Trump Adviser Weighing Reinstating Muslim Registry
A member of Donald Trump’s transition team, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, says the team is moving ahead with plans to build a wall across the entire length of the U.S.-Mexico border and to reinstate a registry for immigrants from majority-Muslim countries. Kobach is an architect of anti-immigrant and voter suppression laws. Following 9/11, he helped design the registry for immigrants from majority-Muslim countries, known as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, while working in the Justice Department under George W. Bush. The system was dropped in 2011 after years of criticism from civil rights groups.
Trump Supporter Defends Muslim Registry, Citing Japanese-American Internment Camps
On Wednesday, Carl Higbie, a spokesperson for the pro-Trump Great America PAC, defended the proposed registry of Muslims by citing World War II Japanese-American internment camps while speaking with Fox News’s Megyn Kelly.
Carl Higbie: “We did it during World War II with Japanese, which, you know, call it what you will—”
Megyn Kelly: “Come on. You’re not—”
Carl Higbie: “Maybe wrong, but—”
Megyn Kelly: “You’re not proposing we go back to the days of internment camps, I hope.”
Carl Higbie: “No, no, no. I’m not proposing that at all, Megyn.”
Megyn Kelly: “You know better than to suggest that.”
Carl Higbie: “But what I am saying is that we need to protect America first.”
Megyn Kelly: “I mean, that’s the kind of stuff that gets people scared, Carl.”
Carl Higbie: “Right, but it’s—I’m just saying, there is precedent for it. And I’m not saying I agree with it. But in this case, I absolutely believe that a regional-based—”
Megyn Kelly: “You can’t be citing Japanese internment camps as precedent for anything the president-elect is going to do.”
Carl Higbie: “Look, the president needs to protect America first. And if that means having people that are not protected under our Constitution have some sort of registry, so we can understand—until we can identify the true threat and where it’s coming from, I support it.”
Reports: Anti-Muslim Frank Gaffney Joining Trump Transition Team
The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post have also reported that Frank Gaffney has joined Trump’s transition team. Gaffney is a well-known anti-Muslim extremist whose group, the Center for Security Policy, has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. On Wednesday, Gaffney said he hasn’t been in touch with Trump’s transition team, but did tell Politico, “I look forward to helping the President-elect and the national security-minded team he is assembling in whatever way I can.”
Students Demand 100+ Colleges Become “Sanctuary Campuses”
Students at as many as 100 colleges and universities across the United States Wednesday held protests demanding their schools become “sanctuary campuses” that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities carrying out Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented people. Speaking on “60 Minutes” Sunday, Trump vowed to immediately deport up to 3 million people. During his campaign, Trump also said he’d reverse President Obama’s executive orders, which include the program DACA—Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals—which has shielded 750,000 young people from deportation. This is María Maes of Columbia University.
María Muratalla Maes: “I’m here to demand that President Bollinger of Columbia University make my school, our school, a sanctuary campus and also protect the financial aid of undocumented students on this campus and their ability to work on campus.”
Eslkevin's Blog 