Midwest
How would a President Whitmer handle immigration, border crisis?
Amid growing calls from some Democrats and liberals for President Biden to step aside after his disastrous debate performance last week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been touted as a possible replacement, raising questions about how she would handle the border crisis.
Whitmer, as a governor of a swing state, has been named as someone who could step into the role of the 2024 presidential nominee for Democrats if Biden were to step down. Previous polling has suggested she would fare the best out of a number of candidates against former President Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
Should she receive the nomination and win in November, she would step into a federal leadership role at a time when immigration policy and the ongoing crisis at the southern border are top issues for voters and for the country.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer attends a canvass kickoff in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Aug. 2, 2022. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Whitmer has been largely supportive of what President Biden has done in terms of immigration policy. When Biden announced additional restrictions on asylum last month, she issued a glowing statement approving of the move and saying that he is “delivering.”
“President Biden’s executive action will help secure our country’s border by making it easier for immigration officers to remove those who are here unlawfully, reducing the burden on our Border Patrol agents. Today’s announcement builds on the president’s work to deploy a record number of border agents and officers to the southern border,” she said. “The American people want real solutions, and President Biden is delivering today.”
Like other Democrats, she also backed Biden’s broader calls for a comprehensive immigration bill to fix what the administration has called a “broken” immigration system.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS
That plan included sweeping reforms, additional visa pathways, extra funding and a pathway to U.S. citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. It was rejected by Republicans in part due to the inclusion of an amnesty. Whitmer wants it passed.
“President Biden sent Congress a comprehensive immigration reform plan on day 1 and repeatedly requested more border resources from Congress, only to be blocked by Republicans,” she said last month. “They should stop playing political games and work with the administration on a coordinated, bipartisan federal solution to fix our broken system.”
Like Biden, she has also been deeply critical of former President Trump’s attitudes toward the border. She previously noted that she sent the National Guard to the border during Trump’s term in office, and she has blamed him for killing a separate bipartisan Senate deal to provide funding for the border.
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“He told the Republicans to walk away, and they did,” she said in April.
Migrants arrive at a makeshift camp after crossing the border from Mexico near Jacumba Hot Springs in San Diego on Feb. 23, 2024. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)
In the state itself, she has given some indications that she may take a harder line on illegal immigration, certainly tougher than some activists would want.
She has provided multiple National Guard deployments to the border, both during the Trump administration and the Biden administration in support of Texas.
According to her office, she sent 175 personnel between 2020 and 2021, and 37 have been stationed since 2020. She also visited Michigan soldiers at the border in 2022.
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Unlike other potential Democrats, like Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom, she has taken a hard line against illegal immigrants receiving state benefits. In California, illegal immigrants are eligible for state Medicaid. But Whitmer has shown no sign of echoing that approach.
“If you are here illegally, I do not believe that you should have access,” Whitmer said in April, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Whitmer has come under fire from some Republicans for a Newcomer Rental Subsidy program, which provides some immigrants up to $500 in rental assistance. However, it is aimed to help asylees, refugees and others who have valid immigration status in the U.S. and explicitly states that those in the country illegally are not eligible for the program.
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LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – We’re learning more about the victims in Friday’s tragedy on Geneva Lake.
Three kids, ages 10, seven, and six, were killed after they were trapped in the sinking boat during the severe storms.
Officials won’t comment on their identities, but FOX6 learned at least two of them were students at the Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200) in Wheaton, Illinois.
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The district released a statement, saying:
“On behalf of Community Unit School District 200, our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the children who died in a tragic boating incident in Lake Geneva on July 3. We ask that you join us in supporting these families during this difficult time, and keep them in your thoughts as we all cope with this incredible loss.”
Lake Geneva Police Chief statement
What we know:
The City of Lake Geneva Police Department is opening up on the incident and the property destruction caused by the storms.
The police chief says, in part:
“In moments of tragedy, we often see the very best in people, and that has certainly been true here. While there is still healing ahead, I hope everyone knows how grateful we are for the outpouring of support shown over these past several days. It has been humbling to witness and a reminder that no one faces hardship alone when a community stands together.”
–Chief Ed Gritzner, City of Lake Geneva Police Department
The backstory:
Walworth County experienced what law enforcement described as a “sudden and severe” storm on July 3. The National Weather Service said it created a downburst with peak winds estimated at 90–100 mph.
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The storm downed hundreds of trees and power lines, damaged several buildings and created hazardous boating conditions on Geneva Lake. One boat with 10 people on board overturned and ultimately sank.
Six adults and one child were rescued from the water, while three of the kids were missing when emergency responders got there. Those three children were found and later died despite life-saving attempts.
Emergency response on Geneva Lake after storms lead to calls for water rescue on July 3, 2026.
Who was on the boat?
The latest:
The three children who died have been identified as a 10-year-old girl, a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy.
The boat operator was a 47-year-old man. The other passengers were a 75-year-old man, a 73-year-old woman, a 49-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy.
The group included residents of Fontana, as well as residents of Batavia and Wheaton, Illinois. All four kids were wearing properly fitted life jackets, according to law enforcement.
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What happened on Geneva Lake?
Dig deeper:
Law enforcement said the boat operator had “extensive boating experience” and was unable to find safe harbor when the storm hit. At least two large waves broke over the bow, causing it to take on water. Another wave hit the side of the boat, causing it to roll, capsize and sink.
The sunken vessel was found in 32 feet of water, and three children were found inside the boat. Divers were able to get them out and bring them to the surface, and they were pronounced dead despite life-saving attempts. Investigators determined they had no external injuries and drowned.
What’s next:
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency are still conducting a joint investigation into the accident. Eleven other agencies assisted with the immediate needs.
The Source: Information in this post comes from the City of Lake Geneva Police Department and Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200), along with prior
Iowa
Iowa City Man who ran over people in homeless encampment sentenced to nearly two decades in prison
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa City man who pleaded guilty to driving into five people at a homeless encampment last August has been sentenced to serve nearly two decades in prison.
On August 15, 2025, Roman Aguilar Ventura drove his vehicle while under the influence through an encampment near Shelter House, an organization that assists homeless people.
Ventura pleaded guilty to several charges in March, including Operating While Under the Influence, two counts of Willful Injury Resulting in Bodily Injury, and three counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. He also pleaded guilty to Driving While Barred and Driving While License Denied or Revoked.
In addition to his sentence, Ventura will also be subject to a six-year suspension of his drivers license, in addition to substance abuse treatment.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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