U.S. Repatriation Flight Carrying 266 Venezuelan Migrants Lands in Caracas 
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UN General Assembly Demands Russia Return Ukrainian Children Amid Ongoing Conflict 
U.S. Defense Chief Pete Hegseth Defends Controversial Second Strike on Suspected Drug-Smuggling Vessel 
U.S.-Russia Talks Leave Ukraine Peace Efforts Uncertain 
U.S. Expected to Expand Travel Ban to More Than 30 Countries 
Trump and Lula Discuss Trade, Sanctions, and Security in “Productive” Phone Call 
Trump Administration Halts Immigration, Green Card, and Citizenship Processing for 19 Countries 
Cuba Reaffirms Anti-Drug Cooperation as Tensions Rise in the Caribbean 
Maduro Confirms “Respectful” Call With Trump, Signals Openness to Diplomatic Dialogue 
Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship 
Taiwan Signals Openness to Renew Ties with Honduras as Election Unfolds 
UN Chief Says Gaza Operation “Fundamentally Wrong” as Concerns Over War Crimes Grow 
Trump’s Name Appears on U.S. Institute of Peace Ahead of Rwanda–Congo Deal Signing 
U.S. Justice Department Orders Intensified Probe Into Antifa and Domestic Extremist Groups 
Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns 
Australia and Japan Strengthen Defence Cooperation Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
The Biden administration is tackling the challenge of a surge in migrants at the southern border seeking to cross to the US. With the White House taking on potential criticism from Republicans over the border situation, Joe Biden is pledging to ease the surge of migrants.
Speaking to reporters over the weekend upon returning from Camp David, Biden said that his administration is working to rebuild a system that would allow possible child migrants to seek asylum in their home countries to keep them from traveling through human trafficking networks at the southern border. Biden said that he knows what is currently happening at the border and has pledged to visit the border at some point.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also addressed the criticism by Republicans that the administration was caught off-guard with handling the surge of migrants at the border as well as actively exacerbated the surge by rewriting the existing immigration rules. Mayorkas also dismissed the accusations that the Biden administration reversed some of the immigration policies implemented by Donald Trump that was considered inhumane before they were ready to tackle the surge.
While Mayorkas could not give a specific timeline for when child migrants could be transferred to more comfortable accommodations from the border patrol stations, he could not guarantee immediate press access inside the migrant border posts due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Mayorkas also addressed Republican accusations that Biden’s White House left the border open. “We are elevating our messaging so that the individuals do know that they cannot come to the border. The border is closed.”
In other news, another member of Biden’s cabinet has recently been confirmed. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was confirmed by the Senate this week to lead the Department of Labor. Walsh was confirmed by a vote of 68 to 29, making him the last Cabinet nominee to be confirmed.
The only other position that has yet to have a nomination for is for the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The administration has yet to make a nominee as Neera Tanden withdrew her nomination due to her past comments on social media.
