Government Security News February 2017 Digital Edition

limited to Logan Airport; in Virginia,
the federal court ordered the
government to give attorneys access
to all green card holders being detained
and prohibit their removal,
and; in Seattle, the court prevented
the removal of plaintiffs subject to
the seven-Muslim-majority country
ban. However, there were reports in
multiple cities that CBP was slow
to comply with the nationwide
and local court
orders, even after the
federal judge’s order was
issued.
Not until Sunday did
the White House clarify
that the order did
not extend to returning
green card holders.
Despite other rumors
about changes to the application
of the policy,
no further official guidance
has been publicly
released.
Democratic and Republican
Members of Congress have also denounced
the Muslim ban. Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
called the executive order “meanspirited
and un-American,” and said
he would “claw, scrap, and fight with
every fiber of my being until these
orders are overturned.” Republican
Senators McCain and Graham issued
a joint statement saying “We
fear this executive order will become
a self-inflicted wound in the
fight against terrorism.” Some also
criticized the administration for
failing to follow the regular protocols
and consulting with the right
people before issuing an executive
order. “You have an extreme vetting
proposal that didn’t get the vetting
it should have had,” said Ohio Sen.
Rob Portman.
Opposition has appeared from
within the government bureaucracy
as well. Foreign Service officers
from the department of State drafted
a dissent memo in opposition to
the refugee ban, claiming the policy
“runs counter to core American values
of nondiscrimination, fair play,
and extending a warm welcome to
foreign visitors and immigrants.
Alternative solutions are available
to address the risk of terror attacks
9
which are both more effective and
in line with Department of State and
American values.”
Business leaders also condemned
the Administration’s actions, explaining
that the executive orders
could make it more difficult for
America’s companies to compete.
Google ordered its employees traveling
overseas to return to the U.S.
immediately. Google
says at least 187 foreign-born
employees
could be prevented
from entering the
Photo: John Taylor
country. Twitter’s
chief executive tweeted
that the economic
impact of the Muslim
ban is “real and upsetting.”
Netflix chief
executive said that
“Trump’s actions are
hurting Netflix employees
around the
world, and are so un-
American it pains us all…Worse,
these actions will make America
less safe (through hatred and loss of
allies) rather than more safe.”
Thus far, the opposition to Trump’s
immigration agenda has been fast
and furious and will likely continue
as he continues to roll out additional
immigration orders.