President Trump's new executive order on immigration, issued Monday, makes several significant changes to his earlier order that was blocked by a federal court six weeks ago. In addition to dropping Iraq from countries affected by the ban, the new order notably calls for a public database of honor killings — an addition that bears the fingerprints of Attorney General Jeff Sessions:
The order defines "honor killings" as "gender-based violence against women … in the United States by foreign nationals." Alleged "honor killings" are a major concern of opponents of the U.S. refugee programs, although supporters of refugee programs say the language demonizes Muslims and that there is insufficient evidence of such killings by refugees in the United States.
Nevertheless, Sessions has expressed concern about honor killings in the past, such as in a 2016 discussion with a State Department official:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sessions: … With regard to honor killings, you have evidence that 27 people were killed in the United States for honor killings according to a DOJ report.Simon Henshaw, State Department official in charge of the refugee program: I have no evidence that there were any honor killings among the refugee population resettled in the U.S., sir.Sessions: Well, it's from the same cultural background I would say. [The Atlantic]
As a result, some Muslim rights advocates have slammed President Trump for appointing Sessions to his Cabinet. "[Former] Senator Sessions is one of the most, if not the most, anti-immigrant senator in the U.S. Senate," Farhana Khera, director of the civil-rights group Muslim Advocates, told The Atlantic. "He has a long record of demonizing non-white immigrants, especially Muslim and Latino immigrants."
-
Calls for both calm and consequences follow Kirk killingTALKING POINTS The suspected assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk has some public figures pleading for restraint, while others agitate for violent reprisals
-
Why does Donald Trump keeping showing up at major sporting events?Today's Big Question Trump has appeared at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and other events
-
‘Democracy is under threat globally’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
