THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?

SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do).

• Rep. Joaquin Castro attacked the Trump administration’s welcome for Flávio Bolsonaro, declaring that losing an election is not grounds for asylum.
• The State Department announced U.S. visas for the Brazilian senator and his family, who arrived in Miami Wednesday after his presidential election defeat.
• Other Democrats joined the criticism, while conservatives marveled at the sudden enthusiasm for scrutinizing a foreign arrival.

LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time).

Somebody alert the border authorities: Democrats have located a foreign national whose arrival requires immediate scrutiny, congressional answers and considerably less welcoming language.

His name is Flávio Bolsonaro. He is a Brazilian conservative friendly with Donald Trump. Apparently, the welcome mat has a political screening process.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, the Texas Democrat who has spent months challenging the administration’s immigration enforcement, objected Tuesday to Washington offering Bolsonaro and his family safe haven.

“Losing an election is not grounds for asylum,” Castro wrote on X.

The congressman cited Brazilian investigations involving alleged corruption, money laundering and currency evasion, along with a court order requiring Bolsonaro to surrender his passports. He demanded answers about any administration role in helping Bolsonaro leave Brazil.

We have reached the part of the immigration debate where Castro wants Washington to explain how somebody got here. Mark the calendar.

The State Department’s announcement concerned visas for Bolsonaro and his family. Castro and other Democrats framed their objections around asylum and preferential treatment for a Trump ally.

Bolsonaro arrived in Miami Wednesday after traveling through Argentina and Ecuador. The Brazilian senator lost Sunday’s presidential runoff to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and denies wrongdoing in the financial investigations.

Castro had plenty of company in the outrage department.

Rep. Jim McGovern accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio of helping Bolsonaro evade justice. Rep. Morgan McGarvey portrayed the welcome as evidence that the administration’s objections to admitting criminals depend on their politics.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats contrasted Bolsonaro’s reception with the administration’s treatment of people fleeing Sudan and Haiti.

So the argument is that immigration policy should not depend on whether Washington likes the person arriving. An excellent principle. Perhaps everyone could keep a copy handy.

Conservative Nick Freitas supplied the reaction many readers were probably already composing.

“We finally found a foreigner a Democrat doesn’t want in the country,” he wrote.

Castro’s broader immigration record supplies the backdrop. Texas Public Radio reported this month that he had repeatedly visited detention facilities, advocated for detainees’ release and called for changes to immigration enforcement. He wants a congressional investigation of ICE if Democrats retake the House.

His argument in Bolsonaro’s case is that the administration is sheltering someone facing legitimate investigations. Bolsonaro’s defenders view his treatment by Brazilian authorities as political persecution.

That dispute deserves scrutiny. So does the remarkable change in tone from politicians who usually introduce immigration controversies with a lecture about compassion.

For this family, the greeting arrived as a demand for answers. The congressional hospitality committee is having an unusually stern week.

DBS WIRE SOURCES (I’ve got all day).

• Twitchy — Castro’s statement, other Democratic objections and conservative responses
• Associated Press — State Department visa announcement and Brazilian investigations
• Reuters / The Straits Times — Timeline of Bolsonaro’s departure and Miami arrival
• Texas Public Radio — Castro’s immigration advocacy and proposed ICE investigation
• Agência Brasil — Argentine authorities’ account of the family’s travel
• Daily BS related: Bolsonaro leaves Brazil amid passport order — Trump administration offers visas to his family