House Democrats demand meeting with DHS chief over Trump ban – Politico
House Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers was one of the lawmakers who signed the letter. | Getty
Top Democrats on committees with judiciary, homeland security and foreign affairs oversight are demanding an emergency meeting with DHS Secretary John Kelly to discuss President Donald Trumps controversial executive action on refugees.
As ranking members of the committees of jurisdiction for matters of immigration, border security, and admission of refugees, we write to you on an emergency basis to request a meeting to discuss the implementation and guidance concerning the Executive Order, the lawmakers wrote in a letter sent to Kelly on Sunday night, exclusively obtained by POLITICO.
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House Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Homeland Security ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), top Democrat on Judiciarys immigration panel, all signed on to the letter.
Only two days after the Order was signed, it is clear that it has already led to panic and disorder, not to mention protests, they wrote. Lofgren is planning to introduce legislation to roll back the executive action although its unlikely to go anywhere given House Speaker Paul Ryans endorsement of Trumps plan.
The lawmakers are demanding a meeting with Kelly this Wednesday or sooner, saying the circus of legal issues surrounding detained refugees, visa holders and green-card holders make it necessary.
Separately, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) made a personal call to Kelly on Saturday, urging the administration to rescind the order. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her staff have also reached out to Kelly.
Democrats have blasted Trumps executive action banning refugees and immigrants from seven majority-Muslims countries since it was signed Friday afternoon. Several Democrats joined with tens of thousands of demonstrators to protest the controversial proposal over the weekend, while other lawmakers camped out at international airports in the U.S., trying to help incoming travelers who were unable to enter the country.
The lawmakers also criticized DHS for reports that customs officials werent complying with court orders granting detainees access to legal counsel.
Given the widespread chaos and confusion caused by the order and the issuance of stays last evening concerning the Order by federal courts in New York, Virginia, and Massachusetts, they wrote, it is vital that we meet as soon as possible so that we may provide needed guidance and information to our committees and our constituents.
DHS issued a statement Sunday evening, before the Democrats letter, saying customs agents were taking steps to comply with judicial orders issued over the weekend blocking aspects of Trumps plan and giving lawyers access to detainees.
We are committed to ensuring that all individuals affected by the executive orders, including those affected by the court orders, are being provided all rights afforded under the law, DHS wrote in an unsigned statement.
We are also working closely with airline partners to prevent travelers who would not be granted entry under the executive orders from boarding international flights to the U.S. Therefore, we do not anticipate that further individuals traveling by air to the United States will be affected.
Separately, Kelly issued a statement Sunday night clarifying that green card holders were exempt from Trumps executive action.
House and Senate Democrats plan to protest Trumps executive action during a rally on the Supreme Court steps Monday evening, in between a series of House and Senate votes. Local immigrants and refugees will join Democrats at the rally, which is expected to end with a candlelight vigil.
We look forward to meeting with you in short order so that we can have an open and candid discussion about how the Trump administration arrived at this chaotic place, what you understand the meaning of the Executive Order to be, and what guidance you have offered to your employees and other stakeholders, the Democrats wrote to Kelly.
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House Democrats demand meeting with DHS chief over Trump ban - Politico
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