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Friday, April 25, 2025
7 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Guatemalans Charged in Murder Case Entered U.S. Illegally, Skipped Immigration Hearing.

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❓What Happened: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed that a Guatemalan illegal, immigrant charged with murdering his girlfriend, and his uncle, arrested as an alleged accessory to the crime, entered the U.S. illegally and skipped their immigration court hearings.

👥 Who’s Involved: Keycy Robinson Alexis Barrera-Rosa, 23, is accused of killing his girlfriend, Lesbia Mileth Ramirez Guerra. Rolvin Eduardo Barrera-Barrera, 37, is accused of assisting in concealing her body.

📍 Where & When: Charles County, Maryland, on April 17.

💬 Key Quote: ICE Baltimore acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins stated, “The arrest of these two individuals marks a significant step towards justice.”

⚠️ Impact: This case highlights the ongoing concern regarding public safety and illegal immigration in the community.

IN FULL:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have detained two illegal immigrants who are Guatemalan nationals in a case involving the alleged murder of a Guatemalan woman in Maryland. Keycy Robinson Alexis Barrera-Rosa, 23, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Lesbia Mileth Ramirez Guerra. Authorities also arrested Barrera-Rosa’s uncle, 37-year-old Rolvin Eduardo Barrera-Barrera, as an accessory to the crime after the fact.

ICE records indicate that both Barrera-Rosa and Barrera-Barrera entered the United States illegally near El Paso, Texas, in April 2019. They were issued Notices to Appear before a Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge; however, neither attended the hearing.

According to Charles County, Maryland police, the body of Ramirez Guerra was discovered buried in Cedarville State Forest, following her reported disappearance in March. The arrest was made by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers, and Barrera-Rosa is currently held at the ICE Farmville Detention Center in Farmville, Virginia. Barrera-Barrera is detained without bond at the Charles County Detention Center, pending further legal process.

Vernon Liggins, the acting Field Office Director for ICE Baltimore, described the apprehension of the two suspects as a pivotal development in addressing the crime. “The arrest of these two individuals marks a significant step towards justice,” Liggins said, continuing: “This heinous crime not only devastated a community but also reinforced the urgent need to prioritize public safety by identifying, arresting, and removing egregious illegal aliens who threaten our neighborhoods.”

He added: “ICE will continue to work tirelessly, side by side with our law enforcement partners, to safeguard our communities and uphold the rule of law.”

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8 hours ago
William Upton
Election Integrity
Lawfare

Clinton Judge Blocks Trump Order Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote.

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❓What Happened: A Bill Clinton-appointed federal judge blocked part of an election integrity Executive Order issued by President Donald J. Trump requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, NAACP, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

📍 Where & When: United States; Executive Order signed last month; ruling handed down in federal court on Thursday, April 24.

💬 Key Quote: “Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States—not the President—with the authority to regulate federal elections. Consistent with that allocation of power, Congress is currently debating legislation that would effect many of the changes the President purports to order,” Judge Kollar-Kotelly wrote.

⚠️ Impact: While Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling blocks the Trump EO’s proof of citizenship requirement, it leaves its other two provisions to prevent noncitizens from voting and reduce voter fraud intact.

IN FULL:

A federal judge has blocked part of an election integrity Executive Order signed by President Donald J. Trump. According to U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, the order’s provision requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote infringes upon constitutionally reserved powers for the respective State governments and Congress.

“Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States—not the President—with the authority to regulate federal elections. Consistent with that allocation of power, Congress is currently debating legislation that would effect many of the changes the President purports to order,” Judge Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a 120-page opinion handed down on Thursday. The Bill Clinton appointee added: “No statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order.”

The ruling is the result of the consolidation of three cases filed after President Trump issued his election integrity order last month. The Democratic National Committee (DNC), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) initiated one of the lawsuits. Other plaintiffs include the League of United Latin American Citizens and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

While Judge Kollar-Kotelly blocked the citizenship provision in Trump’s Executive Order, she left the two other components of the presidential directive intact. These include a provision for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State to provide the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with data to aid it in identifying noncitizens currently on voting rolls. The other measure instructs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to initiate legal action against state governments that ignore a Trump administration requirement that mail-in ballots be received before or on election day to be counted.

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8 hours ago
Politics

Bannon: DOGE Must Open the Books, Guarantee Data Remains With Trump Admin After Musk Exit.

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❓What Happened: WarRoom host and former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon contends Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) need to open the agency’s books for public scrutiny after the billionaire tech mogul drastically reduced its spending cut targets. Bannon reiterated his continued support for President Donald J. Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

👥 Who’s Involved: Stephen K. Bannon, Elon Musk, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍 Where & When: Remarks were made at the World Economy Summit in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, April 23.

💬 Key Quote: Bannon stated that DOGE is a “blunt force instrument” meant to “deconstruct this choking administrative state,” but emphasized the need for accountability and transparency.

⚠️ Impact: Bannon’s comments may increase scrutiny of Musk, reflecting ongoing disputes over governmental roles and policies since Trump’s return to office.

IN FULL:

Former Trump White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon is arguing that the American people need to be given a closer look at the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) books, and guarantees that all of the data it has accessed and created will remain with the Trump administration. Bannon’s remarks were made Wednesday at the World Economy Summit in Washington, D.C., and come as DOGE’s chief advisor, billionaire technology mogul Elon Musk, says he will reduce his role with the agency significantly in May.

Notably, Musk has dramatically reduced the spending cuts targeted by DOGE, from $2 trillion in late 2024 to $1 trillion earlier this year, with his latest claim being that the agency is on track to achieve a comparatively modest $150 billion in reductions.

“He’s questioning the integrity of the system. We need to have a very specific accounting of what he found, as far as fraud goes, and waste… None of this makes sense. The cuts you’ve seen that have been announced are programmatic,” Bannon said on Wednesday, arguing that DOGE is a “blunt force instrument” but necessary to “deconstruct this choking administrative state.”

“Also, I think we have to have a letter of certification that not one data set or piece of data of the United States government or citizens of this country are held by anybody except for the Trump administration,” Bannon continued, before shifting to address the increasing role and importance of President Donald J. Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

“President Trump’s a very sophisticated businessman, but Scott is a safe pair of hands that understands capital markets deeply,” the WarRoom host said, adding: “He’s done this for 30 years. He has a very strong sense of what markets need to hear as far as information goes.”

Bannon has been a staunch advocate for Bessent, who is seen as a leading economic mind and someone deeply knowledgeable on monetary policy and macroeconomic analysis. In contrast, Musk was part of a camp that pushed for current Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to serve as Treasury Secretary.

“I’ll be blunt: if Howard Lutnick had been Secretary of the Treasury, it would have been an unmitigated disaster,” the former White House chief strategist said. Bannon added: “This is about people putting their own interests first, like Elon, versus putting the nation’s interest first.”

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9 hours ago
Christopher Tomlinson
Election Integrity

Trump Sets Sights on Notorious Democrat Fundraising Machine.

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❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump is looking to crack down on foreign donations to American elections, which could affect a major Democrat fundraising platform.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Democratic Party, and ActBlue.

📍 Where & When: President Trump is expected to sign a memorandum this week.

💬 Key Quote: “[D]espite repeated instances of fraudulent donations to Democrat campaigns and causes from domestic and foreign sources, ActBlue is not demonstrating a serious effort to deter fraud on its platform.” — House Oversight and Administration Committees staff report.

⚠️ Impact: The crackdown could significantly impede one of the Democrats’ most influential fundraising platforms.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump is set to crack down on the notorious Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue. The America First leader is expected to sign a memorandum on Thursday, April 24, targeting foreign contributions to American elections. Many have claimed that foreigners could exploit ActBlue for such purposes.

A senior White House official disclosed that Attorney General Pam Bondi will be tasked with investigating whether ActBlue facilitated contributions via “dummy” accounts or allowed foreign nationals to donate to Democratic entities.

Until recently, ActBlue did not mandate card verification value (CVV) numbers for financial transactions, and allegations arose about internal directives encouraging ActBlue employees to be “more lenient” in accepting contributions. Between September and October 2024 alone, at least 237 overseas transactions reportedly involving prepaid cards were identified as suspicious by Republicans.

“[D]espite repeated instances of fraudulent donations to Democrat campaigns and causes from domestic and foreign sources, ActBlue is not demonstrating a serious effort to deter fraud on its platform,” contends a House Oversight Committee and Administration Committee staff report on the issue.

U.S. federal law bans any foreign nationals and governments from contributing to federal, state, or local election campaigns. Still, a lack of vetting means foreign donor restrictions can be circumvented.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched his own investigation into ActBlue in December 2023. He alleges that the platform is being exploited to make straw donations using prepaid cards. Paxton has claimed there is evidence that people have used false identities and untraceable payment methods.

In December last year, a Wisconsin court approved a subpoena directed at ActBlue. This came after a GOP consultant claimed someone was using his identity to give money to the platform.

Jack Montgomery contributed to this report.

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10 hours ago
Politics

Greg Abbott Unveils ‘Texas DOGE’ Initiative.

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❓What Happened: Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill to establish the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TREO), likening it to the national Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

👥 Who’s Involved: Governor Greg Abbott, Texas legislature, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Senator Phil King, President Donald J. Trump, and Elon Musk.

📍 Where & When: Texas, United States; bill signed on Wednesday.

💬 Key Quote: Abbott on social media: “Texas will now have our own DOGE… This will make government more efficient and less costly.”

⚠️ Impact: The TREO aims to streamline state regulations by identifying and eliminating unnecessary rules to increase efficiency and promote economic growth.

IN FULL:

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has officially enacted a law establishing the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TREO), drawing inspiration from President Donald J. Trump‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which technology and space exploration mogul Elon Musk advises. Signed into law late Wednesday, the TREO is designed to reduce state bureaucracy by identifying superfluous and ineffective regulations, thereby mirroring the objectives of the federal DOGE.

The Texas Legislature had previously approved the bill, which was introduced by Republican Senator Phil King. The bill also calls for the creation of an advisory council to recommend the elimination of excessive regulations found to be redundant or that hamper economic growth. Additionally, it mandates the launch of an online portal where Texans can access state agency regulations, coupled with a requirement for agencies to simplify language in regulatory documents.

“Signed SB 14 into law today at the Texas Capitol. Texas will now have our own DOGE, known as the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office,” Gov. Abbott wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) late Wednesday. “This will make government more efficient and less costly. Texas continues to move at the speed of business.”

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has expressed support for the initiative, noting that it is expected to foster continued economic prosperity in Texas by reducing regulatory red tape. The Republican Lieutenant Governor described the initiative as “DOGE, Texas-style” and emphasized that the agency will be tasked with identifying and ending “unnecessary and ineffective rules.”

However, not all Texas Republicans support the new agency. Texas State Representative Brian Harrison (R), who opposed the bill creating TREO, argued during the legislative debate: “The point of DOGE is to cut government, reduce spending, and shrink the bureaucracy. Unfortunately, this bill does the exact opposite.”

Harrison and other opponents contend that TREO’s regulatory prerogatives already overlap with existing bodies like the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. Critics argue this will create more government waste rather than less.

TREO is set to begin operating in September.

Image by World Travel & Tourism Council.

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10 hours ago
News

Trump Plans Massive 100-Foot Flagpoles at White House for American Flags.

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❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump announced plans to install two new 100-foot-tall flagpoles on the White House grounds.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, National Park Service (NPS).

📍 Where & When: Washington D.C.; Announced on a Wednesday at a White House event.

💬 Key Quote: “They’ve needed flag poles for 200 years,” President Trump stated, adding, “We’re putting up a beautiful, almost 100-foot-tall American flag on this side, and another one on the other side—top-of-the-line, paid for by Trump.”

⚠️ Impact: The addition will bring prominent American flags to both the North and South lawns of the White House, supplementing the existing rooftop flagpole.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump is set to enhance the patriotic display on the White House grounds with the introduction of two new flagpoles, each reaching nearly 100 feet in height. Announced during a White House event on Wednesday, President Trump stated that these flagpoles would grace the North and South Lawns.

Later in the day, the President was seen on the North Lawn surveying the site where a flagpole will likely be placed. The initiative emerges from Trump’s push to see more visible symbols of national pride at national parks and other government property, including the White House.

Emphasizing the need for such installations, Trump remarked, “They’ve needed flag poles for 200 years.” He added: “We’re putting up a beautiful, almost 100-foot-tall American flag on this side, and another one on the other side—top-of-the-line, paid for by Trump.” A small flagpole is already mounted on the White House roof.

This gesture aims to reflect the administration’s focus on visibly promoting national symbols within high-profile government areas in the lead up to July’s celebrations of America’s 250th birthday. The National Park Service oversees the White House and its grounds, as the property is technically a national park owned by the American people and stewarded by the NPS. While details surrounding the exact timeline for the installations remain under wraps, the announcement suggests that planning and execution are underway.

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11 hours ago
News
World

Government Outlaws Muslim Brotherhood.

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❓What Happened: The Muslim Brotherhood has been banned in Jordan, with officials arresting 16 people linked to security threats involving weapons and explosives.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Jordanian government and security services, the Muslim Brotherhood.

📍 Where & When: Jordan, announcement made on Wednesday.

💬 Key Quote: Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh stated that “elements of the Muslim Brotherhood” had “worked in darkness to carry out activities that undermine stability and tamper with security and national unity.”

⚠️ Impact: The decision highlights Jordan’s measures to counter Islamist national security threats and points to broader concerns over the Muslim Brotherhood’s operations.

IN FULL:

The Kingdom of Jordan has taken action to ban the Muslim Brotherhood as of April 23, citing national security concerns. This move follows the April 15 acknowledgment by Jordanian security services of arrests involving 16 individuals accused of posing national security risks linked to weapons, explosives, and plans involving drones and fighter training.

Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh explained the reasoning behind the ban, highlighting that elements of the Muslim Brotherhood “worked in darkness to carry out activities that undermine stability and tamper with security and national unity.”

The Muslim Brotherhood, established in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt, has often been scrutinized. Al-Banna famously wrote that Islam is naturally inclined to assert its influence globally. In recent years, various entities have expressed concern about the group’s activities and influence. These include a 2007 declaration of support for Osama bin Laden.

During President Donald J. Trump’s first administration, there was consideration of potentially labeling the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. European security services have mirrored these concerns, consistently taking a negative view of the Muslim Brotherhood’s presence. Investigations have pointed out elaborate networks linked to the group throughout Europe, operating under various front organizations.

Jordan is just the latest country to ban the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East. The organization is considered a terrorist group in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt.

Image via World Economic Forum.

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12 hours ago
News

Alex Soros Criticizes Climate Group for Fixation on ‘Palestine.’

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❓What Happened: Alex Soros, heir to billionaire plutocrat George Soros, criticized the Sunrise Movement for diverging from its environmentalist goals to focus on “Palestine.”

👥 Who’s Involved: Alex Soros, Sunrise Movement, George Soros, Democracy PAC, Sixteen-Thirty Fund.

📍 Where & When: United States, during and after the 2020 election season.

💬 Key Quote: “We gave them money, and now all they do is talk about Palestine. It’s ridiculous.” — Alex Soros

⚠️ Impact: The controversy led to accusations of antisemitism against the Sunrise Movement for boycotting events with Zionist Jewish groups and called into question the use of funds by Soros-backed organizations.

IN FULL:

Alex Soros, son of billionaire plutocrat George Soros and current chairman of his Open Society Foundations activism empire, has publicly voiced dissatisfaction with the Sunrise Movement. In an interview, Alex Soros expressed frustration over the environmentalist group’s focus on Israel and the Palestinians rather than climate change.

“What the hell did they do, by the way?” he said of the group, which receives around a third of its funding from Soros-supported entities. “We gave them money, and now all they do is talk about Palestine. It’s ridiculous.”

The Sunrise Movement, which publicly identifies its mission as attacking fossil fuels, received $750,000 during the 2020 election period from sources associated with Soros. However, tensions have since emerged between the group and its billionaire funder due to recent controversies involving its Washington, D.C. chapter.

In October 2021, the D.C. branch of Sunrise Movement declined participation in a rally for D.C. statehood, citing the involvement of certain Jewish organizations known for their support of Israel. This decision was met with significant backlash, including accusations of anti-Semitism, due to the group’s call to exclude what it described as “Zionist” groups.

While George Soros is ethnically Jewish, the liberal atheist has not historically been a supporter of the Jewish State. The Israeli government has even defended his critics, such as Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, against accusations of anti-Semitism, saying such allegations should not be used to “delegitimize criticism of George Soros, who continuously undermines Israel’s democratically elected governments by funding organisations that defame the Jewish state and seek to deny it the right to defend itself.”

Image by World Economic Forum/Valeriano Di Domenico.

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12 hours ago
Culture
News

Trump Admin Exploring $5,000 Baby Bonus Plan to Tackle Demographic Decline.

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❓What Happened: The White House is considering a “baby bonus” of $5,000 for new mothers to encourage higher birth rates in the U.S.

👥 Who’s Involved: White House aides, policy experts, birth rate advocates, and the Trump administration, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

📍 Where & When: United States, ongoing discussions reported by The New York Times.

💬 Key Quote: “While a $5,000 baby bonus may temporarily increase birth rates…such financial incentives alone have minimal lasting impact on overall birth rates,” stated Theodore D. Cosco, a research fellow at Oxford Institute of Population Ageing.

⚠️ Impact: If implemented, the policy could provide financial assistance to new mothers, but experts caution it may not significantly alter birth rates without broader systemic support.

IN FULL:

The White House is examining a proposal to offer a $5,000 “baby bonus” for women having children to address declining birth rates in the United States. This comes amid discussions with policy experts and advocates seeking solutions to boost the nation’s fertility figures, as an alternative to mass migration.

Encouraging more births could address long-term demographic challenges, with more deaths than births observed in recent years. The Congressional Budget Office projects the U.S. fertility rate to average 1.6 births per woman over the next 30 years, well below the 2.1 necessary for maintaining a stable population without mass migration.

President Donald J. Trump has previously expressed concern over birth rates. Initiatives under this administration have included expanding IVF access and prioritizing federal funding for regions with marriage and birth rates above the national average. Vice President J.D. Vance also wants to see “more babies” born in the U.S.

Comparative policies in other countries show mixed results. Australia’s “baby bonus” and Hungary’s pro-family policies offer insights into various approaches, yet external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war, and their associated shocks to jobs and prices, have hampered their short-term effectiveness.

Mass migration is unlikely to be a long-term solution to demographic issues, however. United Nations studies dating back to the turn of the century show that, because migrants also age, the annual influx would have to increase to impossibly vast totals to maintain a 4:1 ratio of working-age people to senior citizens.

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13 hours ago
Immigration
News

WATCH: Nigel Farage Proposes Creation of Deportation Secretary.

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❓What Happened: Nigel Farage has urged the British government to appoint a minister focused on deportations.

👥 Who’s Involved: Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform Party, and Robert Jenrick, former Conservative Party leadership candidate.

📍 Where & When: Farage spoke at a press conference in Dover, England, on April 24.

💬 Key Quote: “What I’m calling for isn’t actually anything particularly radical. It’s actually just common sense,” Farage stated.

⚠️ Impact: Farage’s comments precede English local elections in May, which will be a significant test of whether Reform’s growing popularity can translate into votes.

IN FULL:

Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform Party, has proposed the establishment of a ministerial post dedicated to deportations within the Home Office, roughly equivalent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “What I’m calling for isn’t actually anything particularly radical. It’s actually just common sense,” he said.

Farage delivered these statements at a press conference in Dover, England, amid ongoing local election campaigning. These elections will test Reform’s popularity and assess how it translates to voter turnout. Reform leads in some polls nationally, but it remains unclear how many seats that could translate to on May 1.

Farage also addressed the possibility of a political alliance with the formerly governing Conservatives, following former Conservative leadership contender Robert Jenrick‘s comments suggesting a united front on the right to challenge the ruling Labour Party. Farage stated unequivocally that his party’s supporters would resist any attempt to form an agreement with the Conservative Party, given its record governing from the left from 2010 to 2024 and broken promises on mass migration, which reached unprecedented heights towards the end of their final term.

Farage expressed outright distrust towards the Conservatives, positioning Reform as an alternative poised to replace them on the political right. Farage has advocated for a policy of net-zero migration, meaning that the number of immigrants should be no more than the number of people emigrating from the country.

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