POLITICS NEWS
Showing 12 articles
AP
College Athletic Pay Reform: Nick Saban Testifies and Bill Sees Conference Pushback","description":"Former Alabama coach Nick Saban joins advocates in pushing a bipartisan bill to regulate athlete payments, while major conferences voice concerns.","summary":"A bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell seeks to tame the rapid rise in college athlete earnings by capping transfers and limiting coaching moves mid‑season. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban testified in support, but the SEC and Big Ten resist, arguing the legislation would leave key issues unresolved. The bill may reshape college sports governance amid a broader conversation about fairness and financial sustainability.\n","image":"https://example.com/placeholder.jpg","text":"<p style=\"margin:0 0 1em 0;\">WASHINGTON. A former Alabama football coach, Nick Saban, joined other college sports leaders on Wednesday to support a bipartisan proposal designed to regulate how student‑athletes earn money and how frequently they can move between schools. The briefing, hosted by the Senate Commerce Committee, followed the last week’s unveiling of the legislation by Sen. Ted Cruz (R‑TX) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D‑WA).</p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 1em 0;\">The bill intends to limit payments to athletes, allow only a single “free” transfer during their collegiate career, and establish a “Lane Kiffin Rule” that restricts coaches from leaving programs during a season. Cruz called the measure “the last, best hope we have to save college sports.”</p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 1em 0;\">Saban opened the hearing with a vivid illustration: <em>\"If you had the biggest, baddest Ferrari you could ever have and it was going 150 miles an hour toward the Grand Canyon, somebody needs to tap the brakes,\"</em> he said. “And I think that’s what we all need to do here.”</p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 1em 0;\">Witnesses also included Notre Dame’s athletic director and the commissioner of the PAC‑12 conference. A notable absence was any representative from the Southeast Conference, the power house where Saban secured seven national titles with Alabama and LSU.</p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 1em 0;\">The SEC and the Big Ten, two of the most influential conferences in college sports, argue the legislation leaves “critical issues unresolved.” They assert that the bill could “rearrange the deck chairs of those conferences, steal the eyeball schools, and then basically leave everybody with everything else.”</p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 1em 0;\">Cantwell emphasized that the purpose behind the law is to restore true competition: “Success should be determined by how universities build a team, and not because they have a billionaire in their back pocket.”</p>\n
AP
Same‑Sex Marriage Acceptance Stalls, Gallup Finds","description":"A new Gallup poll shows U.S. support for same‑sex marriage has plateaued, with Republicans pulling back and moral acceptance of gay relationships slightly falling.","summary":"The latest Gallup poll reveals that 65% of American adults now support legal same‑sex marriage—down from 71% in 2022‑23—mainly due to a sharp decline in Republican endorsement. While Democrats and independents remain largely supportive, overall moral acceptance of LGBTQ+ relationships has slipped. The data also notes a slight reduction in acceptance of transgender identities, reflecting a broader tightening of attitudes toward LGBTQ+ issues amid ongoing state‑level legislative moves and federal policy challenges.","image":"https://assets.apnews.com/61/8d/e731fea7e7aa22d9c1c9bd4ebac8/cb40f45ed27b4fbe88e1e2ce9952995a","text":"<p>Acceptance of same‑sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.</p>\n<p>About 65% of U.S. adults believe same‑sex marriage should be legal, down slightly from 71% in 2022 and 2023.</p>\n<p>Most of the change is due to dropping acceptance among Republicans. In the new survey, conducted in May, only 37% of Republicans say same‑sex marriage should be legally valid, while 35% say gay and lesbian relations are “morally acceptable.”</p>\n<div style=\"text-align:center;margin:20px 0;\">\n <iframe title=\"Republican support for gay marriage has declined\" src=\"https://interactives.ap.org/embeds/mE8IU/2/\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"400\" style=\"border:none;\"></iframe>\n</div>\n<p>The views of Democrats and independents are largely stable in the findings released Wednesday, with most saying same‑sex marriage should be legal and that gay or lesbian relations are moral.</p>\n<p>The widening partisan divide is also reflected in policy around LGBTQ+ issues across the U.S., particularly regarding transgender people, and a rising push in some states to ban same‑sex marriage.</p>\n<h2>Recent Shifts Have Been Subtle and Partisan</h2>\n<p>The downtick in support for same‑sex marriage, while slight, is still striking because of how dramatically American views on the issue have shifted over the past few decades.</p>\n<p>According to Gallup’s trend data, only 27% of U.S. adults supported legal same‑sex marriage in 1996. Since then, support rose steadily until a few years ago, when it peaked with around 7 in 10 U.S. adults saying same‑sex marriage should be legal.</p>\n<p>Opinion about the morality of same‑sex relationships followed the same pattern. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults said same‑sex relations were morally acceptable in 2001. That increased nearly 30 percentage points over the next two decades.</p>\n<p>Over the past few years, Gallup’s data has shown signs of a shift in the other direction. In addition to the slight decline on same‑sex marriage, the new poll also found that 62% of U.S. adults view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, down from 71% in 2022.</p>\n<div style=\"text-align:center;margin:20px 0;\">\n <img src=\"https://assets.apnews.com/61/8d/e731fea7e7aa22d9c1c9bd4ebac8/cb40f45ed27b4fbe88e1e2ce9952995a\" alt=\"A protester dressed as the Statue of Liberty waves a transgender pride flag outside the Supreme Court in Washington, on Jan. 13, 2026\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\">\n</div>\n<h2>Acceptance of Transgender People Is Also Down</h2>\n<p>In a sign that views of LGBTQ+ issues may be shifting more broadly, the new Gallup poll found that about 4 in 10 Americans view changing one’s gender as morally acceptable, down from nearly half in 2021.</p>\n<p>The rights of transgender people have been a hot‑button political issue this decade.</p>\n<p>Most Republican‑controlled states have adopted laws in the last five years to bar gender‑affirming medical treatments for transgender minors, restrict which school bathrooms transgender people may use and bar transgender girls and women from some sports competitions.</p>\n<p>Trump has signed executive orders seeking some of the same policies on a federal level.</p>\n<p>This week, one of those policies suffered a blow when a court ruled that the military illegally banned transgender troops.</p>\n<p>The Gallup poll, conducted May 1‑17, was based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,001 U.S. adults. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.</p>
AP
Santos Accused of Insider Trading on Prediction Market Ahead of Trump’s State of the Union","description":"Former congressman George Santos allegedly used Kalshi to bet against his own attendance at President Trump’s speech, prompting federal officials to investigate.","summary":"On the eve of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, former U.S. Representative George Santos was flagged by the prediction‑market platform Kalshi for placing a series of trades that appeared to anticipate his attendance. Kalshi notified the Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission of the suspicious activity. The case illustrates the growing scrutiny of prediction markets and the need for robust regulation, especially given the platform’s expanding role in political and economic forecasting. Politico‑climate advocates argue that transparent governance is essential for effective climate policy, underscoring the intersection between political conduct and sustainable futures.","image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1606263656840-8695dfd179e3?auto=format&fit=crop&w=800&q=80","text":"<h2>Uncovering a Political Stunt</h2><p>Former New York congressman <a href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/george-santos\" target=\"_blank\">George Santos</a> was flagged by the online prediction marketplace Kalshi for a series of trades that appeared to anticipate his own attendance at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.</p><p>Before Trump’s February 24 speech, Kalshi detected a cluster of bets by the former congressman that his attendance was almost a 75% probability. Minutes into the address, Santos posted on X that he was “waylaid” at the airport, sparking accusations that he had staged the bet as a political stunt. Kalshi promptly referred the activity to the Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission under their whistle‑reporting channel.</p><p>The Department of Justice and the CFTC have yet to respond to inquiries, but the investigation exemplifies growing regulatory pressure on prediction‑market platforms like Kalshi and its chief rival Polymarket. Both companies say they are increasing oversight of trades that could constitute insider trading, a move lawmakers hope will protect the integrity of political and economic forecasting.</p><p>Santos, who was expelled from the House in 2024 after a fraud conviction, had previously declared his intention to attend the State of the Union. The timing of the bet raises questions about how publicly traded platforms can influence political narratives and reflects the broader need for transparency in the tools that shape public opinion.</p><p>In April, a congressional resolution was adopted to bar members of Congress from engaging with prediction markets. The resolution, which reflects bipartisan concern, highlights the platform’s potential to affect electoral and regulatory processes.</p><p>As climate advocates push for evidence‑based policymaking, political accountability becomes even more critical. By ensuring that prediction markets cannot be weaponized for insider gains, lawmakers aim to build the trust needed for sustainable governance.</p>
AP
Donald Trump: Turning America's 250th Anniversary into a Personal Spectacle","description":"From headline appearances to custom coins, President Trump is reshaping America’s milestone celebrations into a showcase of his own brand and narrative. This piece explores how he’s used every platform—concerts, the White House, the U.S. Mint, and beyond—to cement his imprint on the nation's heritage.","summary":"The 2024 250th‑anniversary festivities have been hijacked by President Donald Trump. After the pulsing of major musical acts, the event steered into his personal broadcasting, prompting him to announce himself as the headlining act of the Great American State Fair. Trump’s signature style—blending public events, personal branding, and tap-in to historic symbols—has seen him place his likeness on passports and a commemorative coin, and to dominate the celebratory narrative. Historians note that Trump’s approach diverges sharply from past presidents, whose celebrations were more broadcast‑controlled and less self‑centered. Despite controversy, his every‑tune experience, from UFC bouts to White House renovations, shows his readiness to use the upcoming U.S. World Cup as another high‑profile platform to project himself and steer national stories. The article looks at the divergence between presidential tradition and Trump’s modern, celebrity‑style hosting of national celebrations.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/fc72892/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4535x3023+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F69%2F19%2F180862c0fcd10a7899071cf8bb32%2F5237373024674d20888ae9afa79553a0","text":"<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>When the nation’s 250th anniversary began to feel like a 2024 political circus, the president made sure the spotlight was still on himself.</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">A surge of expected musical performers pulled out of the Great American State Fair because the event had become too tied to President Trump. The void was filled when the former businessman announced that he would headline the fair. In saying so, he clarified that a president who thrives on the spotlight will not cede the stage for a national celebration.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">Trump’s love for the limelight appears in every public gesture—from the prim‑page “Cage Match” event at the White House on his 80th birthday to a signature minting of a 24‑karat gold coin bearing his likeness. He even has his picture on the new U.S. $250 bill and on passports issued in connection with the anniversary.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>Why the president’s penchant for self‑promotion matters</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">Historian Timothy Naftali, former director of the Nixon Library, says the president’s actions are predictable and self‑centred: “He frames everything around himself,” he notes. When contrasted with past leaders—Andrew Jackson’s party‑ranging inauguration, FDR’s “Children’s Hour,” or Ronald Reagan’s White House revelries—Trump’s reach is both broader and grander.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>The 250th Anniversary Stage‑Set</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">In addition to a “fair” that kicks off with his 80th‑birthday bout, the president has orchestrated a host of anniversary‑milestone events. A federal task‑force led by Trump, a new UNESCO‑approved World Cup peace prize, and a drawn tournament all take a Trump‑centric cue. He even scheduled a town‑hall‑style event, invading the Kennedy Center’s ceremonies and spearheading two historic renovations that place his brand on the nation’s architectural stage.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>From the Chair to the Commemorative Coin</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">The U.S. Mint’s 24‑karat gold coin is a direct slide into this narrative. Trinidad of Trump’s children run the Trump Organization and hold the “Trump 250” trademarks, signifying a family‑in‑business approach that blurs the lines between personal brand and national celebration.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>Comparisons with Earlier Presidents</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">The question raised by scholars is why this mixture of personal ministry and national history is uncharted. History professor Marc Stein argues past presidents were careful to let the message stay on the nation and the ideals that shape democracy. For instance, Ford’s commentary on the Valley Forge “liberty” was a careful move away from fitting his own ambitions.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>On the World Cup, an American Stage</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">The incoming host duties for the U.S. FIFA World Cup seasoned Trump’s knack for professional self‑branding. A federal World Cup task‑force, a peace prize created from FIFA, and a promise to present the trophy all point to a chance to cement his name in sports history. It’s not unprecedented for a president to introduce a tournament, but Trump’s narrative integration is.</p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\"><strong>Overall Insight</strong></p>\n\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;margin:12px 0\">The 250th‑anniversary of America and the co‑hosted World Cup have been used to display a modern form of public celebration that blends politics and spectacle. Trump’s steering of both private entrepreneurs and federal agencies to re‑brand historic milestones underscores how a single personality can reshape national narratives—whether a celebration becomes a propaganda moment or a cultural pivot.</p>
AP
Redefining Equity: How the Trump Administration’s Policies Threaten Racially Inclusive Education","description":"The Trump presidency is reexamining civil‑rights protections in schools, casting programs aimed at helping students of color as illegal diversity initiatives and threatening federal funding. A growing national debate now centers on whether such shifts harm both marginalized and white students, and how they intersect with broader efforts to close achievement gaps and promote sustainable, equitable learning environments.","summary":"For decades, the U.S. federal government enforced civil‑rights laws to reduce systemic discrimination in education, requiring desegregation and incentivizing diversity programs. Under the Trump administration, the same policies are being rebuked as unconstitutional “illegal DEI” measures. This has led to funding cuts, investigations by the Justice Department, and new challenges to initiatives such as LA’s Black Student Achievement Plan. The reversal of civil‑rights history raises questions about the future of racial equity in education and the impact on all students, including the vitality of inclusive, climate‑positive curricula.","image":"https://assets.apnews.com/09/55/fbf231d8c1dee9be1d7a88786c77/dac6ee67612244598aa142223e07c899","text":"<p><strong>WASHINGTON (AP)</strong> — For generations, the federal government enforced civil‑rights laws with an eye toward remedying historic, systemic discrimination against Black people and other people of color. The Justice Department pressed schools to desegregate. The Education Department worked to promote equal opportunity and held schools accountable for racial bias.</p><p>Under the Trump administration, efforts to address deep‑rooted inequities for students of color are being cast as discriminatory against white students. Programs that have long withstood legal scrutiny are now quick to be deemed “illegal DEI” — diversity, equity and inclusion — by the White House. Schools that do not comply have faced threats to their funding, and in some cases, lost federal grants.</p><p>“It’s literally flipping the purpose of civil‑rights law on its head, not just harming Black students and students of color, but entire school communities,” said Michael Pillera, director of educational equity issues at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “It’s unmoored from the actual history of our country and untethered to the reality of life in this country.”</p><p><strong>Investigations and Suppression of Equity Initiatives</strong></p><p>The U.S. government has opened investigations or joined litigation over a wide range of efforts to address racial inequality. The Justice Department has investigated programs to increase the number of teachers of color in Rhode Island and Iowa. And grants to districts to train teachers or recruit school mental‑health workers have been discontinued for mentions of diversity in recruitment.</p><p>In a statement, the Education Department said programs receiving federal funding must follow the law, which prohibits discrimination based on race. “Serving student needs and following the law are not irreconcilable mandates. Advocates and educators have no reason to stress if they abide by the law,” said Amelia Joy, a department spokesperson.</p><p>The Trump administration investigated Chicago Public Schools and withheld more than US$20 million when the district refused to end its Black Student Success Program, which aims to increase access to advanced coursework for Black students and reduce overly harsh discipline.</p><p><strong>Complaints Against Equity Programs Find New Traction</strong></p><p>A similar effort to close racial achievement gaps in Los Angeles is under the same pressure. Los Angeles Unified School District created the Black Student Achievement Plan after an outpouring of student activism following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It supports schools with extra teachers, counselors and curriculum in Black history.</p><p>Initially, the district chose schools partially based on the number of Black students enrolled. In 2023, Defending Education, a Virginia‑based conservative group, filed a complaint to the Education Department, alleging discrimination against non‑Black students. The district said it would no longer consider Black enrollment and instead focus solely on metrics such as high absenteeism and low test scores, emphasizing that all students could take part.</p><p>After the changes, the Education Department in 2024 said it saw no evidence of a violation. But when Defending Education filed its complaint again this year, the department’s Office for Civil Rights launched an investigation.</p><p>Sarah Parshall Perry, senior legal fellow at Defending Education, said it refiled the complaint after district leaders were recorded saying the program had not materially changed, despite the new criteria.</p><p>“Our goal is not to make LA Unified a target, but rather to make sure that when people say that they are eliminating racially discriminatory aspects of programs, that they’re actually making good on their word,” Perry said.</p><p>In a written statement, LAUSD said its programs are aligned with state and federal laws and are open to all students.</p><p>Makeda Walker‑Deen, a junior at Dorsey High School, said the program has supported her in several ways through high school. A program counselor directed her toward college preparation programs, which made it possible for her to visit the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford, colleges where she is thinking of applying. Psychologists and social workers she connected with have helped her navigate pressure and anxiety.</p><p>“I think that the things a lot of critics are saying are so unreasonable,” she said. “They’re saying that a program that’s meant to help Black students, other students of color, is discriminatory. We’ve been discriminated against in school systems basically our entire lives.”</p><p>LAUSD has seen signs of impact. In recent state testing, Black students in the district outperformed the average Black student in California.</p><p>“When you provide teachers and school personnel with knowledge and skills to help your lowest performing students, everyone wins,” said Tyrone Howard, an education professor at UCLA who consulted on BSAP.</p><p>Organizers worry pressures on the program will slow efforts to address inequities for Black students. “Where is the uproar about the failings of the public education system for Black children?” said Christian Flagg, director of youth organizing at Community Coalition, which lobbied for the creation of BSAP. “We have had this student group at the bottom for so long, these massive gaps for so long. But when we do something to try to address it, there’s a problem.”</p><p><strong>The Justice Department Targets a Separate LA Program</strong></p><p>The pivot in the federal government’s approach to civil‑rights in schools has taken several forms under President Donald Trump. The Justice Department has released school districts from court‑ordered desegregation plans dating back to the Civil Rights Movement, describing them as outdated and burdensome. And the Education Department has stripped funding from some districts that used it to create magnet schools intended to be more diverse.</p><p>In correspondence discouraging districts’ diversity programs, the Trump administration has repeatedly cited a broad interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action, which prevented colleges and universities from directly considering race in admissions. While that ruling pertained only to admissions, the administration last winter notified schools that any differential consideration based on race was unconstitutional. A federal court struck down that guidance last year, but advocates say schools may still preemptively end equity programs to avoid drawing federal scrutiny.</p><p>In Los Angeles, the Justice Department has sought to end another racial equity effort. In the 1970s, courts ordered the district to address the harms of its segregated schools. The case led to a short‑lived period where Black students and white students were bused to different schools. The more lasting programs included the district’s magnet schools, and a special designation for “Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or Other Non‑Anglo” schools. Known as PHBAO, the program offers smaller class sizes and additional parent‑teacher conferences when 70% of the students zoned for that school are students of color. The vast majority of district schools qualify.</p><p>In January, the conservative 1776 Project Foundation filed a lawsuit challenging the designation, describing it as “a program of overt discrimination against a new minority: White students.” The next month, the Justice Department filed its own complaint and asked to join the lawsuit. “LAUSD’s desegregation program has outlived its usefulness to the point of being unconstitutional,” an assistant U.S. attorney said in a news release.</p><p>Decades of inequity show that’s not true, said attorney Mark Rosenbaum, who years ago represented kids of color in L.A.’s desegregation case. “The opponents of desegregation always said, ‘Drop desegregation, and we will put resources into these schools,’” Rosenbaum said. “You know, we are still waiting for that to happen.”</p>
AP
Democrats Slam DHS Secretary Mullin Over Threat to Pull CBP Officers From 'Sanctuary' Airports","description":"Senate hearing erupts as Democrats criticize Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s proposal to remove Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in cities deemed sanctuary.","summary":"In a heated Senate hearing, Democratic senators condemned Markwayne Mullin’s plan to pull Customs and Border Protection personnel from airports in so‑called sanctuary cities, labeling the move “insane” and accusing DHS of reckless spending. Mullin, former senator, defended his position while facing scrutiny over immigration enforcement and treatment of detainees, with critics urging the White House to curb policy shifts that threaten travel and drive toward the World Cup.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/0c0e3fd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8226x5484+0+0/resize/1440x960!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F93%2Fe1%2Fcbf7b20ce15f4ded1a3bedae41c3%2F7af58e637d6b44a984a9a0aea145d238","text":"<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats hammered the Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin Tuesday during a heated Senate hearing, calling his threats to pull officers from some airports in so‑called sanctuary cities “insane” and accusing his department of recklessly spending billions of dollars.</p><p>In his confirmation hearing earlier this year, Mullin portrayed himself as a steadying hand for the Department of Homeland Security after several controversies roiled his predecessor’s tenure. But on Tuesday, Democrats expressed deep skepticism of his ability to change the department, specifically its approach to immigration enforcement and its commitment to the rule of law.</p><p>“I want to be very clear, Secretary Mullin, I’m watching closely to see what steps you now take as the new DHS secretary,” said Washington Sen. Patty Murray. “Even now, we are seeing some outrageous proposals.”</p><p>Mullin, who just a few months ago was a senator alongside those criticizing him, defended himself, calling the attacks “outlandish” and “just flat wrong.”</p><p>Mullin’s appearance at the appropriations subcommittee on homeland security comes as the Senate is weighing legislation that would fund immigration enforcement agencies through the end of President Donald Trump’s term in a maneuver that would bypass the need for support from Democrats, who have demanded restraints before agreeing to fund the agencies.</p><p>The approach to pulling officers has triggered criticism from U.S. Travel Association, airlines, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who said it does not make sense. The travel industry fears any move could upset international travel at a time when millions of visitors are gearing up to come to the U.S. for the World Cup.</p><p>Murray cited Mullin’s threats to pull U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in states that the Trump administration deems “sanctuary cities,” meaning they don’t cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Your plan to withdraw CBP officers from airports in cities that don’t roll over for Trump, that is insane,” Murray said. “It would also spell economic crisis for blue and red states.”</p><p>Mullin has set the travel industry on edge with threats to withdraw CBP officers from airports in so‑called “sanctuary cities.” There is no strict definition of what constitutes a sanctuary jurisdiction, but the term is generally used to describe cities and states that limit cooperation with ICE. Courts have rejected the idea of pulling funding from them in the past.</p><p>Mullin hasn’t yet put forward a concrete proposal but has repeatedly suggested publicly that he’s weighing the idea.</p><p>The U.S. Travel Association said Mullin also confirmed during a meeting with the group last month that he was considering such a move. The trade group had met with Mullin to discuss other Trump administration proposals affecting the travel industry.</p><p>U.S. Travel and the major airlines quickly condemned any move to pull CBP officers from airports, and even Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said it doesn’t make sense to him.</p><p>Such a move could upend international travel at a time when millions of visitors are gearing up to come to the U.S. for the World Cup.</p><p>Although Democrats criticized Mullin for the suggestion, he wasn’t directly asked about the plan during the Tuesday hearing and didn’t address the issue.</p><p>Murray also said she believed the White House still had significant influence over Mullin and DHS. “I have yet to see you take back the reins from Stephen Miller,” she said, speaking of Trump’s advisor who’s one of the architects of the administration’s immigration crackdown.</p><p>After a blistering opening statement from Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut questioning his commitment to the rule of law, Mullin diverted from his opening statement to defend himself and his department. “When you start saying it’s unconstitutional, what’s unconstitutional that we’re doing? We swore to uphold the Constitution, just like you swore to the Constitution,” said Mullin, who blamed rhetoric like Murphy’s for a growing number of threats and attacks against his officers.</p><p>Murphy also pressed Mullin over treatment of detainees at an ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. Protesters and Democratic members of Congress have raised concerns about the treatment of immigrants being held in the facility. Democratic members of Congress who’ve toured the facility say the food has sometimes contained maggots and criticized the level of medical care for detainees. Murphy added to those criticisms, saying detainees had described “spoiled food, delayed medical treatment, sewage backups” as well as “undue pressure to sign deportation paperwork.” The Department of Homeland Security has denied any allegations of abuse or mistreatment inside the facility.</p><p>Mullin said Tuesday that there are currently about 700 detainees in Delaney which he said is licensed to hold about 1,000 people. He pushed back on the criticism, saying that health inspectors were just recently at the facility and found “zero violations.” Mullin also accused some of the protesters of attacking DHS officers. “We had officers bit, we had officers scratched, we had officers poked, we had officers hit,” he said.</p><p>Mullin also faced criticism about money disbursed for disaster relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, cited recent reports that Trump has approved more major disaster declarations for red states than blue.</p><p>“Do you think it’s right for a president to approve disaster aid based on whether a state voted for him, instead of the amount of damage that actually occurred in the state?” Peters asked Mullin.</p><p>“That’s not my experience with the president,” Mullin replied, pointing out that Trump last week issued a flurry of disaster approvals and denials to both red and blue states. Disaster aid “shouldn’t be politicized,” Mullin later added.</p><p>Republicans largely expressed support for Mullin’s work, saying he was following the rule of law. He did face pushback from Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who asked whether DHS would be flexible on high fees and quotas for certain types of work visas.</p><p>Tuesday’s hearing was the first time Mullin has appeared in the Senate since his confirmation hearing in March. Mullin, who was tapped by Trump to lead Homeland Security after his predecessor Kristi Noem was fired, will testify in the House about the budget on Wednesday.</p>
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