Trump Administration Faces Pressure To Not Deport Detained Iraqi Christians

[Jin-roh]

Immigration authorities have rounded up nearly 200 Iraqis in recent weeks, and the Trump administration is now under heavy pressure to hold off moves to deport them.

Many of those currently detained are from the minority Chaldean Christian community, which faces severe persecution in Iraq.

...

Protesters outside the Detroit courtroom Wednesday shouted in support of the detained Iraqis, Michigan Radio reports. Some held signs depicting President Trump that read "You Vowed To Protect Us."

On the campaign trail and in office, Trump has vowed to help persecuted Christians in the Middle East.

Source

[One Bad Pig]

Looks to me like a no-win situation. Doing the right thing is exceedingly likely to produce lawsuits over a religious litmus test, despite the fact that they'd have the likelihood of mistreatment and/or death if returned to Iraq and that the rate of radicalized Christian immigrant terrorism is precisely 0.0%.

[Jin-roh]

Looks to me like a no-win situation. Doing the right thing is exceedingly likely to produce lawsuits over a religious litmus test, despite the fact that they'd have the likelihood of mistreatment and/or death if returned to Iraq and that the rate of radicalized Christian immigrant terrorism is precisely 0.0%.

There's been legal precedent for not sending people back if you know they will be killed or even persecuted. I don't think it would be the first time the United States granted some kind of asylum on that basis.

[One Bad Pig]

There's been legal precedent for not sending people back if you know they will be killed or even persecuted. I don't think it would be the first time the United States granted some kind of asylum on that basis.

Yes, but some activist judge is sure to infer that he's really letting them stay because they're Christians, and not because of the persecution, and decide that everyone else gets to stay too. That's pretty much exactly the reasoning used in denying Trump's travel ban.

[Jin-roh]

Yes, but some activist judge is sure to infer that he's really letting them stay because they're Christians,

Trump doesn't seem to be advocating for them to stay, so it's not an issue of him letting anyone do anything.

In any case "allow those persecuted on account of religion [unqualified] to seek asylum" is legally distinct from Trump's list of countries and you'd have to put blinders on to think that he wasn't fulfilling a campaign promise with that, regardless of how the law was worded.

[rogue06]

Source

He could send them to Canuckistan since Trudeau said he would be glad to take in all refugees from the U.S.

[One Bad Pig]

Trump doesn't seem to be advocating for them to stay, so it's not an issue of him letting anyone do anything.

In any case "allow those persecuted on account of religion [unqualified] to seek asylum" is legally distinct from Trump's list of countries and you'd have to put blinders on to think that he wasn't fulfilling a campaign promise with that, regardless of how the law was worded.

His list of countries is equally legally distinct; His campaign rhetoric was "muslims" and his list doesn't nearly cover that.

[Jin-roh]

He could send them to Canuckistan since Trudeau said he would be glad to take in all refugees from the U.S.

Might be the best for the refugees. We're not a very nice country.

[Jin-roh]

His list of countries is equally legally distinct; His campaign rhetoric was "muslims" and his list doesn't nearly cover that.

Spirit of the law, letter of law... but that's a little besides the issue at hand.

[Darth Executor]

Spirit of the law, letter of law... but that's a little besides the issue at hand.

It's not, it's a perverse ruling and gross abuse of power by the court that could be used to declare anything Trump does unconstitutional.

Anyway, I agree it's irrelevant because in this case we're talking about people who were given refugee status and then decided it was a good idea to repay the generosity of their host country by committing crimes, some if not all of them fairly serious ones. Being a Christian should not be a license to ignore the law.

[Jin-roh]

It's not, it's a perverse ruling and gross abuse of power by the court that could be used to declare anything Trump does unconstitutional.

I'm not sure how the 9th circuit's decision means any of that, but yeah that's another thread.

Anyway, I agree it's irrelevant because in this case we're talking about people who were given refugee status and then decided it was a good idea to repay the generosity of their host country by committing crimes, some if not all of them fairly serious ones. Being a Christian should not be a license to ignore the law.

We agree on these.