UPDATE: Donald Trump Takes Office as the 47th US President



As the Trump administration continues to play coy with the Jeffrey Epstein files they once promised to release to the public, Democracy Forward is suing for access to the internal communications within the Trump administration about the handling of the Epstein files. The lawsuit includes communications by press secretary Karoline Leavitt, which would likely provide a window on Donald Trump's participation in the matter as well. Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, and Barry Levine, who investigated Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell for his book, "The Spider," discuss with Jen Psaki.
 


I just left a visit to the ICE detention facility in Eloy. There’s a lot to absorb, but I want to tell you about a woman I met named Maria because her story really shows how messed up all this is.

She’s been in the U.S. for twenty years. Has no criminal history. She was detained at the Marine Base in Yuma. Her son is a U.S. Marine stationed there. He’s married to another Marine. And they have a two-year-old kid, Maria's grandson.

Maria was in Yuma because her son was leaving for training, her daughter-in-law had a hip surgery, and so they needed help watching her grandson. When she came back to the base after a grocery run, she was detained and reported to CBP. Now, she’s being held in an ICE facility.

I remember how proud my parents were watching my brother and I get sworn into the Navy, so I asked her if she had been there when her son graduated from boot camp. She broke down in tears. All she could say was how proud of her son she was.

That stuck with me. And it should stick with you. And if I have anything to do about it, it will stick with this administration. This woman loves America. Her son is risking her life for America – for us. She is the exact type of person we should want in this country. My team and I will keep fighting for her and her family.
 
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