Bernie Sanders's newly released immigration platform could be called the anti-Trump plan. The Vermont senator and 2020 hopeful announced plans that seem to be an overhaul of the Trump administration's immigration policies and include decriminalizing the border, breaking up ICE and CBP, and providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for five years.
In the plan called "A Welcoming and Safe America for All," Sanders said he will use executive action if Congress does not enact the "commonsense immigration reforms supported by the vast majority of Americans."
"The whole point is to make immigration easier not harder, so people aren't put in a situation where people have to come here without legal status," Sanders' Latino Press Secretary Belén Sisa said.
If Sanders wins the White House, he plans to issue an immediate moratorium on deportations "until a thorough audit of current and past practices and policies is complete," according to the plan.
The senator said he will expand Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and a related measure for parents and guardians. DACA still protects about 650,000 individuals brought to the United States as children, and allows DREAMers, as DACA recipients are called, the ability to work legally. The Trump administration has said it considers DACA illegal.
Sisa, a DACA recipient herself, helped draft the policy plan. She said the team doesn't "want [immigration] to be a criminal issue. We want it to be humane issue."
"He's the only candidate that has proposed such a progressive plan for immigration," she said.
While candidates often make policy proposals on the campaign trail, many would actually need more legislative approval to enact, Jessica Bolter, a policy analyst at Migration Policy Institute said.
"Looking at the substance of the plan, it seemed like a missed opportunity to put forward a forward-thinking plan. A lot of this is focused on undoing policies," she continued.
Bolter said the plan Sanders laid out to "break up" ICE and CBP, which Sisa said involve putting those organizations under the Department of Justice, would require more legislation.
"The Department of Homeland Security was created through legislation. It would need new legislation to restructure the agencies in the ways that [Sanders] has proposed," Bolter said.
Elizabeth Warren, who like Sanders has also been holding strong near the top of 2020 Democratic presidential polls, said in her immigration policy plan that she would "reshape" ICE and CBP.
If Sanders does try to use executive action to accomplish his policy proposals, it could open up opportunities for those who disagree to bring lawsuits against the government, Senior Policy Analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center Cristobal Ramón said said.
Sanders's plan to use executive action differs from most 2020 candidates in that it is "more straightforward in terms of how he plans to implement it," Ramón said. "But policy plan through executive action may not survive the onslaught of litigation from conservative organizations," he continued.
"If Sanders were to become President, there's no doubt in my mind that conservative groups, conservative governors, and a whole host of different organizations would try to sue the implementation of these policies," he added.
Liana Guzmán, CEO of FOLX Health, joins Cheddar News to discuss the company launching billboards across the country in response to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
President Biden has announced an additional $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine, including artillery, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters. It comes as Russian forces appear to be preparing for a new, aggressive offensive in the eastern part of Ukraine. Paul McLeary, defense reporter for Politico, joined Cheddar to discuss this new round of aid and what it means for the U.S. commitment to arming the embattled country.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 18, 2022, with Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian city of Lviv killing seven, mass shootings in South Carolina and Pittsburgh, Lucky Charms cereal under official investigation by the FDA, and more.
Activism is growing around the country in response to school boards banning books from shelves that focus on sexuality, gender, identity, or race. Jen Cousins, co-founder of The Florida Freedom to Read Project, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies, President Biden has announced a ban on importing Russian oil, gas, and energy. To discuss how this ban will impact the war and Americans, Amir Handjani, non-resident fellow at Quincy Institute, joins Cheddar News.
Thousands of protesters around the world are expressing their solidarity with Ukraine against Russia's invasion.
Jason Beardsley, national executive director of the Association of the U.S. Navy and national security expert, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
As gas prices surge amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, other nations could potentially transition faster to using clean energy than previously expected. Philip K. Verleger, a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center, joined Cheddar News to explain how this could be a possibility in the near future. "Part of the reason I think we have this invasion and the tantrum that's being thrown by Russia, terrible tantrum, is because the Russians were trying to slow down the transition," he said. "Ironically they speeded it up."
Following the invasion of Ukraine, a multitude of Western companies have paused doing business with Russia. PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Starbucks are the most recent companies to temporarily cease operations in Russia. Dean of Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami, John Quelch, joined Cheddar News to discuss what message this sends to Russia and the Russian consumer. “I would not underestimate the collective strength of all of these multinational companies, essentially coming together to make their collective statement in support of the political statements that have come out of Washington," he said.
The war in Ukraine continues to reveal heartbreaking gut-wrenching stories. The war in itself is not only devastating but also expensive. Experts estimate that Russia is draining nearly $20 million dollars each day to continue occupying and invading Ukraine. All this could force the country to turn to cryptocurrencies. It's a major turn for the country that briefly considered outlined digital assets entirely, but it could also have serious implications for cryptos. Managing Director at Quantum Fintech Group, Harry Yeh, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
