Author

Ariana Figueroa

Ariana Figueroa

Ariana covers the nation's capital for States Newsroom. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections and campaign finance.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas fails on floor of U.S. House

By: - February 6, 2024

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday night, a stunning defeat for the Republican-led push to impeach a Biden administration Cabinet secretary. All Democrats present and four Republicans voted against the two articles of impeachment. The vote was 214-216. The GOP lawmakers to vote against impeachment were […]

Intense opposition to U.S. Senate immigration deal quickly emerges

By: - February 5, 2024

WASHINGTON — The proposed global security funding legislation that includes major bipartisan updates to immigration policy encountered opposition from members of both parties Monday, especially Republicans upset by the Biden administration’s handling of border security, charting a tumultuous path for passage in the Senate this week. The deal on immigration policy, negotiated for months by […]

Details of proposed major overhaul of U.S. immigration law, global aid package unveiled

By: - February 4, 2024

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday night released a $118.28 billion global security package that includes a long-anticipated overhaul of immigration law negotiated by a bipartisan trio of senators. “The United States and our allies are facing multiple, complex and, in places, coordinated challenges from adversaries who seek to disrupt democracy […]

Votes on major bipartisan immigration deal in Congress said to be nearing

By: - February 1, 2024

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate vote is expected next week on a bipartisan deal that would overhaul U.S. immigration law and provide more than $100 billion for a global security package. The long-awaited bill text on the supplemental package to aid Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific region and U.S. border security could be made public as […]

U.S. House committee advances impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas to floor

By: - January 31, 2024

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security early Wednesday voted 18-15 along party lines to send articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the House floor.?Republicans argue the charges are legitimate. Members of the full House could vote as soon as next week to impeach Mayorkas, who is […]

U.S. House Republicans set to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

By: - January 29, 2024

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee is gearing up for only the second impeachment in U.S. history of a Cabinet member. The Republican-led committee on Tuesday will mark up articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, for what Democrats say is no more than a difference in immigration policy […]

U.S. Senate Republicans insist they won’t bow to Trump demands to quit immigration talks

By: - January 25, 2024

WASHINGTON — Top U.S. Senate negotiators said Thursday that final details on an immigration policy deal remain under debate in the U.S. Senate, despite outside pressure from GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump to sink any agreement as he makes immigration his central campaign message. The No. 2 Senate Republican and GOP whip, Sen. John Thune, […]

In milestones, Black women from South Carolina and Indiana confirmed as federal judges

By: - January 24, 2024

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Wednesday confirmed the nominations of two federal judges in South Carolina and Indiana, bringing the total number of Black women tapped by President Joe Biden and cleared by senators as federal judges to 35. Judge Cristal Brisco is now the first Black judge and woman of color to serve as […]

On to November: Trump win in New Hampshire sets up 2024 rematch with Biden

By: , and - January 24, 2024

WASHINGTON —?Leading Republicans —?and the Biden presidential campaign — on Wednesday rushed to identify former President Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee after he won decisively in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary. Trump bested Nikki Haley, his former United Nations ambassador, by more than 10 percentage points in a moderate state with an open […]

Funding seen as a last hurdle to final U.S. Senate immigration deal

By: - January 23, 2024

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan agreement that would make the most substantial changes to immigration policy in 30 years hinges on funding disputes, key senators said Tuesday. While senators have not finalized the text of the agreement, they are discussing changes to the White House’s use of parole authority to grant temporary protections to migrants by […]

Biden says he’s ‘ready to act’ on ‘significant’ changes at the border, including asylum

By: - January 19, 2024

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden Friday said he backs “significant policy changes” to asylum law, amid ongoing immigration policy negotiations between the White House and Senate tied to passage of a global security package. “I believe we need significant policy changes at the border, including changes in our asylum system, to ensure that we have […]

U.S. House Republicans move ahead with drive to impeach Mayorkas over immigration policy

By: - January 18, 2024

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans Thursday held a second hearing on the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, even as Mayorkas works to reach a deal on changes in immigration law with a group of senators. Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee argued that Mayorkas has not upheld his oath of office because […]