The fact is, under current US federal law, the President may exclude any individual or group from entering this country, for any reason.
Failure to realize that simply betrays an ignorance of current law. The President can exclude men, women, catholics, people wearing red shirts, people who go to prayer meeting on Wednesday nights, Japanese citizens, Indonesian citizens, gays, straight people, people under 6 feet tall, people over 6 feet tall, etc.
My understanding is that, statutorily, the President has arbitrary power to exclude foreigners from immigrating to this country, based on any criteria whatsoever. Religious tests for immigration are explicitly mentioned as an example somewhere in the US Code, if I'm not mistaken.
"Softening" his rhetoric on this issue is certainly nothing for any hysterical critic of Donald Trump to hang his/her hat on. Donald Trump has made his intent clear, and his reasons for advocating the policy have been stated.
Vote Trump
A smart person knows the difference between what you “can” do or say, versus what’s the “wise” thing to do or say.
That trait is called discernment.
Yes, our president on our nation’s behalf, “can” ban anyone he deems detrimental to the nation from immigrating here.
However, you know, as well as I, the optics of banning people based on their religion is politically RADIOACTIVE.
Can you imagine how loudly and compelling the argument would be made that it’s the height of hypocrisy for a nation founded on “freedom of religion” to deny “refugees” that same opportunity?
There’s a alot of emotional passion that Mr. Trump inspires.
Rest assured the left is even more expert in emotional rhetoric, and the only way the Trump campaign and real conservatives are going to win the election and critical objectives, is to not fall into a trap of their own making.
Banning immigration from high risk nations is a smarter and more legitimate way of achieving the goal of reducing further islamic threats landing on our shore, rather than targeting a specific religion.
Discrimination based on religion would Never have legal standing these days (except Christians /s)
A Syrian Muslim can deny their religion and successfully immigrate in the case of a ban on Muslim immigration.
However, Syrians (and its jihadist muslims) would be denied entry to our country if there were a ban on immigration from that nation.
We’ve got to be smarter, more determined and communicate better than insane destructive liberals if we want to win and save this country.
Under U.S. Code, the president does have the statutory authority to keep anyone out of the country, for any reason he thinks best. Per 8 USC §1182:
“Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.”
Yes, the president has the authority to do exactly what Trump is describing. And by the way, this kind of thing has happened before.
In the late 1800s, Congress passed legislation broadly aimed at halting the immigration of Chinese laborers. Those were not fully repealed until 1943. Quotas limiting immigration based on race and national origin were also enacted in the early 1900s. Racial quotas were repealed in 1952, and those limiting people based on national origin were eliminated in 1965.