ACLU Comment on Trump’s Call to End Immigration Program, Send NYC Attack Suspect to Guantánamo

NEW YORK — President Trump today urged Congress to end a longtime immigration program, invoked “extreme vetting,” and said he is considering sending the man arrested in yesterday’s New York attack to the U.S. prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Anthony D. Romero, executor director of the American Civil Liberties Union, had this reaction:

“President Trump’s reaction to the tragedy in New York represents a trifecta of unconstitutional and wrong-headed policies. His call for more ‘extreme vetting’ and an end to the diversity visa program — which will unfairly target Muslim and African immigrants — would double down on his Muslim ban and anti-immigrant policies.

“Sending Saipov to Guantánamo or treating him as an ‘enemy combatant’ would violate due process and the rule of law. The FBI and our federal court system are more than capable of dealing with terrorism cases, and Guantánamo was shown long ago to be an epic failure. It’s a shame that Trump is using this attack as a platform for pushing his anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim agenda.”