The headline should read "Bannon/Miller Suspends..." Trump is simply (and I do mean simply) signing a proclamation prepared by this duo of xenophobic racists. It becomes more evident with each passing day that DJT is not running the country. He's too busy humiliating people who don't fawn over him.
1
“It therefore appears that no legislation is necessary to give your administration the tools it needs to respond to this crisis, and that any needed temporary measures can be implemented through presidential action,” Feinstein concluded.
This is reported as part of a letter that Feinstein wrote to Obama in 2014. Since only "conservative sites" reported on it
I would ask if the NYT can confirm or refute its veracity
4
Send the kids without parents back too. I don't want my tax dollars paying for them when AMERICAN children are homeless
6
No, having Donald Trump as the President of the United States is the crisis. We await the explosion, implosion, or whatever. It’s coming.
2
I'm all in favor of asylum seekers coming and seeking asylum - but yeah, no reason that should include crossing illegally when a reasonable alternative is being set up.
3
Section 212[f] of the Immigration and Nationality Act "Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or class of aliens as immigrants or non immigrants, or impose on entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate." Why do the progressives only want to obey laws they seem fit to enforce? Why is it not right if Trump chooses to obey this law?
2
Hmm, maybe now the GOPpers and non-Native Americans have a sense of what Indigenous People, including those recently disenfranchised in the Dakotas, have felt and thought and struggled with for the past 400-some years.
This directive violates Article 31 of the Refugee Convention and Protocol, and Section 208(a)(1) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act, explicitly.
The first states that parties to the convention will not impose penalties on refugees who coming directly from the place they are fleeing, enter or reside illegally, if they present themselves "without delay" and explain why they entered or resided illegally.
The second, which is the actual immigration law that Mr. Trump is constantly complaining nobody's following, bluntly states that any alien physically present or arriving in the U.S. may apply for asylum regardless of whether or not they arrive at a designated port, and regardless of their status.
It's actually not surprising that the U.S. law matches the Convention, because it was written to comply with it.
This isn't just an executive order, it is accompanied by a final for changing the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and the code changes implement the EO, and are 90 days renewable.
President Trump is literally rewriting the implementation of a law as the opposite of the statement of that law. If he's allowed to do that, then he can change the laws of this country to whatever he pleases and we no longer live in a republic. This is wrong, it's a violation of his oath of office, and its a violation of co-equal branches of government.
3
There is so much hot air here I do not know where to begin. this new change will deter nobody as most who use the asylum path into the USA know they need to start by presenting themselves to a US border agent. if this means getting in line at a border crossing then so much the merrier . This may even overwhelm more what resources we have. It will not stop deny or deter anybody. Why some people feel this is not a crisis is beyond me as we just cant allow this back door entry into the USA.
trump is right in labeling it a crisis but frankly despite al this hubris not much is being done. At that I am mad and demand the Democrats get in line and negotiate. We owe it to America.
6
I'm relieved to see so many of my fellow liberal, progressive, anti-Trumpers are bold and honest enough to post they see Trump's side on this, as I do. Actually, it was Obama's "side", too. The subtleties of applying for asylum seem to be lost in the reporting. Fleeing violence isn't enough to apply for asylum. Fleeing poverty isn't enough to apply for asylum.
9
From the picture shown accompanying the article here of the caravan, the background in Mexico they are safely passing through looks very much like it could have been taken in California’s Central Valley, complete with wind turbines. Very placid and fertile only likely however without the same generous social benefits as California’s. Is it possible there is something more to it than merely getting out of Honduras alive?
8
Just because the 'ports of entry' are over capacity doesn't make an illegal crossing valid.
You can talk about how to deal with asylum claims, but the rules, the proceedings are always on the hosting nation. These proceedings may be hostile or miserably managed, it doesn't matter. If there is an entitlement of asylum it will always been surpassed by the entitlement of sovereignty of the hosting society. After all it is their country.
8
Good grief, the " caravans " have some sort of " right " to enter the country when and wherever they choose!? No need to apply for legal entry at a controlled crossing point!? When did this happen? Did I miss some sort of constitutional amendment or change to the Bill of Rights?
7
Hey Donald: even as the "caravan" advances how do you know that an even bigger one isn't approaching our northern border? I'm talking about thousands upon thousands of Inuits in an Iditarod-style dog-sled train ready to crash the border while no one's looking. They'll steal our jobs, rape our women, kill our children and enslave white American males. Come on, Mr. President: open your eyes before it's too late!!
1
This is a time and an issue which the DEMs could use to disarm the GOP of one of their favorite propaganda weapons, the false claim that DEMs want "open borders".
Mexico has already agreed to cooperate with the US in allowing refugee camps on their side of the US border, from which migrants can apply for refugee status.
Trump has also suggested he would agree with this approach. It also accords with international norms respecting the rights of refugees.
If the DEMs would agree to pursue this avenue, and present to Trump a plan and budget that allows for a timely processing of refugee applications, he would be likely to agree to a wider definition of "refugee".
This would hobble the GOP and show the American public that DEMs support law and order, as well as the fair treatment of refugees.
If migrants are not willing to follow this new, legal, path into the USA, then we need to question whether they should be here in the first place.
"DEMs want open borders" is one of the GOP's more effective propaganda tools and if DEMs could disarm them of it before 2020 it would shift some swing voters into the DEM column.
It is both the right thing to do for the DEMs and for refugees.
16
@J Jencks For America's Great White Dope, Democrats and journalists represent even greater threats to the nation than immigrants. I can't imagine him agreeing to anything that would remove the targets from their backs.
1
The caravan in isolation does not seem like a crisis, but it is disingenuous to ignore that these people and millions more like them believe they are entitled to enter our country illegally.
No one is entitled to enter any country in the world without their permission. It is called going through immigrations.
I have been traveling around the world since I was born, 63 years ago, and no country on earth allows people from other countries to cross their borders without proving they have been given permission with a visa or whatever protocol happens to be in place.
I do not despise anyone for trying to come here. I would do the same if I was in their position.
Nevertheless, it is unfair to those who are patient enough to go through the legal channels to immigrate to allow these illegal immigrants to flout the law as if it is within their "rights".
I am a Democrat but on this issue it is not a matter of being liberal or not it is matter of common sense. We are a rich country but even our resources are limited. The priority for using our resources should be for our citizens first and then others.
I guarantee you that is how it is in every other country on earth.
39
@gpickard: Have you been to Bangladesh while the Burmese army has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee for their lives? The Bangladeshis are themselves desperately poor but they've taken those refugees in. If the folks approaching our southern border from Central America were European Jews circa 1940 would you still be questioning their right to be granted sanctuary here?
1
We sent a ship back to. Europe full of Jews seeking asylum in the 40s. Many of them perished in camps according to the reports of that shameful event in our history. That said, I do not wish to see the same kind of thing happening to those in the caravan who are in danger. The myth that there are killers and criminals in the caravan who are worse than the home grown and bred terrorists we have seen in action in the last few weeks here should be considered just more of the Trump and Sanders fake news.
Local gang violence is not a valid reason to be granted asylum. The reasons are persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group. Bad crime and corrupt local police are not valid reasons.
26
@Not 99pct: Why not expose your own child to those kinds of conditions and then try to come up with a reason for staying put?
2
Membership in a social group would seem to apply. The group being “young men not in a gang.”
Problem solved.
1
So now it's even controversial to ask the migrants to register at the official port of entry? How is this not supporting open borders again? I ask this as someone who is very liberal on immigration.
34
@natan: If you're running for your life you don't necessarily have time to divert your route to an "official port of entry." No one is talking about "open borders" here. Let them in and then transport them to a place of refuge at which they can be fed and detained until a ruling can made on their request for admittance.
2
@stu freemanRunning for their lives? Did the gangs of Honduras follow them on their journey through Mexico? No? Didn’t think so.
5
@stu freeman They're "running for their lives" for 2,300 miles? Who's chasing them?
5
Once asylum seekers from Guatemala, Honduras... have entered Mexico, they are in a safe place and should make their US asylum applications from there.
This is all that is required by the UN Convention on Human Rights.
DEMs should be putting their focus maintaining law and order at the border, while also providing legal support to refugees so that the GOP cannot turn away valid applicants.
If DEMs would do this it would be good for refugees AND good for the DEMs in 2020.
23
I’m confused! Common-sense says we must have well constructed and well protected borders to protect our citizens , and our way of life. Only allowing potential immigrants to enter who have passed physical/ mental screenings like our kin did at Ellis Island back in the day! Plus have a trade and funds in order to get themselves situated and becoming productive tax-payers. Why are the democrats impeding the President who just wants to do that , secure the borders, for all of us?
26
@Moe : Those are pretty much the reasons stated for not having granted refuge to Jews attempting to flee the Holocaust. Should we repeat that once again?
2
The only crisis in this country is the Constitutional ones involving foreign emoluments, fraud at the highest levels of the administration, and "appointing" as head of Justice someone who has never been vetted by Congress. The rest is just smoke and mirrors, folks.
9
Believe me no one dislikes Trump more than I but here he actually has a good point.There are approximately 150 million people between Mexico and Central America all of whom are living in very poor conditions .On the other hand we have what is de facto a open border catch and release system .There is no reason not to expect Millions upon Millions of destitute people to move to the US given this open border
32
Senator McCaskill said whenever she walked into a restaurant in Missouri on the campaign trail she saw a TV tuned into Fox News broadcasting footage of the caravan of migrants from Central America and leading its viewers to believe that the caravan was a threat. Trump watches Fox News and so there you have it; if Fox News calls it a crisis, Trump will call it a crisis, too. Trump and Republicans ran their campaigns on ginned-up fear.
People on the right don't think for themselves anymore. They let Fox News tell them what to think and what to worry about. They let Fox News instill in them irrational fear to win elections. If they read more widely they would learn that immigrants work hard, contribute more to our economy than they take out, and have lower crime rates than Americans do. Those are the facts.
But Fox News lies and its viewers including Trump have been brain-washed and turned into zombies.
3
This action is illegal under the 1951 UN "Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees" and the 1967 "Protocol" to the Convention. The US is a signatory to the 1967 Protocol. The Protocol and the Convention were ratified by the Senate in 1968.
Among other things the Convention prohibits states from discriminating against refugees, imposing penalties on refugees who enter illegally in search of asylum who present themselves without delay to authorities, and expelling refugees.
Not that this administration has any respect for international law or US treaties. It's little wonder Trump is the laughing stock of the UN. Shameful
2
Without delay? They delayed in presenting themselves since they took the time to enter illegally first.
2
I hate everything about Trump. Except on this issue. I support him 100% on this. I don't agree with his tactics, but we need serious immigration reform. We need serious asylum-seeker/refugee status reform. We need to end illegal immigration tolerance for the perpetrators as well as going after the American nonprofits, the caravan organizers, and businesses and companies who hire and house these illegals. We must change our social system so illegals can't live off of taxpayer money. We don't even take care of our own poor!
If we continue our current lax immigration we will become a third world. Our public programs and resources are already strained to the max. We don't need and can't support more poor, unskilled, needy people, especially not those whose religions tell them to have babies, don't use birth control or have abortions.
30
The treatment of refugees is debated between those who call for preferential treatment for foreigners and those who believe that their favorable treatment inherently harms Americans. Refugees have included those fleeing from the Nazis, from the Communists and from genocidal leaders. Still, it is argued that those facing mass annihilation have no right to favorable treatment in the U.S.
The notion of Americans seeking refugee status seems far fetched. But that is not so. Viewed historically, the refugee question applies to former American slaves. And there, the issue is whether refugee status granted to slaves by foreign countries would have been just. That is not a difficult question.
2
Obviously, over 20 million people illegally in this country is a crisis, and it demeans respect for the rule of law.
22
The opiod crisis.
Skyrocketing healthcare costs.
Ballooning student loan debt.
Gun massacres that have killed more people than died in all wars combined.
Tax breaks that give Walmart heirs $1,000,000 per day compared to Walmart workers who make $9 per hour.
The anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiment that Trump and Fox News are fanning.
Those are the real crises this nation faces. Fox News viewers have fallen victim to anti-immigrant hatred when we have far greater worries here at home. If people in America had hated on immigrants and called them "invasions" or called our ancestors "vermin" we would not have become Americans.
Shame on you who listen to and repeat such rhetoric.
6
If you are found here within our country illegally you should be removed. No 'do overs' either. Busting over our borders and in to the Us is not he way to go about immigrating. Nor does it prove you're a trustworthy person from the get go. We don't want you here if tht's the way you manipulate the process and disrespect our laws. Making demands of entrance is wrong. Try doing this anywhere else in the world and see how far you get. It's basically about free stuff and anchoring babies here.
We are pushovers.
15
Is it a crisis or an invasion? It's hard to keep up with this guy.
1
I would be ok with this EXCEPT we do not have the current infrastructure to have them all cross legally. We have literally been telling people they have to do it a certain way and then making it impossible for them to do it that way. Are we prepared to have shelters and food distribution redcross stations at the border to give out food and water while they wait in line at official ports for what can be weeks or longer? How are we going to fund that? Who will oversee it? How many additional ports are we opening? However without answering these concerns this is nothing more than a statement that we do not want immigrants of any kind. And that is unacceptable.
7
The problem with the people who want to come here is they are a poor fit for this country. The vast majority do not speak English. They have little education. There's little they can do here to earn money. Chances are they will settle in lousy neighborhoods that are nearly as dangerous as the ones they left behind. Meanwhile, Americans will be forced to pay for the real costs they impose our society.
Trump is a terrible person but he's right here. They do not belong in our society. Tell them to go home and fight battles there. Moving to America with no education, English fluency and large families is a foolish choice at best.
47
Under what circumstances did your ancestors come to the United States?
5
@Cat Here Everywhere The solution should be handle by the US,Mexico and Canada in 1) creating a buffer zone when the people can be keep safe and in good health; 2) going in those countries to regain control of their territories by local government; and, 3) creating a program of assistance to regenerate their economies. Trump , obviously, cannot do that so it has to be under the UN.This is a world crisis not only a USA problem.
@Matthew McGrath
They probably came when there was no social security net and no unionized labor. But let's pretend 1910 and 2010 are the exact same year and nothing has changed!
You know what that means:
Handlebar mustaches are back, baby! Throw in some huge sideburns, too! Gilded Age!!
1
Exit polls showed that more voters cared about healthcare than cared about immigration, twice as many. Healthcare is the real crisis in this country. It's unaffordable even if you have insurance and out of reach for those who can't afford insurance. When is Trump going to act on the "beautiful healthcare that is better and cheaper than Obamacare" that he promised during the campaign? More people are suffering or dying from lack of healthcare than from immigrants.
4
@Linda So why can't we do both? Just because one isn't attained doesn't mean should allow the other.
4
I wish Trump's grandfather hadn't been allowed back into the country. We wouldn't have him as president. Is it possible to retroactively deprive Trump of his citizenship because of what his grandfather did, if he did anything illegal? (no, we don't usually punish descendants of criminals for their ancestors crimes but if we did, I'd pick Trump.)
I do hope that the Trump empire suffers because of his stupidity and fixation on this. I hope that Ivanka and Jared lose money. I hope the Waltons lose money too. I'm sure that Walmart has its share of illegal immigrants working for it.
Last of all, this is a wonderful distraction from reality. Most illegal immigrants aren't hurting anyone. If anything we'll be hurt. The reason people can't find jobs has nothing to do with illegal immigrants at any level. If Trump wants to solve the problem there is a way: force businesses that hire illegal immigrants to sponsor them for citizenship. Hiring illegal immigrants will stop.
8
@hen3ry So why can't we stop them from coming here and prosecute businesses that hire illegals? Just because we don't do one strategy doesn't mean we should do at least one of them. There are hundreds of thousands coming here illegally at a tremendous cost. I don't see any one here on this board asking to take in the illegals and feed and clothe them.
6
Pelosi should be leading a bipartisan House supplemental appropriation for additional resources at the ports of entry. If we need to provide temp housing while asylum seekers await processing, so be it. That would be the humane compromise.
Instead of a Wall, What we need is a replica statue of liberty at the gate of every POE.
4 year work permits with a path to citizenship for those able and willing to labor in our farms and fields, and do work that college grads won't take.
I'm not advocating open borders; quite the opposite.
4
I am a Central American US Citizen. I was given a legal path by the Clinton Administration as a way to make up for the excesses of the Reagan Administration during the 80s. Salvadorean and Hondurans had the same benefit. However a good number of them chose to form gangs and engage in violent, criminal behavior. That is how MS13 got started and then subsequent administrations including Obama's deported all these people back to their countries, where they became a militia. I am not for letting any more of them because of the risks of all of that repeating itself. When I hear that there are young males in that caravan with no english speaking skills, never having been to school and with literally no skills whatsoever, what do you think they are going to do to survive? They are going to gang bang thats what.
78
Birther blowhard Trump's presidency is the crisis. There are still 171 children separated from their families still in custody as of today.
THAT is a crisis.
12
That the immigrant caravan is a crisis is just another one of the outrageously stupid remarks of our outrageously bigoted, criminal President.
9
Local gang violence is not a valid reason to grant asylum. The reasons are for persecution due to political beliefs, race, gender, sexual orientation.
Dont you liberals get it? We need some strict rules otherwise the entire world would apply.
42
I wish my fellow Democrats wouldn't automatically default to their old thinking in this issue. The world has changed. America has changed. We can no longer support our own poor let alone the poor illegal immigrants, asylum seekers and even legal immigrants who want to come here. The world is overpopulated. We also need to go after the churches, organizers, employers and landlords who help illegals come her and live off of American taxpayer dollars.
11
You (conveniently?) failed to mention persecution due to one’s religion. Ironic and sad given that it was to ensure freedom from religious persecution that many of our immigrant ancestors came to North America and the USA to begin with (and if your family isn’t Native American Indian or brought against their will as slaves or such, then you are the descendant of immigrants).
1
@Not 99pct - Yes, we Liberals get it. Unfortunately the GOP and their president haven't implemented a plan. Maybe now the DEMs will, hopefully one that doesn't involve separating small children from their parents.
Everything to trumper is either a 'crisis' or a 'war'.
2
Except when it’s sexual assault or harassment of or other discrimination against women, people with disabilities, people who don’t appear to be white, non-Christians, etc.
3
This is a devastating overreach of power. Trump behaves like a tantrum-throwing monarch and no will check him. He uses the checks and balances, laws, and constitution of our country like toilet paper. He is truly a sick man. Bluexit of all the democratic states from the union may soon be our only recourse against him.
2
I wish all undocumented workers currently living in the US could afford to stop working for a month. Most of the US, excepting the poor, wouldn't know what to do. Who is going to clean their house, watch their children, pick their vegetables, cook the food in the restaurants, and landscape their yard? If this administration was really concerned about immigrants, they would go after the businesses that hire them. I'm convinced that they just want to maintain a group of exploitable workers.
22
@Dali Dula
That's ridiculous. I think people would still know what to do. Do you really believe that every American employs servants?
And your compassion is of a strange variety. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses" --to clean my house, watch my kids, mow my lawn. Seriously?
I wish all citizens would stop working for a month. Then you'd see who is working here who shouldn't be.
And yes, employers who pay under the table or accept phony papers should be held accountable.
15
@Dali Dula I do my own landscaping. Employing an illegal child care worker is a criminal offense.
9
@Dali Dula Or, US citizens will get paid a living wage.
10
Income inequality, healthcare access, a lack of affordable housing, skyrocketing college tuition costs and climate change are the key challenges facing America. Now ask yourself, does a massive influx of poor, minimally skilled and educated migrants improve or exacerbate each of these problems?
The middle class has been all but erased and we're currently struggling to provide housing, education, and healthcare to our own people. Adding millions more who will be takers not producers - particularly as automation continues to eliminate unskilled labor jobs, exacerbates all of these crises.
Our generosity has been abused for too long by people who are seeking economic gain - not fleeing state persecution. Mr. Trump's methods may be crude but his aim is correct. These are migrants not refugees, and if they wish to move here, they should apply for green cards.
Imagine what would happen if people applied the liberal line of thinking on illegal immigration to the rest of life. Do you think Harvard would welcome me as an "undocumented" student, attending their classes, eating at their meal halls, using their gym facilities, and finally expect them to "give me a path to a degree" since I hadn't committed any crimes. Or perhaps I could become an undocumented patient on your next doctor's visit. Don't mind me! I'm just going to sneak into one of the open exam rooms! Would liberals still feel the same way about that?
44
@JP
Great analogy - the irony is that academia is for the most part supportive of illegal mass migration. They are also the major push for legal immigration of international students, who compete against American students for spots at American universities, even from countries that are hostile to us, e.g. intellectual property rights, including and especially China.
If local gang violence were a valid reason to be granted asylum, the US would have to take in tens of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions globally. Thankfully, local gang violence IS NOT a valid reason to be granted asylum. Look it up.
34
This should have been done much earlier, and hopefully the suspension will be much longer than 90 meaningless days.
The asylum process is tremendously abused.
Not one of these migrants is a minority persecuted by their government. There are people who fit that criteria, e.g. Yazidis and Christians in the Middle East, not these migrants from Central America.
The US should work with Central American governments to improve their countries instead of letting their population illegally enter ours.
By the tremendous abuse, those asylum claimants who cases lack merit ruin it for the minority of claimants whose cases do have merit.
Most Americans are tired of the tremendous abuse of the entire immigration policy or lack thereof.
51
If illegal immigrants were such a problem in this country, where is the enforcement and punishments with employers? This is just a way for him to rally his base.
7
The hypocrisy of demanding "law and order" while denying the very law governing asylum seekers is astounding.
What's not clear? Anyone seeking asylum may do so no matter the point of entry. Saying that it's a "get out of jail" card is ludicrous. The process of evaluating the claims is what determines their validity; not how they crossed. FACT: 95+% of asylum seekers show up to court (& where programs to help navigate process that number jumps to over 99%). Releasing people works and is economical. Proposals to wearhouse human beings who have not been *convicted* of anything are simply un-American not to mention bad economics.
Also to put the call for "rule of law" into some perspective: "unauthorized entry' is a Federal misdemeanor with maximum fine of $250/ 6mos in jail. For comparison, other examples of federal misdemeanors are trespassing on federal lands (such a mountain biking where not allowed), using Smokey the Bear likeness w/o permission, transporting illegal fireworks (ie, buying next state over will get you MORE time, 1 year), mailing betting paraphernalia (ie that basketball bracket), cutting Christmas tree on Fed land w/o permit-- and for all the states with legal marijuana-- if feds decided to charge you regardless- that's a federal misdemeanor with $1000 fine/ 1year.
Villainizing people as part of policy discussion IS racist. Millions spent on election border stunt yet a pittance to process claims at reasonable pace at ports of entry? That says it all.
5
Immigration IS a crisis - of Trump's own making.
Obama deported more immigrants than any other president before him, Republican or Democrat. Trump lies to appear draconian to his voters, who want this caricature of an angry father at the helm, defending their dubious honor.
3
Trump has only been in office for 2 years compared to Obama's 8.
1
This makes perfect sense to me. I cannot believe it was ever otherwise. Come the right way and make your case. What's wrong with that?
43
Illegal immigration IS a crisis, and the asylum system is quite obviously dysfunctional. It is not acceptable that any number of people are permitted to just pour across the border and then merely by voicing the magic word "asylum", exploit the system and be given the chance to stay in this country for months, years, or longer, the more burdened the asylum system becomes. The asylum system badly needs some fixes that install sensible limits, such that only a certain number of asylum petitions could be filed annually. Once that limit is reached, people will have to wait until the following year, or simply seek out another country to land in, or better yet, stay in their own nation, organize, and correct the problems so that it's no longer necessary that every resident of that nation feels compelled to leave and demand entry elsewhere.
43
Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Trump is right on this. These are economic migrants. They have no right to come and live in the United States.
56
It’s about time.
35
And yet another article today in the NYT profiles someone in the caravan, very sympathetically, coming for purely economic reasons. And bringing only one of her many minor children along to increase her chances at "catch and release".
33
The 1965 Immigration Nationality Act specifically states that anyone is allowed to apply for asylum "whether or not they enter at a designated port of arrival." Those safeguards are also part of international conventions to which the United States has been a party. Just because Trump and his xenophobic base don’t like that does not give them the power to ignore obligations. Laws actually do mean something in this country.
7
"The president ordered more than 5,000 active-duty troops to the border to prevent the migrants from crossing."
This is wholly incorrect. Active duty troops cannot by law be used in civil matters. The troops sent are to help assist ICE and border patrol agents are there for "border support" according to DoD.
Dod even dropped the name “Operation Faithful Patriot” and is now calling it informally as border support. The army cannot use force or an other action to take action against the migrants. Trump is going to waste 10s of dollars to inflame his base.
For Trump, this is another crisis of convenience. He will try to go where he thinks his band of merry voters want him to. There is no illegal immigration crisis. Again the lies and exaggerations flow from his mouth. Note the sudden abandonment of the caravan bringing terrorists and thugs as an issue. No need for that side track now that the midterms are over. But he needs to distract from his choice for the Justice Department since things are heating up. For Trump, it's all smoke and mirrors. But Trump is simply vaporware blowing in the wind.
2
When this illegal order is struck down, appealed and lands in the supreme court, I certainly hope RBG requires 45 to show proof that migrants who are walking thousands of miles to enter the country and seek asylum are indeed a National Security threat.
On a related note, it would be great to see the House Armed Services Committee investigate 45's use of the military as a republican campaign stunt. A stunt that will cost 220 million dollars by the end of 2018. Before the election, this stunt was refered to as Operation Faithful Patriot. Election Day, Mattis downgraded it to, border support. Where is the proof of a National Secirity threat?
5
What "Democrats" fail to make anyone understand is that how many immigrants are acceptable who are fleeing persecution or are seeking better economic opportunities- is the number 10 Million, 1000 Million or US should accommodate the entire worldwide population of people seeking a better lifestyle?
26
Immigration is not a crisis. Mass shootings are a crisis.
8
This is going to have a larger effect on Cubans arriving by boat.
1
It only makes sense to deny asylum to those who are so willing to break US laws by illegally entering the US. Anything else is rewarding bad behavior.
24
DJT does not have the authority to unilaterally rewrite the Immigration and Nationality Act, which contains the legal provisions and eligibility guidelines for asylum. That statute is modeled closely on the international refugee convention, to which the U.S. is signatory. He's making an even bigger version of Obama's mistake--trying to illegally do via executive order what he can't achieve by persuading Congress to pass legislation. And he's doing it in a way that brings U.S. practice into conflict with international human rights law.
7
@Working Mama yes and local gang violence is not a valid reason to apply for asylum. read the guidelines you refer to in your post.
15
Trump is the crisis, he made it up, it was not a crisis until he came into office. Immigrants are some of the best people around.
16
@Todd. Legal immigrants are great. Illegal immigrants are breaking US law. We are a nation of laws. How about we get our politicians to come up with immigration reform that finally fixes what is not working.
17
@Todd
Trump, like the rest of us two leggers, is another son of an immigrant asylum seeker.
His family have been here only since around the US Civil War.
1
I would like to see the Trump family spend a week in anonymity in the Honduras, without any food, clothing and shelter; the only exception being whatever they can scrape together. Then they might understand what many of these people have been through. For years I had a small business in Manhattan, New York. About 15 years ago, we hired an employee from Brazil who had previously been granted asylum in the United States. Brazil is well known for it's homophobia. A few years prior, I had another employee from Medellin, Columbia, who was here with the same exact story. He was one of the most well liked employees I ever had. This was true both with his co-workers, and our clients; many of whom requested him specifically, for the maintenance my company provided.
12
The examples you mention are all justified asylum requests. Most migrants, legal and illegal, are economic migrants. Legal immigration for economic reasons is most welcome. I repeat the "legal" word.
17
@Easy GoerUS should make all natives of the country American citizens? How about hungry people elsewhere? Where will it stop? How many immigrants in poverty should be accepted by US- 5 Million- 10 Million - 100 Million - 1000 Million?
6
Has anyone else noticed the caravan hysteria on the right has come to a grinding halt post-election?
Trump is disgraceful in his use of the military as a prop for his political gains and the Pentagon should have stood up to him on this issue. Same goes for Congressional Republicans, but I've completely given up on them. They're completely complicit in everything Trump does.
13
@L Why don't these people seek asylum in neighboring countries to theirs? Seems to me that Mexico is not that dangerous for them.
28
Folks: surely the purpose of the present LAW that states migrants need not approach via an official port of entry to seek asylum is so that desperate people with war and violence at their heels don't have to needlessly travel to a specific point on their maps to seek relief?
A comparison would be telling those in a burning building that they may escape the flames, but only through a specific door -- never mind the nearest window or stairway, that's not for you.
Some compassion, please?
15
@Lex Mexico had no issue letting them in. Seems like they have a great place to seek asylum already. Seems logical that they could walk right up to a port of entry considering they are not running from people with guns shooting at them. And if they are being shot at, take that up with the Mexican government.
18
Donald Trump has every intention of continuing to govern casually.
He relies on Tweets, ransom encounters on the way to a helicopter with reporters shouting questions, off-the-cuff and scripted remarks pep rallies for his core supporters, interviews with Fox News, quick responses to reporters while entertaining a visiting head of state in the White House and on-camera opinions volunteered by Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kellyanne Conway.
When Mr. Trump really wants to get formal, he ceremoniously signs an Executive Order and expects immediate implementation. The resultant court action brought to contest the obviously illegal and un-Constitutional substance of a Trump Order draws the loyal service of Solicitor General, Noel Francisco, and his team.
Mr. Francisco, the son of an immigrant father from the Philippines, shows special animus against undocumented aliens approaching U.S borders to apply for asylum. He seems no more bound to facts than his boss, Donald Trump, and no more merciful.
What an embarrassment these two men are to the American tradition of fairness! The world is watching, and we all should be ashamed that the vulgar nativist sits in the peoples’ White House.
9
The two main headlines in the print edition of today's Times are
"Trump Asserts Power to Block Asylum Claims" and "12 Slain by California Gunman." The former speaks of fictitious violence, as various studies have found immigrants to have about half the rate of violent crime than citizens. But this will get all the attention from Trump and the Republicans, fear mongering about our safety. The latter, another murderer by a white male citizen, and ex-marine at that, will get nothing from the same group other than sympathy.
Until the next mass murder, when the Republicans and their IRA backers will give... more sympathy.
10
If this is a" national" crisis, why is he leaving the country?
If its that bad, shouldn't we all be taking cover, stocking up on food essentials and making sure our affairs are in order? I can't believe in our hour of need, our leader is flying to France! FRANCE!
12
I have nothing against the people trying to enter the US, but every nation has laws that governern accepting immigrants. For those who want to allow this group I have not seen any mayor, governor or senator step up and invite them into their city or state, and offer to provide basic housing and education. Why has not Corey Booker offered to settle these poor immigrants into Newark or the wealthy cities of New Jersey. Surely these mayors and leaders can step up and offer their cities as havens for the the migrant caravan. It appears that everybody wants them, but nobody really wants to bring these migrants into their community and school systems and increase their local taxes to accomodate them.
37
States have no authority over immigration and can't invite them to stay. People with no immigration status qualify for 0 federal public benefits. You are being lied to about the cost or financial impact because its politically expedient. The cost of the pointless troop deployment, according to military's own threat assessment, at $30,000,000.00 is the true waste of your tax dollars as is the obscene amount spent on unnecessary detention.
5
@Pepperman
No offense intended, but that was a pretty innocent comment: odds are that people like Booker would not object to refugees headed their way; asylees may work and provide for themselves, and are often helped by church groups if in need; finally, the law clearly states that one can apply for asylum "irrespective of status," so there is a conflict to be resolved between the law and a situation of large migration. Nothing here that can't be handled by the president without scapegoating and demagoguery, which of course has been his stock in trade.
1
@bob tichell
I must wonder if a few thousand armed 22 year old male people , in uniform, came to our border speaking mostly Russian and asked for "Asylum", what Mr Drumpf's position would be?
More and more , Mr Drumpf's behavior as executive gives off the stink of outright treason .
Although I personally disapprove of Trump, I think the law does, and should, allow him to do this.
I hope that the era of equating every single attempt to reduce illegal border crossings or illegal immigration with racism will give way to a new era in which the USA rationally expresses and defends its interest in not having millions of undocumented people, or in admitting people it cannot track because they used the magic word "asylum".
103
@Sequel That's unconstitutional. It's hypocritical to support the constitution until it conflicts with your own personal belief on the subject. Immigrants are great people! (to use a Trumpism) The crisis is mostly invented.
13
@Sequel Please try rationally expressing that interest then. MS-13 is not a rational reason, nor blaming the immigrants for poorly managed courts and borders. I have the internet at my disposal yet have never heard of where to find a port of entry. Why would I expect immigrants to? Why would I blame them for crossing and looking for a border guard to take them to a port of entry? I would welcome a rational explanation.
5
Then Trump needs to keep the guards at ports of entry from turning away asylum seekers.
1
Trump crowd: “MS-13 is super scary. Gang violence from Latin America is super scary! It’s the most awful thing ever!”
Could we not offer some help to refugees fleeing from said violence?
Also Trump crowd: “No, screw them.”
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@citybumpkin Our fellow American citizens are terrorized by MS-13 and other gang violence. We should help them find safe haven instead.
12
@citybumpkin
One of the great historical ironies that will come back-that is haunting us-is the fact that MS 13 and similar "gangs or groups" were originaed in the USA, where kids from central America learned to collect in gangs with local name identity or similar identity, and when these gang members were arrested, they were often sent back to their countries of origin which soon had large numbers of other "gang bangers" from California and other Southern &Western states, and they have all but taken over smaller, weaker areas in Central America using US connections to easily buy and have inexpensive weapons like the numerous and common varieties of automatic pistols and semi Automatic rifles which are common here but rare(I don't mean a "joke") in Central America.
Basically-the US is the creator of the problem of Hispanic identity gangs as well as one of the victims of their abuses. Had we not sent kids back where they had no family-the MS 13 and similar gang problems would have died here in our prisons.
3
Will this apply to His NEXT Wife ???
Seriously.
39
I don't believe he will add extra man power to the asylum process, only armed military and more ICE. I don't think he is acting in good faith. We should just pull Lady Liberty off her pedestal and be done with it. Real immigration change can only come through Congress - the Dems need to start something day one of the new term.
9
So the traitor uses "proclamations" and "executive orders" to "rule". NOT actual legislation, which is the American way, the rule of law, not "men". See the German Enabling Act of 1933, giving Hitler "law by decree". We're edging way too close to actual fascism, here in the United States.
14
Trump should close the borders and deport all illegals. It's time for America to end this crisis.
62
@Rolf Maybe the Native Americans should have closed the border to us when we were seeking asylum.
1
That would A) take many years and B) cost the economy literally trillions of dollars. it's a fake crisis, spun up by cynical race-baiting politicians to keep xenophobic Americans from actually questioning why they no longer have good jobs (hint: It's not Jorge and Felipe)
2
@Lee
I'd wager they regret not doing so, actually. But then, they were divided, and many natives saw the colonists as useful, especially against other tribes. They were also good for the local economy!
1
If the asylum seekers were from Norway the president wouldn't have an issue with it!
20
@Renee Hiltz
I don't think that is historically accurate: Americans have always treated those who have come in mass migration movements poorly (Irish, Italians, and etc.). This isn't good, but it is the way it has been.
Interestingly, our current immigration system makes it much much easier to attain permanent status in the U.S. if you are from a Latin America country rather than from Europe (the quotas are much lower for so-called "developed" countries).
3
Speaking of Paris... Climate change, that's a crisis.
20
Trump is the "Crisis" illegal immigration is an "irritant".
10
So he's overruling Congressional law now? And y'all are cool with that?
13
@Lex
What law is he overruling? Trump is enforcing immigration laws as is his duty.
9
@jaco You are misinformed. Immigration laws in fact state that asylum may be sought at any point on the border, not only at official points of entry. This is stated in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 -- which was passed by Congress. Please read up on the subject. Thank you!
1
That this man chose to issue this proclamation on the 80th Anniversary of Kristallnacht, the pogrom filled night of broken glass, the start of the Holocaust, demonstrates how little he knows or cares about history, the dangers of demonizing people and the power of hate-filled invective to lead to unimaginable acts. Every day, with every act of cruelty, we creep closer and closer to a point of no return.
38
Debbie, I think he knows it's the anniversary - this is red meat handed to the neo-nazi dog under the dinner table, secret but not.
2
@Debbie I understand your empathy, but I must ask. What have you done personally to help the plight of these poor people? Calling people racists. Really. Unless we as a people, not the government provide sincere meaningful help to those in need, your become part of the problem.
8
Trump may be within his rights, as president, to start requiring every migrant who needs asylum to enter our country at an official gateway, and to make the request for asylum upon entering. (Current law allows migrants to enter the country illegally and then request asylum any time up to a year after they have entered. The result is that many migrants slip into the country illegally, and then request asylum, only if caught. If they have a child with them, they know that there is a good chance they will be let go with the admonition to show up for a future court hearing. We are so overloaded with asylum requests that the migrants know their hearing will not be held for years. In the meantime, they could have anchor babies and otherwise establish themselves. Then, when it is finally time for their hearing to request asylum, they can say it would be a hardship for them to leave the U.S.)
(Many do not bother to show up for their asylum hearings. They just blend in with the general undocumented population, and wait for the next amnesty.)
Even though a president should be able to require anyone who wants asylum to request it upon first entering the country, the restriction would be more permanent if Congress would pass a law saying so.
45
@ann "anchor babies" or you know, Americans? The only reason any of us are American is being born here. We are not special for being born here if that doesn't apply to everyone born here.
And should people fleeing violence be extra careful not to birth any babies until they are here legally just so people on your side of this will stop using the term "anchor babies"? If so, with what healthcare are they to accomplish this?
7
@ann
Your source looks like it's inaccurate, maybe even "fake news"
"The majority of immigrant families—at least 60 percent or higher—appear for their immigration court hearings. For immigrant families who have legal counsel, 98 percent are in compliance with their obligations to appear for court hearings"
https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/resource/myth-vs-fact-immigrant-families-appearance-rates-immigration-court
2
@ann Over 95% of asylum applicants show up for their hearings.
1
It makes sense. Asylum seekers should not try to cross the border illegally in the middle of the desert in the most remote areas and then when caught, claim that they are seeking asylum. If you are seeking asylum, come to a border check point and apply for asylum. That is just common sense. Am I reading this wrong? Do we want asylum seekers streaming in across the border just wherever? The southern border is very dangerous and there are families. Having them go to a border checkpoint is common sense.
50
Except when those border crossings turn people away without just cause and the immigration courts are understaffed and underfunded...
1
So if the migrants present themselves at a port of entry, they can apply for asylum. I don’t understand how that is illegal?
15
There is no correlation between crossing the border without inspection and a national security threat. As far as I can recall, most terrorist attacks by foreign nationals were committed by individuals who entered WITH inspection using visas.
The reality is that the majority of asylum applicants enter "illegally", regardless of whether they walked across the border or presented themselves for inspection at a port of entry. Most asylum seekers have to lie to qualify for a visa, since they have to say they are coming to the US for a temporary visit instead of their true intention, which is to permanently flee their country where they face torture and persecution. But the population who comes here using visas (aka, individuals who don't have access to our land border, and thus are generally not Mexican or Central American) for some reason are not declared to be entering illegally. So the moral of the story is, the government is creating a false dichotomy of legal versus illegal asylum seekers to keep out Mexicans and Central Americans. They are using the travel ban to keep out Muslims. We have regressed a century to a racist immigration system when we put quotas on entire nationalities.
4
Those who cross illegally, haven't the slightest intention of applying for asylum, and do not do so, unless and until they are caught. As the text of the proclamation makes clear, the Supreme Court has already affirmed, in 1993, the President's authority to intercept mass migrations and return the migrants to their countries of origin.
59
400,000+ over just the southern border this year to date alone. An asylum backlog of 780,000+ and 1 million active deportation orders currently being ignored. In addition to the millions in the so-called shadows.
That is a crisis. It's anarchy. It's a systemic violation of national sovereignty. It undermines not just the rule of law but wages, standards of living, the environment and most importantly, social cohesion and any chance we have to socialize our systems for the good of our country and people.
We don't get Medicare for all without enforcement of immigration laws. 'All' cannot be everyone who makes it over the border or lands at our airports. Basic math.
82
@CNNNNC
Please cite the source for the numbers in your post.
2
It's being perpetrated by the government's refusal to properly fund the process. Congress wrote a quick process into law called expedited removal and then failed to fund it. When a court's next available trial date is in 2022 people live out there lives while waiting. when you spend all the money on walls and detention, because it sells politically, you create a huge bottle neck on the adjudications side. Instead of walls and detention, cases could be resolved in 6 months if you shifted the money.
1
It has been apparent for a long time that the “right of asylum” to the US has been abused. Our lawmakers should be working on enacting laws that withdraw the US from this UN convention. As a nation, the US admits tens of thousands of immigrants each year. It is a reality is that the so called right of asylum has been abused by people who want to immigrate to the US at the expense of those who are waiting their turn legally.
61
Over a million legal immigrants allowed per year.
4
@Maureen - I agree with your larger goal, but want to mention that there is no need for the US to withdraw from the UN convention, because we could tighten up our procedures and enforcement considerably and still abide by it.
The convention does not require us to allow people to enter the country willy nilly, by illegal means. We can close off the illegal pathways. So long as we keep legal pathways open (with realistic funding so applications can be processed in a timely manner) we are abiding by the convention.
7
the article should mention that most of these migrants who apply for asylum don’t actually qualify for it.
52
"Mr. Trump has been seething for months." I think this is an unfair characterization. Its obviously something that people are worried about when they see thousands of undocumented immigrants on the news beating a path to cross the southern border when they are told they will not be allowed to enter. What if your family lived in the path of where the caravan of thousands were headed? These are desperate masses. Someone motivated to walk the length of Mexico to come here is highly motivated. I would not want my family to be in their way.
22
Trump talks big, but what are the numbers. Has illegal immigration gone down and has the ICE apprehensions gone up? Obama deported about 1.6 million is Trump doing better? Lastly asylum seekers should come in at ports of entry and declare asylum.
2
And this order is going to be blocked bu the courts in 3, 2, 1...
5
Sounds completely reasonable. They are safe in Mexico and if they have legitimate claims they have a chance to present them.
45
Trump is correct, we have a crisis and he see's it every time he looks into a mirror.
Now if he could just get rid if that crisis the country would be great again.
12
Has the military been called back from the border? Its mobilization to scare the electorate has been accomplished.
6
Illegal immigration is a problem that should be addressed and corrected by the next Congress. It is however not a "Crisis" as Mr Trump has stated. Gun violence in this country is a "Crisis" that needs to be addressed by this President and Congress ASAP. Please stop messing up national priorities Mr President.
11
@RLW
In agreement with you, however, he has to make good to his kowtowing base who are the scared white gun-slingers that have the guns but are petrified of anyone crossing the border.
@RLW congress has done nothing for decades. The American people are angry. The electoral college was won by Trump. As president, Trump has vast powers to take action on this. And he will probably win in 2020 on this. Unless you can think of a better proposal to the American people.
1
So he's keeping one of his campaign promises.
19
This is just a ploy to force what will be left of the caravan to go through legal points, at which time that approach will be judged unmanageable and there's your need for the active military troops. All it takes is one trigger finger, and it's Kent State plus an order of magnitude.
4
Integrating these failed states into the US is the best way the problem can be solved. US citizens are not willing by and large to reject anyone. The Trump crowd is living in the last century. When an asylum claim is rejected does anyone think a Honduran or Haitian or Dominican or Mexican or any person of color is going back to their s____hole to live on starvation wages? In the big 100 year picture these are the cultures and people that will shape the US. The Anglo Saxon phase is demographic history just as the article on Norman Rockwell reimageing in today's Times points out. Hondurans and Salvadoreans and Haitians are Americans as well and they deserve the benefits of our government just as much as their brothers and sisters and children who are already here.
2
There are jobs paying wages in those countries, they are not all subsistence farmers. Yes, the wages are lower, but the cost of living is lower. Also, there "offshored" workers being used by a number of US corporations.
9
@as “ In the big 100 year picture these are the cultures and people that will shape the US.”
Then the US will look exactly like Honduras, El Salvador and Haiti. Great success.
9
Are we really upset by this move?
Let those who come seeking asylum to come and be judged on the merits of their claims. From the articles here it seemed quite clear that those claiming asylum were typically doing so after getting caught crossing illegally -- using a get out of jail free card, if you will. In doing they were automatically undercutting their claims and undercutting the good faith upon which the asylum system depends.
In other news, I hope the Democrats are not out-of-touch enough to make an issue of this. No matter how many hotheads scream "Abolish ICE!" immigration is simply not a red v blue issue.
69
@Clotario Why are you generalizing all immigrants? Why are you assuming? Because Trump said so? americanimmigrationcouncil.org states that one of the accepted ways to claim asylum is catching a border guard at the border. That's reasonable to me. Making them find their way to a obscure port of entry and wait for weeks does not sound reasonable. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? What scares you about them?
1
@Clotario
Asylum seekers are allowed to make claim regardless of point of entry; don't agree? Then get Congress to change the law that says so. Unless of course now feel that the assertion of executive power to avoid going through difficulty of legislation is an okay "move" not worth of "upset" given that Republicans hold the Presidency ...?
Assuming then that anyone demanding that "good faith" seekers *must* present themselves at proper entry points will concurrently demand that adequate resources are implemented to ensure that any & all claims are processed in a timely manner at all legal points of entry?
Additionally support for those "proper" asylum seekers would also mean demanding an ending the current directive of slowing processing to a standstill. (Seekers sit nearby for weeks, trying to be allowed to even make claim). BTW, being unaware of this grim reality (yet prescribing policy) would seem to invite the obvious question of just who's "out of touch" on the issue.
And lastly, it's pretty amusing how people stating that immigration is not a red or blue issue, ostensibly in an appeal to national camaraderie, always seem to insult the blue side (hotheads, out of touch) in the process.
1
Last year over 350,000 Asylum applications were received and the government barley processed 50,000. Unlike refugees who apply for refugee status outside the US, Asylum can be applied only at the port of entry or inside the US. Short of a new law and the US withdrawing from the UN convention there are not many options available to the US government right now. Creating chaos at the border will impact tourists and businesses in entering and exiting the US at the Border Crossing.
6
@Ben
That's what fake president wants - chaos. This will allow him to say 'it's them not me. They are causing all the trouble'.
1
Frankly, I support him on this one.....
95
@William
So do I and I am a first generation immigrant. There are thousand seeking asylum or simply wishing a better future for their children. They all are diligently and patiently waiting to be called at a US consulate. So, what makes the caravans so special? The fact that there is a porous border. I do not care much for this government but the USA is a sovereign nation and citizens of other countries have to respect it. Put it simply: this isn't a free for all.
54
@William B.
Agree with you
20
1) Trump had already started turning away asylum seekers in the summer when the first caravan -- after being sensationalized by Trump as dangerous invaders -- arrived and sought entry through legal apparatuses.
2) Our nationwide job vacancies have gone from a high 5million in 2016 to over 7million. We NEED immigrants, especially as boomers retire.
3
"...busy giddy minds with foreign quarrels,..."
3