Trump Order Directs Bureaucrats To Make Lists, Advocates Say

EL PASO, TEXAS — President Trump signed an executive order Monday directing the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to make a list of American cities, counties, and states that do not toe the administration line on immigration. The order then directs other federal agencies to make lists of grants, contracts, and other federal funds flowing to those communities. Finally, it requires DHS and DOJ to develop guidance to ensure appropriate eligibility verification is conducted for people receiving Federal public benefits. However, under federal law, people who are undocumented are largely ineligible for federally funded health care and social services programs, and those programs already require eligibility verification. Exceptions like emergency medical care, vaccinations and other basic public health measures, and disaster relief are provided by law and cannot be changed by executive order. The White House released the order in the wake of weekend news coverage of the administration’s deportation of several U.S. citizen children from Louisiana.

Responding to the executive order, the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition (PIF) released the following statement from its director, Adriana Cadena:

“This executive order does nothing but direct bureaucrats to make lists. Fortunately for the nation, everything else it contemplates is prohibited by law. This is a pathetic attempt to change the subject from the administration’s deportation of at least three United States citizens. This administration is a clear and present danger to the people – citizen and noncitizen alike – and Congress must act to end its abuse of power.”