Democratic governors embrace border security, reject Trump immigrant 'abuses'
FILE PHOTO: Women dressed in traditional Mexican attire take part in a protest against federal immigration sweeps, in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 11, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Three prominent Democratic U.S. governors face a grilling on Thursday from a Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives panel over immigration policy, as President Donald Trump steps up a crackdown on people living in the country illegally.
The governors of New York, Illinois and Minnesota are due to testify to the House Oversight Committee following days of protests in downtown Los Angeles over the Trump administration's aggressive ramping up of arrests of migrants.
Tensions escalated as Trump ordered the National Guard and Marines into California to provide additional security.
Trump's immigration crackdown has become a major political flashpoint between the White House and national Democrats. California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, seen as a contender for the party's presidential nomination in 2028, in a Tuesday night video speech accused Trump of choosing "theatrics over public safety."
Minnesota's Tim Walz, who ran unsuccessfully for vice president last year; Illinois' JB Pritzker, also seen a 2028 hopeful, and New York's Kathy Hochul, walked a careful line in their prepared testimony for Thursday's hearing, voicing support for immigration enforcement, if not Trump's tactics.
"If they are undocumented, we want them out of Illinois and out of our country," Pritzker said.
At the same time, Pritzker lashed out against "any violations of the law or abuses of power" and said, "Law-abiding, hardworking, tax-paying people who have been in this country for years should have a path to citizenship."
Reuters/Ipsos polls show Trump getting more support for his handling of immigration than any other policy area.
"Minnesota is not a sanctuary state," Walz proclaimed, adding that state officials cooperate with federal immigration authorities, while noting that it offers "respect" to cities and counties that choose to give no more than the legal minimum support to the Department of Homeland Security.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Scott Malone and Sandra Maler)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Sun
Stocks tumble, oil soars as Israel's strike on Iran jolts markets
TOKYO: Global stock markets dived on Friday and oil prices surged after Israel conducted a military strike on Iran, rattling investors and sparking a shift towards safe havens such as gold and the Swiss franc. The escalation in hostilities in the Middle East - a major oil-producing region - adds a fresh layer of uncertainty for financial markets at a time of heightened pressure on the global economy from U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive and erratic trade policies. Market reaction was swift. Crude oil jumped as much as 14% at one point, with Brent futures up $5.43 at $74.79 per barrel at 0541 GMT, and WTI futures up $5.55 at $73.59 per barrel. Gold climbed as high as $3,444.06 per ounce, bringing it close to the record high of $3,500.05 from April. U.S. S&P E-mini futures slumped 1.6% and Nasdaq futures dropped 1.7%. Pan-European STOXX 50 futures tumbled 1.7%. Japan's Nikkei lost 1.1%, South Korea's KOSPI dropped 1.3% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 1%. 'The geopolitical escalation adds another layer of uncertainty to already fragile sentiment,' said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo, adding that crude oil and safe-haven assets will remain on an upward trajectory if tensions continue to intensify. Global stock markets had been poised for a fall following an almost unbroken rally since early April that took the MSCI All-Country World index to an all-time high this week, according to Jessica Amir, a strategist at MooMoo. 'There's room for fat to be taken off the table,' she said. 'It just appears that this is the catalyst that will probably send equities down lower.' Israel said its 'preemptive strike' targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iran had launched about 100 drones towards Israeli territory in retaliation, which Israel is working to intercept, an Israeli military spokesman said. Iranian state media confirmed on Friday the death of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami in the strikes, with six nuclear scientists also killed. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Israeli offensive a 'unilateral action' and said that Washington was not involved. Tensions had been building as Trump's efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran appear to be deadlocked. U.S. and Iranian officials were scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran's escalating uranium enrichment programme in Oman on Sunday. The latest flare-up in fighting in the Middle East comes as investors have been wrestling with major shifts in U.S. economic and trade policies, as Trump has shredded the playbooks that have governed international trade and the world order for decades. U.S. Treasuries were bought in the rush for safer assets, sending the yield on 10-year notes to a one-month low of 4.31%. Some traders were attracted to the dollar as a haven, with the dollar index up 0.6% to 98.277, retracing most of Thursday's sizeable decline. The Swiss franc was also in demand, but was flat against the dollar at 0.8107. Fellow safe haven the yen edged down 0.1% to 143.71 per dollar, giving up earlier gains of 0.3%. The euro sank 0.6% to $1.1521, retracing most of its 0.9% overnight jump to the highest since October 2021. Sterling skidded 0.6% to $1.3540, after marking a fresh high since February 2022 at $1.3613 early in the day. 'Traders are now on edge over the prospects of a full-blown Middle East conflict,' said Matt Simpson, a senior market analyst at City Index. 'That will keep uncertainty high and volatility elevated.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Global markets slide, oil surges after Israel strikes Iran
TOKYO: Global stock markets dived on Friday and oil prices surged after Israel conducted a military strike on Iran, rattling investors and sparking a shift towards safe havens such as gold and the Swiss franc. The escalation in hostilities in the Middle East - a major oil-producing region - adds a fresh layer of uncertainty for financial markets at a time of heightened pressure on the global economy from U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive and erratic trade policies. Market reaction was swift. Crude oil jumped as much as 14% at one point, with Brent futures up $5.43 at $74.79 per barrel at 0541 GMT, and WTI futures up $5.55 at $73.59 per barrel. Gold climbed as high as $3,444.06 per ounce, bringing it close to the record high of $3,500.05 from April. U.S. S&P E-mini futures slumped 1.6% and Nasdaq futures dropped 1.7%. Pan-European STOXX 50 futures tumbled 1.7%. Japan's Nikkei lost 1.1%, South Korea's KOSPI dropped 1.3% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 1%. 'The geopolitical escalation adds another layer of uncertainty to already fragile sentiment,' said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo, adding that crude oil and safe-haven assets will remain on an upward trajectory if tensions continue to intensify. Global stock markets had been poised for a fall following an almost unbroken rally since early April that took the MSCI All-Country World index to an all-time high this week, according to Jessica Amir, a strategist at MooMoo. 'There's room for fat to be taken off the table,' she said. 'It just appears that this is the catalyst that will probably send equities down lower.' Israel said its 'preemptive strike' targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iran had launched about 100 drones towards Israeli territory in retaliation, which Israel is working to intercept, an Israeli military spokesman said. Iranian state media confirmed on Friday the death of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami in the strikes, with six nuclear scientists also killed. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Israeli offensive a 'unilateral action' and said that Washington was not involved. Tensions had been building as Trump's efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran appear to be deadlocked. U.S. and Iranian officials were scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran's escalating uranium enrichment programme in Oman on Sunday. The latest flare-up in fighting in the Middle East comes as investors have been wrestling with major shifts in U.S. economic and trade policies, as Trump has shredded the playbooks that have governed international trade and the world order for decades. U.S. Treasuries were bought in the rush for safer assets, sending the yield on 10-year notes to a one-month low of 4.31%. Some traders were attracted to the dollar as a haven, with the dollar index up 0.6% to 98.277, retracing most of Thursday's sizeable decline. The Swiss franc was also in demand, but was flat against the dollar at 0.8107. Fellow safe haven the yen edged down 0.1% to 143.71 per dollar, giving up earlier gains of 0.3%. The euro sank 0.6% to $1.1521, retracing most of its 0.9% overnight jump to the highest since October 2021. Sterling skidded 0.6% to $1.3540, after marking a fresh high since February 2022 at $1.3613 early in the day. 'Traders are now on edge over the prospects of a full-blown Middle East conflict,' said Matt Simpson, a senior market analyst at City Index. 'That will keep uncertainty high and volatility elevated.'
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Laos among the highest for US Tourist visa overstays, but lowest for student compliance
VIENTIANE (Laotian Times): Laos is among the top countries with the highest overstay rates for the United States tourist and business visas, according to the latest data from the US Department of Homeland Security. However, when it comes to student and exchange visas, Lao nationals have the lowest overstay rate of any country reporting data. According to the US Department of Homeland Security's latest report on entry and overstay patterns, Laos recorded a 9.55 percent overstay rate in the B-1/B-2 visa category, which includes temporary visitors for business and tourism. This places Laos among the top two countries with the highest overstay rates in this category, alongside nations such as Djibouti. By comparison, neighboring countries in Southeast Asia reported lower overstay rates. Vietnam and Thailand, for instance, were not listed among the highest-ranking countries in this category, indicating stronger compliance among travelers from those nations. Despite concerns in the visitor category, Laos showed a strong performance in the student and exchange visa segment. For F, M, and J visas, granted to individuals participating in academic, vocational, or exchange programs, Laos reported an overstay rate of just 6.49 percent. While this figure may appear significant, it is the lowest among all countries that submitted measurable data for this visa category. These findings come amid increased scrutiny of visa compliance in the US. A recent proclamation issued on 10 June outlines new measures aimed at strengthening border security and reducing visa overstays, which are viewed as potential risks to national security. Countries with persistently high overstay rates may face stricter visa policies or additional requirements during the application process. In response to the latest data, Laos has been listed among countries subject to partial visa restrictions, along with Burundi, Cuba, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. The move follows an executive order issued during the Trump administration that temporarily suspended the issuance of student visas worldwide. The directive also includes a pause on visa interviews as authorities expand social media screening for applicants seeking student and exchange visas. While work visas and certain other nonimmigrant categories may still be available for applicants from these countries, the validity periods have been reduced in many cases. The dual trends in Laos's visa record, high overstay rates among visitors but low rates among students, present a mixed picture for policymakers. While concerns remain about compliance in the tourism and business sectors, the country's student population in the US continues to demonstrate strong adherence to visa conditions. - Laotian Times
