US Republicans propose Mexican border wall to combat illegal immigration News
US Republicans propose Mexican border wall to combat illegal immigration

[JURIST] Republican legislators have proposed a bill to build a 2,000 mile wall at the border between US and Mexico in order to keep illegal immigrants out. The True Enforcement and Border Security Act [bill summary] also calls for thousands of new border patrol officers, immigration investigators, immigration judges, and attorneys, according to a joint statement [text] released by US Representatives Virgil Goode (R-VA) and Duncan Hunter (R-CA) [official websites]. It is not yet certain whether the fence-building legislation will receive enough backing to pass in both the US House of Representatives and the Senate. The proposal comes the day after US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff outlined plans to increase security [JURIST report] along US borders. Chertoff's plan [fact sheet] includes the construction of a 14-mile wall near San Diego and the hiring of more federal agents. Additionally, a group of Republican lawmakers who want to end the constitutional right of birthright citizenship, or jus soli [Wikipedia backgrounder], are researching whether it can be done by a congressional statute or if it would require a constitutional amendment. An amendment would be more difficult to attain since approval by three-fourths of the US states is necessary. AFP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.