Politics and views in the United States

A surge in ICE arrests sets a Trump-era record, states are again challenging an attempt to restrict mail-in voting, and Navarro fires back at Canada over tariff criticism.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

A lot of people come from countries where masked men pulling people over, kidnapping them, is very common.

And unfortunately for a lot of those people, they're having to relive that trauma here in the United States.

Ruben Torres with the Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition says for many in his community, America feels nothing like the land of the free.

ICE arrested nearly 50,000 people in July, the highest monthly total since President Donald Trump returned to office.

Earlier, large-scale migrant sweeps in Minneapolis and other cities drew widespread backlash.

Federal agents are now targeting people who've lost temporary protected status, and ICE is relying more on traffic stops in partnerships with local police.

The latest analysis from Inside Elections says Democrats have an edge in the battle for control of the House.

They moved seven more districts toward Democrats' favor, with the party defending 29 competitive seats compared to 37 for Republicans.

Nearly two dozen states filed another lawsuit challenging a Trump executive order using the Postal Service to restrict mail-in voting.

Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays says the order interferes with states' constitutional authority to run elections and would likely disenfranchise voters.

This effort by the United States Postal Service and the federal government right now is a naked attempt to inject chaos and doubt into our election system right before voting starts.

Trump wants the states to submit voter lists to the federal government for vetting and the Postal Service to deliver absentee ballots only to approve voters.

In another setback for Democratic redistricting efforts, a Maryland judge ruled that a question about district maps can't go on the November ballot because the process of getting it there was, quote, deficient.

The state has already filed an appeal.

White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro launched a fresh attack on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa escalate.

Your country screws us.

Look at your dairy tariffs alone.

Just start with your dairy tariffs.

Basically, lumber, you do that to us with aluminum.

You're in bed with the Chinese and playing games with us there.

After negotiations collapsed, Carney vowed to defend Canada against steep U.S. tariffs.

Hundreds of American products are expected to be impacted by import taxes as high as 50 percent.

Trump ordered the lifting of import duties on up to 300 metric tons of ground beef for 90 days.

Ground beef is averaging nearly $7 a pound, roughly 50 percent higher than five years ago.

But the move is drawing the ire of the beef industry and even some Republicans who say it will undermine American ranchers.

Senator Darlene Graham-Nordone won the Republican nomination in South Carolina and looks likely to hold the seat she was just named to after the death of her brother Lindsey Graham.

She had Trump's endorsement, and her narrow runoff victory over ultra-conservative Congressman Ralph Norman is partially confirming the president's influence on Republican primaries.

I'm Mary Sherman for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.