There seems to be significant misinformation surrounding immigration and deportation, and as a legal Colombian migrant, I feel the need to clarify a few things.
First, there is a massive backlog of individuals who already have deportation orders. In most cases, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not catch these individuals off guard. Most are well aware of their deportation orders and have had ample time to make arrangements, especially if they have children.
At the same time, it’s critical to acknowledge that our country cannot sustain an infinite number of people crossing the border illegally, unvetted, and unchecked. Simply crossing illegally, claiming credible fear, and applying for asylum does not make it right, especially when one did not arrive legally and does not have credible fear. Most individuals who apply for asylum do not qualify, and many fail to follow through with their legal appointments. This process, already overwhelmed by years of backlog, often results in denied claims, something the applicants are frequently aware of.
It’s frustrating to watch media outlets like CNN focus on “gotcha” questions directed at individuals like Tom Homan, instead of addressing the bigger picture with logic and reason. Deportations prioritize criminals and those with criminal backgrounds. If undocumented individuals happen to be caught alongside a criminal, they may also face deportation as collateral. Once the immediate threats to national security are addressed, the system will move on to others. However, this process will take time and require more funding and resources to scale effectively.
We need to set emotions aside and recognize the hard truths: human trafficking and exploitation must end. Migrants are often misled and lured by false promises of opportunities or legal status. Many die during their journey, are trafficked, go missing, or suffer horrendous abuses, including rape. When they arrive, they often become a financial burden and face years of uncertainty.
Given the current situation, and as a legal Colombian migrant, I believe I have the right to speak up. Beyond the logistical and legal issues, I find it deeply disrespectful, both to Americans and to legal immigrants like me, that the previous administration’s open-border policies disregarded the rule of law and encouraged such reckless disregard for human life. The treatment of migrants in this system has been appalling, and it’s heartbreaking to see leaders like Colombian President Gustavo Petro exploit the situation further.
Why are we spending so many resources on undocumented migrants while neglecting veterans, those struggling with addiction, the homeless, and natural-born Americans, naturalized citizens, and legal immigrants? What about DACA recipients, those who filed paperwork, and others who have been waiting for years for real solutions? At the same time, we are sending billions of dollars abroad while our own people are suffering here in America.
In addition, how do you explain all this to Angel Parents, those who have lost their children to crimes committed by undocumented migrants? Their pain and their losses are a stark reminder of the magnitude of this crisis.
I know the current issue with our immigration system is a complicated one, and I want to emphasize that we must have compassion for everyone equally, including undocumented migrants. However, I want to make perfectly clear that the previous administration did not care for you, me, legal immigrants, citizens, and certainly not the undocumented migrants. Many people filed their legalization cases here in America and others filed abroad waiting to be united with their families for years and years. Many refugees in camps and foreign countries are losing hope because it feels like it’s taking an eternity.
And what about those undocumented migrants who have been here for 20 years or more, who have not committed crimes, who pay taxes, own businesses, create jobs, and have U.S. citizen children who are productive members of society? They feel offended because the previous administration forgot them and did not offer a path to legalization but instead opened the border. One could argue that they should be helped before those crossing.
Lastly, I do not approve of illegal immigration in any way. But we must be realistic. They are already here. How about giving them a fine and creating some sort of path to permanent residency if they meet certain very strict criteria? By no means should we enable illegal immigration, but ignoring the realities of the situation is not a solution either.
Our immigration system must reflect fairness, logic, and compassion. This means addressing those who have committed crimes or pose a security threat, while also considering solutions for those who have demonstrated their commitment to contributing positively to this country. It’s a balance we must strive for—one that ensures the dignity of all while upholding the rule of law.
Shares of big Danish offshore wind developer Orsted dropped by 17% Monday, the same day President Donald Trump took the oath of office to become the 47th president of the United States. The two events are not merely coincidental with one another.
To be sure, Orsted’s loss of market cap was caused by several factors, including both the general slowing of the offshore wind business, and Orsted’s own announcement that it will incur a $1.69 billion impairment charge related to its Sunrise Wind project off the coast of New York. Company CEO Mads Nipper attributed the charge to delays and cost increases and said the project completion date is now delayed to the second half of 2027.
But there can be little doubt that the raft of energy-related executive orders signed by Trump also contributed to the drop in Orsted’s stock price. As part of a Day 1 agenda consisting of a reported 196 executive orders, the new president took dead aim at reversing the Biden Green New Deal agenda in general, with a special focus on wind power projects on federal lands and waters.
In addition to general orders declaring a national energy emergency and pulling the United States out of the Paris Climate Accords (for a second time), Trump signed a separate order titled, “Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects.” That long-winded title (pardon the pun) is quite descriptive of what the order is designed to accomplish.
Section 1 of this order withdraws “from disposition for wind energy leasing all areas within the Offshore Continental Shelf (OCS) as defined in section 2 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), 43 U.S.C. 1331.” Somewhat ironically, this is the same OCSLA cited in early January by former President Joe Biden when he set 625 million acres of federal offshore waters off limits to oil and gas leasing and drilling into perpetuity.
As with Biden’s LNG permitting pause, the fourth paragraph of Section 1 in Trump’s order states that “Nothing in this withdrawal affects rights under existing leases in the withdrawn areas.” However, the same paragraph goes on to subject those existing leases to review by the secretary of the Interior, who is charged with conducting “a comprehensive review of the ecological, economic, and environmental necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases, identifying any legal bases for such removal, and submit a report with recommendations to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.”
Observant readers will know that the parameters of this order as it relates to offshore wind are essentially the same as a proposal I suggested in a previous piece here on Jan. 1. So, obviously, it receives the Blackmon Seal of Approval.
But we should also note that Trump goes even further, extending this freeze to onshore wind projects as well. While the rationale for the freeze in offshore leasing and permitting cites factors unique to the offshore like harm to marine mammals, ocean currents and the marine fishing industry, the rationale supporting the onshore freeze cites “environmental impact and cost to surrounding communities of defunct and idle windmills and deliver a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, with their findings and recommended authorities to require the removal of such windmills.”
This gets at concerns long held by me and many others that neither the federal government nor any state government has seen fit to require the proper, complete tear down and safe disposal of these massive wind turbines, blades, towers and foundations once they outlive their useful lives. In most jurisdictions, wind operators are free to just abandon the projects and leave the equipment to dilapidate and rot.
The dirty secret of the wind industry, whether onshore or offshore, is that it is not sustainable without consistent new injections of more and more subsidies, along with the tacit refusal by governments to properly regulate its operations. Trump and his team understand this reality and should be applauded for taking real action to address it.
David Blackmon is a contributor to The Daily Caller News Foundation, an energy writer, and consultant based in Texas. He spent 40 years in the oil and gas business, where he specialized in public policy and communications.
Congressman David Schweikert revealed the truth about job numbers after an update was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which claimed the economy under outgoing President Joe Biden added 256,000 jobs in the month of December.
“As we transition to a new administration, the December jobs report provides an essential opportunity to assess the economic policies of the Biden administration and the challenges facing hardworking Americans,” stated Schweikert, Vice Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee.
“While the December data demonstrates strong employment growth, having increased 2.2 million in 2024, the report underscores persistent issues that demand immediate attention,” added Schweikert.
“Under the Biden administration, American families have faced unprecedented economic headwinds, including inflation rates that outpaced wage growth for much of the last four years. Policies prioritizing excessive spending and burdensome regulations have strained small businesses, stifled innovation, and eroded purchasing power. While there have been temporary gains in certain heavily subsidized sectors, the broader economic foundation remains unstable,” concluded an exasperated Schweikert.
In a post to X, the Joint Economic Committee Republicans summarized, “In December, employment rose by 256K, averaging a monthly gain of 186K in 2024. While these gains are notable, challenges remain: an unemployment rate above 4% for the past 8 months and a historically low labor force participation rate.”
In December, employment rose by 256K, averaging a monthly gain of 186K in 2024.
While these gains are notable, challenges remain: an unemployment rate above 4% for the past 8 months and a historically low labor force participation rate.
— Joint Economic Committee Republicans (@JECRepublicans) January 10, 2025
In his remarks Friday, Schweikert added, “It’s imperative that we prioritize policies which foster economic growth, encourage innovation, empower domestic businesses, and restore confidence in our markets.”
He added, “Reducing government overreach, prioritizing fiscal responsibility, and enacting tax reform that incentivize investment while rewarding hard work are the most crucial facets of restoring American prosperity.”
“I am committed to working with my colleagues to enact solutions that address these economic challenges and create a thriving future for all Americans. Together, we can ensure that 2025 is the beginning of a stronger, more resilient future for all Americans.”
Payroll employment rose by 2.2 million in 2024 (an average monthly gain of 186,000), with some industries growing more than others. pic.twitter.com/dzesehbhMG
— Joint Economic Committee Republicans (@JECRepublicans) January 10, 2025
The update from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is infamously subject to revision as well. This proved to be a factor that badly hurt the Biden administration and the Kamala Harris campaign in August 2024 when the BLS estimate of new jobs created between March of 2023 and March of 2024 was revised down by almost 818,000 or about 30%. The release was allegedly intended after November 5th but was leaked according to President-elect Donald Trump.
Rep. Jodey Arrington, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, observed at the time, “Based on more comprehensive data released from state unemployment tax records, the Biden Bureau of Labor Statistics acknowledges they were way off on the number of new jobs created between March of 2023 and March of 2024 by almost one million or 30%, which is five times their average margin of error. The economy is the top issue in this presidential race and the recent downwardly revised job numbers taken together with persistently high prices and interest rates bellies a much weaker Biden-Harris economy than we were led to believe.”
Accusations that the Biden White House deliberately inflated the jobs numbers abounded with President-elect Donald Trump addressing the revision directly calling it a “total lie,” and “a scandal.”
President Trump addresses report that Biden-Harris Labor Department inflated jobs numbers by 818,000 during speech in Asheboro, NC pic.twitter.com/mNyq6JJ3XL
Trump told supporters in Asheboro, NC, at the time, “The Harris-Biden Administration has been caught fraudulently manipulating job statistics to hid the true extent of the economic ruin that they’ve inflicted on America.”
Schweikert’s office provided a few highlights of the BLS report, noting that the outgoing legacy of the Biden administration will be marked by:
“Real wages failing to keep pace with inflation, leaving many families burdened with record-high levels of credit card debt and preventing the ability to grow savings.
A labor force participation rate that has struggled to recover to pre-pandemic levels, leaving millions of Americans sidelined from economic opportunities.
The failure to address workforce development, with an uneven rate of job openings compared to worker skills, leaving both manufacturing and construction industries with critical labor shortages.”
Arizona Republicans are applauding a recent court decision that helps to protect females.
Late last week, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky dealt a significant blow to a Final Rule from the Biden administration on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The court ruled that “the Final Rule and its corresponding regulations exceed the Department’s authority under Title IX, violate the Constitution, and are the result of arbitrary and capricious agency action.”
According to the press release issued by the Arizona Senate Republicans, this Biden administration rule “required schools to allow boys and men in girls’ and women’s private spaces like restrooms and locker rooms, on their female-only sports teams, and to disregard other sex-based protections created for the safety, security, and well-being of biological females within federal law.”
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Senate Republicans Applaud Tennessee Attorney General for Defending Arizona Women, Girls Against Biden's Radical Title IX Rule
In a written statement, Senate President Warren Petersen said, “We are grateful for the conservative attorneys general nationwide who are working tirelessly to protect women and girls from bigger, stronger boys and men, while the radical Left continues to ignore not only science, but common sense. Women and girls are fighting an uphill battle as progressives try to undo the protections created for them, including Arizona’s Save Women’s Sports Act, which the Republican-led Arizona Legislature is currently litigating while Arizona’s own Attorney General refuses to do so.”
Senator Sine Kerr added, “This is a big victory for the women and girls who’ve had athletic and educational opportunities stripped from them at the hands of biological males posing as females, but there is still much more work to be done. While Governor Hobbs vetoed last year the Arizona Women’s Bill of Rights, Senate Republicans have vowed to continue to push legislation that safeguards women and girls on the playing field, in their bathrooms, their locker rooms, and anywhere else carved out specifically for them. Our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and neighbors deserve to feel safe and supported, and it is our duty as elected officials to ensure their protection.”
After receiving the news of the court order, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, who led the coalition of attorneys general against the new rule on Title IX, said, “This is a huge win for Tennessee, for common sense, and for women and girls across America. The court’s ruling is yet another repudiation of the Biden administration’s relentless push to impose a radical gender ideology through unconstitutional and illegal rulemaking. Because the Biden rule is vacated altogether, President Trump will be free to take a fresh look at our Title IX regulations when he returns to office.”
Tennessee has successfully defended Title IX, and the country, from the Biden Admin’s radical and unlawful rewrite!
"The court's ruling is yet another repudiation of the Biden administration's relentless push to impose a radical gender ideology through unconstitutional and… pic.twitter.com/AYCoKVIFye
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, one of the attorneys general in the coalition also weighed in, saying, “I’m proud to have successfully defended Title IX from the federal government’s power grab that threatened to upend half a century of landmark protections for women and punish States for following their own laws.”
🚨BREAKING: I’m pleased to announce that, at the urging of Virginia and 5 other States, a federal court has vacated the Biden Administration’s unlawful Title IX rewrite on a NATIONWIDE basis.
All of America is now safe from Biden’s attempt to undermine half a century of…
Petersen continues to use his office as the leader of Senate Republicans to help stand in the gap for Arizona in major state and federal legal fights in the absence of Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes. He promises more intervention into legal matters in 2025 as legislative Republicans work toward protecting their state from government overreach and special interests that attempt to take Arizona in radical directions.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
An Arizona Congressman is cheering on a recent court decision involving the sale of border wall material by the outgoing presidential administration.
U.S. Representative Eli Crane marked a judicial opinion from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas in The General Land Office of the State of Texas v. Biden. The case involves a challenge to the Biden administration’s efforts to sell unused border wall materials ahead of President-Elect Donald J. Trump taking office on January 20, 2025. The ruling from Judge Drew B. Tipton granted the plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction.
Crane responded to the legal outcome, writing, “Solid victory. Thanks to President Trump, our border will be secure again. Arizonans can’t wait.”
Solid victory.
Thanks to President Trump, our border will be secure again. Arizonans can't wait. https://t.co/YJsoE547dn
President-Elect Trump, who had desired the courts to weigh in against the Biden administration’s actions, said, “BREAKING: In a major, crucial WIN for America, and our National Security, a Federal Judge in Texas, based on papers we filed just a few days ago, has PROHIBITED the Biden Administration from selling any materials designated for the Border Wall, that has been wrecked by Biden and his cronies, and which I am going to rebuild in order to protect our Country from violent migrant crime, fentanyl smuggling, sex trafficking, terror attacks, and other heinous, Nation ending disasters.”
Trump added, “The Judge has also ordered an investigation into the illegal selling of the materials, which will expose just how corrupt and anti-American Radical Democrats are. I am honored to be joined in this vital case by the Great States of Texas and Missouri, and applaud Judge Drew Tipton for doing the right thing for our Country. We have to protect our Borders, and Save America. MAGA!”
“We have successfully blocked the Biden Administration from disposing of any further border wall materials before President Trump takes office,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “This follows our major victory forcing Biden to build the wall, and we will hold his Administration accountable for illegally subverting our Nation’s border security until their very last day in power, especially where their actions are clearly motivated by a desire to thwart President-elect Trump’s immigration agenda.”
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, who has been eyeing a potential run for state Attorney General in 2026, noted the District Court opinion, saying, “Conservative AGs matter.”
The court ruling followed a shocking report by The Daily Wire, which revealed that “Biden is racing to auction off unused border wall materials weeks before Trump takes office.” These materials were left over from the first Trump administration, when President Biden halted construction on the wall spanning parts of the southern border in various border states as one of his earliest actions in the White House in early 2021.
Trump said at the time, “The (Biden) administration is trying to sell it for five cents on the dollar – knowing that we’re getting ready to put it up.” Trump added that “what they’re doing is really an act – it’s almost a criminal act.”
Former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey responded to the news, saying, “Right here in AZ, Joe Biden is attempting a last-ditch effort to keep America’s borders open by selling off materials the Trump Admin will use to finish the wall. This decision from President Biden is reckless, will make Arizonans less safe, and should be reversed – immediately.”
Right here in AZ, @JoeBiden is attempting a last ditch effort to keep America’s borders open by selling off materials the Trump Admin will use to finish the wall. This decision from President Biden is reckless, will make Arizonans less safe, and should be reversed — immediately. https://t.co/GRmVAvvEGc
