Monday, 30 January 2017

Updates On Trump's Refugee Ban

Here Are The Latest Updates On Trump's Refugee Ban



29 January, 2017

Less than 48 hours after announcing his executive order on refugees, global opposition to Trump intensified on Sunday as world leaders, US (mostly tech) companies and civil rights groups condemned the move to temporarily limit entry from predominantly Muslim countries.

Here are the latest updates in the ongoing saga as of noon on Sunday:
  • Global government lash out at order. Governments from London and Berlin to Jakarta and Tehran spoke out against Trump's order. A spokesman for the U.K.'s Theresa May, who visited Trump on Friday and hadn't commented during the day yesterday, told the AP May does "not agree" with the order. Canada PM Trudeau, in a tweet, said on Saturday Canada would welcome those fleeing “persecution, terror and war. Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith.” Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon endorsed Trudea's tweet. A similar message was sent by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who said refugees deserve a safe haven regardless of their background or religion. Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said the decision was unfair.  Germany pledged to play a bigger role on the international stage.

  • US tech companies "do not support:" Netflix Inc.’s chief executive officer said the changes were “un-American”; Alphabet Inc.’s Google advised staff who may be impacted by the order to return to the U.S. immediately; commeting on the order, Apple's Tim Cook said "It is not a policy we support"

  • Lyft donates $1 million to ACLU. In an email from Lyft to users, the company noted that the executive order is “antithetical to both Lyft’s and our nation’s core values. We stand firmly against these actions, and will not be silent on issues that threaten the values of our community.” The release went on to note that the company pledged to donate “$1,000,000 over the next four years to the ACLU to defend our constitution.”

  • Uber slammed. Lyft’s response to the protests contrasted to that of its rival, Uber. While Uber’s CEO Travis Kalanick pledged to compensate drivers stranded overseas due to the executive order, he did not specifically condemn the executive order.  Thecompany was criticized for the tone-deaf response from its CEO, prompting a new hashtag on Twitter: #DeleteUber.

  • Trump refuses to relent. Despite the global criticism, Trump was steadfast as of Sunday morning, tweeting twice on the topic, first saying that "our country needs strong borders and extreme vetting, NOW. Look what is happening all over Europe and, indeed, the world - a horrible mess!"  following it up with "Christians in the Middle-East have been executed in large numbers. We cannot allow this horror to continue!"

    Our country needs strong borders and extreme vetting, NOW. Look what is happening all over Europe and, indeed, the world - a horrible mess!
    2:08 AM - 30 Jan 2017

    Christians in the Middle-East have been executed in large numbers. We cannot allow this horror to continue!
    4:03 AM - 30 Jan 2017
  • Federal Judge issues nationwide stay, partially blocking the Trump immigration order. A Brooklyn judge temporarily blocked Trump’s administration late Saturday from enforcing portions of his order, however neither ruling strikes down the executive order, which will now be subject to court hearings.
  • Another ruling: A Boston judge ruled to release two Iranian professors from Logan International Airport, according to the Boston Globe. The decision also stated that travelers could not be removed OR detained for 7 days.

  • White House comments on judge's ruling: "Nothing in the Brooklyn judge's order in anyway impedes or prevents the implementation of the president's executive order which remains in full, complete and total effect," White House adviser Stephen Miller told reporters.

  • White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus "we apologize for nothing": Priebus told "Meet the Press" the situation yesterday "wasn't chaos." He appeared to contradict an official clarification by the White House, when he said on Sunday green-card holders won't be impacted by the order going forward, but could face additional screening at CBP "discretion." Other countries could be added to order.

  • DHS continues to enforce the travel ban. Despite the ruling, the DHS vowed early on Sunday to continue implementing the order, stating it will "enforce all of the president’s executive orders in a manner that ensures the safety and security of the American people." It added that "President Trump's Executive Orders remain in place — prohibited travel will remain prohibited, and the U.S. government retains its right to revoke visas at any time if required for national security or public safety."

  • The initial statistics: A DHS official told CNN that there were 109 travelers barred from entry to the U.S. when Trump signed the order. It was unclear how many were deported vs. detained.

  • Opening for democrats: As Axios points out, after spending nearly two months back on their heels. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey showed up at Dulles airport, then tweeted last night: “I am driving North now from Virginia. I will check in on things at Newark airport tomorrow." Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe held a press conference on a concourse at Dulles, calling the order “antithetical to the values that make America great. It will not make our country safer." @HillaryClinton tweeted: “I stand with the people gathered across the country tonight defending our values & our Constitution. This is not who we are."

  • Republicans revolt: As Axios also notes so far 10 GOPers have announced opposition to or questioned Trump's executive order. These include Sen. John McCain; Rep. Carlos Curbelo; Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; Rep. Charlie Dent; Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick; Rep. Justin Amash; Rep. Barbara Comstock; Sen. Susan Collins; Sen. Jeff Flake; Sen. Ben Sassбe.

  • Protests continue. Demonstrations against the ban continued for a second day across the US including Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Chicago, Phoenix, according to ThinkProgress. Here's the scene at the White House:

    We're only just getting started and the crowd is overflowing in front of the White House. No
     
    7:19 AM - 30 Jan 201
  • "This Is Not A Muslim Ban." On Sunday afternoon, seeking to "explain" his Executive Orders, Trump issued a statement denying once again he has implemented a Muslim ban, and instead said that "my policy is similar to what President Obama did in 2011 when he banned visas for refugees from Iraq for six months." He added that "America has always been the land of the free and home of the brave. We will keep it free and keep it safe, as the media knows, but refuses to say."

  • Green card holders welcome. DHS Secretary John Kelly issued a statement that lawful permanent residents from 7 banned countries are now allowed into the U.S., overturning a part of the previous ban which prohibited entry into the US by permanent residents from the 7 mostly-Muslim nations.



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