Immigration judge sparks concerns

Good morning! With a deadly heat wave, torrential storms, power outages, the Brooklyn Bridge burning, Taylor Swift’s wedding, the World Cup, the tall ships, the nation’s 250th birthday and whatever family drama the Fourth brought forth for you, Friday seems a kajillion years ago. So good job, you made it to Monday!

We’ll start today with a closer look at a recent appointment to the immigration court in Elizabeth that has some lawyers concerned …

Immigration court: Via Sophie Nieto-Muñoz, “A New Jersey judge recently criticized for his unsympathetic comments to a woman who claimed she had been raped is now deciding immigration cases for migrants held in detention, including victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The news has attorneys for some migrants facing deportation concerned that the judge, Thomas Shusted, could exacerbate what they say is already a dire situation for their clients, who are regularly denied bond in New Jersey immigration courts.”

States’ rights: Text  Via Kevin Hardy and Jonathan Shorman of Stateline, “Many state leaders hope that a renewed focus on federalism could help lower the national political temperature. By shifting more political decisions to the states, they envision a nation less subject to blue-red swings that change the entire course of federal law enforcement, environmental policy and business regulation.”

Commentary: Via Jiyue Wang, “In late March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to tighten the rules around mail and absentee voting. The U.S. Postal Service soon proposed a rule that would require states to notify the agency before mailing ballots and to hand over lists of their mail and absentee voters, each tied to a unique barcode on the ballot envelope. Supporters call it a matter of election integrity. Critics warn the order would let the Postal Service refuse to deliver ballots to voters who are not on a federally approved list. On June 24, Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed that intent, telling a Senate committee that under the proposed rule the agency would not deliver ballots in states that refused to hand over their voter lists. The fight has already reached New Jersey directly.”

Jobs: Via Tim Henderson of Stateline, “Job growth slowed in June to an increase of 57,000 after three straight months of gaining more than 100,000, according to a new report released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job gains were also revised down from 172,000 to 129,000 for May, and from 179,000 to 148,000 for April.”

Cashing in: Via Ashley Murray in our DC Bureau, “What’s more American than apple pie? Capitalism. And an array of merchandise and influence is on sale for the 250th birthday of the United States.”