Today the U.S. Government put its ban on Muslim refugees into action by detaining two Iraqis as they landed in the United States. Included is a contractor serving in a trusted position for the U.S. military in Iraq.
According to the ACLU, lawyers for the two Iraqis who had been granted visas to enter the United States have filed a lawsuit against Trump and the US government after they were detained when they arrived in New York Friday.
The lawsuit could represent the first legal challenge to Trump’s controversial executive order, which indefinitely suspends admissions for Syrian refugees and limits the flow of other refugees into the United States by instituting what the President has called “extreme vetting” of immigrants.
Trump’s order also bars Iraqi citizens, as well as people from six other Muslim-majority nations, from entering the US for 90 days, and suspends the US Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days until it is reinstated “only for nationals of countries for whom” members of Trump’s Cabinet deem can be properly vetted.
The U.S. Government under the Donald Trump administration is discriminating based on religion and other discriminatory factors. It is despicable:
According to the New York Times:
“But the order is illegal. More than 50 years ago, Congress outlawed such discrimination against immigrants based on national origin.”
That decision came after a long and shameful history in this country of barring immigrants based on where they came from. Starting in the late 19th century, laws excluded all Chinese, almost all Japanese, then all Asians in the so-called Asiatic Barred Zone. Finally, in 1924, Congress created a comprehensive “national-origins system,” skewing immigration quotas to benefit Western Europeans and to exclude most Eastern Europeans, almost all Asians, and Africans.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 banned all discrimination against immigrants on the basis of national origin, replacing the old prejudicial system and giving each country an equal shot at the quotas.
In signing the new law, President Lyndon B. Johnson said that “the harsh injustice” of the national-origins quota system had been “abolished.”
What Trump has failed to do is his homework and to get a basic understanding of how this all works. Not only is the United States under the administration of white supremacists seeking to keep America white, but also in the hands of a bunch of fools who are unqualified to lead. With such flagrant unconstitutional actions, one is left with very little to wonder about the competency of this new administration. What we knew before the inauguration now manifests into reality and the abject inhumanity is palpable.
If Trump and his henchmen know the ramification – the human toll – that makes this discrimination all the worse. If Trump and his henchmen do not have insight into the human toll, then it is an admission of their ignorance.
Lets keep an eye on the lawsuit.
I would add my disappointment in the Democratic Senators who are voting yes for any single Trump cabinet appointee – who they know to be unqualified to lead in cabinet positions. In my opinion playing politics is in effect normalizing this Trump administration and at this juncture we believe our Democratic representatives are complicit when they vote yes! Given what is going on in actual fact – requires absolute resistance and obstruction in every realm.
UPDATED: One man released – thanks Jerry Nadler for going down to JFK and the ACLU for swift action.
Further commentary: @REalDOnaldTrump ‘s unconstitutional discrimination and incompetence comes to light as really life examples now are a reality. Its beyond the rhetoric now – as people begin to suffer inhumanity engendered by discriminatory policy. Nadler: “the least we can do is admit people who are marked for death in their own country…” because they helped America.
People already had valid visas who helped America -and as we try to bring them to safety Trump policy thwarts our obligations. Trump’s sweeping order attacks even those who helped America at risk to their own lives.
A further reality hits home as Iran retaliates with banning Americans.
We have a lawless President who is actually making policy and signing executive orders that serves to demonize an entire religion of billions for the radical behavior of a relative few – who are extremists. A lawless autocratic President who has zero experience whatsoever in the foreign affairs and policy arena has ordered this without Congress and our elected representatives having any say. Not only is this a breach of our Constitution but also an abuse of power. This is what the American electoral college voted for. This is what we have now. No more rhetoric but action that voters were promised would occur – and yet the electoral college still voted! Lest we forget to note that the popular VOTE diid NOT vote for this! This indicates the huge hole in our democracy. The will of the people is not being met. Lets hear from Congress!
#NOTMYPRESIDENT #RESIST
Melanie Nathan
Commissionermnathan@gmail.com
@MelanieNathan1
PLEASE HELP THE ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT FOR WAITING AND DELAYED LGBT REFUGEES WITH A DONATION TO AFRICAN HRC at http://www.africanhrc.org/donate