Former Republican National Committee Chairman and incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said Sunday that citizens from countries suspected of training or offering asylum to terrorists will be temporarily barred from entering the United States.
Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, Priebus was asked about retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn's recent statements that fearing Muslims is a rational behavior. Priebus, careful to qualify that he does not believe in religious tests, noted that there are problems in some countries and a better vetting process needed to be put in place until the new administration could pinpoint those problems. From Politico:
For countries where trouble might be festering, he said: “We’re going to temporarily suspend immigration from that country, or region, until a better vetting system is put in place."Priebus also supported Trump’s statements about halting federal funding to "sanctuary cities." New York City and Los Angeles are among dozens of such cities, where police departments don’t actively enforce some federal immigration policies, a practice that has been in place for decades.
“This is a matter of negotiation,” Priebus said.
The notion that barring citizens from hostile countries might only be temporary until the U.S. can shore up it's vetting processes may make those critical of the incoming administration feel slightly better. However, when asked about creating a Muslim registry, Priebus responded by saying, "Look I'm not going to rule out anything."
