The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | March 19th, 2024: Texas Hits SCOTUS Roadblock On Border Crackdown & Niger's Junta Kicks Out US Troops

Episode Date: March 19, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:     Texas Governor Greg Abbott is facing another roadblock in his fight to secure the border, as the U.S. Supreme Court indefinitely blocks the lone star state from enforcing a controversial measure that would expand the power of state authorities. We’ll turn our attention to the governing junta in Niger, who abruptly ended a military agreement with the U.S. over the weekend, essentially evicting American troops as the country’s leaders cozy up to Russia and Iran. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.  Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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You talking to me? Kayak, got that right. This podcast is sponsored by Blackout. coffee. Start your day off with a delicious cup or two of American-made Blackout coffee. It's family-owned premium coffee, fresh-roasted, and shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. Forty-eight hours. It's almost like you're dipping your mug right into the roaster, pulling out the beans on your own. Go to blackout coffee.com. Promocode PDB for 20% off your first purchase. It's Tuesday, 19 March. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears

on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, Texas governor Greg Abbott is facing another roadblock in his fight to secure the border as the U.S. Supreme Court indefinitely blocks the Lone Star State from enforcing a controversial measure that would expand the power of state authorities. Also, we'll turn our attention to the governing junta in Niger, which abruptly ended a military agreement with the U.S. Essentially, what they're doing is kicking out the American troops as the country's leaders cozy up to Russia. But first, our afternoon spotlight. The legal back and forth between the federal government and Texas is continuing to hamper the Lone Star State's ability to secure America's borders. The U.S. Supreme Court moved on Monday to indefinitely block Texas

from enforcing a controversial law that would empower state law enforcement with authority that was previously reserved only for federal agents. The court's administrative stay will remain in effect until the justices consider emergency appeals from the Biden administration and activist groups. The controversial law was, well, it's controversial for the Biden administration and for activist groups, not necessarily for all people. The controversial law was met with immediate outrage from immigration groups and officials in the Biden administration when it was passed in December, with critics saying it was a gross overreach of state power that risked encouraging racial profiling. officials also argued that the law would profoundly alter the relationship profoundly between the federal

government and the states, eroding the Border Patrol supremacy on immigration issues. Now, the Texas law would classify illegal entry or re-entry into Texas as a state crime, subject to the jurisdiction of local law enforcement. Under the measure, Texas state law enforcement would then be empowered to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the border. Hmm, there's a unique thought. The protocol also calls for Texas magistrate judges to order any migrants swept up by local police to be deported or face anywhere from 180 days to 20 years in prison. A federal judge in Austin initially blocked Texas from implementing the law. However, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

granted a subsequent stay of the ruling. And following that decision, the proposed law was set to take effect on March 10th, and that was before the Biden administration and others appealed to the higher court. The current stay from the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't have an expiration date. Now, Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded defiantly on Monday, saying that while the Supreme Court may have blocked that specific law, the state still has other ways to curb illegal crossings. Abbott said on Monday, quote, Texas is still using its authority to arrest illegal immigrants for criminal trespass and other violations of law. We continue building the wall, using National Guard to erect razor wire barriers to repel migrants, and the buoys remain in the river, end quote.

As we've discussed on the PDB, Abbott and Texas remain locked in a bitter feud with the Biden administration as the state pursues their own solutions to the migrant crisis, leading to a constant back and forth in federal courts since late last year. On January 22nd, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that U.S. Border Patrol agents did have the authority to remove razor wire fencing that Texas erected along their border. However, the decision didn't provide any additional explanation or clarity. And Abbott has since said that Texas's right to defend itself, quote, is the Supreme Law of the Land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary, end quote. The Supreme Court's latest decision comes as illegal migrant crossings at the U.S. southern border continue at a

record pace. U.S. Border Patrol agents recorded more than 300,000 illegal migrant encounters in December of 2023, and that marked an all-time record for encounters in a single month. It's estimated that by the end of September of this year, more than 8 million illegal immigrants will be living inside the U.S. It's a stunning 167% increase in just five years. And it's worth noting, that number? Well, that's just the known encounters. Border Patrol and other numbers estimate that there are another two million-plus known gotaways that entered the country during the course of President Biden's administration without encountering law enforcement. Coming up after the break, we'll discuss Niger's decision to abruptly end a military agreement with the U.S., essentially kicking American

troops out of the country as though Henta draws closer to Russia. I'll be right back. Hey, honey, it's mom. Did you know if we switch to Verizon we can get four phones for zero dollars, plus four lines for $25 a line. Call me back. Me again. That's just $100 a month for four lines on Unlimited Welcome. Plus four phones, no trade in needed. Call me.

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I want to turn now to the nation of Niger, where the country's military junta is working to evict the American military. This past weekend, they announced that they were ending what's known as, the status of forces agreement that's allowed U.S. personnel to be deployed in the country since 2012. Currently, there are about 1,000 U.S. military personnel, including contractors. Nizier's decision came after U.S. officials traveled to the country just last week to express concerns about the country's growing ties to Russia and Iran. In particular, senior officials accused the junta of secretly exploring a deal to allow Iran access to its uranium reserves. On Saturday, a spokesman for Niger's military government accused the U.S. of displaying

a, quote, condescending attitude, well, that's hard to believe, during the talks. He went on to declare, quote, the U.S. presence on the territory of the Republic of Niger is illegal and violates all the constitutional and democratic rules, which would require the sovereign people to be consulted on the installation of a foreign army on its territory, end quote. The spokesman then demanded that U.S. be withdrawn immediately. The military hunter came to power last year when Niger's army overthrew the nation's elected president. It was part of a wave of coups that hit Africa since 2020. Since taking power, the government has sought to distance itself from the West, first evicting French and European troops back in December. Now, if you're wondering why the United States has a military

presence in Niger, the country has been a key regional partner for counterterrorism efforts for over a decade. Niger is strategically important in the fight against a number of Islamic extremist groups in the Sahel region of Africa, part of a broader strategy to support African nations in maintaining security and preventing the region from becoming a safe haven for terrorist organizations. Jihadist groups that are active in the region include Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. U.S. forces in Niger have been engaged in training and advising local military forces, intelligence sharing, and conducting drone operations to monitor and target terrorist groups. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday, 19 March.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And be sure to check out our new premium membership at PDB premium.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. safe. Stay cool. All. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot machine by Aristocrat Gaming,

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