democracynow.org VS.

truthout.org

President Trump has signed three more executive orders, further cracking down on the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers. One order seeks to compile a list of so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with Trump’s mass deportation policies. A second order further militarizes local police departments, while providing legal resources to officers accused of abuses; it also seeks to undo federal consent decrees for departments that have committed civil rights abuses and seeks to punish local officials who “unlawfully prohibit law enforcement officers from carrying out duties.” A third executive order requires professional truck drivers to be proficient in English. On Monday, staffers placed signs on the White House lawn showing mugshots of immigrants, linking them to crimes with the word ”ARRESTED” written in all caps. This comes as House Republicans have proposed a bill that would charge people arriving at a U.S. port of entry $1,000 in order to file an asylum claim — and a $3,500 fee for those sponsoring children. The right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right enshrined in international law, and the U.S. has never before charged petitioners.