Trump’s words betray his true intent for immigrants
Mary Sanchez
It’s a sad day when federal court rulings are necessary to save people from the president.
Get used to it. And be grateful that our system of checks and balances allows for this sort of intervention. The next person who needs protection could be you.
On Wednesday, a federal judge in Hawaii performed the legal equivalent of standing up, armed with the Constitution, as an ally for Muslims and refugees.
By extending his initial restraining order, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson slammed Trump’s plot to punish whole groups of Muslims for the deeds of Islamist extremists. The legal equivalent of a constitutional checkmate has been moved into place.
Trump tried to initiate a travel ban for people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. In addition, he wanted to stop the entry of refugees altogether for a period of 120 days. This was the second iteration of this executive order, following a first attempt that included Iraq and also barred people with legal permanent status from traveling from the list of countries.
The hubris of that first order showed shocking heedlessness of how many people would be affected and ignorance of the depth of their legitimate ties to family and work in the U.S.
Leaders in the U.S. military, in particular, went ballistic when they learned that our Iraqi brethren in the fight against ISIS would be barred from entering the U.S., simply because their commander in chief has so little understanding of or concern about our alliances.
This is a legal fight that is likely to continue to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Colleges and universities across the nation are reporting declines in enrollment of foreign students. Businesses are reporting difficulty in recruiting foreign-born talent.
Attacks on mosques and Muslims, as well as those who are perceived as such, are increasing. The worst among us, racists and nativists alike, appear to be emboldened by the atmosphere nurtured by the president.
The courts have cited Trump’s words as proof of his intent. During the campaign, for example, he promised a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims from entering the U.S.” Then there is the conversation in which, as president, he asked for help drafting a “watereddown” order that would accomplish this objective without triggering a court rebuke.
Hawaii’s Attorney General Douglas Chin lobbed this fitting comment: “We cannot fault the president for being politically incorrect, but we do fault him for being constitutionally incorrect.”
Going after Muslims was a hallmark of his campaign. He made a promise to his most ardent supporters to deliver a bit of human flesh. He will do everything in his power — including abusing the Constitution — to please them.
But, as the court rulings are beginning to show, a person can’t hide intent when it comes from such a dark place. The Constitution will likely stop much of the Trump agenda. His own words, delivered with arrogance and cruelty, may well be his undoing.