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Lily Becker: (World) Refugee Day
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The Trump administration is facing renewed criticism for preventing tens of thousands of approved refugees from entering the United States while fast-tracking admissions for white South Africans.
Ahead of World Refugee Day on Saturday, the administration is considering bringing Afrikaner refugees to the White House, according to a U.S. official and an internal government email reviewed by Reuters.
The move comes as more than 120,000 refugees from multiple countries who have already been approved for resettlement remain unable to enter the U.S. under broad restrictions on admissions.
Earlier this year, Trump expanded refugee admissions for Afrikaners, increasing the cap from 7,500 to 17,500 in a presidential determination that cited an “unforeseen emergency refugee situation” and said, without providing evidence, that they faced “incitement of racially motivated violence” in South Africa.
The policy has also revived scrutiny of Trump’s past immigration comments, including a reported 2018 remark questioning why the U.S. accepted immigrants from “shithole countries” instead of nations such as Norway. Critics argue that the Afrikaner program reflects a similar preference for immigrants from white populations over refugees from other parts of the world.
Read Lily Becker’s analysis here.
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Will you watch the Obama presidential library opening?
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Former President Barack Obama’s presidential library officially opens at noon ET on Thursday, kicking off livestreamed Juneteenth festivities through the weekend that include concerts by Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, U2’s Bono and The Edge and John Legend, among others.
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Here are some more highlights of the president’s actions over the past seven days:
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- Named a former member of his criminal defense team as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, a key prosecutorial post
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The news can feel overwhelming. But each week, we pause to highlight a person, organization or movement sticking up for their principles. This week’s challengers are conservative critics of the Iran deal.
When the White House unveiled a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran that would pause hostilities, ease some sanctions and open the door to further nuclear negotiations, criticism came not just from Democrats, but also from prominent figures on the right. Among those in office, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost a primary to a Trump-endorsed opponent, delivered the sharpest rebuke, posting on X that “Reagan is rolling over in his grave” and arguing that the agreement was even worse than Obama’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Trump’s previous vice president, Mike Pence, said elements of the agreement “suggest to me that it does smack of the kind of appeasement” that he said Obama and former President Joe Biden engaged in with Iran. Another veteran of Trump’s first term, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, posted on X that Iran would use money against the U.S. “It’s a huge mistake to pay to rebuild the threat we just destroyed,” she wrote.
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On Tuesdays, you can expect to receive a special edition of the Project 47 newsletter dedicated to covering the biggest issues shaping key races in the midterm elections. If you would prefer to opt out of the special midterms edition of the newsletter, click here and you will automatically be removed.
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This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of America and to celebrate, we’ve got not just one, but two groups organizing activities: America250 and Freedom 250. The first is a bipartisan commission that was approved by Congress 10 years ago. The second was created by the White House last year and has added a focus of promoting the president. Over time, Freedom 250 has taken control of the festivities, and the administration has steered more of the $150 million approved by Congress to it. Additionally, donations of at least $1 million could get an invite to a private reception with the president. Already, several companies with government contracts, such as Lockheed Martin, Palantir and United Airlines, have reportedly donated. Upcoming Freedom 250 events include the Great American State Fair, kicking off on June 24; the July 4 “Salute to America”; and the first Indy car race in Washington on Aug. 22.
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Tomorrow, Michele Norris hosts a special behind-the-scenes look into the Obama Presidential Center, featuring exclusive interviews with the former president and first lady and members of their inner circle. Watch “Hope Comes Home: Inside The Obama Presidential Center” tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET.
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