Trump aims to outflank Congress on Muslim plan

Register for immigrants will be set up and Mexican wall built by executive order, claims ally

DONALD TRUMP may push through a registry for immigrants from Muslimmajority countries without seeking congressional approval, a member of his transition team has said.

Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state and adviser to Mr Trump, said the president-elect’s immigration team were drafting executive orders to secure the rapid construction of a wall along the border with Mexico.

The Republican president-elect initially called during his campaign for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims” entering the US, later revising his position to “extreme vetting” for new arrivals from countries where extremist groups are active.

To this end, Mr Kobach told reporters that his team had suggested reinstating the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), a policy briefly implemented after the Sept 11 attacks.

Under the programme, people from countries deemed “higher risk” were required to undergo interrogation and fingerprinting on entering the US. Some male US non-citizen residents over the age of 16 were also required to check in at government offices.

NSEERS was abandoned in 2011 after it was deemed redundant and was criticised for unfairly targeting immigrants from Muslim-majority nations.

Mr Kobach helped design the programme while working in the department of justice under George W Bush.

Mr Trump’s office would not immediately confirm Mr Kobach’s role on the transition team but he claims to have helped develop the strategy to “make Mexico pay” for a border wall.

Mr Trump has promised to focus on deporting immigrants with criminal records. Human rights groups have said the president-elect could also include people who have received a speeding or parking ticket.

Yesterday, Mexico, which has refused to bear costs for building a wall, said it was establishing a helpline for its citizens living in the US.

Bill De Blasio, the Democrat mayor for New York, warned Mr Trump against hardline immigration policies that would sow mistrust. He said he had reminded Mr Trump that New York police had 900 Muslim employees, and also called on the presidentelect not to enact immigration policies that would see families “torn apart”.

Yesterday Mr Trump took to Twitter to deny New York Times reports of chaos in his team.

“The failing New York Times story is so totally wrong on transition. It is going so smoothly. Also, I have spoken to many foreign leaders,” he said.

Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s son-inlaw and close adviser, is reportedly purging the organisation of allies of Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor and former leader of the transition team who prosecuted Mr Kushner’s father when US attorney.

Mr Trump responded to speculation about appointments by tweeting that only he knows who the “finalists” are, drawing comparisons with his Apprentice television show. He also used social media to deny rumours that he had sought “top-level security clearance” for his adult children.

Democrats in Congress yesterday sent a letter to Mr Trump asking him to rescind the appointment of Steve Bannon, the Breitbart News executive, as a senior White House adviser.

It pointed out stories from the website that are derogatory towards Jews and Muslims, among other groups.

“Millions of Americans have expressed fear and concern … and your appointment of Mr Bannon only exacerbates and validates their concerns,” the letter read.