Trump denies immigration restriction is ‘a Muslim ban’

WASHINGTON / AP

President Donald Trump is vigorously defending his immigration restrictions, as protests spread throughout the country, saying “this is about terror and keeping our country safe.”
Trump released a statement asserting, “To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting.”
The president addressed the issue late Sunday in a statement as some Republicans in Congress — including Ohio’s Sen. Rob Portman — urged caution amid legal challenges to the order banning travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Top congressional Republicans have largely remained behind Trump on the issue.
“America is a proud nation of immigrants and we will continue to show compassion to those fleeing oppression,” Trump said, “but we will do so while protecting our own citizens and border. This is not about religion — this is about terror and keeping our country safe. ” “I have tremendous feeling for the people involved in this horrific humanitarian crisis in Syria,” he said. “My first priority will always be to protect and serve our country, but as President I will find ways to help those who are suffering.” In a background call with reporters on Sunday, a senior administration official declared the order’s implementation “a massive success story,” claiming it had been done “seamlessly and with extraordinary professionalism.”
That, despite widespread confusion and an apparent walk-back about how the order, which temporarily bars the citizens of seven majority Muslim nations from entering the U.S., would be applied to certain groups, like U.S. legal permanent residents.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly issued a statement on Sunday saying that, absent information indicating a serious threat to public safety and welfare, residency would be a “dispositive factor in our case-by-case determination.” That means citizens of the seven countries who hold permanent U.S. residency “green cards” will not be barred from re-entering the U.S., as officials had previously said. It remains unclear what kind of additional screening they will now face. Trump’s order, which also suspends refugee admissions for 120 days and indefinitely bars the processing of refugees from Syria, has sparked widespread protests and denunciations from Democrats and a handful of Republicans. Many have accused the administration of rushing to implement the changes, resulting in panic and confusion at the nation’s airports.
“You have an extreme vetting proposal that didn’t get the vetting it should have had,” said Portman, who urged the new president to “slow down” and work with lawmakers on how best to tighten screening for foreigners who enter the United States.
“In my view, we ought to all take a deep breath and come up with something that makes sense for our national security” and reflects the fact that “America’s always been a welcoming home for refugees and immigrants,” he said. White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday morning defended the closed-mouth discussions that preceded Friday’s announcement, saying that “I think there are some people who might not like the way it was done, but they were all consulted in the process.”
Interviewed on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Spicer said officials put the safety of the American people first and said officials didn’t want to “telegraph” what they were going to do. He acknowledged “the secret way we had to roll this out” and said that it was because of “security reasons.” Several Democrats in Congress said they would be introducing legislation to stop the ban. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said the changes were “a small price to pay” to keep the nation safe. But it’s unclear whether the order will accomplish that. The order does not address homegrown extremists already in America, a primary concern of federal law enforcement officials. The developments came a day after a federal judge in New York issued an emergency order temporarily barring the U.S. from deporting people from the seven majority Muslim nations subject to Trump’s 90-day travel ban.

57-nation Islamic body calls US travel ban a ‘grave concern’

DUBAI / AP

The world’s largest body of Islamic nations said on Monday that it has “grave concern” over US President Donald Trump banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, warning such moves would only embolden extremists.
The statement from the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation marked the first official public criticism coming out of Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, Trump called Saudi King Salman and invited him to visit Washington amid widespread protests in the US over the order.
The 90-day ban, imposed on Friday, affects travel to the United States by citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. All are OIC members.
The order also suspends refugee admissions for 120 days and indefinitely bars the processing of refugees from Syria. The OIC warned in the statement that “many of those fleeing war and persecution have been adversely and unjustly affected” by the order.