United States Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said President Donald Trump’s immigration policy remained unchanged, with enforcement targeting the “worst of the worst” and amnesty excluded from the administration’s agenda. He cited criminal removals in Washington, DC, and other cooperating cities as examples of the administration’s efforts to restore law and order.
Mullin also supported finding legal status for some Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. That position prompted objections that granting recipients permission to remain legally in the United States would amount to amnesty, regardless of the terminology used.
United States House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries proposed returning deported DACA recipients to the United States and paying them damages through what he called “remedial assistance.” His proposal expanded the dispute from allowing recipients already inside the country to remain to bringing previously deported recipients back and compensating them.
Trump’s comments about a possible agreement with Democrats concerning immigrants who had lived illegally in the United States for 10 to 15 years raised further questions about the scope of deportations. Mullin maintained that Trump would veto legislation the president and Republicans opposed, placing any congressional agreement before the same administration promising no amnesty.
Approximately 2,000 migrants were walking north through southern Mexico after entering near the border with Guatemala, Mexico’s southern neighbor. They had waited several days before departing yesterday, and migrants said they interpreted Democratic victories in the United States Senate and House of Representatives as improving their chances of entering the United States.
The caravan intended to reach the United States border state of Texas by crossing the Rio Grande, the river separating Texas from Mexico. Arrival at Mexico’s northern border was estimated at 10 to 12 days, although the Trump administration’s border policy and the enforcement posture of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remained unchanged.
Numerous caravan members had recently been deported by ICE and released near the Guatemala–Mexico border. Smaller groups of approximately 100 to 300 migrants were also entering Mexico weekly through 2 crossing points from Guatemala, while additional caravans were anticipated for December 2, December 13 or 14, and January.
The United States’ threatened 25 percent tariff on Mexico remained a means of pressuring Mexican authorities to dismantle the caravans. Whether Mexico would stop their movement or issue visas or other travel permits remained unresolved, while 3 to 4 migrants interpreted Trump’s comments about a possible immigration agreement as evidence that their prospects of admission were improving.
Today, Veterans Day, brings renewed emphasis to military veterans’ responsibilities after active service ends. Retired military Colonel Rob Maness said retirement does not terminate an officer’s oath or commission, connecting the obligation to defend the United States with continued service in civilian communities.
Maness linked that continuing service to leadership training throughout the United States Armed Forces, from junior enlisted personnel to senior officers. He drew on his experience in explosive ordnance disposal, which involves making explosive threats safe, to illustrate the individual responsibility required when approaching an improvised explosive device and deciding how to neutralize it.
For civilian organizing, Maness advocated identifying personal strengths, understanding neighborhood conditions, selecting a specific issue, and recruiting people who share that concern. He said he had raised millions of dollars since entering politics in 2013, with donations averaging approximately $45, and identified knocking on doors, distributing flyers, and displaying signs as practical steps individuals can take.
Maness said he and other citizens were applying that approach in the southern part of Mississippi, a United States state, by attending election commissions to observe affidavit ballot counting in the close United States Senate race involving candidate Cindy Hyde-Smith. Their involvement connects continued civic service with direct observation of the local administration of a federal election.
FINAL WORD
Trump’s border enforcement remains in place, but proposals to grant legal status risk encouraging migrants who already believe political changes will help them enter the United States. Holding that line requires rejecting amnesty and maintaining pressure on Mexico to stop caravans before they reach Texas. Veterans can carry their commitment to defending the country into civilian life by organizing their communities and watching the elections that determine who controls these policies.
