Acting Attorney General Fired for Refusing to Uphold Trump’s Muslim Ban
Rule of Law? TRUMP’d by America Über Alles
January 30, 2017 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Trump’s ban on Muslims from seven countries entering the U.S. targeted people whose lives have been intrusively investigated for years. And people with legal visas and green cards (permanent residency status). It was met with a massive and inspiring outpouring of protest across the U.S. And it was immediately challenged in court by several lawsuits, based on the fact that it is unconstitutional.
Earlier on Monday, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates instructed the Department of Justice to not defend the ban. She said, in part: “My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts.” And, "At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the Executive Order is consistent with these responsibilities, nor am I convinced that the Executive Order is lawful."
Within hours, Trump fired Yates. The White House issued a statement claiming this was because she “betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order....” Then, after that perfunctory claim that Trump’s Muslim ban is “legal,” the next part of the White House statement declared the ban should be enforced because it was “designed to protect the citizens of the United States." As if any assertion by these xenophobic fascists that “American lives are in danger” justifies anything (see “Who poses the greatest threat to humanity in this world?” at right). And the White House statement lashed out at Yates as “an Obama Administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration."
Trump’s ban on people entering the U.S. is such a thinly disguised ban on Muslims that it doesn’t even qualify as a disguised attack on people of one religion. Rudy Giuliani said publicly that Trump asked him to come up with a “Muslim ban” but to do it “legally.” Trump himself told Christian Broadcast News that the ban was intended to give priority to “Christians” seeking asylum. And in case anyone didn’t get the point, Christians from the seven predominantly Muslim countries on the list are specifically given preference–not by name, but by obvious distinction as a “minority religion.”
In the fascist logic of the Trump regime, laws or constitutional rights that stand in the way of America Über Alles are overruled by his fascist agenda. Trump’s Muslim ban poured fuel on explosive, violent, ignorant fear and hatred of Muslims. And it clearly violates the supposed guarantees in the U.S. Constitution against targeting people for their religion, and imposing a state religion.
Trump’s firing of an Acting Attorney General who noted that fact was in blatant contempt for rule of law. And it foreshadows the same kinds of things happening in all kinds of realms as, or if, the Trump regime continues to rule.
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