The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a UN agency, released a statement on Monday criticizing the Biden-Harris administration's decision to extend its so-called asylum restrictions, which the agency claimed "severely curtails access to protection for people fleeing conflict, persecution, and violence, putting many refugees and asylum seekers in grave danger without a viable option for seeking safety."The agency expressed "profound concern," arguing that "every person seeking asylum must be granted access to safety and afforded the opportunity to have their claims individually and fairly assessed before deportation or removal."'We have not cut off our asylum system.'In June, President Joe Biden signed Proclamation 10773, 89 FR 48487 - Securing the Border, an executive order that claimed to give the federal government the authority to shut down the southern border when the number of immigrant encounters reached 2,500 per day for seven consecutive days. The restriction could be lifted if the average number fell to 1,500 per day for a week.However, it carved out numerous exceptions, including for unaccompanied minors; individuals from countries that do not take back deportees; and individuals experiencing medical emergencies, a "severe form" of trafficking, or those with a "credible fear." Additionally, the so-called shutdown does not impact foreign nationals who schedule an appointment to claim asylum at a port of entry through the Customs and Border Protection's CBP One app. The administration recently extended these actions and added that the average number of encounters must drop below 1,500 per day for 28 days before being lifted. Additionally, as part of the recent extension, the administration announced that it is now counting all children in that total. Previously, only children from Mexico were counted.Despite the administration's toothless restriction potentially impacting only foreign nationals who attempt to illegally cross the border between designated ports of entry, the UNHCR claims the rules are too strict and may even violate international law."Limiting or blocking such access is a violation of international refugee law and the humanitarian principles to which the United States has long been a leader," the agency's statement read."UNHCR remains committed to collaborating with the U.S. in support of much needed reforms to enhance the fairness, efficiency, and capacity of its asylum and border management systems," it continued. "The United States has a long history of offering refuge and it is crucial that it continues to uphold its legacy as a beacon of protection for those in need. That is why UNHCR continues to call on the U.S. to reconsider these measures and ensure that no person seeking protection is unjustly turned away or put at risk of harm."The American Immigration Lawyers Association similarly claimed that the administration's new rule is effectively an asylum ban, the Associated Press reported.Kelli Stump, the AILA's president, stated, "It is imperative that our nation have safe, orderly, and efficient processes at the border that also ensure fair and humane treatment of asylum seekers. The consequences of denying asylum to someone who is being persecuted can literally be a matter of life or death."Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas rejected those claims, pointing to the restriction's built-in exceptions, according to the AP."We have not cut off our asylum system," Mayorkas remarked.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Imagine waking up, grabbing your morning coffee, scrolling through your news feed, and seeing this headline: “U.S. Port Workers Begin Nationwide Strike.” It’s easy to dismiss it. Dockworkers and ports seem like distant concerns, right? On the contrary, this strike will hit you in the most personal way possible: your wallet, your daily life, and your family’s security. It’s not a question of if this strike will impact you — it’s a question of when and how much. In the first week, things will seem almost normal. You’ll still receive your online orders, stores will remain stocked, and most people will continue with their daily routines, oblivious to what’s happening behind the scenes. But even in that first week, the cracks in the system will start to form.Automation is already here. Like AI, it’s too late to stop it. The question now isn’t whether it will happen but how we will adapt.Retailers, manufacturers, and businesses that rely on steady shipments will begin to feel the pressure. Stockrooms will start to run thin as supply chains begin to wobble as they did during COVID. While it may seem like life is carrying on as usual, there’s an invisible strain building across the economy. By the second week, the changes will become obvious. You'll visit the grocery store and see emptier shelves. Fresh fruits like bananas, avocados, and berries, typically available year-round, will become scarce. This shortage won't stop at food. Electronics, clothing, and children's toys may also start disappearing from the shelves. Businesses will scramble for limited inventory, pushing prices higher as competition intensifies.By the third week, minor inconveniences will give way to a full-blown crisis. Entire industries that depend on overseas parts and materials will slow down or shut down completely. Factories will furlough workers as the supply chain dries up. Grocery stores will start rationing items, limiting how much you can purchase as shortages spread. Inflation will rear its ugly head, driving up prices on food, clothing, and gas. Even if the strike ends in week three, the damage will already be done, and clearing the port backlog will take weeks, if not months.By the fourth week, the strike will escalate from an economic issue to a national security problem. We are entering what I call a “polycrisis” — a perfect storm of interconnected challenges poised to deliver a knockout blow to the nation. Inflation is already spiraling out of control, a devastating hurricane has disrupted supply chains, and now a crippling port strike adds to the turmoil.These crises will combine, creating a cascading effect that could overwhelm the country. Small businesses will close their doors, grocery store shelves will become sparse, and your favorite brands may vanish entirely. Industries will collapse as jobs disappear, and inflation will erode the purchasing power of everyday Americans. The economic impact won't stop at inflation or supply chain disruptions — companies will eliminate jobs as they shift operations to reduce reliance on U.S. ports in the future.Why would dockworkers risk such a crisis? At the heart of this dispute are their demands for higher wages and ironclad guarantees that their jobs won’t be replaced by automation. Their specific demand regarding wages is a 77% pay raise over six years after already turning down a 50% increase. As tough as dock work is, the pay is already well above the national average — $100,000 to $200,000 a year. Meanwhile, the rest of America is barely keeping up with inflation.But the bigger issue is their demand to halt automation. The union is pushing back hard against the tech-driven future that corporations are pursuing. They demand guarantees to prevent machines from completely phasing out human workers. They are calling for limits on automation to ensure that human jobs remain at the ports in the future. Without these guarantees, workers fear being reduced to a skeleton crew that merely oversees machines taking over their roles. Once that happens, they believe it's only a matter of time before even those remaining jobs disappear entirely.I can sympathize with the dock workers. No one wants to hear, “We have a machine that can do your job faster and without breaks. Good luck.”But here’s the cold reality: Automation is already here. Like AI, it’s too late to stop it. The question now isn’t whether it will happen but how we will adapt. China has already embraced automation, making its ports more efficient, cheaper, and safer. If we fail to adapt, we will fall behind, and in the long run, that poses a much bigger threat to American workers than the immediate concerns of this strike. Instead of pushing people out, we need to focus on retraining and retooling the workforce to meet the demands of this new era.This strike will ripple through the entire economy, leading to job losses, higher prices, and a weakened global standing. The longer it drags on, the more permanent the damage will be, and without leadership to address these challenges, we’ll be left scrambling to pick up the pieces.Want more from Glenn Beck? Get Glenn's FREE email newsletter with his latest insights, top stories, show prep, and more delivered to your inbox.

Several Springfield, Ohio, residents recently told Blaze News' Julio Rosas that their concerns about the impacts of the immigration crisis on their community are not being addressed.Rosas attended Springfield's commission meeting on September 24, speaking with locals ahead of the scheduled discussion. Many expressed frustrations over the lack of solutions and contended that their concerns seemed to be passed over.'If we're going to welcome them into our community, why are we going to exploit them that way?'One resident told Rosas before the meeting, "We're not getting any solutions right now. And it's up to our leaders — all of them, even the county commissions need to come in on this because it affects the whole county.""We need to sit down together and come up with a list of the problems and come up with solutions," he stated.In particular, locals have stated that the influx of 20,000 Haitian nationals into the Springfield metropolitan area has led to an increase in traffic accidents, spiked rental costs, and a housing shortage. Several residents told Blaze News that women have reported being followed around retail stores by Haitian men."We have not gotten anywhere at these council meetings," the local continued to tell Rosas. "Can we get some support on training these people on how to drive? There needs to be some training. When you come here, you don't stalk women in the stores and scare our women. It's not going to go good for them. And to me, it's not even so much a culture thing, that's more of common sense. You don't just follow women around in a store. Our women are scared to go to the store."He claimed that the Haitian nationals in the city should also have some grievances they would like to see addressed."They're being trafficked for labor and who knows what else," he told Rosas. "And the way they're being taken advantage of. They're paying three times as much for rent as what they should be.""Why is that?" he questioned. "If we're going to welcome them into our community, why are we going to exploit them that way? Why are we going to let them be exploited that way?"Richard Jordan, another resident, speculated that some local leaders may be benefiting from the immigration crisis and, therefore, are not eager to address the community's concerns."The money's going somewhere. There's a reason these people are being coddled," he said, referring to the Haitians. "And the American citizens are being put as second class. And it's bulls***."When asked whether he was concerned about potential backlash, he told Rosas, "We've already seen the backlash. People are calling us liars because we're expressing our voice, which everybody should."Residents confronted their city leaders in the commission meeting, demanding answers and swift solutions. One local shouted out during the meeting, "This is the swamp right here. We need to drain it on a local level."Diana Daniels, a Springfield resident, told city leaders, "Every time a citizen got up here and had a concern … [they receive] pushback. 'That's racist; that's xenophobic.' When, in fact, you weren't listening to what was said underneath.""The city commission and someone decided that race needed to be the issue," Daniels added.Jordan addressed city leaders during the meeting, stating, "I'm getting tired of people portraying white people as being racist.""There's a bunch of scandalous things going on in our town," Jordan said.Mark Sanders, a resident who previously spoke with Rosas, laid the blame for the city's issues at the commission's feet."Everything that's happened in this city in the last two weeks [is] your fault," Sanders said, pointing toward commission members. "In March of this year, I brought to the commission about domestic animal abuse. Gave you where to look. Nobody looked. Nobody." Springfield was thrust into the national spotlight after allegations Haitians were stealing geese and ducks from parks and residents' dogs and cats. "I've been harping since September of last year about towing vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers. It's still happening today," he said, referring to claims that Springfield Police Division is not towing vehicles of unlicensed drivers.After the public comment period concluded, city commissioners responded to some of the questions and concerns raised by residents. Mayor Rob Rue (R) said, "I just need to say, I had no foreknowledge of immigrants coming into our community and making a decision to allow or disallow. Folks that are here are here. And I have said this multiple times publicly: It is our job to make sure this community's secure and that we wrap our arms around this situation. It is a human thing to do, period. I don't like to see a broad brush of hate swathed against any human group, and I don't like seeing what we're seeing in the last couple weeks.""As good city leaders, we are subject to the federal administration policy that we are dealing with ... which means we're going to deal with it, and that's the best we can do," he stated. "It is, again, a misunderstanding or absolutely not true that I would be accused not to care about the things that we're hearing from both of these podiums and microphones."After several unanswered calls to the Springfield Police Division, the department told Blaze News in an emailed statement, "Thanks for your interest. I will see what we can get to you, but your deadline is tight and we do not have capacity right now with all the media requests we are getting. We will get back to you as soon as practical."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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Apple is planning to unveil the iPhone SE 4 alongside an updated series of iPads in early 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a recent report, Gurman says that Apple is preparing to start production on a new iPhone SE model with the codename V59. He also reminds us that this will be the first iPhone SE since the 2022 model, which was the last iPhone to feature a Home button. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to ditch the outmoded design element in favor of a notch cutout. At long last, all budget-minded Apple fans can leave Touch ID in the dust and switch to Face ID. Apple is expected to announce new iPad Air models alongside the iPhone SE as well. Gurman says that the new models—codenamed J607 and J637—will have a similar design to the latest version but with several internal upgrades. We should also be introduced to an updated version of Apple's Magic Keyboard, as codenames for the 11-inch (R307) and 13-inch versions (R308) of the iPad accessory have been seen. They will reportedly include features from the iPad Pro keyboards. Finally, Gurman notes that a new iPad mini codenamed J410 could see the light of day before the end of 2024. It could even show up at Apple's rumored October event, where the company might debut a new MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac, all with M4 chips. Don't Miss: M4 iPad Pro: Release date, OLED, price, features, iPadOS 18, Apple Pencil Pro, more The post iPhone SE 4 with Face ID and new iPad Air coming in early 2025 appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: Early Prime Day sales, $189 Apple Watch SE, Philips OneBlade 360, Crest 3D Whitestrips, more Today’s deals: $2.75 smart plugs, $79 Ninja air fryer, $6.49 Anker USB-C chargers, $219 Dreo ChefMaker, more Best Echo Dot deals for Fall Prime Day 2024 Today’s deals: First AirPods 4 discount, $6 smart bulbs, $110 off Dyson V8, $6 MagSafe chargers, more