Trump cancels refugee travel to U.S., puts DEI staff on paid leave
This new directive means that refugees who had previously been granted permission to enter the country will no longer be allowed entry, and the processing of new refugee cases has now been halted.
In a related development, federal agencies have begun placing diversity staff—who represent 800,000 federal workers—on paid leave "immediately."
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in a memo outlining the Trump administration's goals for diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI), stated that federal employees working in DEI offices will be placed on paid leave as part of efforts to dismantle all DEIA initiatives, offices, and programs by the end of January.
In his executive order issued on Tuesday, President Trump also called for the termination of what he referred to as “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral” programs.
Additionally, Trump directed U.S. prosecutors to initiate criminal investigations into state and local officials who resist immigration enforcement, further intensifying a broad crackdown launched earlier this week.
In a memo, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove wrote;
Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, or otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests.
The President has declared illegal immigration a national emergency, assigning the U.S. military to enhance border security, issuing a sweeping ban on asylum, and introducing measures to limit citizenship for children born on American soil.
A U.S. official confirmed on Wednesday that the military will deploy an additional 1,000 active-duty troops to the Mexico-U.S. border.
The American public is sharply divided over Trump's plans for mass deportations. A recent Reuters survey revealed that 39% of respondents agreed with the statement that
illegal immigrants should be arrested and put in detention camps while awaiting deportation hearings,
while 42% disagreed, and the remainder were uncertain.
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