Customs agents ignore judge, enforce Trump's travel ban: ACLU
The ACLU is getting "multiple reports" that federal customs agents are siding with President Trump — and willfully ignoring a Brooklyn federal judge's demand that travelers from seven Muslim countries not be deported from the nation's airports.
Unions of Border Patrol, ICE agents cheer Trump actionsAs Scott Adams pointed on in the piece above, Trump's move is predictably confusing, chaotic, and somewhat scary. And the reactions he needs to (hopefully) negotiate to the middle are already there: the far-right are happy, and the far-left will be relieved when he finalizes his less radical permanent solution. Priebus tried to clarify the chaos when asked whether the ban affected green-card holders - first saying the order doesn't affect them, then saying it did, because they may be "subjected temporarily with more questioning" until a better program takes effect in the future:
Joint Press Release Between Border Patrol and ICE Councils
As representatives of the nation's Frontline immigration officers and agents responsible for enforcing our laws and protecting our borders, we fully support and appreciate President Trump's swift and decisive action to keep the American people safe and allow law enforcement to do its job. We applaud the three executive orders he has issued to date, and are confident they will make America safer and more prosperous. Morale amongst our agents and officers has increased exponentially since the signing of the orders. The men and women of ICE and Border Patrol will work tirelessly to keep criminals, terrorists, and public safety threats out of this country, which remains the number one target in the world - and President Trump's actions now empower us to fulfill this life saving mission, and it will indeed save thousands of lives and billions of dollars.
Asked whether that constituted "affecting" or "not affecting" green card holders, Priebus said, "The executive order doesn't affect green card holders moving forward. I said that. But what I'm suggesting to you is that Customs and Border Patrol... if they have a person that's traveling back and forth to Libya or Somalia or Yemen, I would suspect within their discretion, they might ask a few more questions [at airports] when someone's coming back and forth within their discretionary authority as a customs and border patrol agent."Now, after all the confusion, the DHS is already clarifying, by scaling back on the severity of that first day of mayhem (as Adams pretty much predicted):
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He also said that other countries, Saudi Arabia among them, could be added to the travel ban.
Referring to the chaotic scenes at airports, yesterday, Priebus was asked whether a grace period on enforcing the ban might have been helpful. "I don't think you want to have a grace period, Chuck, because then people that want to do bad things to Americans just move up their travel dates," he said.
He also said the administration had been working with DHS and US Customs and Border Protection for some time before the order was signed, and that the agencies were quite prepared. "And so it wasn't chaos," he said. Priebus said 325,000 people from foreign countries came into the US yesterday, and 109 people were detained briefly. "Most of those people were moved out. We've got a couple dozen more that remain. And I would suspect as long as they're not awful people that they will move through before another half a day today. And perhaps some of these people should be detained further. And if they're folks that shouldn't be in this country they're going to be detained. And so apologize for nothing here."
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The DHS issued a press release on the ban January 29, in which it said it would continue to enforce all presidential executive orders. "Approximately 80 million international travelers enter the United States every year," the DHS reported. "Yesterday, less than one percent of the more than 325,000 international air travelers who arrive every day were inconvenienced while enhanced security measures were implemented. These individuals went through enhanced security screenings and are being processed for entry to the United States, consistent with our immigration laws and judicial orders."
The US Department of Homeland Security has clarified that it is takings steps to comply with court orders issued yesterday and with the statements by Homeland Security Secretary James Kelly regarding the way refugees and travelers from the seven countries affected by the new travel restrictions, including green card holders, are treated.And then Trump comes out and says this:
In the statement, issued late January 29, the department said, "We are committed to ensuring that all individuals affected by the executive orders, including those affected by the court orders, are being provided all rights afforded under the law. We are also working closely with airline partners to prevent travelers who would not be granted entry under the executive orders from boarding international flights to the U.S. Therefore, we do not anticipate that further individuals traveling by air to the United States will be affected."
Citing earlier comments by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, the department reiterated that "the entry of lawful permanent residents is in the national interest. Accordingly, absent significant derogatory information indicating a serious threat to public safety and welfare, lawful permanent resident status will be a dispositive factor in our case-by-case determinations."
Green card holders are lawful permanent residents of the United States, though they are not citizens.
"We are and will remain in compliance with judicial orders. We are and will continue to enforce President Trump's executive order humanely and with professionalism. DHS will continue to protect the homeland." the department concluded.
"I have tremendous feeling for the people involved in this horrific humanitarian crisis in Syria. My first priority will always be to protect and serve our country, but as President I will find ways to help all those who are suffering," Trump said Sunday.Head reeling yet? Read Adams' piece. Trump is carrying out a complex, and dangerous, 'negotiation' with two extreme and opposite parties. And he's not dumb.
Qalaat Al Mudiq @QalaatAlMudiqThe Zinki (Zengi) group had CIA support and received anti-tank weapons from the U.S. and its Gulf proxies. JFS is the short form of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the official al-Qaeda group in Syria. It is the strongest "rebel" group on the ground. Abu Jabar is a former Ahrar al-Sham leader who had long argued for integrating both groups. The Turkish- and U.S.-supported Ahrar al Sham has now officially split. The probably larger part under Abu Jabar is now joining al-Qaeda.
N. #Syria: Tahrir Al-Sham Corps is born. Zinki, #JFS, Jaish Al-Sunna, Ansar Al-Din & Liwa Al-Haq merged under unified leadership (Abu Jaber)
Comment: The Soros-funded 'White Helmets' NGO is caught faking 'civilian casualties of Russian airstrikes' in Syria.
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