Continuing with the absurd politics of a Mexican Presidents’ desperation to keep Mexicans from returning to Mexico:

… President Enrique Peña Nieto recently budgeted about $50 million to the country’s 50 consulates to help pay the costs of defending migrants who are in the U.S. illegally and facing deportation. –LINK–

A bizarre, albeit understandable policy, given the dependency on the Mexican economy created by $25 billion in remittances sent home from Mexican nationals illegally living/working in the U.S.
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There is something uniquely bizarre about the President of a country fighting to provide a better life for the citizens of his country by keeping them out of his country.

Yet that’s exactly what Mexican President Peña Nieto did yesterday, when the government of Mexico announced they would be attempting to keep their own citizens out of Mexico in order to provide them a better life in the U.S.

(Via CNN) […] Earlier Friday, Mexico warned its citizensliving in the United States to “take precautions” and remain in contact with consular officials, following the deportation of an undocumented mother while she was on a routine check-in with US immigration authorities.

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The mostly swamp media (MSM) are twitchy triggered with reports of increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.  Specifically AP (HERE) and Reuters (HERE) are highlighting new ICE crackdowns in several U.S. cities.   The media allude to the latest outcomes as part of President Trump’s enforcement approach toward immigration law.
In the interim, DHS Secretary John Kelly has been touring the border region with ICE and Border officials.  Yesterday he gave a press conference describing what he has seen, and answering questions from reporters.  Well worth watching:

Interestingly, Secretary Kelly is personally going on pre-dawn sweeps (knock and talk) with the ICE officers, and actually going into border tunnels to get a first hand look at the challenges for both DHS units.
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Catherine Herridge files a report for Fox News from Texas where she is traveling with DHS Secretary John Kelly.

TEXAS – In his first television interview as Homeland Security secretary, retired four-star Marine Gen. John F. Kelly told Fox News he wants the U.S.-Mexico border wall finished in two years – setting an ambitious schedule for the project ordered last week by President Trump.

“The wall will be built where it’s needed first, and then it will be filled in. That’s the way I look at it,” Kelly said. “I really hope to have it done within the next two years.”
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Well, it would appear Don McGahn and Don Trump have indeed played the media, left-wing moonbats and the unintelligent GOPe like a Stradivarius.  With bait firmly taken, the trap snaps shut.
Here’s the statement from the White House.

(link)

There are two aspects to the Trump executive order.  ♦ One aspect pertains to a 120-day pause on Syrian refugees. ♦ The second aspect pertains to a 90-day pause on visas for seven countries outlined as “nations of concern” by prior law and Obama’s DHS policy.
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If people had doubts about the Mexican government being influenced and controlled by drug cartels, well, they can put that doubt away.
In a stunning segment on Fareed Zakaria’s CNN broadcast today Mexico’s former foreign minister, Jorge Castaneda, states the Mexican government is willing to counter U.S. President Donald Trump policy by unleashing drug cartels upon the U.S. border.
Watch, and more importantly LISTEN, to his words at 02:10 below:

This is the most politically explosive admission by the Mexican government in the past decade.  Even Fareed Zakaria realized what was being threatened and quickly attempted to redirect the conversation.
Castaneda is openly admitting a willingness to promote drug trafficking.  Additionally, Jorge Castaneda is so proud of the threat, he even posted a video of the discussion on his own YouTube page.
However, don’t expect the video to remain in place too long, because the implications here are so politically explosive, and the admission so brutally obvious and threatening, it could undermine the entire argument of the Mexican government and expose an open secret of collusion they would prefer to remain hidden.
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President Donald Trump holds so much leverage in any negotiations with trade partners, especially Mexico, it is quite staggering to contemplate.

♦ TRADE – An awakening electorate and economic voters throughout the United States  are quickly recognizing a simple truth:

The scope of U.S. leverage is exponentially stronger in bi-lateral trade deals.

The United States is the largest economic market in the world.  Multilateral trade deals with bundles of nations benefit the smaller fish within the deal.  However, direct one-on-one “bilateral trade deals” always benefit the biggest fish, because the biggest fish holds all the leverage.
Donald Trump has been talking about this for decades.  Our massive market provides all the leverage needed for trade terms favorable to Americans. “Take it or leave it”, a phrase only for the entity holding the strongest hand.  However, frustratingly our national leadership has approached historic trade as if we hold a responsibility to lessen our own national value to the benefit of other nations.
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President Trump will be delivering remarks with DHS Secretary Kelly at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington DC.  Anticipated start time 2:30pm ET
Update – Video Added:

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According to several media reports (Fox News and Reuters) President Trump is starting tomorrow with executive action targeted toward the larger immigration policy initiatives discussed throughout the presidential campaign.  Don McGahn is obviously a very busy man:

(Via Fox News)  WASHINGTON –  President Donald Trump will begin rolling out executive actions on immigration Wednesday, beginning with steps to tighten border security — including his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — and other domestic immigration enforcement measures, according to two administration officials.
Later in the week, the president is expected to take steps to restrict the flow of refugees to the United States. One official said the president was expected to roll out immigration measures over the next few days.

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Begin, with the end in mind…

President Trump and Vice-President Pence met with Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D), and Chairs of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley (R) and Dianne Feinstein (D) today.  These are key members of the Senate who will be at the forefront of any Supreme Court nomination.

(Clockwise from bottom left: Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, Mike Pence, President Trump, Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley)

The small group meeting appears to be reconnaissance and temperature gauging for the upcoming Trump Supreme Court nomination which will be challenging.
In addition to the myriad of long-term impacts, Trump’s SCOTUS nominee will be a key element to the broader immigration issue.  Referencing back to the DACA topic, it is predictable the removal of DACA will eventually end up with immigration advocates selecting a deportee for use in their deportation court challenge.
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