/ Modified feb 18, 2017 7:16 p.m.

Episode 303: Arizona Lawmen in Running for CBP Commissioner

Plus, reports of mobilizing the National Guard for immigration; Trump and the media; and the scope of presidential authority.

Two Arizona lawmen are among those being vetted for commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.

Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead and former Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu are among three candidates for the position in the Trump administration, sources told AZPM Friday.

A DPS spokesman confirmed Friday that Milstead was being interviewed for the job. Three other sources independent of one another told AZPM that Babeu also is a candidate.

Also, the Associated Press reported late this week that the Trump administration is considering mobilizing the National Guard to arrest and remove undocumented immigrants.

AZPM has obtained a memo from Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly addressed to several high-ranking immigration and policy officials. The document, dated Jan. 25, proposes mobilizing up to 100,000 Guard members for immigration enforcement, a move that would be unprecedented in its scale and reach. You can read the document below.

The White House has denied the reports, saying they are completely false. Gov. Doug Ducey told AZPM Friday that no mention of the National Guard was made in his meeting with Secretary Kelly in Arizona last week.

With four weeks in office under his belt, President Donald Trump and his administration have continued to strike a combative tone with certain media outlets, much as it was during his successful campaign.

One such exchange reaches back to October. The New York Times had published accounts from women who said they were sexually harassed by Trump. The attorneys of the then-candidate demanded a retraction and an apology. The New York Times responded with a letter saying it stood by its journalism.

David McCraw, the newspaper’s vice president and legal counsel, visited Tucson this week to speak with University of Arizona students and faculty, media professionals, and the public about the state of media law. Arizona Week sat down with McCraw to talk about legal protections and challenges facing news outlets and journalists.

Also on the program

  • UA constitutional lawyer Andy Coan discusses what executive orders are and how presidential authority works with respect to Congress and the Supreme Court


Read the document below

Disclosure: Lorraine Rivera serves as an adjunct instructor at the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

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