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Steve Scalise speaks to the media after a meeting at Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York City. (Getty)

Congressman SteveScalise has been shot at a Congressional baseball practice near Washington, D.C.

Scalise was subsequently taken to theMedStar Washington Hospital Center, and ina statement, Scalises office said that he is currently undergoing surgery and is in stable condition.

Prior to entering surgery, the Whip was in good spirits and and spoke to his wife by phone, Scalises office said in a statement. He is grateful for the brave actions of U.S. Capitol Police, first responders, and colleagues.

The Alexandria Police Department says that the suspected shooter is in custody.

So who exactly is CongressmanSteve Scalise, the representative who was shot on Wednesday? Heres what you need to know about him.

Steve Scalise speaks to the media on May 17, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Getty)

CongressmanSteve Scalise is a Republican who was elected to represent Louisiana in 2008. Before running for Congress, he had served in the Louisiana state senate for four months and in the Louisiana House of Representatives for 12 years.

Scalise was elected in a special election to replaceBobby Jindal, who had become the governor of Louisiana. In the Republican primary, Scalise defeated a number of opponents includingTim Burns, and in the general election, he defeated DemocratGilda Reed with 75 percent of the vote.

In addition, Scalise serves as the House Majority Whip. He was elected to this position by his Republican colleagues in 2014. The New York Times described this as a rapid rise in Congress.

The turning point for Mr. Scalise, who is from Louisiana, was his come-from-behindwinin 2012 to become chairman of the influential Republican Study Group, edging out a candidate who was handpicked by the committees founders and past chairmen, The New York Times reported. The group, which has 170 members, has played a central role in pushing the Republican caucus to the right on economic and social issues.

As majority whip, Steve Scalises job is to ensure that members of the Republican party vote together on pieces of legislation. In that position, Scalise helped get the American Health Care Act passed in the House of Representatives.

Passing the American Health Care Act was about saving families who are struggling under the weight of a broken law that doesnt work, Scalise said at the time.

Donald Trump shakes hands with Steve Scalise during a meeting with the House Deputy Whip team at the East Room of the White House March 7, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Getty)

During the 2016 election, Congressman Steve Scalise was a supporter of Donald Trump. Unlike some Republicans, Scalise continued to support his partys nominee after the leakedAccess Hollywoodtape on which Trump could be heard bragging about grabbing women by the private parts.

Let me be clear, Donald Trump will do more to rebuild our middle class, get our economy moving again, strengthen our national defense, and appoint Supreme Court Justices who uphold our Constitution rather than rewrite it, Scalisetold The Advocate. Those are the reasons Ive supported Donald Trump for President and that is why I will continue to do so.

Scalise did call on Trump to apologize, which Trump did. However, Scalise said that he would not allow Hillary Clinton to become president.

Electing Hillary Clinton means continuing down the failed path of radical and divisive policies, a weaker military, and rising healthcare costs, or we can elect a president who will work with Congress to create jobs, grow a healthy economy, confront the increasing threats that we face from around the globe, and get America back on the right track, Scalise said.

Steve Scalise was a supporter of President Donald Trumps original travel ban signed in January.

ISIS has said they want to infiltrate a lot of these refugee programs and weve seen them carry that out in Europe, Scalise said. So we want to make sure that people who are coming into the United States arent being infiltrated by terrorist organizations and until that can be done I think this freeze from certain countries, where we cannot vet, makes a lot of sense.

Steve Scalise holds up a Make America Great Again hat during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol November 15, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Getty)

Steve Scalise served on Donald Trumps Second Amendment Coalition.

During the Trump transition, this was a panel of advisors who advised the president-elect on issues related to guns and the Supreme Court. According to The Advocate, Scalises name was added to the list along with 63 others.

Congressman Scalise has been a supporter of the second amendment for years, and he co-sponsored theFirearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act, which had the goal of removing restrictions oninterstate firearms transactions.

According to his website, Scalise also co-sponsored H.R.645, a bill to restore Second Amendment rights in the District of Columbia. He has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association.

In January 2016, President Barack Obama signed an executive action on guns which included 10 provisions, such as one requiring more gun sellers to be licensed and forcing them to conduct background checks, according to The Washington Post.Scalise felt this was an overreach on Obamas part.

This is an attempt to try to bully and intimidate people from selling guns and from buying guns and goes around the laws that are already on the books, Scalise said on CNN. The President is not even enforcing existing law. Thats where he should focus, but frankly hes trying to change the subject and get away from the fact that he hasnt been able to defeat ISIS.

Scalise also said that these people who would be affected by President Obamas executive order are law-abiding citizens.

Look, these are law-abiding citizens we are talking about, he said. These arent criminals. The President wont even go after people who broke existing federal law. Why doesnt he do that? Why doesnt he focus on his job instead of trying to usurp the role of Congress and trump the constitution and the Second Amendment that is so sacred to our nations founding.

Steve Scalise speaks during a press briefing after a House Republican Conference meeting July 6, 2016 at the headquarters of Republican National Committee in Washington, DC. (Getty)

In 2014, a political blogger discovered that Steve Scalise 12 years earlier had delivered a speech at an event organized by the European-American Unity and Rights Organization, a white nationalist group founded by David Duke.

This revelation caused controversy, but Scalise said that he did not know about the racist nature of the group at the time.

I didnt know who all of these groups were and I detest any kind of hate group, he said. For anyone to suggest that I was involved with a group like that is insulting and ludicrous.

Scalise said that he did not properly vet the event and that he only had one staffer at the time.

I had one person that was working for me, Scalise said. When someone called and asked me to speak, I would go.

The Louisiana congressman also said he regrets speaking at the event.

It was a mistake I regret, and I emphatically oppose the divisive racial and religious views groups like these hold, he said.

Steve Scalise and his wife Jennifer Scalise during a mock swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill January 6, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Getty)

Steve Scalise marriedJennifer Ann Scalise in 2005.

According to theTimes Picayune, the wedding took place at theSt. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. After the wedding, the two honeymooned in Europe.According to Politico, Steve and his wife are members of theSt. Agnes Catholic Church.

Steve and Jennifer have two kids, Madison Carol Scalise and Harrison Joseph Scalise. His son is a member of the Boy Scouts of America.

Steve Scalise has been shot at a Congressional baseball game. Since 2005, the Louisiana Congressman has been married to Jennifer Scalise.

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Steve Scalise: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know - Heavy.com

ROME Pope Francis sent a letter last week to the Latin American Parliament as they discuss migration in the region, encouraging governments to protect all who reside in their territory regardless of their origin.

As members of a large family, we must work to place the person at the centre; this is not a mere number or an abstract entity but a brother or sister who needs our help and a friendly hand, the Pope wrote in his June 7 letter to the Latin American Parliament, which is holding its 33rd General Assembly.

The assembly of representatives from 23 Latin American and Caribbean countries is meeting to discuss migration in the region and international responses.

Francis offered his congratulations to the parliament on this initiative that aims to help and make life more dignified for those who, having a homeland, regrettably do not find in their countries adequate conditions of security and subsistence and are forced to flee.

The popes message highlighted three themes: reality, dialogue, and commitment. He explained how each of these can be oriented toward developing effective humanitarian aid for migrant peoples.

Speaking about his first chosen word, reality, Francis emphasized knowing the causes of migration.

This requires not only analysis of this situation from the study desk, he said, but also in contact with people, that is to say with real faces. He warned against an aseptic analysis which produces sterile measurements, instead encouraging the parliament to pursue a relationship with a person in the flesh (which) helps us to perceive the deep scars that he carries with him, caused by the reason, or unreason, of migration.

Francis expressed hope that the assembly would produce valid responses for migrants and host countries, as well as security which is based in reality.

Dialogue is indispensable in this work, Francis explained. One cannot work in isolation; we all need each other.

He condemned the throwaway culture, calling instead for member nations to work for approaches which welcome migrants fairly and efficiently. He emphasized the need for unity in dialogue, saying that attaining a consensus between the parties is a craft; a meticulous, almost imperceptible task but essential for shaping agreements and regulations.

Dialogue is essential to foster solidarity with those who have been deprived of their fundamental rights, Francis said.

Speaking on commitment, the pope cautioned against spending too much energy on the detailed analysis and the debate of ideas, saying instead that a solution must be sought.

Latin America and the Caribbean have an important international role and the opportunity to become key players in this complex situation, he said.

He emphasized the need for mid-term as well as long-term planning so that aid can extend beyond emergency responses. This, he said, will allow for migrants integration into their new nations and, assistance in the lands they fled.

Francis called special attention to the needs of children in this struggle, recalling their right to be children, and once more spoke out against human trafficking, which he described as a scourge.

He acknowledged the enormity of the work, saying that we need men and women of good will who, with their concrete commitment, can respond to this cry.

I urge national governments to assume their responsibilities to all those residing in their territory, the pope said, and I reiterate the commitment of the Catholic Church, through the presence of the local and regional Churches, to responding to this wound.

In closing, Pope Francis encouraged the assembly in their work on this crisis, and prayed for the intercession of the Holy Virgin, recalling the Holy Familys flight to Egypt. He asked for the prayers of the assembly, and asked God to bless them.

More:
Francis: Migrant crisis require focus on reality, dialogue, commitment - Crux: Covering all things Catholic

CALAIS was once again thrown into chaos as UK-bound lorries appeared to be held up by burning barricades erected by migrants.

Shocking video footage showed several lorries queuing up behind the roadblock on a highway into the French port.

France has already called in an extra 150 police to guard the port town.

The problem was a common theme last year as migrants attempted to board lorries heading for Britain.

But it was believed the barricades had been stopped when the Calais Jungle was razed to the ground at the end of last year.

Now, this latest footage posted to YouTube by a Polish trucker on Friday will once again raise serious questions about how the UK and France are dealing with the migrant crisis on their borders.

The exact date of the incident remains unclear.

The Sun reported last week how violence was on the increase in Calais as rival migrant gangs clashed in a desperate bid to reach the UK.

Groups of Eritrean and Ethiopian asylum seekers fought running battles in the French port town as a flaming barricade was set up on an approach road.

Reuters

Getty Images

Reuters

One group erected the burning obstacle in a bid to stop lorries bound for Britain before boarding them.

Only seven months have passed since French authorities disbanded the Calais Jungle - a sprawling camp with up to 10,000 migrants.

Many of those were seeking asylum in the UK.

But fears are now growing the giant camp could return with at least 600 migrants now back around the Channel port.

The burning barricade was the first such incidence since the break up of the Jungle.

Before that, migrants had often created barriers in the roads around Calais before attempting to board lorries bound for Dover.

Getty Images

Last week growing tensions spilled over when two East African gangs clashed.

One riot officer was injured trying to regain order, The Times reported.

A camp in nearby Grande-Synthe burned down following clashes between Sudanese and Afghan migrants in April.

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Calais migrants 'spark blazing roadblocks in bid to stop and jump on trucks bound for Britain' as violence returns ... - The Sun

Illegal immigrants often cross the ranch lands of South Texas in the summer heat. It's a risk that can be deadly. Especially as illegal immigration increases for the first time during the Trump administration.

Oscar Margain, KENS 4:53 AM. CDT June 13, 2017

(Photo: Oscar Margain, KENS)

ENCINO, Texas -- Illegal immigrants often cross the ranch lands of south Texas in the summer heat. Its a risk that can be deadly. This as the number of people crossing rises for the first time during the Trump administration.

Behind this gate is an 8,600-acre property, tucked in somewhere between a highway and a Border Patrol checkpoint in Encino, Texas.

Ryan Weatherston, the foreman for Dos Haches Ranch, takes us on a truck ride 5 miles down a dirt road, crossing a path dozens of undocumented immigrants have traveled.

This is a hot, hot, hot area, said Weatherston.

Its also an area that could easily reach 100-degree temperatures during this time of the year. Its when Border Patrol expects illegal crossings to rise and at the same time when more people could die.

Ive been out here 5 years, the foreman said. In the past 5 years, Ive found 8 dead people.

Clothing, cell phones, human skulls and human corpses are just some of the scenes Weatherston has walked into.

Desperate people do desperate things, he said. Weatherston believes more immigrants chose to cross during summer because there are fewer watchful eyes. It's low season for hunters and bird watchers, customers who rent the camp house in the property.

However, this year things are a bit different as illegal immigration had dropped to about 70% since Trump took office until May when it picked up again about 25%. And quail birds are sticking around a little longer. The reason why former Texas governor Mark White was there.

You hear the quail? Weve been listening to them all day, said the former Governor.

Governor White knows a thing or two about illegal immigration. He believes the country is taking the wrong approach.

Its every attribute that you want to see in a good citizen, is revealed to you in those people who have come here, he said.

His empathy grew when he read this note left by three teenage women from El Salvador after breaking into the camp house seeking help.

The note written on June 16, 2013, reads: Excuse us for having come in your ranch, but it was out of necessity because we were lost for 4 days. We were three young women, one of us was pregnant and was feeling very ill. Forgive us for destroying your door and have used your belongings. Had we not arrived here, we wouldnt have been able to call migration (Border Patrol). Thank you and were sorry a thousand times. May God bless you. We were Salvadorians.

I cant imagine my wife walking through this country pregnant and, you know, being sick and being 104 degrees outside, said Weatherston. Thats rough. Im glad they were able to find this (camp house).

These encounters have taught these men to not lock up their doors, but rather, to leave them open, for the survival of those who will decide it all to make it here, so argues the governor.

These people want the same thing that I wanted, that my family wanted, he pointed out. They just happen to be born there and not here.

2017 KENS-TV

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Illegal immigration picks up as deadly Texas heat moves in - KHOU

Illegal immigrants should be living in fear of being deported, the chief of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Tuesday, pushing back against a growing sentiment among Democrats on Capitol Hill and activists across the country who have complained about agents enforcing the laws on the books.

Thomas D. Homan, acting director at ICE, said anyone in the country without authorization can be arrested and those who have been ordered deported by judges must be removed if laws are to have meaning.

His comments marked a major shift for an agency that President Obama forbade from enforcing the law when it came to more than 9 million of the countrys estimated 11 million illegal immigrants. Unshackled from Mr. Obamas strictures, agents have dramatically increased the number of arrests.

Advocacy groups are enraged and demand leniency for traumatized immigrants.

Mr. Homan makes no apologies.

If youre in this country illegally and you committed a crime by being in this country, you should be uncomfortable, you should look over your shoulder. You need to be worried, Mr. Homan testified to the House Appropriations Committee. No population is off the table.

The Trump administration is asking for significant boosts in spending for both border and interior enforcement, but it is meeting resistance from Democrats who oppose a crackdown.

Democrats will not accept a penny of funding for a new deportation force or a border wall, said Rep. Nita M. Lowey of New York, the ranking Democrat on the committee.

Border Patrol acting Chief Carla Provost defended the 74 miles of fencing that President Trump wants to erect next year, saying the wall will plug holes where illegal activity is still a problem in San Diego and parts of Texas.

She said the southwestern border is at medium risk of penetration and needs the wall to assist. She said construction on the 74 miles would start in either March or April.

Mr. Homan, meanwhile, said he needs a major infusion of detention beds to hold the larger population of illegal immigrants, now that his agents have been unshackled from the restrictions under Mr. Obama.

He said the number of countries refusing to take back their deportees has been cut in half, while the number of jurisdictions looking to have their police and sheriffs deputies trained to process illegal immigrants in their jails has nearly doubled and will likely triple by the end of the year.

In addition, some 400,000 illegal immigrants ordered removed by judges but who were ignored under the Obama administration are now back on the list of priorities.

All of that means more illegal immigrants to be detained in preparation for deportation.

Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Maryland Democrat, told Mr. Homan not to try deporting drunken drivers.

DWI or traffic is not really considered to be the type of people that are hurting our country, he said.

Mr. Homan, though, said drunken driving sounds like a public safety risk. They should be removed, he said.

Mr. Homan said anyone in the country without authorization is a target for enforcement.

We shouldnt wait for them to become a criminal, he said.

That angered immigrant rights advocates, who said it showed antipathy toward illegal immigrants.

Wow. How revealing, said Frank Sharry, executive director at Americas Voice. Homan makes it clear that the ICE strategy is to indiscriminately target the entire undocumented population in America and to intentionally spread fear throughout millions of deeply rooted families.

He called Mr. Homans testimony extremist.

Mr. Homan pushed back against such criticism. He said his agents are enforcing the laws as written and no other branch of law enforcement faces the abusive questions his employees do.

He said the illegal immigrants deserve the blame for separating families. When a U.S. citizen commits a crime and goes to jail, he said, the police who catch him arent blamed for keeping him from his family.

Mr. Homan said the increased risk of enforcement is part of the reason illegal immigration across the southwestern border is at its lowest level in decades.

Democrats, though, said his officers need to show more discretion.

Ms. Lowey raised the case of a 19-year-old man in New York who was arrested on the day of his high school prom, which she said sent the wrong signal.

She said the man had kept out of trouble and was arrested while waiting at a bus stop for school.

Mr. Homen defended the arrest as valid. He said the young man committed a crime when he sneaked across the border and ignored an immigration judges order to be removed.

He lost his case, and because we dont like the results of that case we forget about it? Mr. Homan asked Ms. Lowey. I dont know where else in the American justice system any other agency is told to ignore a judges ruling.

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No apologies: ICE chief says illegal immigrants should live in fear of deportation - Washington Times