Immediately restore travel ban
executive order said the ban is necessary for “protecting against terrorism,” and that “is sufficient to end the matter.”
The Justice Department asked that the federal judge’s order be stayed pending resolution of the appeal, so that the ban can “ensure that those approved for admission do not intend to harm Americans and that they have no ties to terrorism.”
The order had caused unending confusion for many foreigners trying to reach the United States, prompted protests across the United States and led to multiple court challenges. Demonstrations took place outside the White House, in New York and near his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump was attending the annual American Red Cross fundraising gala.
“We’ll win,” Trump told reporters Saturday night. “For the safety of the country, we’ll win.”
The State Department, after initially saying that as many as 60,000 foreigners from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen had their visas cancelled, reversed course on Saturday and said they could travel to the US if they had a valid visa.
The department on Saturday advised refugee aid agencies that refugees set to travel before Trump signed his order will now be allowed in. A State Department official said in an email obtained by The Associated Press that the government was “focusing on booking refugee travel” through Feb. 17 and working to have arrivals resume as soon as Monday.
The Homeland Security Department no longer was directing airlines to prevent visa-holders affected by Trump’s order from boarding US-bound planes. The agency said it had “suspended any and all actions” related to putting in place Trump’s order.
Hearings have also been held in court challenges nationwide. Washington state and Minnesota argued that the temporary ban and the global suspension of the US refugee program harmed residents and effectively mandated discrimination.
In his written order Friday, Robart said it’s not the court’s job to “create policy or judge the wisdom of any particular policy promoted by the other two branches,” but rather, to make sure that an action taken by the government “comports with our country‘s laws.”
The Justice Department countered that “judicial second-guessing of the President’s national security determination in itself imposes substantial harm on the federal government and the nation at large.”
Robart’s order also imposes harm on US citizens “by thwarting the legal effect of the public’s chosen representative,” it says.
Government to repeal law that goes easy on corruption
Romania’s government plans to meet to repeal an emergency decree that decriminalizes official misconduct, a law that has prompted massive protests at home and widespread condemnation from abroad.
In an abrupt about-face, Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu said he would implement the measure at an emergency meeting yesterday because he didn’t want to “divide Romania ... Romania in this moment seems broken in two.”
Protesters were angry that the measure waters down the country’s fight against corrupt officials, including the ruling Social Democrats’ party leader. Tens of thousands took to the streets for the fifth consecutive day Saturday.
It’s not clear what effects the repeal would have on the decree passed Wednesday. The Constitutional Court will rule on the legality of the decree this week.
Turkish police detain over 420 people in anti-IS operation
Turkey’s state-run agency says anti-terrorism police have detained over 420 people over alleged links to the Islamic State group.
The Anadolu Agency said yesterday that 60 IS suspects, the vast majority of them foreigners, were taken into custody in the capital, Ankara. It says a total of 423 people were detained in simultaneous police operations that spanned several cities, including Istanbul and Gaziantep, near the border with Syria.
The largest operation was in the southeast province of Sanliurfa, where police took into custody more than 100 suspects from multiple addresses and found materials relating to Islamic State militants.
Turkey, which endured a failed coup attempt and dozens of bloody attacks linked to IS or Kurdish militants in 2016, has been stepping up its anti-terrorism efforts.