….And, although he didn’t say it (yet?), we should all be urging that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recuse herself due to her outrageous and injudicious comments about Donald Trump during his campaign for the Presidency. After all, the justices will be deciding a case that hinges almost completely on Trump’s campaign comments. What about hers!
Here is quintessential Trump on twitter since last night’s terror attack in London:
On Thursday, I am sure you know that the Trump Justice Department appealed the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals decision on the temporary so-called travel ban from six Muslim majority countries. (Obviously that is what Trump is talking about in that tweet last night.)
I want to impress upon readers again that the 4th Circuit only addressed the ban on travel (for any class of traveler/immigrant/refugee) from the six countries shown here at right. The Maryland case did not address the refugee CEILING and the power of the President to set it (and change it!).
It was the Hawaii judge (case before the 9th Circuit) that addressed the overall 120-day refugee moratorium that would have applied to all countries and all ethnic and religious groups as well as addressing the reduction in the overall CEILING for FY17 from Obama’s dream number (110,000) to 50,000.
The 9th Circuit has not yet (as of this writing) handed down its decision. It has been my contention all along that the President did not need the EO to reset the CEILING on refugee admissions or to halt the entire program for 120 days, and I expect an honest 9th Circuit to throw out that portion of the Hawaii judge’s decision.
The DOJ’s appeal of the 4th Circuit decision to the Supreme Court is being expedited. See reports here, here and here about the case (s).
Here is the text of the 4th Circuit ruling.
Travel ban will not rid us of Islamic terrorists already here.
(Remember, former FBI director Comey, in his last testimony to Congress said there are 300 US refugees being watched by the FBI!)
In my opinion there is an inordinate amount of emphasis being placed on temporary slowdowns on entry to the US and not enough on pressuring the US Muslim ‘leadership’ to get their people, who live here already, under control because in fact, many terror attacks and thwarted terror attacks (and those extremists being watched) here involve second generation Muslim immigrants/refugees who were radicalized in their homes and mosques on US soil!
Maybe, a halt to Muslim immigration and refugee admissions could serve as an impetus for them to get their house in order! It is worth trying to find out!
I’m not holding my breath that the Muslim ‘community’ will reform itself.
But, by limiting Presidential power which a ruling against Trump will do, there will be even greater long-term ramifications for keeping the country safe for decades to come (no matter who is President).
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg should not hear the case!
There is an excellent legal argument here (read it!) suggesting that she is so biased against Donald Trump that she should recuse herself from the case. Really the heart of the 4th Circuit case is whether Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric can be used to dismiss an important policy decision. So, she shouldn’t be able to sit in judgement of campaign statements and be looking in to his heart!
*** We admitted 4,554 refugees from the six countries the Trump Administration (and before it the Obama Administration) recognized as terror-producing countries.
However, I submit that it was a huge mistake to leave out Afghanistan, Burma (Rohingya), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Iraq, and possibly others! By the way, there are many other immigration/visa programs admitting entry from these countries besides the UN/US Refugee Admissions Program.
These are the refugee numbers from the six known terror breeding grounds since January 20th up to today:
Iran (808) I didn’t check today, but most Iranians we take are not Muslims
Libya (0)
Somalia (1,668)
Sudan (425)
Syria (1,637)
Yemen (16)