February 21, 2017: Trump Plans to bridge a divide… and build a wall

Today, President Trump visited the Smithsonian’s Museum of African American History and Culture, where he discussed the recent threats and vandalism directed toward Jewish culture centers and a Missouri cemetery. The President officially denounced the anti-Semitic rhetoric, as well as “racism, or anything that you want to think about having to do with the divide.” He also addressed the racial divide directly, commending the success of the museum as one of the bridges to unify the country.

The President received some backlash over his statements from certain groups, such as Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. The rabbi called his statement “as welcome as it is overdue.” This comes after President Trump refused to directly address anti-Semitism in a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and refused to answer a question regarding the rise of anti-Semitic incidents.

In other news, The Department of Homeland Security released documents explaining in detail President Trump’s immigration plan. The documents state that the President’s primary goal is to ramp up deportations of illegal immigrants living in the country. Other initiatives include prioritizing American workers over immigrants and calling for 10,000 more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

While many immigrant advocacy groups fear the new administration’s stance, supporters of the harsher stance applaud Trump’s ability to fulfill his campaign promise.