Obama to Dismantle Visitor Registry Before Trump Can Revive It

[DonViejo]

Source: New York Times

By J. DAVID GOODMAN and RON NIXONDEC. 22, 2016


The Obama administration is dismantling a dormant national registry program for visitors from countries with active terrorist groups — a program that President-elect Donald J. Trump has suggested he is considering resurrecting.

The registry, created after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has not been in use since 2011, so the move is largely symbolic and appeared to be aimed at distancing the departing administration from any effort by the new president to revive the program, known as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, or Nseers.

Asked on Wednesday, in the aftermath of the Berlin attack, whether he still intended to set up a registry for Muslims and impose a temporary ban on Muslim immigrants, Mr. Trump said in Florida, “You know my plans.” Hours later, a spokesman said Mr. Trump was not reaffirming his earlier calls for a ban on immigration from Muslim countries but was referring to his more recent clarification that he would bar people from countries with a history of Islamist extremism.

The move by the White House to formally end the registry is among the actions being taken in the final weeks of the administration that could prevent, or at least slow, what Democrats fear may be a swift rollback of President Obama’s efforts on immigration and climate change.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/nyregion/obama-to-dismantle-visitor-registry-before-trump-can-revive-it.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0

[Mc Mike]

1. Thank you, yet again, Prez Obama. rec, nt.

[ck4829]

2. Obama SHOULD gum up the works for Trump completely

Make transition work-to-rule, have executive orders that say No Muslim databases, protect the GLBT population in hiring, ensure research on global warming... along with executive orders that ensure the government runs smoothly.

[forgotmylogin]

6. I would feel no shame if they pried the Ts off all the White House keyboards.

However, this is way below Obama's level.

They could drape the Oval Office in cheap gold foil for him.

Or get some permanent stickers and label every loose pen and pencil and office supply "Property of the Citizens of the United States" so Trump won't be able to claim he owns the place.

[bdamomma]

3. Thank you President Obama

[Girard442]

4. Shred, baby, shred. NT

[progressoid]

5. Jesus. The peaceful transition of power...

from a rational man to a petulant child.

[Imperialism Inc.]

7. That's great news!

http://www.vox.com/2016/12/22/14053190/obama-nseers-trump-muslim

When the Bush administration created the NSEERS program in 2002, though, they did have to go through the traditional regulatory process — including allowing the public to submit comments and concerns, and responding to them.

...

But now that the Trump administration won’t have the ability to simply reanimate existing regulations, it will have to, rhetorically, go back to square one. It will have to propose a new set of regulations to register and track people from particular countries during their time in the US. And it will have to argue, as the Bush administration did, that it isn’t using Muslim-majority countries as a proxy to “invidiously discriminate” against Muslims — something it might struggle to persuasively do.

That could be a valuable opportunity for Democrats and civil rights lawyers to block, or at least slow, the new registry. They might not succeed — but they certainly have a bigger chance than they would have if Donald Trump, on day one of his administration, were simply adding countries back to the list to restart a program that Obama had turned off but never taken apart.

[catbyte]

8. I'm glad to see President Obama trying to mitigate as much damage as he can before

that orange piece of shit pollutes the Oval Office.

[muntrv]

9. Hey Trumpanzees, this is no worse than what the NC Republicans are doing to Governor elect Cooper.

[Doitnow]

10. AMEN!

The more things like this that Pres. Obama can do, the better.

[question everything]

11. K & R. Wish he can release the last Gitmo inmates

Surely some country or countries would take them?