Trump travel ban – Face Activities

President Trump loses in court: travel ban blocked

February 9, 2017 Alphonse Leave a comment

Federal Judge temporarily halts President's immigration order

President Trump has just lost a major decision in court. Today the 9th Circuit court in the state of Washington has ruled, in an unanimous 3-0 decision, to maintain the temporary court injunction on the President’s travel ban from 7 muslim-majority nations, effectively shelving his executive order indefinitely. The President defiantly Tweeted, in all-caps, “See you in court, the security of our nation is at stake!” And speaking with reporters, he also characterized the decision as political in nature.

This win for Washington State’s attorney general, who challenged the executive order in court, means that the immigration rules and vetting practices established during the Obama administration, and still in effect today, will continue to operate in full effect. The ban would have effected tens of thousands of students at American Universities, and employees of U.S. companies, holding valid visas granting entry into the United States.

This is a big set back for the President. Though the stay in question is temporary, it could be months before the question is further litigated, probably in the Supreme Court. The President has invested a lot in this fight, emotionally, and in terms of political capital, the invisible currency of Washington, D.C. He Tweeted his disdain for the judiciary while the three 9th circuit judges were reviewing the case, which prompted Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch to call the President’s statements “demoralizing and disheartening,” in a meeting with a Democratic Senator.

Alan Dershowitz, renowned attorney, and Harvard Law School Professor Emeritus, has suggested, during interviews with CNN, that President Trump could “repeal and replace” his controversial executive order with a new and better one, written in consultation with experts to correct its weaknesses.

But it’s unlikely the President will heed this advice. His signature narcissism, and obsession with “winning” and saving face, will Trump (no pun intended) his interest in national security, and dictates that he’ll meet this challenge head on, in a confrontational, zero-sum manner. Since federal courts don’t overturn Presidential Executive orders lightly, the President faces an uphill battle to prevail at the next stage.

If the U.S. Supreme Court hears the case, there’s a possibility of a 4-4 tie, since the current vacancy, following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, won’t be filled in time. If so, the 9th circuit court’s ruling will stand, and the President’s executive order will be ruled unconstitutional. Only a majority 3-1 ruling, or a unanimous 4-0 ruling, would permit the President’s travel ban to become a valid law. There’s one more possibility, which is unlikely. Justice Kennedy, of SCOTUS, could refer the case to the full Washington State supreme court, with 11 federal judges presiding. However, since the case is so important, he’s less likely to go this route.

Learn more about the 9th circuit court’s decision (CNN)

Photo: ddd

Large protests erupt over Trump Administration travel ban

January 29, 2017 Alphonse Leave a comment

Large protests have erupted in multiple cities across the United States, in opposition to the Trump Administration’s executive order banning visitors, visa-holders, and refugees from seven muslim-majority nations from entering the United States, for up to three months. A federal court has temporarily blocked deportations based on the new order, but detentions are still possible.

The executive order, widely derided by liberals, and a few prominent republican leaders, including Senator John McCaine, and Charlie Baker, the Republican Governor of Massachusetts, affects travelers from the following muslim-majority nations: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lybia, Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia. According to the Trump Administration, the purpose of the order is to allow time for “extreme vetting” of people entering the U.S. from nation’s with a higher risk of terrorism, in order to ensure the safety of the American People.

Ironically, though, no terrorist attacks on American soil are attributed to people who came from those nations, while countries with more direct ties to terrorism and recent histories of attacks on U.S. citizens, like Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia (where the majority of the highly destructive 9/11 hijackers came from) were not included in the ban. Fueling the outrage is the apparent correlation between the ban and President Trump’s business dealings: muslim-majority nations where Trump’s company does business weren’t included.

Originally the executive order was intended to include Green Card holders, which outraged the international community, but the administration has backpedaled on that interpretation. Green Cards holders are permanent legal residents of the U.S., and getting a Green Card is an important precursor to citizenship. Many Green Card holders have lived in the United States for decades, and have jobs and families in the U.S., though they may still travel abroad on business, and for important family events, like weddings and funerals.

A ban that includes Green Card Holders would cause great hardships for many law-abiding families, and American businesses. Also hard hit are foreign students with visas, and visa-holders working in American companies, all across the country. Many industries, particularly Silicon Valley companies, and biotech firms, employ foreign nationals holding H1B visas, for highly skilled, well-educated workers doing important work, so a ban on these individuals could really hurt American companies, and by extension, the country at large. H1B Visa holders have been referred to by Physicist Michio Kaku as Ameriac’s “Secret Weapon,” because their contribution to our society, and economy, is so important.

Video: Youtube, the72tube – Michio Kaku on importance of H1B Visa

In short, President Trump’s executive order is misguided, wrong-headed, damaging to the United States, and a huge mistake. It will stir up anger, resentment, and rivalry both at home and abroad, with absolutely no major upside benefit to speak of, since terrorists incidents in the U.S., though tragic and disturbing when they happen, are still relatively rare (and unrelated to the banned nations in question, as noted above, making the ban pointless.)

The management of Face Activities calls on President Donald Trump to repeal this pointless, mean-spirited executive order. Many individuals will be negatively impacted, and some individuals, if deported, may find their very lives in jeopardy. American Universities and companies that benefit from talented foreign students and workers will also be negatively impacted, to the detriment of our society at large.

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