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Council on Islamic-American Relations to sue over Trump 'extreme vetting'
US refugee ban: Trump decried for 'stomping on' American values
(35 minutes later)
The Statue of Liberty would be weeping, Donald Trump was told on Friday, amid mounting condemnation of his announcement of draconian new “extreme vetting” measures for refugees seeking to come to the United States.
Donald Trump is facing mounting criticism from world leaders and aid organisations after ending his first week as president with a ban on all Syrian refugees entering the US and a halt on arrivals from a string of predominantly Muslim countries.
Trump’s plan would suspend the entry of immigrants and non-immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen for 90 days, ban refugees from Syria indefinitely, suspend all refugee admissions for 120 days, cut refugee numbers down to a maximum of 50,000 in 2017 (less than half the previous year’s figure of 117,000), and prioritise refugee claims if the refugee is a member of a minority religion – a clear attempt to carve out an exception for Christians.
The president signed an executive order to stop all refugee arrivals for four months – and Syrian arrivals indefinitely – on Friday, hours after meeting the British prime minister Theresa May and reportedly reaffirming his commitment to Nato.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations immediately announced it would be filing a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the order “because its apparent purpose and underlying motive is to ban people of the Islamic faith from Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States”.
The move, which he described as “extreme vetting” measures intended to “keep terrorists out”, was even more severe than expected. It will amount to a de facto ban on Muslims traveling to the US from parts of the Middle East and north Africa by prioritising refugee claims “on the basis of religious-based persecution”.
“There is no evidence that refugees – the most thoroughly vetted of all people entering our nation – are a threat to national security,” said CAIR’s Lena F Masri. “This is an order that is based on bigotry, not reality.”
The order, named Protection of the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, places a 90-day block on entry to the US from citizens from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia. It is unclear whether the measure would apply to citizens of those countries on trips abroad who already have permission to live and work in the US.
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani campaigner for girls’ education who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban at age 15, said she was “heartbroken” that America was “turning its back on a proud history of welcoming refugees and immigrants – the people who helped build your country, ready to work hard in exchange for a fair chance at a new life”.
The order also caps the total number of refugees entering the US in 2017 to 50,000, less than half the previous year’s figure of 117,000.
She added: “I am heartbroken that Syrian refugee children, who have suffered through six years of war by no fault of their own, are singled out for discrimination.”
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) called on the Trump administration to continue offering asylum to people fleeing war and persecution, saying its resettlement programme was vital.
Yousafzai gave the example of a girl called Zaynab, “who fled wars in three countries – Somalia, Yemen and Egypt – before she was even 17”. Zaynab received a visa to come to the US, she said, where she “learned English, graduated high school and is now in college studying to be a human rights lawyer”.
“The needs of refugees and migrants worldwide have never been greater and the US resettlement programme is one of the most important in the world,” the Geneva-based agencies said in a joint statement.
“Zaynab was separated from her little sister when she fled unrest in Egypt,” said Yousafzai. “Today her hope of being reunited with her precious sister dims.”
They said the US’s acceptance of refugees had offered a double benefit, “first by rescuing some of the most vulnerable people in the world and second by enabling them to enrich their new societies”.
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement he was “concerned about the impact of the recent executive orders signed by President Trump”.
Chuck Schumer, Democratic leader in the Senate, said: “Tears are running down the cheeks of the Statue of Liberty tonight as a grand tradition of America, welcoming immigrants, that has existed since America was founded, has been stomped upon.
Zuckerberg, who is Jewish, said his great-grandparents came to the US from Germany, Austria and Poland and his wife’s parents were refugees from China and Vietnam.
“The United States is a nation of immigrants, and we should be proud of that,” he said.
He added: “Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who don’t pose a threat will live in fear of deportation.
“We should also keep our doors open to refugees and those who need help. That’s who we are. Had we turned away refugees a few decades ago, Priscilla’s family wouldn’t be here today.”
Zuckerberg expressed a hope that Trump would not reverse Barack Obama’s decision to allow undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children to work in the US.
It is incumbent on every single American to speak out against Trump’s actions today
Khizr Khan, whose son Humayun Khan died saving his unit from an Iraqi suicide bomb and was a focus of attacks by Trump earlier this year said the president’s “race to violate constitutional principles and fundamental American values by targeting Muslims and immigrants is of tremendous concern”.
“It is incumbent on every single American to speak out against Trump’s actions today and every further step he and his administration may take to discriminate against Muslims,” he added.
Chuck Schumer, Democratic leader in the Senate, said: “Tears are running down the cheeks of the Statue of Liberty tonight as a grand tradition of America, welcoming immigrants, that has existed since America was founded has been stomped upon.
“Taking in immigrants and refugees is not only humanitarian but has also boosted our economy and created jobs decade after decade. This is one of the most backward and nasty executive orders that the president has issued.”
“Taking in immigrants and refugees is not only humanitarian but has also boosted our economy and created jobs decade after decade. This is one of the most backward and nasty executive orders that the president has issued.”
Zoe Lofgren, senior Democrat on the House judiciary, immigration and border security subcommittee, said she was seeking “legal analysis” of Trump’s executive order and would issue a “comprehensive review soon”.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced it would be filing a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the order “because its apparent purpose and underlying motive is to ban people of the Islamic faith from Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States”.
“It seems clear that the effects of today’s orders will be discriminatory and isolationist,” Lofgren said. “They are un-American, driven by xenophobia and will damage our nation’s standing around the world.”
“There is no evidence that refugees – the most thoroughly vetted of all people entering our nation – are a threat to national security,” said Lena F Masri, the council’s litigation director. “This is an order that is based on bigotry, not reality.”
She added: “Perhaps most troubling, today’s executive order – issued on Holocaust Remembrance Day, no less – recalls a dark episode in American history. Just over 75 years ago, a ship called the St Louis, carrying nearly a thousand Jews fleeing Nazi Germany, sailed so close to the United States that passengers could see the lights of Miami.
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani campaigner for girls’ education who survived an attempted murder by the Taliban when she was 15, said she was “heartbroken” that America was “turning its back on a proud history of welcoming refugees and immigrants – the people who helped build your country, ready to work hard in exchange for a fair chance at a new life”.
“But rather than welcome these refugees, America turned them away. Many of these Jewish refugees were killed by the Nazis when they were forced to return to Europe.
She added: “I am heartbroken that Syrian refugee children, who have suffered through six years of war by no fault of their own, are singled out for discrimination.”
“Making sure that such a tragedy never happens again became the bedrock of US and international refugee and asylum law and policy. Mr Trump’s actions today upend this foundational principle and endanger millions all over the world.”
Madeline Albright, the former US secretary of state, said: “There is no fine print on the Statue of Liberty. America must remain open to people of all faiths and backgrounds.”
Earlier this week, Nihad Awad of CAIR said Muslims would be “the sole targets” of Trump’s action.
She was referring the inscription of the iconic New York landmark: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
“These orders are a disturbing confirmation of Islamophobic and un-American policy proposals made during the presidential election campaign,” he said, as details of Trump’s plans were leaked to the press.
Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said in a statement he was concerned about the impact of Trump’s executive orders.
“One of our nation’s darkest moments was during [the second world war], when we turned away Jewish refugees seeking our protection. We cannot allow religious bigotry to effect our willingness and ability to welcome those fleeing violence and persecution.”
Zuckerberg, who is Jewish, said his great-grandparents came to the US from Germany, Austria and Poland and his wife’s parents were refugees from China and Vietnam. “The United States is a nation of immigrants, and we should be proud of that,” he said.
Manar Waheed, a former political appointee for the Obama administration, told the Guardian Trump’s order was a de facto ban on Muslims that would only serve to alienate key allies across the globe and millions of Muslims living in the US.
“Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who don’t pose a threat will live in fear of deportation.”
“National security and terrorism should be focused on facts of individuals, not blanket assumptions or presumptions or exclusions,” said Waheed, who was deputy policy director for immigration at the White House domestic policy council from 2014 until the end of Barack Obama’s presidency.
As well as halting Syrian arrivals indefinitely, the president’s order suspends the admittance of all refugees to the US for 120 days. In Syria alone, the nearly six-year war under Bashar al-Assad’s regime has led to more than 500,000 civilian deaths and displaced an estimated 11 million Syrians.
“We’re in this moment where Muslim communities are being pushed into the corners of our society ... This is discriminating against people based on their faith and national origin”.
Although Trump administration officials continue to insist the president’s actions are not targeted at any one faith, the text of the order made explicit that, when the 120-day suspension ended, the US government would prioritize religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries.
David Miliband, president and chief executive of the International Rescue Committee, said refugees were “fleeing terror – they are not terrorists”.
It states: “Upon the resumption of USRAP [US Refugee Admissions Program] admissions, the secretary of state, in consultation with the secretary of homeland security, is further directed to make changes, to the extent permitted by law, to prioritize refugee claims made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality.”
“At a time when there are more refugees than ever, America must remain true to its core values,” the former British foreign secretary said. “America must remain a beacon of hope.”
The order was published hours after Trump met May, the first meeting with an international head of state since his inauguration last week.
He added: “America has the strongest, most successful resettlement program in the world. Certified by successive administrations, the US resettlement program makes it harder to get to the United States as a refugee than any other route. This is one of many reasons to deplore the hasty decision made today.”
In a White House press conference on Friday, the British prime minister said: “On defence and security cooperation, we’re united in our recognition of Nato as the bulwark of our collective defence and we reaffirmed our unshakeable commitment to this alliance. We’re 100% behind Nato.”
The US has probably the most intensive screening process in the world for refugees: it requires they register and interview with the United Nations, which then must refer them to the US.
Downing Street has sought to toe a difficult line, between Britain’s need to maintain a close relationship with the US as it leaves the EU, and Trump’s unpredictability, as well as the fact that many British voters are sceptical about him.
Refugees who pass this test then interview with state department contractors and have at least two background checks; then they have three fingerprint and photo screenings; then US immigration reviews the case; then homeland security interviews the refugee; then a doctor examines the refugee; and finally several security agencies perform one last check after the refugee has been matched with a resettlement agency. The process takes 18 months to two years.
Sources said the two leaders felt they had gained something from their discussion. May flew from Washington to Turkey overnight for bilateral talks with President Raycep Erdoğan.
There is no fine print on the Statue of Liberty. America must remain open to people of all faiths & backgrounds. #RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/4LvMiZTRJJ
Trump will spend Saturday calling world leaders, including Angela Merkel of Germany, François Hollande of France and Russia’s Vladamir Putin. The president’s links to the latter have been the subject of huge press and public interest, and their call is expected to include discussion of the US dropping trade embargoes against Russia.
Speaking on Thursday, a day before Trump announced his shift in refugee policy, Madeleine Albright, the former US secretary of state, quoted the words enshrined beneath the Statue of Liberty. They read: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
“There is no fine print on the Statue of Liberty,” said Albright, who came to the US as a child when her family fled Nazi persecution. “Today she is weeping because of the actions of President Trump”.
Additional reporting by Alan Yuhas in San Francisco
The headline of this article was amended on 28 January 2017 to correct the name of the council.
