Rubio may have revoked thousands of visas as crackdown continues

Rubio may have revoked thousands of visas as crackdown continues

By Daphne Psaledakis, Patricia Zengerle and Simon Lewis WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday the number of visas he has revoked was probably in the thousands, adding that he believed there was still more to do. Republican President Donald Trump's administration has sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfill his hardline immigration agenda. "I don't know the latest count, but we probably have more to do," Rubio told a Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees foreign affairs. Asked to give an estimate, he said it was probably in the thousands at this point, an increase from March, when he said the State Department may have revoked more than 300 visas. Rubio said the 300 revoked visas were a combination of student and visitor visas. He said he signed each action. "A visa is not a right. It's a privilege," Rubio said on Tuesday. Trump administration officials have said student visa and green card holders are subject to deportation over their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza, calling their actions a threat to U.S. foreign policy and accusing them of being pro-Hamas. Trump's critics have called the effort an attack on free speech rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. "I know this will be adjudicated in court, but the idea that one individual could on their opinion of someone's future activity or expected activity ... toss somebody's visa, seems to me an extraordinary violation of due process," Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley told Rubio at the hearing. Earlier this month, a Tufts University student from Turkey was held for over six weeks in an immigration detention center in Louisiana after co-writing an opinion piece criticizing her school's response to Israel's war in Gaza. She was released from custody after a federal judge granted her bail. U.S. District Judge William Sessions during a hearing in Burlington, Vermont, ordered the immediate release of Rumeysa Ozturk, who is at the center of one of the highest-profile cases to emerge from Trump's campaign to deport pro-Palestinian activists on American campuses. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Daphne Psaledakis and Simon Lewis; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Rubio may have revoked thousands of visas as crackdown continues

Rubio may have revoked thousands of visas as crackdown continues By Daphne Psaledakis, Patricia Zengerle and Simon Lewis WASHINGTON (Reuter...

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What Kristi Noem Gets Wrong About Habeas Corpus

What Kristi Noem Gets Wrong About Habeas Corpus

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a congressional hearing on Tuesday had a contentious exchange about habeas corpus, the constitutional right that allows people to challenge their imprisonment in court. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D–N.H.): What is habeas corpus? Noem: Well habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country— Hassan: No, let me stop you ma'am— Noem: —and suspend their right to, suspend their right to— Hassan: Excuse me, that's incorrect. Noem: President Lincoln used it. Habeas corpus is a fundamental civil liberty: It effectively forces the state to justify why it is detaining someone. It is, by definition, a check on the government, not a right it possesses. Noem is likely aware of this. The homeland security secretarytoldlawmakers at a different congressional hearing last week that immigration levels may justify suspending the protection. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, then, it's possible she meant to imply today that President Donald Trump needs to subvert that right in order to deport people. And perhaps that is also what she meant by her reference to former President Abraham Lincoln, who did not most famously "use" habeas corpus but rather suspended it during the Civil War without congressional approval—an action that was later found to be unconstitutional. Viewing the exchange in a light most favorable to Noem, it generally comports with the administration's position. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, said earlier this month that Trump is "actively looking at" suspending habeas corpus for migrants. "The president of the United States," Noem said later in the hearing today, "has the authority under the Constitution to decide if it should be suspended or not." But that is highly constitutionally dubious, asReason's Jacob Sullumwrotelast week, for a few reasons. The first: The clause that allows for its suspension—"the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it"—is found in Article I of the Constitution, which governs Congress. The executive's powers are outlined in Article II. That is in large part why Chief Justice Roger B. Taney of the U.S. Supreme Court ruled inEx parte Merryman(1861) that Lincoln had violated the Constitution when he unilaterally suspended the right, which, in terms of the present-day debate, the Supreme Court has also confirmed applies to people in the United States unlawfully. (Congress ultimately approved Lincoln's suspension in 1863, about two years after his initial decree.) Then there is the justification the Trump administration would have to invoke: that the U.S. is experiencing an "invasion," or that public safety is endangered so severely that it requires suspending a core constitutional protection. Whatever your views on immigration, the reference to invasion, as Sullum notes, has historically been understood (including in the courts) to reference literal warfare—a military attack, for example. The "public safety" invocation would likewise be extremely tenuous, particularly when considering, for example, the Supreme Court's ruling inBoumediene v. Bush(2008), which affirmed that Guantanamo Bay detainees, who were also noncitizens, had the right to habeas corpus. If terrorism suspects are entitled to those petitions, then it stands to reason so should people like Rümeysa Öztürk, the Tufts student who was recentlyreleased from detentionafter a federal judge ruled the government had provided no evidence for her imprisonment other than that she co-authored a pro-Palestine op-ed. Habeas corpus, and the Constitution broadly, protects unpopular people for a reason—and it protects themfromthe government. The president certainly has a prerogative to uphold the law. But that doesn't mean much if he and his administration engage in lawlessness to do so. The postWhat Kristi Noem Gets Wrong About Habeas Corpusappeared first onReason.com.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

What Kristi Noem Gets Wrong About Habeas Corpus

What Kristi Noem Gets Wrong About Habeas Corpus Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a congressional hearing on Tuesday had a contenti...

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RFK Jr. grilled on health department funding cuts during his 3rd congressional hearing this month

RFK Jr. grilled on health department funding cuts during his 3rd congressional hearing this month

WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. returned to Capitol Hillfor his third congressional hearing in a weekto face more heated questions from lawmakers about the drastic funding cuts his department has made as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to reduce the size of the federal government. Tuesday'shearingbefore a Senate Appropriations subcommittee centers on Trump's 2026 budget request for the health agency, and within minutes, lawmakers expressed concerns about specific programs and funding that would see cuts if the proposed budget passes. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., expressed concerns during her opening remarks about program eliminations like those impacting the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. "I support the President's vision to right-size our government, but as you and I have discussed, I don't think eliminating NIOSH programs will accomplish that goal," said Capito, who leads the subcommittee. Later, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., also expressed concerns over NIOSH staffing cuts and a mining safety-related grant cut. NIOSH, which focuses on workplace health and safety, hosts mining research programs. Earlier this month, HHSreinstated 328 NIOSH employeesafter hundreds of the institute's staffers received termination letters this spring. "This is not just a missed opportunity. It undermines our ability to meet national security goals tied to mineral independence and supply chain resilience," Rounds said of the NIOSH-related cuts. Kennedy said he wanted to work with the senator on the issue, noting that "we need to protect our miners." Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the top Democrat on the subcommittee, got into a heated clash with Kennedy after challenging him on whether funding for issues like research on rare diseases, Alzheimer's and cancer centers was related to diversity, equity and inclusion. "This is a fun game we're playing," Kennedy remarked sarcastically when Baldwin's time ran out before he could answer the question. "It's not a game," Baldwin responded, as Kennedy criticized her for not giving him time to respond to her questions. Later, Sen. Patty Murray's questioning of Kennedy over cuts to childcare-related programs also devolved into an argument. After Murray, D-Wash., asked who made the decision to withhold certain childcare and development-related funds, Kennedy tried to pivot to talking about the Biden administration, to Murray's objection. Kennedy then pointed to Murray's decades-long tenure in the Senate, alleging that she "presided over the destruction of the health of the American people." "Mr. Secretary, seriously," Murray said. Kennedy talked over Murray as she attempted to redirect him to her questions, with the secretary accusing her of not doing her job. Capito ultimately chimed in to ask Kennedy to allow Murray to ask questions. Murray repeated her question, and Kennedy said that the decision to withhold the funding "was made by my department." While Kennedy faced harsh questioning from Democrats, several Republicans expressed approval of his agenda and sympathy for the secretary. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., ended his questioning by asking if the secretary understood that "there's nothing you can do that's going to make many of my Democratic colleagues happy." Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., also thanked Kennedy for "staying strong" and helping taxpayers. The White House's proposal for the 2026 budget would slash HHS's discretionary funding by 26%, hitting offices like the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program the most. Underthe proposed budget, the NIH's funds would be slashed by nearly $18 billion compared with fiscal year 2025 levels. Capito highlighted the impact of the NIH's research in her opening remarks, praising research she called "extremely important." Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told Kennedy that LIHEAP was "absolutely vital for thousands" of people. "The administration's new budget seeks to eliminate what is truly a critical program," said Collins, who chairs the full committee. When asked whether Kennedy would work with the committee to try to restore the program, Kennedy said, "absolutely." Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., was the first to bring up the measles outbreak, an area where Kennedy — a longtime anti-vaccine advocate — has faced intense scrutiny. Kennedy told Moran that "the best way to prevent the spread of measles is through vaccination," and touted his response to the outbreak. "We've done a better job at controlling measles since I came into this agency than any other country in the world," he said. During last week's hearingsin front of the House Appropriations and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees last week, Kennedy refused to answer questions about the safety and effectiveness of major types of vaccines. "I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me," said the nation's top health official, after being asked for his position on the measles vaccine. Kennedy has a history ofpromoting false claimsabout vaccines, including the measles vaccine during an outbreak. The United States has hadmore than 1,000 reported measles casesso far this year, according to NBC News data. HHS is slashing its workforce and reorganizing divisions and offices. It announced in anewsreleasein March that it would cut its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees. The department also announced that the number of divisions and offices would be reduced, a move it said was intended to "streamline the functions of the Department."

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

RFK Jr. grilled on health department funding cuts during his 3rd congressional hearing this month

RFK Jr. grilled on health department funding cuts during his 3rd congressional hearing this month WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Sec...

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Kristi Noem botches definition of 'habeas corpus' at Senate hearing

Kristi Noem botches definition of 'habeas corpus' at Senate hearing

SecretaryKristi Noemof the Department of Homeland Security couldn't define a key constitutional right when asked about it in a Senate hearing. "Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country," Noem told a Senate committee on May 20, in a response to a senator's question. But "habeas corpus" means the opposite. According tothe glossaryof the U.S. Courts, habeas corpus, requires law enforcement to justify a prisoner's continued confinement, a right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. The Trump administration is considering suspending the right to habeas corpus for detained immigrants. As Homeland Security chief, Noem oversees U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that is currently holding nearly 50,000 immigrants in detention. Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan (D-Massachusetts) asked Noem to define "habeas corpus" after the Trump administrationfloated the idea of revoking itas part of the government's immigration crackdown. "Let me stop you," Hassan said, interrupting Noem, who framed it as a right of the president's. "That's incorrect. Habeas corpus is the legal principle that requires that the government provide a public reason for detaining and imprisoning people." The word comes from Latin, meaning "you have the body." "A writ of habeas corpus generally is a judicial order forcing law enforcement authorities to produce a prisoner they are holding, and to justify the prisoner's continued confinement," according to U.S. Courts. Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to PresidentDonald Trump,told reporters May 9that the administration is "actively looking at" suspending the constitutional right that allows people to challenge their detention in court. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kristi Noem botches 'habeas corpus' definition at Senate hearing

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Kristi Noem botches definition of 'habeas corpus' at Senate hearing

Kristi Noem botches definition of 'habeas corpus' at Senate hearing SecretaryKristi Noemof the Department of Homeland Security could...

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Four-term US Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond remembered for training a generation of Missouri leaders

Four-term US Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond remembered for training a generation of Missouri leaders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Christopher "Kit" Bond, a Republican who was Missouri's youngest governor before serving four terms in the U.S. Senate, was remembered Tuesday as a beloved statesman who helped train a generation of leaders. The Missouri State Highway Patrol escorted his body from St. Louis, where hediedlast week at the age of 86, to the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, where hundreds of people gathered for a memorial service. Bond is to lie in state through Wednesday so members of the public can pay their respects. "Over and over again, Kit launched the careers of young people, talented, committed, dedicated people who later, after appointment, found opportunity beckoning them to achievement levels they hadn't anticipated," said John Ashcroft, who was a governor, senator and attorney general under President George W. Bush. "Kit was a person of both individual and governmental integrity. I have no recollection of anytime where Kit failed to live up to his commitments." As a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, Bond secured federal money for big and small projects in Missouri, scoffing at government watchdog groups that considered him a master of pork-barrel spending. Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver recalled that while he was serving as mayor of Kansas City, a monument to honor World War I veterans known as Liberty Memorial had fallen into disrepair. He likened the 217-foot (66-meter) tall structure that was built after a burst of postwar patriotism to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He said Bond stepped in with federal dollars to help restore it. "Working together as friends was the propellant that allowed us, with others, to alter the landscape of Kansas City," Cleaver said. Early in his career, Bond was considered a political wunderkind. When he took office at age 33 as Missouri's youngest governor, he was also the state's first Republican chief executive in about three decades and garnered consideration as a vice presidential candidate. His early success stalled when he lost a reelection bid, but he later rebounded to win another term as governor before being elected to the Senate in 1986 and eventually becoming the patriarch of the Missouri Republican Party. Testaments to Bond's longevity in the public arena are stamped across Missouri. A federal courthouse in Jefferson City and a life sciences center at the University of Missouri-Columbia are named after him. A highway bridge crossing the Missouri River in Hermann and one in Kansas City also carry his name. "Kit Bond was an exceptional person who was blessed with many talents," said former U.S. Sen. John Danforth. "He was very smart. He was highly educated. He had boundless energy. He wanted for nothing. He could have clung on to what was his and lived comfortably only for himself. But that was not what he did. He invested his talents, put them at risk, and he produced such a great return to the state." ___ Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Four-term US Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond remembered for training a generation of Missouri leaders

Four-term US Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond remembered for training a generation of Missouri leaders JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris...

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