2020 Democrats are being forced to reckon with a broken, complicated immigration system and offer solutions to a crisis that has become emotionally charged and politically risky.
The bottom line: There may be solutions to prevent so many migrant kids from coming into custody in the first place, but the answers we received showed the challenges of dealing with the status quo.
President Trump, for the first time, has publicly acknowledged that he is considering issuing an executive order to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census.
Driving the news: Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House today, Trump said he was thinking "very seriously" about issuing an executive order — but it was among "four or five" options he was weighing to force a citizenship question onto the Census.
The United Arab Emirates is reportedly withdrawing most of its forces from Yemen to defend its home front in the event of an Iran conflict — a move that could also improve its standing with U.S. lawmakers critical of the war in Yemen.
The big picture: The U.A.E.'s withdrawal of troops could lead to de-escalation in Yemen, but for Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman (MBS), a key Arab friend of the Trump administration, it is the latest indicator that he is rapidly running out of allies.
Sen. Kamala Harris' (D-Calif.) presidential campaign raised nearly $12 million from about 279,000 donors during the second quarter of the year, her campaign said on Friday.
Why it matters: Harris' campaign is experiencing an upswing following the second night of Democratic primary debates when she confronted former Vice President Joe Biden over his record on busing to integrate schools. She saw a bump in the polls, and brought in $2 million within 24 hours of the debate.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has introduced a new 2020 plan on Friday to improve the working conditions and pay for women of color, relying on the power of executive orders that she would sign Day 1 of her presidency.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, "who rose to national prominence by calling for tough regulation after the financial crisis, is winning respect from a small but growing circle of senior bankers and hedge fund managers," Bloomberg's Lananh Nguyen and Tyler Pager write.
The big picture: As she "takes aim at the 'rich and powerful' with a slew of tax-raising policy proposals, some financial types who fit that description say she’s proven capable and makes some good points."
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock's 2020 presidential campaign says they raised more than $2 million during the second quarter of 2019, reports CBS.
The big picture: It's not close to the $21.5 million former Vice President Joe Biden reported or the $24.8 million Mayor Pete Buttigieg claimed. Bullock entered the race on May 14 — a month after Q2 fundraising began.
Joe Biden says he's "looking forward to" a chance to debate President Trump, the former VP told CNN's Chris Cuomo in an interview airing Friday.
"You walk behind me in the debate. Come here, man. The idea that I'd be intimidated by Donald Trump. He's the bully that I knew my whole life. He's the bully that I've always stood up to. He's the bully that used to make fun when I was a kid that I stutter, and I'd smack them in the mouth."
The Supreme Court is already poised to drop some big political bombshells right into the heat of the 2020 campaign. And there are even more waiting in the wings.
Why it matters: The court will likely hand downrulings on some of the most contentious issues in American politics just a few weeks before the Democratic convention. They'll be a reminder of just how often the justices effectively have the final say — and that 2020 is a race to pick the next justices.
Over 20 former undocumented employees of Donald Trump are seeking a meeting with the now-president to discuss immigration reform and to request immunity from deportation, according to the Washington Post.
What's happening: In a letter to Trump on Wednesday, the former Trump Organization employees — including groundskeepers, maids and kitchen staff — asked the president to "do the right thing" and not deport them or their friends and families. They cited their collective years of service to Trump's business empire, stating, "You know many of us and will recall how hard we worked for you, your family and your golf clubs."
As President Trump catches heat for his Fourth of July celebration, set to include tanks, aircraft demonstrations and a primetime speech, it's worth looking back at how previous presidents spent the holiday.
It could be a while before we know how much President Trump's July 4 celebration will cost the taxpayers, since the expense of military activities like providing the M1 Abrams tanks and other armored vehicles won't be determined until long after it's over, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Trump's military display — an element that traditionally hasn't been included in Independence Day celebrations — has been controversial and is sure to prompt more questions about the total cost. The Post reports that the air show alone could cost as much as $2 million, in addition to the $2.5 million the National Park Service is diverting to cover the event.
President Trump is considering an executive order to try to move forward with a citizenship question on the 2020 census, top sources tell Jonathan Swan and me.
"We didn’t come this far just to throw in the towel," said a senior administration official with direct knowledge of the conversations.
Rep. Justin Amash, the only Republican who supports impeaching President Trump, announced in a Washington Post op-ed this morning that he's leaving the Republican Party and "declaring my independence."
Between the lines: The Michigan congressman faced a primary challenge over his support for impeachment that would have been tough, if not impossible, for him to win. This way, the libertarian-leaning Amash can try to keep his seat as an independent or go out on his own terms. "Preserving liberty means telling the Republican Party and the Democratic Party that we’ll no longer let them play their partisan game at our expense," he wrote.
Organizers have stepped up security and readied battle tanks, fighter jets and fireworks for President Trump's Fourth of July extravaganza in Washington, D.C., per NPR.
Why it matters: July 4 has been seen as a nonpartisan occasion, but Trump has inserted himself into the event. He tweeted military leaders are "thrilled" he's honoring U.S. forces. Retired generals told Politico he's politicizing the Independence Day celebration. The taxpayer cost hasn't been disclosed, per ABC News. Here's how people have been preparing for the event in Washington, D.C., in photos.
Democratic presidential candidates criticized President Trump for his Fourth of July extravaganza plans, with Pete Buttigieg telling CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead" Wednesday the event "makes America look smaller."
"One of the reasons I joined the military was that in a small way I wanted to be part of seeing to it that my country was not the kind of place where a leader feels the need to boost his own ego by rolling tanks down the streets of our capital."
An appeals court has rejected the Trump administration's emergency request to block a federal judge's ruling that prevents it from using military funds to pay for its southern border wall.
Details: In a 2-1 ruling Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said that "a stay of the district court’s order granting Plaintiffs an injunction is not warranted." The administration's expected to appeal the decision, per the Wall Street Journal. But it's another setback for Trump and his 2016 campaign promise ahead of the 2020 election.
Sen. Kamala Harris told an Iowa crowd on Wednesday that "we have a predator living in the White House," Politico reports.
The big picture: Fresh off her poised confrontation against former Vice President Joe Biden on debate night and a subsequent bump in the polls, Harris is falling back on her prosecutorial experience to make a unique attack against President Trump. There are varyingreports of the exact number of women who have publicly accused Trump of sexual misconduct.
