Also, Harvard’s legacy admissions come under scrutiny. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
The number of migrants apprehended at the southern U.S. border has plummeted over the past two months, in spite of expectations of a big influx after the lifting of Title 42 in May. Perhaps the biggest reason for the drop, officials say, is that President Biden’s stringent new asylum rules have effectively turned migrants away.
Today, that policy was struck down by a federal judge in California, dealing a major blow to Biden’s efforts to manage immigration along the southern border.
Immigrant advocacy groups had challenged the new requirements that migrants secure an appointment at an official port of entry or prove that they sought legal protection in another country before applying for asylum in the U.S. The groups argued that the policy left migrants vulnerable during long waits in Mexico border towns and that it mimicked a Trump administration rule that had already been blocked.
The judge — Jon Tigar, an Obama appointee — sided with the advocacy groups, writing that the policy was “both substantively and procedurally invalid.” He however stayed his order for 14 days, giving the Biden administration time for an appeal.
The administration argued in court that the rule had prevented chaos at the border and that unlawful crossings would spike if it were rescinded. If a surge happens, it could open up Biden to political attacks just as the 2024 campaign ramps up.Harvard’s legacy admissions come under scrutiny
The Education Department opened a civil rights investigation into Harvard University’s preferences for the relatives of alumni and donors when making admissions decisions.
The move followed a formal complaint that was filed after the Supreme Court last month rejected the use of affirmative action at colleges around the country. The groups that filed the complaint argued that Harvard’s so-called legacy admissions illegally discriminated against Black, Hispanic and Asian applicants in favor of wealthy students who were less qualified.
For more: A study of elite college admissions data suggested that being very rich was in effect its own qualification.The mysterious downfall of China’s foreign minister
The foreign minister, Qin Gang, was once a central figure in the U.S.-China relationship and one of President Xi Jinping’s rising stars. Then, he disappeared from public view for 30 days. Finally, today, China announced that Qin was being replaced, without offering a reason.
