 'We couldn't get into the building.' New York Immigration Coalition President Murad Awawdeh, who accompanied the lawmakers, said the ICE agent immediately confronted them, asking for ID, then triggered a lockdown and disappeared into the building. 'It was a circus that the federal prison bureau created,' he said. 'Why is the federal government going so far out of its way to prohibit anyone from seeing what's happening inside their facilities?' Eventually, an assistant to the warden came out, 'and he said what we knew he would say, that we have to request seven days in advance for a permit to allow us to go inside,' Velazquez said. That's against federal law, which gives Congress members the right to make unannounced visits, she said. Starting in June, MDC Brooklyn began holding more than 100 ICE detainees as part of an interagency agreement between ICE and and the Bureau of Prisons to use eight federal facilities across the country to hold immigrants ensnared in Donald Trump's mass deportation machine. 'Denying Members of Congress access to a federal detention facility is outrageous and unacceptable,' Espaillat said in a statement later Wednesday. 'MDC Brooklyn has a well-documented record of abuse. ICE should not be allowed to expand its reach through backdoor deals with federal prisons. This contract must be terminated now.' BOP spokeswoman Randilee Giamusso said Wednesday that the prison system would be happy to accommodate Congress member visits if they give advance notice. 'However, as a law enforcement entity, we must prioritize the safety of our staff, inmates and our facilities. We remain committed to working with our congressional partners,' Giamusso said. 'With proper notice, the BOP is happy to accommodate a request for a site visit from any congressional member.' Espaillat and several other Congress members sued the Trump administration last week, arguing that federal law specifically prohibits immigration detention facilities from requiring prior notice before members of Congress can make oversight visits. 'The Trump administration's lawless efforts to defy that constitutional authority are a gross abuse of power,' Goldman said, 'and we're taking them to court in defense of that principle and to find out what they're hiding.' _____
Boston Globe
21 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Trump wields influence over GOP and keeps potential successors vying for his favor
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Speaking with reporters following an executive order signing at the White House, Trump was asked if Vance were the 'heir apparent to MAGA.' Advertisement Q: "Do you agree that the heir apparent to MAGA is JD Vance?" President Trump: "It's too early, obviously, to talk about it but certainly he's doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point." — CSPAN (@cspan) 'I think most likely, in all fairness, he's the vice president,' Trump said. 'I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form. ... It's too early obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he's doing a great job and he would be, probably favorite at this point.' When Trump selected the then-39-year-old Vance over other more established Republicans — including Rubio — as his running mate last year, many theorized that Trump was planning for the future of his political movement, angling for a vice president who could carry MAGA forward. Advertisement Vance has embraced the role at every turn, doing the president's bidding on everything from his relationship with Ukraine to the fight over records related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal. Trump, meanwhile, has not hesitated to give Vance high-visibility assignments. As the White House promotes mid-decade redistricting efforts in Texas — and acknowledges it would like the notion to expand to other states — Vance is expected Thursday to discuss redrawing district lines with Gov. Mike Braun during a trip to Indiana. While there, Vance will also headline a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee, which he serves as treasurer. In June he traveled to Los Angeles trip to tour a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center and a mobile command center amid clashes between protesters and police and outbreaks of vandalism and looting following immigration raids across Southern California. And earlier this year, Vance was in swing congressional districts in his role as lead cheerleader for Trump's signature tax cut and spending law, an assortment of conservative priorities that Republicans dubbed the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill.' He also lobbied senators on Capitol Hill, working to swing GOP holdouts to support the legislation, and in July cast a tie-breaking vote to get the measure passed in the Senate. He's also taken on a robust role related to foreign policy, holding meetings of his own with world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Rubio, who has described Vance as among his closest friends in politics, said on Fox News Channel on Sunday that he felt Vance 'would be a great nominee if he decides he wants to do that.' Advertisement Other Republicans mentioned as possible 2028 contenders are already making the rounds of early-voting states. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks at a GOP fundraiser in South Carolina this weekend, and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders headlines an event in that state later this month. Both have taken pains to stay in the president's good graces. Not every Republican contender has gone that route. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who lost the 2016 nomination to Trump, has been visiting early-voting states, too, but he voted against the president's signature legislative measure. And Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp — who has long harbored ambitions to run for president but has a complicated history with Trump — recently said he was sitting out of a Senate race in his state, a decision telegraphed by some as an indication Kemp might be eyeing the 2028 White House race.
Axios
21 minutes ago
- Axios
Thurmond joins Georgia governor's race, citing experience and record
Michael Thurmond won over voters three times across Georgia to become — and remain — the state's labor commissioner. He hopes to repeat history in his run for governor. Why it matters: Thurmond, who most recently served as DeKalb County CEO, is the fifth Democrat to jump into the race to succeed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited. The latest: Thurmond announced his candidacy early Wednesday, with a campaign video noting he's ready to put "boots on Georgia ground." What they're saying: Thurmond told Axios on Wednesday that he entered the race after traveling around the state — "particularly [the] Georgia that exists outside of 285," he said — and hearing residents' ideas on how to move Georgia forward. Those voters, he said, want leaders to move beyond partisanship and "get back to the basics and address issues they are concerned about." Those issues include the rising cost of groceries, lack of access to affordable health care and job creation. State of play: Thurmond joins state Sen. Jason Esteves of Atlanta, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Rep. Derrick Jackson and businessman Olu Brown on the Democratic primary ballot. On the Republican side, Attorney General Chris Carr and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones are running. Reality check: Thurmond is running for governor in a solid Republican state. Georgia swung for former Democratic President Biden in the 2020 election, but President Trump put the state back in the GOP column last year. Yes, but: The former DeKalb County CEO told Axios he is confident voters will consider him a viable candidate because of his "strong record of accomplishments and willingness to build bridges." Flashback: Thurmond's tenure in politics stretches back decades. He was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1986 and was the first Black person elected to represent Clarke County since Reconstruction. He was elected labor commissioner in 1998 and served three terms. In 2013, he was selected to become superintendent of the DeKalb County School District at a time when the system was facing a major deficit and its accreditation was at risk. He was elected DeKalb County's CEO in 2016 and served two terms before opting not to seek reelection. Fun fact: The Athens, Georgia, native has published three books about Georgia history. He was a finalist for 2025's Georgia Author of the Year for "James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia." What we're watching: Whether Stacey Abrams, the two-time Democratic gubernatorial candidate, will make a third run.
