TRUMP NEWS

Pakistan could be included in immigration ban list in future: White House


WASHINGTON: There is a possibility in the future of including Pakistan



There is a possibility in the future of including Pakistan in the list of countries from where immigration has been banned, a top White House official indicated on Sunday, acknowledging for the first time that Pakistan was under consideration to be put in that category.

"The reason we chose those seven countries was, those were the seven countries that both the Congress and the Obama administration identified as being the seven countries that were most identifiable with dangerous terrorism+ taking place in their country," White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, told CBS News.

Trump has issued a controversial executive order banning immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Somalia.

"Now, you can point to other countries that have similar problems, like Pakistan and others. Perhaps we need to take it further. But for now, immediate steps, pulling the Band-Aid off, is to do further vetting for people traveling in and out of those countries," Priebus said.

This is for the first time that the Trump Administration has publicly acknowledged about considering putting Pakistan into that list.

Currently as per the executive order, visitors from countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan are subject to extreme vetting.

Priebus said the executive orders were signed after a lot of planning.

"We're not going to advertise to the world that we're going to put a stop or at least a further vetting on travel in and out of our country from these seven places," he said.

"Some people have suggested, that, well, maybe we should have given everyone a three-day warning. But that would just mean that a terrorist would just move up their travel plans by three days. Identifying too many people in these countries and giving them a heads-up in these countries would only potentially flag the executive order for bad order," Priebus said.

"The President has a call with leadership in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and other countries around world. And I'm sure this topic may come up," he said.


Priebus asserted that Americans have to be protected first.


"These are countries that harbour and train terrorists. These are countries that we want to know who is coming and going in and out of to prevent calamities from happening in this country," he said.

"We're not willing to be wrong on this subject. President Trump is not willing to take chances on this subject. He was elected president in many respects because people knew that he was going to be tough on immigration from countries that harbour terrorists," Priebus said.

"I can't imagine too many people out there watching this right now think it's unreasonable to ask a few more questions from someone traveling in and out of Libya and Yemen before being let loose in the United States. And that's all this is," he saidUS president Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the 60th Annual Red Cross Gala at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

US president Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the 60th Annual Red Cross Gala at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters



US president Donald Trump has lost an appeal against a court ruling blocking his travel ban on certain travellers and all refugees.

The 9th US circuit court of appeals in San Francisco instead asked both the state of Washington and the Trump administration early on Sunday to file more arguments by Monday afternoon.

The Trump administration had launched an appeal againt a federal judge’s ruling that temporarily placed the ban on hold. The higher court’s denial of an immediate stay means legal battles over the ban will continue into the coming week at least.

Acting solicitor general Noel Francisco forcefully argued in the government’s brief on Saturday night that presidential authority is “largely immune from judicial control” when it comes to deciding who can enter or stay in the United States.

Mr Trump acted after a judge in Washington state temporarily blocked his refugee and immigration ban, involving seven Muslim-majority countries in an extraordinary setback for the White House.

It was forced to suspend enforcement of the ban, and Mr Trump launched a series of vitriolic attacks on US district judge James Robart.

The president told reporters, when asked about the appeal: “We’ll win. For the safety of the country, we’ll win.”

The US justice department’s appeal said it is a basic principle that “an alien seeking initial admission to the United States requests a privilege and has no constitutional rights regarding his application”.

The US justice department asked that the judge’s order be stayed pending appeal.

As the White House worked to reinstate the ban, Mr Trump mocked Judge Robart, appointed by former US president George Bush, on Twitter as a “so-called judge” whose “ridiculous” ruling “will be overturned”.

He added in a subsequent tweet: “Because the ban was lifted by a judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country. A terrible decision.”