Trump Order Won't Affect Green Card Holders Moving Forward: Priebus

President Trump's chief of staff Reince Priebus seemed to reverse the administration's position on one of the more controversial parts of Trump's executive order that bars nationals from seven countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days. Speaking to Chuck Todd on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, Priebus said the ban would not affect green card holders moving forward but that customs and border protection agents had "discretionary authority" to question individuals.

Chaos and protests broke out at major international airports in the country as even green card holders, who are legal permanent residents of the United States, and travelers with valid visas were detained by customs and border protection agents.

Priebus later confused his position, saying that independent of the executive order, CBP agents had the discretion to question individuals traveling back and forth from say "Libya or Somalia or Yemen."

"What I'm not suggesting to you is that that is in the order moving forward, I'm suggesting that within the discretion of the CBP that those questions would likely be asked," he said.

The seven countries in the order are not named, but officials say they are Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Iran, Yemen and Sudan. Trump's order also bans the resettlement of refugees for four months and indefinitely suspends the entry of Syrian refugees.

Asked why countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan were not included in the ban, Priebus suggested it was possible that the list could be expanded.

Trump's executive order — which exempts certain diplomats traveling to the United States but does not mention those legally residing in the country as lawful permanent residents or with student or employment visas who might be returning to the U.S. — created a new class of detainees in the United States.

An emergency stay granted by a federal judge Saturday night prevents those being detained from being deported but does not allow them to reenter the U.S. Judge Ann Donnelly's order also ordered the federal government to turn over a list of everyone currently being detained. Similar orders were issued in three other states on Saturday.

Donnelly did not rule on the constitutionality of Trump's order. And the order did nothing to quell the uncertainty and chaos at U.S. entry points caused by the order, issued without notice and little or no guidance to immigration agents on how to handle those arriving.

A senior administration official said on Saturday that Trump advisers had been in contact for many weeks with key State Department and Department of Homeland Security officials about Friday's executive order.

"Everyone who needed to know was informed," the official said.

However, multiple news outlets such as The New York Times reported that officials with knowledge of the matter denied that assertion.

At least nine Republicans, including Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake and Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, have opposed the ban. Others have spoken out against it to a varying degree, including Sen. John McCain, who said that the process and these conclusions were not vetted.

Meanwhile, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are considering legislation to overturn the order, which they might be able to pass if they can get Republicans on board.

"I heard Senator McCain speak out pretty strongly on TV, Senator Sasse has already opposed it, if we get a few more Republicans, I think we might be able to pass legislation to overturn it, it'll be up to getting more Republicans," Schumer said at a press conference in New York City Sunday.

Protesters and politicians gathered at major international airports in the U.S., often breaking out into chants of "USA, USA" or singing "This land is my land, this land is your land" as detainees were released. All those being detained at Chicago and Philadelphia were released, but it remains unclear how many people are still being detained at other airports.

Nisha Agarwal, New York City's commissioner for immigrant affairs, who was at JFK to assist those being detained, wrote on Twitter that individuals were slowly being released from JFK and others were being processed for waivers for potential release.

Among the many whose plans were halted by the ban was a Syrian family of six due to arrive in Cleveland, an Iraqi man who worked as a translator for the U.S. military and an Iranian woman studying in the U.S. whose parents were on their way to visit her.

In a statement issued early Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security said the agency would comply with judicial orders while also reaffirming its support for Trump's executive order.

"The Department of Homeland Security will continue to enforce all of President Trump’s Executive Orders in a manner that ensures the safety and security of the American people," the statement said.

The agency said that less than 1 percent of of the more than 325,000 international air travelers who arrive in the U.S. everyday were impacted. While the number of those impacted may seem small, it didn't stop dozens of people from raising their voices in opposition.

Image Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Creative Commons