The executive order doesn't exclude green card holders, which is an I-551 visa giving you the right to travel freely to and from The United States.
From the executive order...
(source: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/28/politics/text-of-trump-executive-order-nation-ban-refugees/)
I hereby proclaim that the immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens from countries referred to in section 217(a)(12) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(12), would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and I hereby suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants and nonimmigrants, of such persons for 90 days from the date of this order (excluding those foreign nationals traveling on diplomatic visas, North Atlantic Treaty Organization visas, C-2 visas for travel to the United Nations, and G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4 visas).
The green card visa is not included in the exemption, which hence denies people their rights. That's why White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus was very careful to say "moving forward" it would not affect green card holders, but right now anyone outside of those exemptions is supposed to be turned back.
Is what President Trump doing lawful? Yes. Is it antithetic to American values? I'd say, "most certainly," and I'd add that it is counter productive to what Mr. Priebus said the executive order was designed to do, which was keep the American people safe. It actually puts us at greater risk. And to top it off, the president has said that in these countries, we'll give religious preference to Christians and other minority religions.
But as The Wall Street Journal's Kimberley Strassel pointed out, President Trump is fulfilling campaign promises.
Senator Tim Kaine's (D-VA) rhetoric seemed a bit over the top, or did it? He said it wasn't a coincidence that the executive order of visas and a Holocaust Remembrance statement from the White House that didn't mention Jews were issued on the same day. Actually, I think it was a coincidence that they were issued on the same day but not that they had the same sentiment, which plays right into Steve Bannon's reputation and track-record - anti-Semitic and xenophobic.
It wasn't an accident that Donald Trump used the phrase "America First" in his inauguration speech, widely concluded that Mr. Bannon had a hand in writing it. That was the name of the American movement in the 30's that was opposed to involvement in WWII and advocated staying neutral between Britain and France vs. the Nazis.
And speaking of Nazis, here's the White House Statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day:
“It is with a heavy heart and somber mind that we remember and honor the victims, survivors, heroes of the Holocaust. It is impossible to fully fathom the depravity and horror inflicted on innocent people by Nazi terror.
“Yet, we know that in the darkest hours of humanity, light shines the brightest. As we remember those who died, we are deeply grateful to those who risked their lives to save the innocent.
“In the name of the perished, I pledge to do everything in my power throughout my Presidency, and my life, to ensure that the forces of evil never again defeat the powers of good. Together, we will make love and tolerance prevalent throughout the world.”
And don't forget the major diplomatic rift we now have with Mexico, which is squarely the president's doing, but yet completely unnecessary. There's also a whiff of suspicion about the fact that not included in the executive order travel ban are any majority Muslim countries where the Trump Organization has business ties.
Mr. Priebus with regard to the executive order - "apologize for nothing here," and on not mentioning Jews in the Holocaust Remembrance statement, "no regrets." Not to mention the fact that he couldn't even bring himself to say during the interview (to clean this up) that Jews were killed during the Holocaust, saying insufficiently that "Jews suffered." Suffered.
The New York Times's Thomas Friedman assessed that the executive order wasn't thought out enough, but it doesn't seem like it. It leaves one to alarmingly ask, "Where the hell are we?"
Panel: Kimberley Strassel, The Wall Street Journal; Doris Kearns Godwin, presidential historian; Thomas Friedman, The New York Times; Michael Steele, former RNC Chair
And don't forget the major diplomatic rift we now have with Mexico, which is squarely the president's doing, but yet completely unnecessary. There's also a whiff of suspicion about the fact that not included in the executive order travel ban are any majority Muslim countries where the Trump Organization has business ties.
Mr. Priebus with regard to the executive order - "apologize for nothing here," and on not mentioning Jews in the Holocaust Remembrance statement, "no regrets." Not to mention the fact that he couldn't even bring himself to say during the interview (to clean this up) that Jews were killed during the Holocaust, saying insufficiently that "Jews suffered." Suffered.
The New York Times's Thomas Friedman assessed that the executive order wasn't thought out enough, but it doesn't seem like it. It leaves one to alarmingly ask, "Where the hell are we?"
Panel: Kimberley Strassel, The Wall Street Journal; Doris Kearns Godwin, presidential historian; Thomas Friedman, The New York Times; Michael Steele, former RNC Chair
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