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U.S. Supreme Court to hear argument on Biden immigration enforcement policy

U.S. Supreme Court to hear argument on Biden immigration enforcement policy
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday is set to consider whether President Joe Biden’s administration can implement guidelines challenged by two conservative-leaning states of shifting immigration enforcement toward public safety threats.
This the court said in a case testing executive branch power to set enforcement priorities.
The justices will hear the administration’s bid to overturn a judge’s ruling in favor of Texas and Louisiana that vacated U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) guidelines narrowing the scope of those who can be targeted by immigration agents for arrest and deportation.
The Democratic president’s policy departed from the hard-line approach of his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who sought to broaden the range of immigrants subject to arrest and removal.
Biden campaigned on a more humane approach to immigration but has been faced with large numbers of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
The guidelines, announced by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in September 2021, prioritised apprehending and deporting non-U.S. citizens who pose a threat to national security, public safety or border security.
In a memo, Mayorkas called the guidelines necessary because his department lacks the resources to apprehend and seek the removal of every one of the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.
Mayorkas cited the longstanding practice of government officials exercising discretion to decide who should be subject to deportation and said that a majority of immigrants subject to deportation “have been contributing members of our communities for years.’’
Biden’s administration, saying fewer detentions and deportations have encouraged more illegal border crossings.
The top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, earlier called on Mayorkas to step down and said the House may try to impeach him when Republicans formally take control of the chamber in January.
Republican state attorneys general in Texas and Louisiana sued to block the guidelines after Republican-led legal challenges successfully thwarted other Biden administration attempts to ease enforcement.
Their lawsuit, filed in Texas, argued that the guidelines ran counter to provisions in immigration laws that makes it mandatory to detain non-U.S. citizens who have been convicted of certain crimes or have final orders of removal.
U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton, a Trump appointee, ruled in favor of the challengers, finding that while immigration agents could on a case-by-case basis act with discretion the administration’s guidelines were a generalised policy that contravened the detention mandate set out by Congress.
“Whatever the outer limits of its authority, the executive branch does not have the authority to change the law,’’ Tipton wrote.
After the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in July declined to put that ruling on hold, Biden’s administration turned to the Supreme Court.
The justices on a 5-4 vote declined to stay Tipton’s ruling, with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in dissent. The justices did not provide reasons for their disagreement.
Biden’s administration has told the Supreme Court that Texas and Louisiana lack the proper legal standing to challenge the guidelines because the states had not suffered any direct harm as a result of the policy.
The states countered that they would be harmed by having to spend more money on law enforcement and social services as a result of an increase in non-U.S. citizens present within their borders due to the guidelines.
The administration also told the justices that the guidelines do not violate federal immigration law and that the mandatory language of those statutes does not supersede the longstanding principle of law enforcement discretion.
A decision is expected by the end of June.
News
Bandits ambush C-Watch operatives in Katsina, kill 8, burn patrol vehicles

Bandits ambush C-Watch operatives in Katsina, kill 8, burn patrol vehicles
By: Zagazola Makama
Suspected bandits have ambushed operatives of the C-Watch security outfit in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing eight persons and setting two patrol vehicles ablaze.
The incident happened late Friday night when gunmen invaded a village near Dandume around midnight.

Residents said C-Watch operatives responded to a distress call and rescued eight villagers who had earlier sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.
However, on their way back, the operatives reportedly ran into an ambush by the bandits, who opened fire on them, killing the rescued victims and burning two patrol vehicles belonging to the security outfit.
Bandits ambush C-Watch operatives in Katsina, kill 8, burn patrol vehicles
News
Troops barbecued scores of bandits in Kankara, Katsina

Troops barbecued scores of bandits in Kankara, Katsina
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have eliminated scores bandits in ongoing clearance operations in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Zagazola learnt that the operations, which began on Friday, targeted multiple bandit hideouts in the area.
The sources said the troops, supported by other security components, engaged the criminals in sustained firepower, leading to the neutralisation of an undisclosed number of them.
“The operations are still ongoing, with troops pursuing fleeing bandits into the forest corridors,” one of the sources said.
Military authorities are yet to issue an official statement as at press time.
Troops barbecued scores of bandits in Kankara, Katsina
News
Zulum Visits Families of 63 Borno Residents Killed by Boko Haram

Zulum Visits Families of 63 Borno Residents Killed by Boko Haram
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has visited Darajamal, a community in Bama, to condole with families of the 63 people killed by Boko Haram insurgents on Friday night.
The victims comprise 5 soldiers and about 58 civilians that were earlier displaced by the insurgents but have been resettled in Darajamal for two months now.
Zulum, visibly moved by the incident, met with community leaders and consoled the bereaved families. He expressed grief and condemned the brutal attack in the strongest terms.

Speaking to newsmen, the governor said, “We are here to commiserate with the people of Darajamal over what happened last night that has claimed the lives of many people. It is very sad. This community was settled a few months ago and they go about their normal activities, but unfortunately, they experienced Boko Haram attack last night. Our visit is to commiserate with them and build their resilience.”
On the casualties, the Governor said, “at this moment we have confirmed that 63 people lost their lives, both civilians and military, although the civilian casualties are more. Close to about 60 civilians and 5 soldiers lost their lives.”

Governor Zulum, while noting the challenges faced in the fight against insecurity, also called for the immediate deployment of the newly trained Forest Guards to complement the military in safeguarding vulnerable communities.
He said, “We have to take note that the numerical strength of the military is not enough to cover everywhere, so far so good, two sets of Forest Guards have been trained, therefore one of the solutions that we need to implement immediately is to deploy the trained Forest Guards to most of the locations that are vulnerable, they will protect the forest and communities.”
Also, the Senator representing Borno Central, Kaka Shehu Lawan, whose constituency Darajamal falls under, has condemned the attack, describing it as a crime against humanity.
He expressed his commitment to supporting Governor Babagana Umara Zulum through legislative backing to restore peace in Borno State.
Zulum Visits Families of 63 Borno Residents Killed by Boko Haram
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