Trump's immigration crackdown explained
Start Here with Sandra Gathmann explains what is going on.
This episode features:
Nayna Gupta – Policy director, American Immigration Council
Kathleen Bush-Joseph – Policy analyst, Migration Policy Institute
David Cole – Professor in law and public policy, Georgetown University
Andrea Flores – Vice president of Immigration and Campaigns, FWD.us
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Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
Trump orders nuclear submarines closer to Russia in escalating war of words
United States President Donald Trump has ordered two nuclear submarines to travel closer to Russia, in his latest tit-for-tat with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev. On Friday, Trump posted on his platform Truth Social that the submarine movements came in response to the 'highly provocative statements' Medvedev, a former Russian president, made this week. A day earlier, Medvedev had warned that Trump should be mindful of 'how dangerous the fabled 'Dead Hand' can be', a reference to Russia's Cold War-era nuclear weapons system. 'I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,' Trump wrote. 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.' In recent weeks, Trump has been enmeshed in an escalating war of words with Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council under current President Vladimir Putin. Medvedev and Putin have a close relationship: When Medvedev served as president from 2008 to 2012, Putin was his prime minister. Afterwards, when Putin returned to the presidency, Medvedev served as his prime minister from 2012 to 2020. But as Trump voices increasing frustration with Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, he has increasingly singled out Medvedev, a noted war hawk, as a target for his anger. Both men have hinted at their countries' nuclear capabilities, and their public exchanges have grown increasingly tense. A war of words In a social media post earlier this week, Trump pivoted from a discussion of trade between India and Russia to an attack on Medvedev for his sabre-rattling remarks. 'I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,' Trump wrote. 'Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!' Medvedev, meanwhile, has appeared to relish how his words provoke the US president. 'If some words from the former president of Russia trigger such a nervous reaction from the high-and-mighty president of the United States, then Russia is doing everything right and will continue to proceed along its own path,' Medvedev responded in a post on Telegram. Medvedev then proceeded to reference the zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead, in an apparent nod to the devastation Russia has the power to cause. 'And as for the 'dead economy' of India and Russia and 'entering dangerous territory' — well, let Trump remember his favourite films about the 'Walking Dead'.' This week is not the first time Trump and Medvedev have taken their beef online. In late June, the two men likewise sparred and flexed their nuclear arsenals. 'Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the 'N word' (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran?' Trump wrote on June 23. He then pointed to the recent US attack on Iran as an example of how the country might respond to other threats. 'If anyone thinks our 'hardware' was great over the weekend, far and away the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years advanced over the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines,' Trump wrote. 'They are the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built.' He also took a jab at Medvedev's position under Putin, suggesting that Medvedev's threats were irresponsible. 'I guess that's why Putin's 'THE BOSS',' Trump quipped. Frustrations over Ukraine war The high-stakes back-and-forth comes as Trump becomes increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress towards peace in Ukraine. Since February 2022, a slow-grinding war has unfolded in the country, as Ukraine attempts to repel a full-scale invasion from Russia. Trump entered his second term as president pledging to be a global 'peacemaker and unifier', and his administration has openly advocated for the Republican leader to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But his efforts to resolve the dispute between Ukraine and Russia have stalled. Early in his second term, Trump himself faced criticism for appearing to undermine Ukraine's cause, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being a 'dictator' and appearing to offer Russia concessions, including annexed Ukrainian territory. By contrast, Trump initially took a warm approach to Putin, telling Zelenskyy in a fiery Oval Office meeting, 'Putin went through a hell of a lot with me.' But in recent months, that relationship appears to have cooled, with Trump threatening Russia with sanctions as the war grinds on. On July 28, he announced that Russia would have '10 or 12 days' to stop its offensive, or else the economic penalties would take effect. Then, on Thursday, as Russia shelled the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Trump slammed its continued military action. 'Russia — I think it's disgusting what they're doing. I think it's disgusting,' he said. But Medvedev has previously described Trump's deadlines as 'theatrical' and said that 'Russia didn't care' about the threats. He also warned that Trump's aggressive foreign policy stance may backfire with his 'America First' base. 'Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia,' Medvedev wrote on the social media platform X earlier this week. 'He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.'
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Trump calls on Fed board to take control from Powell over interest rates
Washington, DC – United States President Donald Trump has called on the Federal Reserve board to wrest control of the central bank from Chairman Jerome Powell and lower interest rates. In a series of social media posts on Friday, Trump — who has called for lowering interest rates for months — escalated his attacks on Powell, suggesting that the central bank chief should be stripped of his powers. 'Jerome 'Too Late' Powell, a stubborn MORON, must substantially lower interest rates, NOW,' Trump wrote. 'IF HE CONTINUES TO REFUSE, THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL, AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!' Earlier this week, Powell announced that interest rates would remain steady at 4.25 to 4.5 percent. The central bank's rates indirectly set the rates for private lending across the country. When the Federal Reserve, known as the Fed, sees the need to accelerate economic activity, it cuts interest rates to lower the cost of borrowing and pump money into the economy. Conversely, when prices rise too rapidly, the Fed raises interest rates to bring the cost of living under control. The central bank operates independently of political officials. During the COVID-19 pandemic, interest rates plummeted to prevent a prolonged recession during the lockdown. But as supply-chain disruption and an abundance of money in the economy sparked an inflation crisis in 2022, the Fed hiked interest rates to levels not seen since the 2008 Great Recession. An advocate for greater investments in the US economy, Trump has been arguing that inflation is now at sustainable levels, so there is no need for interest rates to remain high. Over the past year, the central bank slashed interest rates by about 1 percent, but Trump has been demanding more aggressive cuts. On Wednesday, Powell cited a risk of inflation linked to Trump's trade policies as the reason behind his decision not to drop interest rates. 'Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly to prices of some goods, but their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remain to be seen,' he told reporters. Earlier this month, a government report showed that consumer prices rose by 0.3 percent from May to June, compared with 0.1 percent the previous month, as Trump's tariffs started to set in. Powell did not rule out that the uptick in prices could be 'short-lived', but he also warned that it may become persistent, arguing for a cautious approach while monitoring inflation. 'For the time being, we're well positioned to learn more about the likely course of the economy and the evolving balance of risks before adjusting our policy stance,' he said. 'We see our current policy stance as appropriate to guard against inflation risks.' The decision proved controversial, with the Fed board seeing rare dissent from two members, both Trump appointees, who publicly argued for more rate cuts. On Friday, Trump warned Powell that the dissent 'WILL ONLY GET STRONGER'. 'Too Little, Too Late,' the US president wrote. 'Jerome 'Too Late' Powell is a disaster. DROP THE RATE! The good news is that Tariffs are bringing Billions of Dollars into the USA!'
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Protesters demonstrate against Trump's steep tariffs in Brazil
Protesters have gathered on the streets of Brazil to denounce United States President Donald Trump for the steep tariffs he imposed on the country's exports. The demonstrations on Friday erupted in cities like Sao Paulo and Brasilia, as residents voiced their anger on the first day of Trump's latest tariff campaign. Brazil is slated to see some of the highest US tariffs in the world. Last month, on July 9, Trump announced he planned to hike the import tax on Brazilian products to 50 percent, in response to a list of political complaints, chief among them the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. A far-right leader and former army captain who served as president from 2019 to 2023, Bolsonaro faces trial for allegedly attempting to orchestrate a coup d'etat against his successor, current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. A federal police investigation culminated in a 2024 report that suggested Bolsonaro and his allies sought to undermine the results of the 2022 election, which he narrowly lost to Lula. Among the possibilities they reportedly considered was declaring a 'state of siege' to suspend civil liberties and force the military to intervene. That, in turn, would pave the way for new elections. Another idea that was allegedly floated was to poison Lula and shoot Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who had denounced Bolsonaro for spreading false information about the 2022 election process. De Moraes ultimately oversaw the investigation into Bolsonaro's alleged coup attempt, making him a prominent target for Bolsonaro's supporters. Trump counts himself among them. In his July 9 letter announcing the tariffs, he drew a line from his tariff hike to Brazil's treatment of Bolsonaro, alleging that the prosecution was politically motivated. 'The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace,' Trump wrote. 'This trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!' Trump also accused the Brazilian Supreme Court of censoring right-wing voices and launching 'insidious attacks on Free Elections'. Trump himself has been accused of seeking to undermine the results of the US's 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden. To defend Bolsonaro, Trump has gone so far as to sanction de Moraes, freezing his US-based assets and revoking his visa. But critics have accused Trump of seeking to interfere with Brazil's judicial process. Some have described the tariff hike and the sanctions against de Moraes as a pressure campaign to force Brazilian prosecutors to drop the case against Bolsonaro. On the streets of Sao Paulo on Friday, protesters burned a pair of effigies — one representing Trump, the other Bolsonaro, positioned together in an embrace. Placards waved, some featuring Trump with devil horns protruding from his forehead and cartoons of de Moraes flicking Trump his middle finger. A banner, meanwhile, featured the slogan: 'Sovereignty is not negotiable.' Brazilian flags abounded on signs and T-shirts. De Moraes himself issued a statement, saying Trump's sanctions would not interfere with his duties. 'This rapporteur will ignore the sanctions applied to him and continue working as he has been doing.'
