White House defends immigration order in face of protests
WASHINGTON — The White House on Sunday vigorously defended President Donald Trump’s immigration restrictions, as protests against the order spread throughout the country. Some Republicans in Congress publicly opposed the changes amid legal challenges to the order banning travellers from seven predominantly Muslim countries, though top congressional Republicans remain largely behind the new president.
In a background call with reporters, a senior administration official declared the order’s implementation “a massive success story,” claiming it had been done “seamlessly and with extraordinary professionalism.”
But there was confusion at airports around the world, and late Sunday the administration appeared to walk-back how the order would apply to certain groups, like legal permanent U.S. residents.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly issued a statement Sunday saying that, absent information indicating a serious threat to public safety and welfare, residency would be a “dispositive factor in our case-by-case determination.” That means citizens of the seven countries who hold permanent U.S. “green cards” will be allowed to re-enter the U.S. Officials had previously said they would be barred from returning. It remains unclear what kind of additional screening they will now face.