Trump’s get-tough policies creditedfor sharp plunge in illegal immigration

Illegal immigration across the southwest border plummeted in the weeks after President Trump took office, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly announced Wednesday, calling the drop an early sign that Mr. Trump's get-tough policies are working. In addition to a drop in the number of illegal immigrants nabbed while attempting to cross, Mr. Kelly said, they have seen a dramatic spike in the rates charged by smugglers paid to sneak people into the U.S. Routes that cost $3,500 in November now cost $8,000, he said - another signal that smuggling cartels' business is suffering.

Trump making us all conspiracy theorists

Last weekend, President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama - without any evidence - of ordering Trump's phones to be wiretapped during last year's presidential campaign. It was only the most recent in a bewildering number of conspiracy theories the president and his circle have embraced over the past year.

Tie-breaking mayor’s vote makes Hillsboro a sanctuary

On a tie-breaking "yes" vote by Mayor Steve Callaway, the Hillsboro City Council narrowly passed a resolution declaring Hillsboro a sanctuary city Tuesday night, March 7. A packed Shirley Huffman Auditorium, monitored on all sides by about 30 Hillsboro Police officers over the course of the meeting, erupted in cheers when Callaway announced at 10:45 p.m. that Resolution 2552 had prevailed.

Experts: New travel ban more palatable, still problematic – Tue, 07 Mar 2017 PST

More palatable, but still problematic: That's the judgment of some legal experts who have examined President Donald Trump's revised travel ban, issued after a month of legal wrangling over the original. It also attempts to erase the notion that it was designed to target Muslims by spelling out more of a national security rationale.

Lawmakers may use riders to avoid special session over Obamacare

In a surprise move, state leaders are exploring the use of special budget "riders" to avoid a special legislative session over the likely repeal of Obamacare. Senate and House leaders said Tuesday that because of uncertainty over how much federal funding will be available to Texas for health care programs, should Congress repeal the Affordable Care Act, they are skeptical that a state budget can be finalized by the time the legislature adjourns in June.

New Rochelle Schools Host Immigration Workshops

Hundreds of local residents packed New Rochelle High School and Columbus Elementary School last month to attend immigration rights workshops held just days after the Trump administration announced measures that would greatly expand the deportation of illegal immigrants. The workshops were planned in response to anxiety expressed by residents who were hearing rumors about immigration raids, according to a release from the City School District of New Rochelle.

Trump’s revised travel ban is no less misguided and self-defeating than his previous version

Women wearing head scarves protest the immigration ban of President Donald J. Trump during a rally at Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on Feb. 4. Women wearing head scarves protest the immigration ban of President Donald J. Trump during a rally at Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on Feb. 4. The new travel ban President Trump signed Monday is no less misguided and damaging to those trying to travel to the U.S., or to those seeking refuge from war-torn regions of the world, than the original. The two new executive orders implementing the ban also show that Trump learned little from the policy debacle of the first go-around.

Howard lawmakers set to consider overriding veto of hotly-debated immigration bill

The Howard County Council on Monday will attempt to override Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman 's veto of a controversial immigration bill that affirms protections for undocumented immigrants. The bill, which drew almost two dozen hours of impassioned public testimony earlier this year and passed the five-member council by a 3-2 margin on Feb. 6, needs four votes to become veto-proof.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions faces Senate Tuesday a ” in public

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, facing fresh questions about his Russian contacts during the election campaign and his role in the firing of James Comey, announced that he will face a public hearing by former Senate colleagues today. • A friend of the president said Trump is considering “terminating” special counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed to lead an independent probe into Russia's role in the presidential election.

Afghan family with US visas unlawfully detained at airport for several days

U.S. agents unlawfully detained an Afghan family of five at Los Angeles International Airport and have been holding them for several days in California, according to legal papers filed in federal court in California by human rights lawyers. The father, mother and three small children were granted Special Immigrant Visas because family members risked their lives to defend the U.S. government overseas, said the filing from lawyers with the International Refugee Assistance Project, a legal aid group for refugees and displaced persons.