Biden pledges to ‘undo moral shame’ of Trump era with new orders on immigration – live

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President Joe Biden signs an executive order on immigration in the Oval Office.




President Joe Biden signs an executive order on immigration in the Oval Office.
Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP






Prior to signing the immigration orders, Joe Biden addressed the deaths of two FBI agents who were killed while carrying out a search warrant in Florida.

“They put their lives on the line and that’s a hell of a price to pay,” he said.

Three other agents were wounded while they tried to search the apartment of a suspect in a case involving crimes against children.

Here’s more on that story:





Biden signs executive orders on immigration

“We’re going to undo the moral and national shame of the previous administration that literally, not figuratively, ripped children from the arms of their families, their mothers, and fathers, at the border, and with no plan – none whatsoever – to reunify,” Biden said.

His first order reestablished a task force with the goal of reuniting families.

The order is meant “to remove the stain on the reputation” of the US caused by Trump’s family separation policy,” Biden said, as he signed the document.

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Joe Biden signs executive orders on immigration

Flanked by Kamala Harris and Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden signed executive orders on immigration.

“I’m not making new law, I’m eliminating bad policy,” Biden said. “The last president issued executive orders I thought were counterproductive to our security, counterproductive to who we were as a country, especially in the area of immigration.”





Elizabeth Warren will join Senate finance committee

Elizabeth Warren, the progressive Massachusetts senator who has championed tax increases for the ultra-wealthy, will be joining the powerful Senate finance committee, where she will be able to exert greater influence on tax, trade, and healthcare policy.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate leader, confirmed Warren’s appointment on Tuesday afternoon.

Warren, who ran against Biden in the Democratic presidential primaries, supports a Medicare-for-All healthcare program and a wealth tax, neither of which Joe Biden has endorsed. But Biden has indicated he’d support increasing taxes on the wealthy, and expanding healthcare access – and the administration will be working with Warren and fellow progressive senator Bernie Sanders (who heads the budget committee) on tax and health policy as it endeavors to lead Americans out of the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout.

Chuck Schumer
(@SenSchumer)

I am so proud to add @SenWarren to the Senate Committee on Finance.

She will be a vital voice for Americans, for people across this country.

February 2, 2021

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A preview of Biden’s immigration actions:

Amanda Holpuch

Joe Biden is set to create a taskforce to reunify families separated at the US-Mexico border by the Trump administration, as part of a new series of immigration executive actions.

The two other orders to be announced on Tuesday call for a review of the changes the Trump administration made to reshape US immigration, and for programs to address the forces driving people north, senior Biden administration officials said

A briefing document said Biden’s immigration plans are “centered on the basic premise that our country is safer, stronger, and more prosperous with a fair, safe and orderly immigration system that welcomes immigrants, keeps families together, and allows people – both newly arrived immigrants and people who have lived here for generations – to more fully contribute to our country”.

A central piece of the Tuesday actions is the family reunification taskforce, which is charged with identifying and enabling the reunification of all children separated from their families by the Trump administration.

‘We tortured families’: The lingering damage of Trump’s separation policyRead more

The government first made the separations public with an April 2018 memo, but about a thousand families were separated in secret in the months prior. Administration officials said children in both groups would be included in the reunification process.

Biden officials said they could not say how many children had to be reunified because the policy was implemented without a method for tracking the separated families. In an ongoing court case, a reunification committee said in December that the parents of 628 children had not been located.

The taskforce will consist of government officials and be led by Biden’s nominee for secretary of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, who is set to be confirmed on Tuesday.

A senior administration official said the family separation policy was a “moral failure and national shame” and that reversing the policies which made it possible was a priority.

The second action on Tuesday is intended to address the driving forces of migration from Central and South America. Senior administration officials said this includes working with governments and not-for-profits to increase other countries’ capacities to host migrants and ensuring Central American refugees and asylum seekers have legal pathways to enter the US.

It also directs the homeland security secretary to review the migrant protection protocols (MPP), better known as Remain in Mexico, which require asylum seekers to await their court hearings in Mexican border towns instead of in the US, as before.

The Biden administration also plans to use this action to bring back some Obama-era policies, such as the Central American Minors (CAM) program, which allowed some minors to apply for refugee status from their home countries.

The Trump administration made more than 400 changes to reshape immigration, according to the Migration Policy Institute, and Biden’s third action includes a review of some of these recent efforts to restrict legal immigration.

This includes a review of the public charge rule, which the Trump administration expanded to allow the federal government to deny green cards and visas to immigrants if they used public benefits. Though the rule was suspended repeatedly because of lawsuits, its initial introduction created a chilling effect in immigrant communities, with families dis-enrolling from aid programs out of concerns about its effect on they and their family’s immigration status.

Read more:





Today so far

That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • Joe Biden will soon sign a series of executive orders aimed at unraveling Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. One of the orders will establish a task force to reunite migrant families who were separated as a result of Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy.
  • Trump’s defense team and the House impeachment managers filed briefs ahead of next week’s Senate trial. While the impeachment managers argued Trump must be convicted because he posed a threat to the foundation of American democracy, the former president’s team falsely claimed that he did not incite the violent insurrection at the US Capitol last month. On January 6, Trump repeated his lies about election fraud and explicitly told his supporters to march to the Capitol as Congress certified Biden’s victory in the presidential race.
  • The Senate advanced a budget resolution, paving the way to pass coronavirus relief without Republican support. In a 50-49 vote, the Senate approved the motion to debate the budget resolution. The vote puts Democrats on track to pass Biden’s relief package using reconciliation, meaning they would only need 51 votes to get the bill through the Senate.
  • Two more members of Biden’s cabinet were confirmed. The Senate confirmed Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary and Alejandro Mayorkas as secretary of homeland security. Buttigieg is the first openly gay cabinet secretary to be confirmed by the Senate, and Mayorkas is the first Latino and first immigrant to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
  • The Biden administration will start shipping vaccines directly to US pharmacies. The new program will launch in a limited capacity next week, and the White House promised it would expand vaccine access in neighborhoods across the country.

Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Updated





Ewan Murray

On the eve of a parliamentary vote on whether an investigation should be ordered into the financing of Donald Trump’s Scottish golf resorts, the former US president’s son has castigated politicians for “advancing their personal agendas”.

Eric Trump issued the bulletin as the Scottish parliament prepares to host a debate called by Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens. The Trump Organiszation’s executive vice-president also has now branded described Harvie as a “national embarrassment.”

Harvie is urging the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, to seek an unexplained wealth order (UWO) in relation to Trump International, a course in Aberdeenshire, and the famous Turnberry resort in Ayrshire. If granted via courts, a UWO compels businesses or individuals to detail the background to source of their wealth.

“The Scottish government has tried to avoid the question of investigating Donald Trump’s wealth for far too long,” Harvie told The Scotsman. “There are serious concerns about how he financed the cash purchases of his Scottish golf courses, but no investigation has ever taken place. That’s why I’m bringing this vote to parliament. The government must seek an unexplained wealth order to shine a light on Trump’s shadowy dealings.”

On Tuesday, Eric Trump hit back. “Patrick Harvie is nothing more than a national embarrassment with his pathetic antics that only serve himself and his political agenda,” he said. “If Harvie and the rest of the Scottish government continue to treat overseas investors like this, it will deter future investors from conducting business in Scotland, ultimately crushing their economy, tourism and hospitality industries.”

Harvie is actually an opposition member of the Scottish parliament, with the Greens holding just five seats.

US prosecutors are investigating the Trump Organization’s finances and Trump’s tax liabilities, with significant loans to Trump by Deutsche Bank worth about $340m (£249m) that become repayable in 2023 and 2024 attracting attention.

The Trump Organization has always been adamant that irs Scottish golf courses were bought without any external financing. However, the New York Times reported that in 2016, during the presidential campaign, Trump sought a further loan from Deutsche Bank to fund his refurbishment of Turnberry, using his Doral resort in Miami as collateral.





Senator Bernie Sanders, the incoming chairman of the Senate budget committee, outlined the need for more coronavirus relief in a floor speech after the budget resolution advanced.

The Vermont senator described the $600 stimulus checks passed as part of the December package as a “good start” but not enough to address American families’ financial suffering amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief package would provide $1,400 checks to most Americans.

Sanders also lamented the “childcare crisis in America”, as many US children remain out of school due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus. The senator argued the relief package would help to ease the suffering of many families with young children.

Updated





Budget resolution advances, paving the way for coronavirus relief

The Senate has advanced Democrats’ budget resolution, paving the way to pass Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief package using reconciliation.

The final vote on the motion to proceed to debating the resolution was 50-49. Because one Republican senator, Pat Toomey, was absent, Kamala Harris did not need to break the tie.

Senate Cloakroom
(@SenateCloakroom)

Agreed to, 50-49: Motion to proceed to S.Con.Res.5, Sanders Budget Resolution.

February 2, 2021

The vote means the Senate will now kick off 50 hours of debate on the budget resolution before the chamber starts to take up amendments to the proposal.

With reconciliation in place, Democrats can pass Biden’s relief package with only 51 votes, meaning they do not strictly need any Republicans to support the legislation.





The Senate is now voting on whether to move forward with Democrats’ budget resolution.

Senate Cloakroom
(@SenateCloakroom)

NOW VOTING: Motion to proceed to S.Con.Res.5, Sanders Budget Resolution.

February 2, 2021

If the resolution is approved, it would pave the way for Democrats to pass Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief package using reconciliation.

Reconciliation would lower the number of Senate votes needed to pass the package from 60 to 51, meaning Democrats could advance the package without any Republican support.

Updated





Alejandro Mayorkas’ confirmation means the Department of Homeland Security will have a Senate-confirmed leader for the first time in nearly two years.

The department has been run by acting DHS secretaries since April 2019, when Kirstjen Nielsen left the job.

Chad Wold, the former acting DHS secretary under Donald Trump, was nominated for the role, but he was never confirmed by the Senate.

Updated





Mayorkas confirmed to lead DHS

Joanna Walters

A majority of the US Senate has voted today to confirm Alejandro Mayorkas to head the Department of Homeland Security, meaning he will become the first Latino and immigrant to hold the position.

The latest move, coming on the back of Pete Buttigieg’s confirmation as transportation secretary earlier today, further crystalizes Joe Biden’s cabinet.

Eliza Talmadge
(@eliza_talmadge)

Alejandro Mayorkas will be confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security.

February 2, 2021

The vote was the closest yet for Mayorkas, in cabinet confirmations.

Eliza Talmadge
(@eliza_talmadge)

Mayorkas confirmation is the tightest so far. Final vote 57-42.

February 2, 2021

NPNA, the National Partnership for New Americans, which represents the nation’s largest immigrant coalitions, put out a celebratory tweet.

NPNA
(@npnewamericans)

BREAKING: Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed as @DHSgov Secretary after securing enough votes, making history as the first Latino, first immigrant in this role, and first child of Holocaust survivor refugees to serve in this role. pic.twitter.com/1QhrGApWcf

February 2, 2021

Updated





Joanna Walters

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and fellow leading state officials are demanding that four lawyers who sought to invalidate the state’s presidential election results in court be disbarred.

Gretchen Whitmer.

 Gretchen Whitmer. Photograph: AP

The state’s three top office-holders, Whitmer, the state’s attorney general, Dana Nessel, and secretary of state Jocelyn Benson earlier today called for the disbarment of Greg Rohl, Scott Hagerstrom and Stefanie Junttila, all from Michigan. They also urged the disbarment of Sidney Powell, a pro-Trump lawyer based in Texas who promoted bogus election fraud claims.

The three Democratic leaders in the state, Whitmer, Nessel and Benson, are all lawyers, too.

The story was first reported by The Detroit News. The report goes on to say:


Nessel said the attorneys were involved in a suit “based on falsehoods, used their law license in an attempt to disenfranchise Michigan voters and undermine the faith of the public in the legitimacy of the recent presidential election, and lent credence to untruths that led to violence and unrest.”

“The 2020 general election was the most secure in our nation’s history, and these lawyers abused their authority by filing meritless, frivolous lawsuits for the sole purpose of undermining public faith in the election,” Benson said in a press release. “They must be held accountable for this unprecedented attack on our democracy and prevented from replicating such harm in the future.”

Rohl, Hagerstrom, Junttila and Powell were involved in the King v. Whitmer lawsuit, which asked federal courts to overturn President Joe Biden’s win in Michigan based on a bevy of conspiracy theories and claims contradicted by election experts.

Biden, a Democrat, won Michigan by 154,000 votes, but supporters of Republican Donald Trump sought to question the result based on unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.

Nationally, Powell is the most well known of the four attorneys. She was involved in failed election challenges in multiple swing states. She once described her legal effort as releasing the “kraken.”

On Dec. 7, Detroit U.S. District Court Judge Linda Parker of Michigan’s Eastern District rejected the Michigan lawsuit, saying the effort aimed to “ignore the will of millions of voters.”

The suit seemed “less about achieving the relief” the GOP plaintiffs sought and “more about the impact of their allegations on people’s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government,” the judge wrote.

Junttila declined to comment on the suggestion that she be disbarred.

The City of Detroit and Nessel have already sought legal sanctions against the attorneys in the Eastern District of Michigan.





Today so far

The White House briefing has now concluded. Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • Donald Trump’s defense team and the House impeachment managers filed briefs ahead of next week’s Senate trial. While the impeachment managers argued Trump must be convicted because he posed a threat to the foundation of American democracy, the former president’s team falsely claimed that he did not incite the violent insurrection at the US Capitol last month. On January 6, Trump repeated his lies about election fraud and explicitly told his supporters to march to the Capitol as Congress certified Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential race.
  • The Biden administration will soon start shipping vaccines directly to US pharmacies. The program will launch in a limited capacity next week, and the White House promised it would expand vaccine access in neighborhoods across the country.
  • Biden will sign a series of executive orders aimed at unraveling Trump’s immigration agenda later today. One of the orders will establish a task force to reunite migrant families who were separated as a result of Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy.

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.





A White House reporter noted that Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer has come out to say he had a good lunch with Joe Biden. Schumer said Biden told Republican senators yesterday that their proposed relief package was too small.

Asked whether that was an accurate summary of yesterday’s meeting, Jen Psaki confirmed that Biden told Republicans the relief package needed to be larger.

“Our risk is not having a package that’s too big. It’s having a package that’s too small,” Psaki said.

The press secretary said moments earlier that the Biden administration is still aiming for a $1.9tn package, as the president previously proposed.

Updated





Jen Psaki was pushed on whether Joe Biden was willing to drop his calls for the relief package to include a $15 minimum wage, after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin indicated he was against that proposal.

The White House press secretary said she didn’t want to set any red lines for the relief negotiations.

Asked whether she believed Biden’s proposed package fit Manchin’s request for “targeted” relief, Psaki replied, “The size of the package was determined not for shock value but to address the dual crises that we’re facing.”

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