Fentanyl Coming to U.S. Becoming More Deadly, DEA Says

Editor 5
-
0
Fentanyl Coming to U.S. Becoming More Deadly, DEA Says

(Brett Rowland, The Center Square) – The illicit fentanyl coming from Mexican cartels is becoming more dangerous, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The purity level of illicit fentanyl in the U.S. drug market has increased and the amount of fentanyl found in counterfeit prescription pills has increased, making the nation’s top drug threat even more dangerous, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s most recent National Drug Threat Assessment.

A lethal dose of the potent opioid is about 2 milligrams, depending on the opioid tolerance of the user.

In 2022, the average fentanyl pill contained 2.4 milligrams of fentanyl, according to analysis by DEA forensic chemists who test random samples of the fentanyl seized in the U.S. Overall, the tested samples ranged from a low of .03 milligrams to a high of 9 milligrams.

“DEA forensic laboratory results documented that approximately 7 out of 10 fake pills contain a deadly dose of fentanyl,” according to the report.

That’s up from 4 in 10 pills in 2021.

The purity of powdered fentanyl has increased. The average purity of the fentanyl powder samples was 19.2% in 2022, a 33% increase since 2021. The overall tested samples ranged from almost no fentanyl to 81.5% pure fentanyl.

Those numbers underscore the threat the drug poses to users, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. She blamed the growing illicit fentanyl problem on two Mexican drug cartels making synthetic drugs with precursor chemicals from China.

“At the heart of the synthetic drug crisis are the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels and their associates,” Milgram said in a statement.

Illicit fentanyl killed nearly 38,000 Americans in the first six months of 2023, according to the DEA report. Synthetic opioids were involved in 74,225 deaths in 2022 – 68% of the total 111,036 deaths that year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“These two Cartels are global criminal enterprises that have developed global supply chain networks. They rely on chemical companies and pill press companies in China to supply the precursor chemicals and pill presses needed to manufacture the drugs,” Milgram wrote in a letter released with the assessment. “They operate clandestine labs in Mexico where they manufacture these drugs, and then utilize their vast distribution networks to transport the drugs into the United States.”

‘No One Is Coming to Protect You,’ Border Patrol Agent Warns

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
-
0
‘No One Is Coming to Protect You,’ Border Patrol Agent Warns

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) A Border Patrol agent explained just how bad the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border is while adding that it will not get better any time soon.

The agent gave the interview anonymously to NewsNation and the news source cast him in a shadow and changed his voice to protect his identity so the Department of Homeland Security would not be able to punish him for speaking out.

“The biggest thing is that we do not control the border. The cartel controls the border. Everything that we do is a reaction to things that they have planned. Usually, we’re chasing around pawns while the kings and queens are doing whatever they want,” the agent said.

The anonymous agent then talked about the seriousness of the threat posed to Americans by so many people illegally entering the country, saying that the threat to American citizens is “absolutely” real.

“These huge give-up groups that we’re getting, you know, the media is only reporting what they can report on, right? Which is, statistically speaking, a small percentage of the actual bad guys that we’re catching. The really good ones, we will never catch… Our border is by no means secure,” he said.

The agent then pointed out that local law enforcement has a hard time dealing with criminals who are U.S. citizens and the influx of illegal aliens who are committing crimes within the country, adding that Americans would need to take it upon themselves to make their safety a priority.

Protest Encampment Disbanded at University of Pennsylvania

Editor 5
-
0
Protest Encampment Disbanded at University of Pennsylvania

(Christen Smith, The Center Square) – Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania disbanded a pro-Palestinian encampment on Friday, less than 24 hours after Gov. Josh Shapiro again demanded action.

The demonstrators first gathered on the campus’s College Green on April 25 in opposition to Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip after the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault that left 1,200 of its civilians dead.

The encampment is just one of several at universities across the country where protestors decry Israel’s bombing of the region that has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, injured more than 78,000 and displaced 1.7 million, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said the city’s police department assisted Penn law enforcement with clearing the scene early Friday and arresting 33 protestors for defiant trespass. This, after a May 1 request from the university to intervene was rebuffed.

“From that day on, we were clear throughout that process that Philadelphia Police would provide backup assistance if arrests were made, or if the situation became dangerous or violent,” Parker said. “We were also clear that we expected Penn to explore every option to resolve this matter peacefully.”

University leadership said they’d done just that to no avail. According to a statement released Friday, the demonstrators refused to leave, show identification and stop the escalation of loud, threatening or discriminatory behavior.

According to multiple reports, demonstrators have been accused of vandalizing the campus and intimidating students, though leadership itself never acknowledged any specific incidents in its statement.

In an opinion article published by the university newspaper on May 3, an anonymous student defended encampments across the country and said pro-Israel demonstrators often stage incidents that appear antisemitic.

Manuel Bonder, the governor’s spokesman, said via email Friday the university “made the right decision” after the situation had reached “an untenable point.”

“As Governor Shapiro has made clear multiple times, all Pennsylvanians have a right to peacefully protest and make their voices heard,” Bonder said. “The governor has also made clear that universities have a legal responsibility to keep their students safe and free from discrimination.”

Penn officials said that despite several lengthy meetings with encampment leaders, the university could not meet any of their demands – including offering amnesty to participating students and faculty and divesting from companies with Israeli ties.

The latter of which, leaders said, the university remains “unequivocally opposed to” and bound by state law.

“There are times when our abiding commitment to open expression requires balancing free speech with our responsibility to safety, security, and continuing the operations of the university,” the statement concluded. “This is one of those times and why we have acted. Open expression and peaceful protest are welcome on our campus, but vandalism, trespassing, disruption, and threatening language and actions are not.”

MURDOCK: Jury Will See Through Bragg’s Flimsy Case Faster Than Stormy’s Wardrobe

Editor 1
-
0
MURDOCK: Jury Will See Through Bragg’s Flimsy Case Faster Than Stormy’s Wardrobe

(Deroy Murdock, Headline USA) Having served on three Manhattan juries, I would not be surprised if the 12 men and women hearing New York vs. Donald J. Trump acquit him of all charges.

During two civil actions and one criminal case, my fellow jurors were serious, professional, and movingly civic-minded.

A quiet, solemn patriotism infused our deliberations. Several jurors said that we should respect the justice system because, someday, we might need it to respect us.

  • My first case was a medical-malpractice lawsuit involving a botched abortion. We empathized with a woman wounded by her doctors, but her lawyer did not prove negligence. So, we sent the plaintiff home without a penny.
  • Next, we deliberated intensely for almost three days before concluding that a Harlem drug counselor never demonstrated his defamation-of-character claim against his employers. My sympathetic pleas went unheeded, and he left empty handed.
  • Finally, in her closing argument, a criminal prosecutor displayed a CD-ROM of a police dispatcher’s “Be on the lookout” announcement after an armed robbery. When we asked the judge to play that recording, he told us that it was not in evidence. Disgusted by this prosecutorial deception, we instantly and angrily acquitted the defendants. Minutes later, as foreman, I proudly announced our verdict in court.

These three cases confirm that Manhattan juries are sober and perfectly capable of fairness.

This is good news for Trump.

A jury of level-headed Manhattanites would appreciate these facts that verify the profound vacuity and fundamental unfairness of District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “case” against Trump:

  • An April 25, 2023, US Justice Department Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Election Commission leaves Bragg powerless to prosecute this matter. Nowhere does this federal rule grant local prosecutors authority to enforce federal election laws. Thus, Bragg’s case is a shack built atop a cloud of helium.
  • Bragg indicted Trump on April 4, 2023, four months after the statute of limitations expired on the corresponding Class E felonies.
  • Bragg skirted the statute of limitations by claiming that Trump falsified business records to commit a second violation. After two weeks of this trial, that second crime remains a mystery.
  • Prosecutors described a “catch-and-kill scheme” through which the National Enquirer bought the rights to stories that might embarrass Trump and then buried them. Rather than a plot to influence the 2020 election, the Enquirer routinely caught and killed stories about Trump and other newsmakers. More important, “catch and kill” might be dodgy, but it is not illegal.
  • Former nude thespian Stormy Daniels signed a nondisclosure agreement promising quietude about consensual sex that Trump and, at various times, Daniels herself deny ever sharing. NDAs are perfectly legal.

  • Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels to clam up about her alleged intimacy with Trump. Again, sex or no sex, it is legal to pay people to ignore journalists.
  • Trump’s checks allegedly reimbursed Cohen for payments to Daniels. It is perfectly legal for a client to repay his attorney funds advanced in a lawful transaction.
  • Bragg claims that Trump should have paid for this private matter with campaign cash. That would have been illegal. Instead, Trump legally used his own money.
  • Trump faces 34 counts of alleged falsification of business records because his bookkeepers posted ledger entries for checks to Cohen as “legal expenses.” Would Bragg prefer false descriptions like “plumbing supplies” or “marble tiles?” Trump faces prison for reporting legal expenses as “legal expenses,” which is legal.

With 48% of registered voters telling Reuters–Ipsos last month that Trump’s Kafkaesque cases are “excessive and politically motivated” (41% disagree) even a Manhattan jury could scrap Bragg’s contraption.

If just one juror agrees, this case will end with a hung jury.

And if “lurid, but legal” reflects the opinions of 12 of my fellow Manhattanites—who tend to be tough, but fair—then President Donald J. Trump will be acquitted on all 34 charges and go back where he belongs: the campaign trail.

Deroy Murdock is a Manhattan-based Fox News contributor.

Impeachment Looming? Over Two Dozen Dems Flip on Biden After Blocking Aid to Israel

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Impeachment Looming? Over Two Dozen Dems Flip on Biden After Blocking Aid to Israel

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Unexpected figures have joined the chorus of criticism against President Joe Biden after his administration blocked Israeli aid in exchange for a more politically favorable position in Gaza. 

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., along with 25 Democrat lawmakers, blasted the Biden administration in a letter addressed to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

“We are deeply concerned about the message the Administration is sending to Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist proxies by withholding weapons shipments to Israel, during a critical moment in the negotiations,” the lawmakers, led by Gottheimer, wrote in the letter sent Friday. 

“With democracy under assault around the world, we cannot undermine our ally Israel, especially in her greatest hour of need. America’s commitments must always be ironclad,” they added. 

The letter arrives amid calls from several Republicans for the immediate impeachment of Biden, with many advocating for the application of the Pelosi standard invoked during the first impeachment of President Donald Trump in 2019. 

During that time, Democrats accused Trump of attempting to block congressionally approved aid in exchange for political favors. Notably, Biden himself made a similar argument on Oct. 18, 2019. 

“It’s the definition of quid pro quo,” Biden said. “This is no joke—Trump continues to put his own personal, political interests ahead of the national interest. He must be impeached.” 

Fast forward to Tuesday, Politico confirmed Headline USA’s reporting that Biden halted the shipment of weapons to Israel as a means of sending a “political” message—that is, to deter an invasion of the southern city of Rafah in Gaza.  

The ongoing military actions by Israel in Gaza, coupled with the U.S. support for these actions, are now posing a threat to Biden’s chances of re-election. Many Muslim Americans have expressed their intention to protest the 2024 election by abstaining from voting. 

This could pose a significant challenge for Biden, especially considering that his opponent, Trump, currently leads in several polls. 

It’s not immediately evident whether any of the Democrats who penned the letter would advocate for impeachment against the scandal-plagued president. In their letter, they call for a classified briefing on the reasons behind the aid blockage. 

“We would be grateful for a classified briefing about your decision and to better understand how and when the aid that Congress has authorized and appropriated for Israel will be delivered,” they added. 

The signatory list of twenty-six Members of Congress includes Reps. Gottheimer, D-N.J.; Jared Golden, D-Maine; Jim Costa, D-Calif.; Donald G. Davis, D-N.C.; Lois Frankel, D-Fla.; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.; Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas.; Steven Horsford, D-Nevada.; Greg Landsman, D-Ohio.; Susie Lee, D-Nev.; Kathy Manning, D-N.C.; Grace Meng, D-N.Y.; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Donald Norcross, D-N.J.; Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J.; Jimmy Panetta, D-Calf.; Patrick Ryan, D-N.Y.; Bradley Scott Schneider, D-Ill.; Darren Soto, D-Fla.; Haley M. Stevens, D-Mich.; Thomas R. Suozzi, D-N.Y.; Norma J. Torres, D-Calif.; Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.; Juan Vargas, D-Calif.; Marc A. Veasey, D-Texas.; and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. 

Biden May Be Impeached Over Israel Aid Cutoff Threat

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
-
0
Biden May Be Impeached Over Israel Aid Cutoff Threat

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Republicans may impeach Joe Biden over his threat to halt U.S. offensive aid to Israel, with even some Democrats criticizing Biden’s anti-Israel position.  

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., informed Fox News that he is preparing impeachment articles against Biden over his threat to halt American offensive aid to Israel on May 9, 2024.

Mills accused Biden of forcing Israel into a “quid pro quo” situation by leveraging U.S. dollars against the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza, while also drawing parallels to Democrats’ first impeachment of Donald Trump over his handling of Ukraine aid.

“The House has no choice but to impeach President ‘Quid pro-Joe’ Biden. As Vice President, Biden was caught threatening to withhold funding and aid to Ukraine unless they fired the attorney general investigating Burisma, a company financially benefiting his son Hunter, not to mention the 10% share for ‘the big guy’ himself,” Mills said.

He then connected it to Israel.

“Now, Joe Biden is pressuring Israel, our biggest ally in the Middle East, by pausing their funding that has already been approved in the House, if they don’t stop all operations with Hamas. It’s a very clear message, ‘this for that,'” Mills said.

After the article by Fox News was published, Mills tweeted the screenshot of the resolution, highlighting every word that was used against Trump in yellow.

“These are the same accusations made against President Trump, which resulted in his impeachment by Democrats. The same must happen for Joe Biden, which is why we’re drawing up articles of impeachment now,” Mills told Fox News.

Other Republican lawmakers also supported impeaching Biden over the decision.

“The Democrats made their bed, and now they’re [lying] in it. This is just the latest on a long list of reasons to impeach Biden, including the deadline withdrawal in Afghanistan and allowing more than 9 million illegal immigrants to invade our southern border,” Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., also argued that Biden was motivated by political reasons.

“Clearly, the nefarious motive behind our commander-in-chief’s move to condition U.S. aid to Israel is to appease radical leftists and Hamas sympathizers ahead of the 2024 election,” he said.

However, it wasn’t just Republicans who opposed Biden’s decision. More than two dozen House Democrats led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., told national security adviser Jake Sullivan on May 10, 2024, they were “deeply concerned” about Biden’s decision to withhold military aid from Israel.

“[Withholding] weapons shipments to Israel… only emboldens our mutual enemies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and other Iranian-backed proxies,” Gottheimer and 25 of his fellow lawmakers wrote in a letter to Sullivan that was obtained by the New York Post.

Johnson Kisses Anti-Trump Democrat’s Ring: ‘We Have a Lot More in Common’

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Johnson Kisses Anti-Trump Democrat’s Ring: ‘We Have a Lot More in Common’

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., offered glowing praise for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the man leading Democrats threatening to block the certification of a potential Donald Trump victory in 2024. 

“Hakeem is a good man,” Johnson told Politico in an interview published Friday. “We’ve worked well together. We have a lot more in common than people might think. You know, he’s from New York and I’m from Louisiana.” 

Johnson’s positive assessment of Jeffries followed the high-profile Democrat rallying his caucus to swiftly reject a motion to vacate the speakership led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. 

The speaker expressed his admiration for Jeffries as an individual and highlighted the commonalities between them. 

“While we have lots of disagreements on policies and the fine points of policy, I think you can appreciate people for who they are as a person,” he stated, likely alluding to Jeffries’s far-left politics. “I think that’s what we’re called to do.”

Johnson further elaborated, “And he and I both kind of share the worldview on that. I can appreciate that he’s a good family man. We have a lot in common in that regard. And he lost his father recently, I lost mine three days before I got elected to Congress. We’ve talked about that.” 

During the Politico interview, Johnson reflected on how both men ascended to power unexpectedly. 

“We’ve talked about how he and I both came to our leadership positions in a rather circuitous fashion that neither of us predicted or expected, in terms of timing and how we would be elevated as we were,” he added. 

Jeffries assumed the role of House minority leader after the 2022 midterm elections, following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stepping down from her leadership position after Republicans secured the majority. 

Johnson became speaker in 2023 following the sudden removal of then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who faced a successful motion to vacate initiated by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. 

In contrast to Johnson’s situation, Democrats—despite previous assertions to the contrary—joined with eight Republicans to oust McCarthy as speaker. Consequently, McCarthy resigned from the House in December 2023. 

Johnson’s unexpected allyship with Democrats arose after he was chosen to serve as speaker under the banner of being a staunch advocate of America First principles. However, Johnson has since supported the federal funding of the Biden administration’s leftist agenda and passed controversial foreign aid bills—including $65 million for Ukraine—all while failing to secure border funding (despite prior pledges). 

He declined to terminate (or amend) the warrantless Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and rejected calls to defund the Department of Justice’s Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of Trump. 

In contrast, Democrats have successfully advanced nearly all of their policy agenda despite Republicans holding the majority.  

This stands in stark contrast to Pelosi’s leadership during much of Trump’s tenure in Congress, where she consistently obstructed Trump’s requests for border funding. 

Now with Jeffries leading the charge, some Democrats have indicated they would obstruct the certification of a potential Trump return to the White House if he emerges victorious in 2024 general election. 

Vulnerable Senate Dem. Flips on Laken Riley Act, Blasts Biden for Border Crisis

Contributing Author
-
0
Vulnerable Senate Dem. Flips on Laken Riley Act, Blasts Biden for Border Crisis

(Headline USA) Vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., became the first Democrat to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act, a bill that would require illegal immigrants charged with theft or burglary to be detained by immigration authorities and deported.

Tester, who faces a tough reelection bid in November against Navy SEAL veteran Tim Sheehy, has become vocally critical of the Biden administration in recent weeks for its handling of the border crisis, calling President Joe Biden’s refusal to crack down on illegal immigration “unacceptable.”

The Democrat opposed an earlier version of the Laken Riley Act that had been included in a government spending bill as an amendment, but he claimed this week that “keeping Montana safe” is now “my top priority,” according to NBC Montana.

“After hearing from law enforcement officers across Montana, I’m backing the Laken Riley Act to make sure that individuals who enter our country and commit a crime are held accountable so that no Montana family has to worry about the safety of their loved ones,” he added.

The Laken Riley Act passed the House in March with the support of all House Republicans and 37 Democrats, the New York Post reported.

Along with requiring illegals convicted of violent crimes to be detained and deported, the legislation also would require Biden to reinstate “Remain in Mexico,” a Trump-era policy that required illegal immigrants seeking asylum to wait for the court hearings in Mexico.

The bill is named after a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered in February by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant who had several run-ins with law enforcement before the murder but was not detained.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee questioned Tester’s sudden “flip-flop” on the Laken Riley Act.

“Jon Tester voted against the Laken Riley Act,” the NRSC tweeted. “His support for open borders is hurting his reelection campaign, so now he’s flip-flopping. Voters can’t trust two-faced Tester.”

Biden Does About-Face on Trump’s Tax Cuts, Days After Being Ridiculed

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Biden Does About-Face on Trump’s Tax Cuts, Days After Being Ridiculed

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Biden White House has pivoted on tax cuts, now begging Congress to extend certain sections of the Trump-era tax cuts, just days after struggling to clarify its position on allowing the legislation to expire before the 2024 deadline. 

President Joe Biden’s top economic adviser, Lael Brainard, pleaded to Congress on Friday, calling for reauthorizing tax cuts only for Americans earning less than $400,000 annually. 

The announcement came in the form of an official transcript of remarks delivered by Brainard at the Brookings Institute’s Hamilton Project. The New York Times first reported on these remarks.

“The President is honoring his ironclad commitment to not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 and will cut taxes further for workers and families, paid for by asking corporations and those at the top to contribute more,” Brainard said. 

Expanding on this statement, she continued, “Achieving a fairer tax system also means we cannot extend expiring TCJA tax cuts for those with incomes above $400,000 or bring back deductions and other tax breaks for these households. As the President has said, tax cuts for the wealthy will stay expired on his watch.” 

This apparent flip-flop came less than a week after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre struggled to articulate how Biden, who opposed the Trump-era tax cuts, would prevent tax increases if Congress did not renew the legislation. 

On May 3, Fox Business reporter Edward Lawrence pressed Jean Pierre on whether Biden was prepared to raise taxes. 

“If that law expires, it does raise taxes on almost every American,” he asserted. “Does he still support that expiring without anything else in place?” 

In response, Jean Pierre initially contradicted herself, misleadingly claiming that Biden would allow the law to lapse but solely for wealthy individuals. She declined, at that time, to openly endorse elements of the Trump-era plan. 

Lawrence challenged Jean Pierre’s assertion, declaring (correctly) that Biden “can’t pick and choose which parts of the law sunsets.” 

He further noted, “The entire law will sunset, and the Tax Foundation says that someone who’s married, two kids, making $85,000 would pay $1,700 more in taxes. That’s somebody under $400,000.” 

Enacted by Trump in 2017, the tax cuts provided nearly benefited almost all Americans. The law, enacted for an eight-year period, is set to expire in 2025. 

REPORT: Biden Admin to Start Issuing ID Cards to Illegals in Several ‘Battleground’ Cities

Contributing Author
-
0
REPORT: Biden Admin to Start Issuing ID Cards to Illegals in Several ‘Battleground’ Cities

(Headline USA) The Biden administration plans to issue thousands of ID cards to illegal immigrants being released into the U.S. within the next few months, according to Fox News.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed to the network that it plans to start rolling out its controversial Secure Docket Card program this summer with the distribution of approximately 10,000 ID cards.

The cards will be issued in three or four major cities, with Houston and Atlanta being two of the potential locations.

It comes amid widespread concerns—particularly in red states like Texas and Georgia—that the cards could be abused by noncitizens to commit vote fraud even after the legislatures have sought to tighten up their election laws to close loopholes in order to maintain election integrity.

Harris County (Houston) and Fulton County (Atlanta) were both hotbeds for corrupt election meddling by Democrats through illegal operations such as ballot harvesting in the 2020 election.

Biden officials claimed the ID program would help “modernize” the documentation process and expedite removal proceedings, and insisted the ID cards would not be an official form of federal ID, such as a driver’s license.

“While the specifics of the card and pilot are under development, it is important to note the secure card will not be an official form of federal identification,” ICE said in a statement. “The secure card will indicate it is for use by DHS agencies and would be provided only after national security background checks have been performed.”

The ID cards would replace the paper documents given to illegal immigrants who claim asylum at the border, ICE claimed. Leaked images of the new cards show that they will contain a photograph of the migrant, a QR code, ID number, and other identifying information. 

“Moving to a secure card will save the agency millions, free up resources and ensure information is quickly accessible to DHS officials while reducing the agency’s FOIA backlog,” a spokesperson for the agency said. “For provisionally released noncitizens, the digital modernization will provide ongoing access to important immigration documents through the secure card and connected portal.”

The program is sure to face opposition in Congress, where House Republicans have already introduced legislation to block it.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, one of the co-sponsors of the No IDs for Illegals Act, said last October that Biden’s plan would only further incentivize illegal immigration.

“It’s incomprehensible to think we would reward this criminal behavior by granting those present in the country illegally an ID that all but legitimizes their presence and is intended to be used in ways beyond their immigration proceedings,” he argued.

1...1,3031,3041,305...3,861Page 1,304 of 3,861