Month: October 2022

Commentary: The Nonsense of Stakeholder Capitalism

Virginia Star Staff

From Harvard to Hong Kong, stakeholder capitalism is gaining popularity at elite business schools worldwide. Followers of this trendy concept believe that a corporation, instead of primarily operating to benefit shareholders, should work to benefit all interested parties — or “stakeholders” — including suppliers, local communities, and governments. Stakeholder capitalism largely overlaps with efforts to advance so-called “environmental, social, and governance” (ESG) outcomes — a vaguely defined trio of left-wing priorities.

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Migrant Encounters at the Southern Border Shatter Previous Records

Virginia Star Staff

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported over 220,000 migrant encounters along the southern border in September, outpacing every other September on record, according to new agency statistics revealed Friday.

The agency clocked roughly 2.3 million migrant encounters for fiscal year 2022, shattering the previous record, and took over 2.7 million enforcement actions nationally in fiscal year 2022, up more than 41% over fiscal year 2021, according to its data. CBP said 19% of the September southern border encounters involved people encountered at least one other time in the past 12 months.

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Big Business Urges Lawmakers to Prevent Certain Illegal Migrants from Deportation

Virginia Star Staff

The Coalition For The American Dream, a group composed of 80 businesses, called for lawmakers to pass legislation to prevent deportation of recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program after it was declared illegal.

The letter’s signatories, which include Amazon, Apple, General Motors, Microsoft, Target and Verizon as well as trade associations like the Chamber of Commerce, asked lawmakers to pass permanent, bipartisan legislative solutions to prevent the migrants from being deported, claiming the migrants provided economic value to the U.S. DACA, implemented by the Obama administration in 2012, allows immigrants who entered the country illegally and have been in the U.S. since they were children to stay in the country and gain work authorization, a process that is renewed every two years; however, the program was declared illegal by the 5th Circuit Court on Oct. 5.

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Commentary: GOP House Majority May Put the Brakes on Ukraine Escalation

Virginia Star Staff

It’s a distinct possibility, though there are too many variables to predict it, that if the Republicans take the House there will be some sort of conclusion to the war in Ukraine.

This column has called for just that. Not in a shameful betrayal of the freedom-loving people who’ve fought by our side, like, for example, what the Democrats did to the South Vietnamese after an honorable peace was reached in Paris, but rather in a way that preserves our interests and keeps Joe Biden’s much-ballyhooed nuclear Armageddon away.

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Data Expert Predicts ‘Homeschool Boom’ After CDC Committee Votes to Add COVID Shot to Children’s Routine Immunizations

Susan Berry, PhD

Data journalist and pollster Rich Baris posted to social media he predicts a “homeschool boom” following the news that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory committee unanimously voted to add the COVID shot to the children and adolescent immunization schedule, a move that will likely lead many states to require COVID shots for school attendance.

Baris, also known as “The People’s Pundit,” tweeted Wednesday, “Parents will flip the F–k out, with good reason. Homeschool boom.”

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Youngkin Restores Civil Rights for 800 Virginians in Time for the Election

Eric Burk

Governor Glenn Youngkin has restored the rights of 800 more Virginians, approving the restorations last week, in time to vote in the upcoming election.

“Second chances are essential to ensuring Virginians who have made mistakes are able to move forward toward a successful future. I am proud of the efforts made by these formerly incarcerated Virginians to regain their civil rights,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in the Friday announcement. “I applaud those who have committed to starting fresh with renewed values and a will to positively contribute to our society.”

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Poll: Virginia 2nd Congressional Candidates Tied at 45 Percent

Eric Burk

Representative Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) and state Senator Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach) are tied at 45 percent in among likely voters in the race for Virginia’s second congressional district, according to a new poll from Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center that found that the district’s Democratic voters are most concerned about abortion and Republican voters are most concerned about inflation.

“Virginia’s second Congressional District has been known to switch back and forth between the major parties and it appears the seat is still highly competitive, despite new district lines that bring in more Republican voters,” said Dr. Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, Research Director of the Wason Center. “If this were a typical midterm election year, this district would likely favor the Republican candidate, especially given an unpopular sitting Democratic President and high inflation. Abortion and concern over threats to democracy appear to have energized Democrats and bolstered support for incumbent Rep. Elaine Luria.”

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Poll: Most High School Students Say They Were Taught Critical Race Theory

Virginia Star Staff

Most high school students reported being taught Critical Race Theory (CRT), according to a City Journal poll released Thursday.

Of the students surveyed between the ages 18 and 20 years old, 90% said they had either been taught or heard about CRT in school, according to the City Journal poll. Approximately 69% said they had at least heard in school that “white people have white privilege” and 57% were taught that “white people have unconscious biases that negatively affect non-white people.”

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Report: Colleges Struggle with Admission Process After Eliminating Standardized Testing Scores

Virginia Star Staff

Eliminating the use of standardized college admission tests to judge college applicants in order to increase diversity on campus is not working, according to an October report.

Colleges that eliminated mandatory testing for applications, going “test-optional,” are struggling to fairly assess students because they lack standards to judge the applicants, according to a report by Vanderbilt University Assistant Professor Kelly Slay. While test-optional admissions have increased applicants, a lack of academic standards has created a “chaotic” and “stressful” process leading to bias that was intended to be ignored.

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DEA: 36 Million Lethal Doses of Fentanyl Removed from U.S. Communities Between May and September

The Center Square

As a result of law enforcement operations from May through September of this year, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and law enforcement partners confiscated 36 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill 36 million Americans.

As part of the DEA’s One Pill Can Kill initiative, DEA agents and law enforcement partners in multiple states seized more than 10.2 million fentanyl pills and approximately 980 pounds of fentanyl powder.

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Biden DOJ Begs Congress for Another $34 Million to Target January 6 Defendants

Virginia Star Staff
Department of Justice building, street view

The DOJ pleaded for that funding in its 2023 budget request, saying U.S. Attorneys’ offices would have to cut budgets to pay for Jan. 6 prosecutions otherwise, the outlet reported. The department’s investigation has already resulted in more than 870 arrests, with hundreds of identified Jan. 6 riot participants avoiding arrest so far.

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Commentary: The Commie Train’s A’Comin’

Virginia Star Staff

Several large American cities have contracted with a Chinese state-owned rail car manufacturer to design and manufacture subway cars for their subway systems, raising serious cybersecurity and human-rights concerns. Over the past eight years, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) has secured more than $2.6 billion in federal transit contracts to provide passenger railcars in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

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Afghan Migrants Say UN Workers Gave Them Directions to U.S. Border

Virginia Star Staff

Guatemala City, Guatemala — The United Nations and other aid groups are informing migrants from across the globe how to get to the United States to cross the border illegally, six migrants from Afghanistan told the Daily Caller News Foundation after they were apprehended in Guatemala.

The migrants said that before they arrived in Guatemala that aid workers provided them with maps guiding them to Mexico so that they can reach the U.S. southern border. The men were six of 16 Afghans in the detention facility for foreign migrants in Guatemala City.

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January 6 Committee Subpoenas Former President Donald Trump

Just the News

The House January 6 select committee has subpoenaed former President Donald Trump as part of its ongoing investigation into the riot at the U.S. Capitol shortly before Trump left office in 2021. 

The committee in its subpoena of the Republican former president demanded that he turn over documents related to the inquiry by early next month and that he appear to testify before the committee on Nov. 14. 

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Poll: Nearly 80 Percent of Voters Oppose Transgender Hormones and Surgeries in Minors

Susan Berry, PhD

A Trafalgar Group poll released Friday found 78.7 percent of likely voters oppose transgender treatments, such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, as well as sex-change surgeries for minors.

The poll, conducted in partnership with Convention of States Action from October 8-11, surveyed 1,079 likely 2022 election voters.

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Bannon Sentenced to Four Months in Prison for Contempt of Congress Conviction, $6,500 Fine

Just the News

The sentencing of ex-Trump White House political adviser Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress concluded Friday morning with four-month imprisonment and a $6,500 fine.

The judge overseeing the case said that while Bannon poses a “very small risk of recidivism with regard to congressional subpoenas,” there must be a deterrence for others to commit “similar crimes,” NBC News reported.

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Virginia Tradesman and Contractor Applications and Licensing Exams Available in Spanish

Eric Burk

The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) is now providing tradesman and contractor applications and licensing exams in Spanish, the governor’s office announced Wednesday.

“This is a big step towards addressing a critical need and creating opportunities for Spanish speaking Virginian’s to enter the workforce and start their own business,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said. “DPOR’s efforts will better serve the Hispanic and Latino community, which represents a large, diverse and vital part of the Commonwealth.”

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New Documentary ‘The Real Anthony Fauci – the Movie’ Has 125,000 Viewers on First Day

Peter D'Abrosca

A new documentary about the face of the COVID-19 pandemic response in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, received 125,000 views on its opening day Tuesday, according to a press release. 

The film, called The Real Anthony Fauci, is based on a book called The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

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Superintendent Balow Asks Board of Education for More Time on History Standards to Include More Input, Including from Conservative Organizations

Eric Burk

RICHMOND, Virginia – Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow said the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) needs more time to prepare updated drafts for review of new Historical and Social Sciences Standards and accompanying curriculum frameworks. That’s another delay in approval and implementation of the standards after Balow first asked for more time in August.

“Since the September Board meeting, new board members have raised important concerns and questions about the draft standards. Additionally, we sought reviews by individuals and entities, whose voices had not yet been heard. Meanwhile, VDOE staff has worked diligently, to correct errors, remove repetition, reorder guidance, and edit language so that parents, educators, and students can understand and use the standards document,” Balow said in a Monday memo to the board.

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Virginia Receives First Payment in Big Pharma Opioid Settlement

Eric Burk

Virginia has received $67.4 million, the first payment in a Johnson and Johnson settlement requiring its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals to stop selling opioids in the U.S.; the Commonwealth will receive about $99.3 million total from the company over nine years.

“I’m thrilled that the money from these record-breaking settlements is on its way. My consumer protection section worked tirelessly to ensure that Virginians received the most funding possible and received it as quickly as possible. This helps the Commonwealth and individual localities fight back against the opioid epidemic and reduce, prevent, and treat addiction,” Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a press release.

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Music Spotlight: Mackenzie Carpenter

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Those who follow my column know I find a lot of my new artists from the Song Suffragettes or SiriusXM’s The Highway. On The Highway, They feature new artists who are often named as their “Highway Finds.” And while I’m not always crazy about every new musician they feature, when I heard Mackenzie Carpenter’s “Can’t Nobody” a few months back, it was love at first listen.

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Coast Guard Illegally Denied Hundreds of Vaccine Exemptions, Attorneys Say

Admin

The U.S. Coast Guard’s alleged use of an automated system to deny religious waivers to as many as 1,231 servicemembers would be in violation of the law, attorneys told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday.

Leaders from each of the military branches, including the Coast Guard, are required to individually review vaccine exemption requests, legal experts who have worked on military vaccine exemption cases told the DCNF. An investigation by members of the House Oversight Committee found that the Coast Guard used a computer-based tool defaulted to issue mass denials of religious accommodations, Fox News first reported Tuesday, a practice that is in “clear” violation of federal law, attorneys said.

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White House Refuses to Address Arrests of Pro-Lifers amid Attacks on Pregnancy Resource Centers

Admin

President Joe Biden’s administration is refusing to address why it’s focusing efforts on arresting pro-life activists amid national outcry over dozens of attacks on pro-life centers and churches.

At least 86 Catholic churches and 74 pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations have been attacked since the May leak of the draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, according to a Catholic Vote tracker. Many of these buildings have been vandalized with threats such as “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.”

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Skrmetti and 18 Other State Attorneys General Probe Major Banks over ESG Policies

Just the News

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) on Wednesday announced he is leading a coalition of 19 states in a probe of six major banks over environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing policies and involvement with the United Nations’ Net-Zero Banking Alliance.

The states are investigating Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, all of which are Net-Zero Banking Alliance members and are required to set emissions reductions targets to net zero by 2050.

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Republicans Maintain Edge in Battle for House, Senate, Gubernatorial Races

The Center Square

Republicans have an advantage just a few weeks out from the November elections, according to newly released polling data.

CNBC released its “All-America Economic Survey,” which showed Republicans have a 2-point advantage over Democrats, with 48% saying they prefer Republicans control Congress, compared to 46% preferring Democrats.

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Biden Throws Support Behind Universal, Federally Funded Abortion Leave

Admin

President Joe Biden expressed support for federally-funded leave and childcare services for women seeking abortions in a NowThis video airing Sunday, according to Axios.

Biden told NowThis he supports paying women who undergo abortions for childcare and travel expenses, according to Axios. A reporter had asked him whether he supported a federally-funded version of the efforts private companies are taking to financially support women who want abortions.

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House GOP Set to Investigate PayPal for Its Plan to Fine Users for ‘Misinformation’

Admin

House Republicans are likely to launch an investigation of PayPal for a now-retracted policy that would fine users up to $2,500 for spreading “misinformation” or posting content that it deemed “objectionable,” per a letter sent to PayPal Tuesday.

The letter demanded that PayPal send House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee and Financial Services Committee written answers to 15 questions about the circumstances surrounding the “Acceptable Use Policy,” which was published by PayPal on Oct. 8. The questions demand PayPal to name those who drafted the policy, who had the authority to approve it, and whether PayPal had coordinated with the Biden administration regarding it.

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Commentary: America’s Schools Warm to Climate Activism

RealClearWire

Public school districts are adopting curricula on climate change from well-funded progressive groups casting the issue as a threat to life on the planet that students should respond to through activism. 

As of fall 2020, 29 states and the District of Columbia have adopted standards that require science classes to teach human-caused climate change as a peril beyond dispute, according to K12 Climate Action,  a group that is part of the progressive Aspen Institute. 

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IRS Makes Highest Deductible Hike on Record Due to Inflation

Admin

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) increased the individual tax deductible for 2023 at the highest rate in more than 35 years due to inflation.

Individual tax deductibles increased by $900 to $13,850, up $1,800 to $27,700 for married couples filing jointly, a roughly 7% increase compared to tax year 2022, the IRS announced Tuesday. This increase is the largest hike since 1985, when tax brackets were first tied to inflation, The Washington Post reported.

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Commentary: The Central Importance of Infrastructure

Admin

After I’d chastised him repeatedly for being the spoiler in the November 2020 battle between Republican David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate, Shane Hazel invited me to debate him on his podcast.

During our lengthy discussion, Hazel demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, and we found ourselves in agreement on many if not most of the critical issues, starting with the First and Second Amendments. One topic I wish we could have spent more time discussing was the issue of infrastructure. As it was, I got nowhere with Hazel on that question.

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2022 Changes Made Virginia’s Tax Policy More Progressive

Eric Burk

Virginia’s tax code is now more progressive than most states, meaning that taxes impact higher income brackets more than lower income brackets, after the General Assembly increased the standard income tax deduction from $4,500 to $8,000 for individuals, and made the Virginia Earned Income Tax Credit 75 percent refundable.

“Taken together, these changes will make Virginia’s income tax 45 percent more progressive than in 2021 (as measured by change in the ‘Suits’ progressivity index, which measures the progressivity of taxes on all income groups), and more progressive than most other states’ income tax,”  a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report states.

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Commentary: Rural Backlash Against ‘Renewables’ Surges

RealClearWire

The hype about wind and solar energy keeps colliding with the hard reality of land-use conflicts. Nowhere is that more obvious than in Ohio, where 41 townships have rejected or restricted the expansion of wind and/or solar projects since last November. In addition, at least eight Ohio counties have implemented restrictions on Big Wind and Big Solar over that same time period. 

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Commentary: The Embarrassing Rhetoric on Russia

RealClearWire

The Ukraine-Russia conflict has spurred debate on how to best resolve the crisis. One thing most people can agree on is that nuclear war could happen. In response, most would hope that the risk of nuclear destruction would bring about grounded debate. Unfortunately, the conflict has brought out name calling and baseless allegations. Much of this coming from people currently in charge of policy or who helped shape policy in the past. The juvenile rhetoric on Ukraine-Russia is undermining the debate and could have grave consequences.

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Major Newspaper Publishes ‘Misleading’ Photos on First Trimester Abortion

Admin

The Guardian published images of gestational tissue from the first 9 weeks of pregnancy without clarifying that the embryo had been removed, giving the impression that no embryo was present, an OB-GYN told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The article showed eight photos of the gestational sac — a thin, white tissue that supports a pregnancy — and suggested first trimester abortions only removed this tissue in a Wednesday article titled “What a pregnancy actually looks like before 10 weeks – in pictures.” The embryos had been removed from the tissue, according to OB-GYN Christina Francis, but the article made no mention of that.

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Poll: Americans Say Federal Government Has Too Much Power

The Center Square
US Capitol Infrastructure

Newly released polling data shows that a majority of Americans say the federal government has too much power.

Gallup released the poll Wednesday, which showed that 54% of Americans said the federal government is “too powerful.” The survey found 39% said the federal government has the right amount of power while only 6% said it has too little.

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Report: Biden Administration Told Texas Mayor Not to Declare State of Emergency over City’s Migrant Crisis Ahead of Midterms

Admin

The Biden White House reportedly directed the Democrat mayor of El Paso, Texas, to not declare a state of emergency over the massive influx of illegal immigrants overwhelming the city due to concerns it would make Democrats look bad ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

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Commentary: Liberal Arts Colleges Are More Liberal than Universities

RealClearWire

Students often approach me to share the experiences they are having with other faculty on campus. They talk of being deeply uncomfortable asking questions in seminars and share with me how intimidated they are to challenge their professors. They often have real difficulty in sharing views that may run against the progressive, even Marxist, ideas that tend to dominate my campus.

I have been a professor at Sarah Lawrence College—one of the nation’s more elite and politically active campuses—for over a decade now. Liberal activism and ideological infusion into classes have become standard here and at many other liberal arts schools.  

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Biden to Pay Nearly Three Times More than Trump Would Have Paid to Refill Strategic Oil Reserves

Admin

President Joe Biden will buy oil to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) at a price that is nearly three times higher than the price the Trump administration would have paid.

Biden’s Energy Department (DOE) aims to buy back crude oil at a price of $67 to $72 per barrel after selling 15 million barrels in December to complete the largest series of SPR releases in the nation’s history, according to a White House fact sheet. Former President Donald Trump proposed in March 2020 to refill the strategic reserves at a price of $24.49 per barrel; however, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer helped block the proposal, calling it a “bailout for big oil.”

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CDC Immunization Advisory Panel Likely to Weigh Recommending Routine COVID Shots for Children

Susan Berry, PhD

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) may have scheduled in its meeting agenda for Wednesday and Thursday a vote on whether to recommend adding COVID-19 shots to the standard Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule.

The agenda’s wording is ambiguous, as Children’s Health Defense (CHD) President and General Counsel Mary Holland noted.

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Virginia Has Almost 250,000 Illegal Immigrants, Five Sanctuary Localities

The Center Square
Border surge

More than a quarter of a million people in Virginia immigrated to the country illegally, according to estimates, and five localities do not fully work with federal law enforcement regarding deportations.

Although the government does not have data on the exact number of immigrants who came to the country illegally, estimates for the Virginia population are usually somewhere between 250,000 and 275,000. Some proponents of stricter immigration control have warned the failure to enforce immigration laws has become a burden on local economies and has made communities less safe.

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Miyares Joins Amicus Brief Supporting Oklahoma Law Regulating Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Eric Burk

Attorney General Jason Miyares has joined 34 other attorneys general in an amicus brief supporting Oklahoma’s laws regulating pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Miyares’ press release said Virginia’s laws are similar to Oklahoma’s, and the regulations are necessary to protect consumers and pharmacies against PBMs, which act as middlemen between insurance providers, pharmacies, and drug manufacturers.

“Virginians’ healthcare costs continue to rise, and PBMs are partially to blame. Virginia has enacted laws to protect consumers from abusive PBM practices—including laws I supported in the General Assembly. Now, as your Attorney General, protecting consumers is one of my most important jobs, and I will continue to fight for these laws and the consumers they protect,” Miyares said.

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German Cardinal Gerhard Müller: ‘LGBT Ideology’ Attempting ‘Hostile Takeover’ of Catholic Church

Susan Berry, PhD

Catholics must “stay firm in the truth” as those who have embraced an LGBTQ agenda are in the midst of a “hostile takeover” of the Catholic Church, warned German Cardinal Gerhard Müller in interviews over the past week with both EWTN’s The World Over and LifeSiteNews.

Müller, the former head of the Vatican’s highest doctrinal office, is voicing his significant concerns about the dangers to the Church brought on during Pope Francis’ Synod on Synodality, a process that involves collecting the views of lay Catholics in every diocese around the world prior to the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023.

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Biden Promises More Abortions If Democrats Win Midterm Elections

Susan Berry, PhD

Joe Biden attempted to lure voters with the bait of more abortions by promising to enshrine Roe v. Wade into federal law if Democrats win the mid-term elections and keep control of Congress.

“Your right to choose rests with you,” Biden said in a speech Tuesday hosted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Washington, DC, reported CNBC.

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Commentary: ESG Is Evil

Virginia Star Staff

The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scoring system is undergoing intense scrutiny. It also has become quite a political football, with conservative governors, attorneys general, and other officials pushing back against the movement while progressive politicians argue that ESG needs to go further.

This political tug-of-war has exposed the evil essence of ESG: It is an attempt by progressives to arm-twist the leaders of investment firms controlling the allocation of over $20 trillion in investment capital away from firms disfavored by progressives, including, most notably, producers of fossil fuels.

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JLARC Recommends Centralizing Gambling Regulation at the Virginia Lottery

Eric Burk

Virginia’s gambling regulation should be centralized under the Virginia Lottery, according to a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report, which found that regulation is split between three different agencies, and two of them are understaffed. In addition to the lottery which regulates casinos and sports betting, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) regulates charitable gaming, and the Virginia Racing Commission (VRC) regulates live and historical horse racing (HHR).

“Gaming regulation is not the primary function of VRC and VDACS. Both agencies need more staff and better technology to ensure that all gaming under their purview operates with integrity,” the report summary states.

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Biden’s Family Got ‘Interest-Free,’ ‘Forgivable’ Loan from China, New Evidence Reveals

Just the News

President Joe Biden has made waves this fall with his plan to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars of student loans, shifting the burden to taxpayers. Five years earlier, his family cashed in on a zero-interest, forgivable loan of its own from an energy company in communist China, according to evidence in the possession of the FBI.

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Almost 15 Percent of American Voters Will Be LGBTQ by 2030, New Report Claims

Virginia Star Staff

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) suggested in a new report that one in seven voters will identify as LGBTQ by 2030.

LGBTQ voters are predicted to become the fastest growing voting bloc in the near future, with the report suggesting that one in five voters will be LGBTQ by 2040, according to the HRC and Bowling Green State University (BGSU). The report explained that 11% of voters are currently LGBTQ, and expects numbers to continually climb as Generation Z voters age and “come out.”

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ICE Tried to Spin Its ‘Indefensible’ 2021 Report Showing Massive Drop in Deportations, Arrests

Virginia Star Staff

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attempted to spin the agency’s low arrest and deportation numbers in fiscal year 2021 by blaming them on the pandemic, a Trump-era rule and lack of cooperation with foreign countries, according to internal documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

ICE’s communications team acknowledged that the agency’s Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report, which featured a massive decline in deportations and arrests, would likely be the subject of criticism, and prepared a response for acting Director Tae Johnson and acting Chief of Staff Jason Houser to downplay the low levels of interior immigration enforcement, according to internal communications obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The report was also delayed, which ICE attributed to the fact that the report was a compilation of what would otherwise be multiple separate reports.

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