New Poll: Guess Who the Majority of Voters Blame for Family Separation at the Border? The Results Are Surprising

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By Townhall. . .According to a new poll from Rasmussen Reports, the majority of voters are holding illegal aliens accountable for the current separation crisis, not Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement or President Trump (bolding is mine).

Most voters blame the parents of the separated children at the border for the latest illegal immigration crisis, not the federal government.

When families are arrested and separated after attempting to enter the United States illegally, 54% of Likely U.S. Voters say the parents are more to blame for breaking the law. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 35% believe the federal government.

To help understand the current political debate over the children issue, a closer look shows that 82% of Republicans and 56% of voters not affiliated with either major political party feel the parents are more to blame for breaking the law. But 60% of Democrats say the government is more to blame for enforcing the law.

. . .

In the meantime, Congress is working on a number of immigration bills in an attempt to fix the problem. The House is expected to take a vote Thursday, with moderate and conservative Republicans split on a number of illegal immigration issues. (Read more from “New Poll: Guess Who the Majority of Voters Blame for Family Separation at the Border?” HERE)

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House Republicans Cancel Immigration Votes in Embarrassing Setback

By Washington Times. Staring at a certain defeat, House Republicans canceled votes on their immigration compromise Thursday — an embarrassing setback for leaders who thought they had finally been able to wrangle some unanimity on an issue that has bedeviled them for years.

Lawmakers emerged from a closed-door evening meeting to say their new goal is a vote sometime next week, after they try to make tweaks to win over conservatives while keeping moderates on board.

The vote on the “moderate” compromise bill was postponed just hours after a more conservative bill failed in the House by a 231-193 vote. More than three dozen Republicans joined Democrats to kill the legislation.

Worried about a twin rejection on the same day, Republican leaders decided on a cooling-off period. (Read more from “House Republicans Cancel Immigration Votes in Embarrassing Setback” HERE)

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U.S. Military Pilots Hit by Mysterious Lasers

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American military personnel piloting aircraft over the Pacific Ocean have been targeted in a series of apparent attacks reminiscent of previous, more serious Chinese military operations.

According to The Wall Street Journal, nearly two dozen incidents in recent months share the same troubling details.

Lasers originating from the East China Sea and surrounding areas were aimed at the aircraft, according to multiple U.S. military sources. The first known incident was in September and the latest came in recent weeks.

Experts believe additional attacks likely occurred but went unreported by the pilots involved.

Though still a major security issue, officials say the lasers used did not appear to be military grade. Instead, they were believed to be the type of commercial laser pointer readily available in stores and online.

Based on the common civilian and military uses of the area, the U.S. has not confirmed if some or all of the attacks were coordinated by Chinese personnel. The lasers appeared to have been based on fishing vessels, some of which were based in China.

The recently announced laser threat comes after reports of similar tactics being used on a larger scale by Chinese military forces based in East Africa.

Earlier this year, four reported incidents in Djibouti included lasers being directed at American pilots.

In three of those cases, the lasers being used were believed to be military-grade devices. The fourth appeared to have been a commercial product.

The source of the three military-grade laser attacks was identified as an area of a Chinese military base built in recent years near an existing U.S. base. American troops stationed there work on sensitive technology and operations, including drones.

Two pilots reported a range of effects after a laser was pointed into their aircraft as they flew over Djibouti this spring.

Among their reported symptoms were dizziness and impaired vision. The U.S. pilots reported seeing “rings” in their field of vision after the incident.

Even commercially available laser pointers can have serious negative consequences, including temporarily blinding pilots, and can result in criminal charges against individuals misusing the products.

While American officials do not consider the latest incidents near the East China Sea to be high-level threats, they are concerning — especially in the wake of reports that China had engaged in a different type of sensory attack against Americans.

Business Insider cited a statement by China’s Defense Ministry, which said it had “already refuted the untrue criticisms via official channels.”

Earlier this month, the U.S. government issued a warning to Americans living in China amid a spike in unexplained medical symptoms.

The U.S. Department of State confirmed “a number of individuals” were flown out of China and back to the U.S. for treatment after experiencing the mystery illness.

“Medical professionals will continue to conduct full evaluations to determine the cause of the reported symptoms and whether the findings are consistent with those noted in previously affected government personnel or possibly completely unrelated,” said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert at the time. (For more from the author of “U.S. Military Pilots Hit by Mysterious Lasers” please click HERE)

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Yes, They ARE Animals: MS-13 Gang Members Charged With Kidnap, Murder of Two Teens

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Eleven MS-13 gang members have been charged with the kidnapping and murder of two teenage boys from Virginia, announced the Department of Justice on Friday. All the gang members who have been charged are in their 20s and originally from El Salvador, though it’s unclear if they are legally or illegally in the United States. . .

In a statement to Townhall, U.S. Attorney’s Office Director of Communications for the Eastern District of Virginia Joshua Stueve said, “While we note in the press release that all of the defendants are from El Salvador, we did not include any information as to their immigration status.” . . .

The indictment revealed that four gang members conspired to lure Mendez to a park in Fairfax Country to murder him in August 2016. The 17-year-old was allegedly in a rival gang. “After killing him and to conceal evidence linking them to the juvenile’s disappearance and murder, these four defendants and their co-conspirators buried the juvenile’s remains,” reports ABC 13 WSET News.

Additionally, in September 2016, nine gang members lured Triminio to the same Fairfax County park to be murdered. MS-13 suspected the 14-year-old was cooperating with law enforcement. Triminio’s remains were buried, too. (Read more from “Yes, They are Animals: MS-13 Gang Members Charged With Kidnap, Murder of Two Teens” HERE)

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Islamic Radical Suspected of Killing Eight in New York Praises Allah and Defends ISIS

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Sayfullo Saipov, an Islamic radical charged with killing eight in Manhattan in October of 2017, interrupted a judge in court Friday to invoke Allah and defend the Islamic State.

Saipov, who hails from Uzbekistan and whose name translates to “Sword of Allah,” is accused of using a rental truck on October 31, 2017, to mow down 8 people on a bike path near the World Trade Center and seriously injure dozens more. He requested permission to speak in court Friday directly after U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick set the date of Saipov’s trial for October 7, 2019.

Saipov, speaking through a translator, then ranted for 10 minutes about his sole devotion to Allah and to the jihad ISIS is waging. Broderick interrupted Saipov to read him his rights and to warn him that whatever he said could be used against him in court. Saipov was reportedly unfazed.

“I understand you, but I’m not worried about that at all,” Saipov continued through his translator, according to the Associated Press. “So the Islamic State is not fighting for land, like some say, or like some say, for oil. They have one purpose, and they’re fighting to impose Sharia on earth.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Beaty objected to Saipov’s speech on the grounds that it was “terrorist propaganda,” and that Saipov would normally be restricted from engaging in such speech in jail. Broderick, however, allowed him to continue, saying that he believed Saipov was coming to the end of his remarks. (Read more from “Islamic Radical Suspected of Killing Eight in New York Praises Allah and Defends ISIS” HERE)

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James Woods Eviscerates Obama Legacy, Posts His Own Version of Time Cover

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By Conservative Tribune. The liberal media has declared all-out war on President Donald Trump, evidenced by their incessant and self-righteously indignant negative coverage of virtually everything he says and does.

The latest outrage du jour for the virtue-signaling liberal media is the “zero tolerance” border policy — based on court precedent set in 1997 and clarified in 2016 — that results in illegal immigrant families being temporarily separated when detained and processed following illegal entry into the country.

That policy from the administration has been likened to the vile and despicable acts of the Nazis, and the media has gleefully perpetuated the notion that Trump and his administration have taken delight from splitting up families and throwing children in “concentration camps.”

Along those lines comes the latest magazine cover from TIME — who have a history of slamming Trump on their covers — which juxtaposes a smugly smiling Trump looking down on a sobbing illegal immigrant girl who’d been detained with her mother at the border.

There’s just one big problem with TIME’s cover and accompanying piece — the separation of illegal immigrant families at the border didn’t start with the Trump administration, but occurred under the past few administrations as well, including that of former President Barack Obama.

(Read more from “James Woods Eviscerates Obama Legacy, Posts His Own Version of Time Cover” HERE)

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Crying Toddler on Widely Shared ‘Time’ Cover Was Not Separated From Mother

By NPR. In the image, a little girl wails in uncomprehending sadness and anxiety.

Her face flushed nearly as pink as her shirt and shoes, she stares up at her mother and a U.S. official, both too tall to be seen. The 2-year-old Honduran child’s panic is so palpable, it’s difficult for a viewer not to feel it, too. . .

There’s a complication, though: The little girl was not ultimately separated from her mother, according to her father. The man, whom Reuters identified as Denis Valera, has told multiple media outlets that mother and daughter were detained together while seeking asylum in Texas. (Read more from “Crying Toddler on Widely Shared ‘Time’ Cover Was Not Separated From Mother” HERE)

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Gender-Neutral Passports REJECTED

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The UK High Court has rejected a bid to introduce gender-neutral passports. The litigant had suggested that asking passport holders to specify their gender is “inherently discriminatory.”

Christie Elan-Cane, who has been campaigning with the backing of Human Rights Watch for so-called “gender-X” passports since 1995, said: “I am bitterly disappointed that my case for the judicial review of the UK government’s discriminatory passport policy was not upheld – not just for myself but for everyone who is compromised by this policy. . .

Justice Baker rejected claims that the current policy, which requires putting ‘male’ or ‘female’ on passports, is in breach of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). . .

Elan-Cane’s lawyer argued in the High Court last April that the policy breached two fundamental rights: the respect for a private life and the right to not be discriminated against on the basis of gender and sex.

LGBT charity Stonewall also expressed disappointment at the High Court’s dismissal, saying: “Many trans people are afraid to travel abroad for fear of intrusive questioning or difficulties at passport control. (Read more from “Gender-Neutral Passports Rejected” HERE)

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Dad Whose Child Was Killed by Illegal Alien Has Message for Media Empathy Towards Illegal Immigration

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By The Daily Caller. President Trump hosted Angel families at the White House Friday afternoon so they could tell their stories. An Angel parent is a parent of a child who was killed by an illegal alien.

No media in the room was ready for what father Steve Ronnebeck had to say. Ronnebeck lost his 21-year-old son Grant Ronnebeck to an illegal alien who shot him for a pack of cigarettes. . .

“Grant did everything he was supposed to do,” Ronnebeck said, “Gave him the cigarettes. The man went ahead and executed him and shot him point-blank in the face.”

Then Ronnebeck directly called out the media, asking why they don’t tell his story. “You don’t hear these stories, and some of our media won’t talk to you about it,” Ronnebeck said, “This is permanent separation. For his birthday, I go to his grave. … We set up a Christmas tree on Grant’s grave.”

Ronnebeck was not done with the media. “I wish some of our media had the same integrity as our president, our vice president, Director [of ICE] Homan, all of you in law enforcement,” Ronnebeck said, “I wish some of our media had the same integrity. I want to thank all of you, especially our law enforcement for what you do. Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, thank you.” (Read more from “Dad Whose Child Was Killed by Illegal Alien Has Message for Media Empathy Towards Illegal Immigration” HERE)

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Trump Hosts ‘Angel Families’ to Highlight Crime by Illegal Aliens

By Washington Times. President Trump highlighted “American victims of illegal immigration” Friday, hosting families of people killed by illegal immigrants to tell their stories and hitting back at critics of his rescinded policy that separated illegal child migrants from their parents.

“These are the American citizens permanently separated from their loved ones,” Mr. Trump said at the White House. “These are the families the media ignores. These are the stories that Democrats and people that are weak on immigration don’t want to discuss.”

He was surrounded on a stage by so-called “Angel” families who lost loved ones to violence by illegal immigrants. Many of the parents held large photographs of their dead children.

Referring to the furor over separating child migrants from their parents, Mr. Trump emphasized repeatedly that the families gathered with him had lost their loved ones forever.

“They’re not separated for a day, or two days,” the president said. “They’re permanently separated, because they were killed by criminal illegal aliens.” (Read more from “Trump Hosts ‘Angel Families’ to Highlight Crime by Illegal Aliens” HERE)

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Washington Post Hides Correction After Embarrassing Error on Time Cover Story

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The Washington Post stealth-edited an article incorrectly claiming the young child on the cover of Time Magazine was separated from her mother, only adding a “clarification” after The Daily Caller reached out for comment.

The original article — written by Eli Rosenberg — asserted that the image of the crying immigrant girl staring up at President Donald Trump was a powerful statement about family separations on the border. . .

The article itself repeated the now-debunked claim that the child was taken away from her mother, reading, “Time magazine ran a cover that used one of the images that has been most resonant in this past week, taken of a young girl crying as her mother was patted down by a Border Patrol agent before the two were separated.” [Emphasis added] . . .

As the father of the young girl, border patrol agents and eventually Time indicated, at no point were the mother and daughter ever separated. The child was briefly set down for the mother’s pat-down, but the pair were quickly reunited after the search.

The Washington Post edited Rosenberg’s article to fix the error, but they issued no editor’s note, correction, or clarification that anything had been changed despite the fact that the original article was on the website for at least 12 hours. (Read more from “Washington Post Hides Correction After Embarrassing Error on Time Cover Story” HERE)

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This Lesbian Actress-Turned Politician Claims ICE Is a ‘Terrorist Group’

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Cynthia Nixon, an actress turned gubernatorial challenger for New York governor, called the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency a “terrorist organization” and wants it abolished, according to published reports. . .

Nixon, a Democrat, made the comment Thursday at St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church on the Upper West Side in New York City. She was there to support undocumented Guatemalan immigrant Debora Vasquez-Barrios, a mother of two who sought sanctuary at the church in early June after ICE told her that she is facing deportation.

“ICE has strayed so far from its mission,” said Nixon, who previously starred on “Sex in the City.” “It’s supposed to be here to keep Americans safe but what it’s turned into is frankly a terrorist organization of its own. It’s terrorizing people who are coming to this country.” . . .

“I think we need to abolish ICE,” Nixon said earlier in the day on “The View.” “That seems really clear. They have strayed so far from the interests of the American people and the interests of humanity.”

The 52-year-old actress is challenging Gov. Andrew Cuumo for the Democratic nomination for governor. Last week, a Siena College poll showed her behind Cumo, 61 to 26 percent. The primary is set for Sept. 13. (Read more from “This Lesbian Actress-Turned Politician Claims ICE Is a ‘Terrorist Group'” HERE)

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Left-Wing Magazine Fact-Checker Falsely Implies Vet Is a Nazi – Check What Just Happened to Her ‘Career’

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Talia Lavin, whose tweet about a Pasco veteran’s tattoo implied he was a Nazi, has apologized to him and resigned from her position as a fact-checker at the New Yorker magazine.

But in another tweet, Thursday evening, Lavin also lashed out at the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, saying it unfairly targeted her in its own tweet about combat-wounded veteran Justin Gaertner.

“This has been a wild and difficult week,” Lavin said in the tweet. “I owe ICE agent Justin Gaertner a sincere apology for spreading an rumor about his tattoo. However, I do not think it is acceptable for a federal agency to target a private citizen for a good faith, hastily rectified error.” . . .

Lavin, 28, of Brooklyn, said she was unfairly targeted by ICE because her former publication has been critical of the agency, caught up debate over the Trump administration’s policy of separating children from families illegally entering the United States — a policy enforced by ICE.

“I wasn’t the genesis of this rumor; there are tweets still up with tens of thousands of likes explicitly calling the tattoo ‘Nazi,’” Lavin said in a message to the Tampa Bay Times. “My own tweet was responsive to extant scrutiny, and I deleted it and issued a correction within 15 minutes, long before ICE could have been aware of it. I was targeted because I was part of a news organization critical of ICE.” (Read more from “Left-Wing Magazine Fact-Checker Falsely Implies Vet Is a Nazi – Check What Just Happened to Her ‘Career'” HERE)

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