President Trump's right-wing followers are no doubt cheering the stories in today's news that their hero, the hater-in-chief, wants to send immigrant detainees to "sanctuary cities", including the districts of his political enemies like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and set them free.
It would seem like Trump's ultimate "up yours," as he goes on TV and twaddles on Twitter claiming such a plan is in the works -- even though a Department of Homeland Security official said DHS is not drawing up plans to implement the proposal, and others officials have said it's not being taken seriously.
Speaking to Trump's favorite mainstream news media outlet, The Washington Post, the DHS official requested anonymity so he could contradict the president.
In case you missed them, here are some of Trump's tweets:
Yuk, yuk, you might say if you are one of Trump's loyal legions. They deserve it. Up Nancy Pelosi's a--."
Well, your esteemed, highly sensitive and extremely fair and honest president may not get his juvenile way. Here's how The Post reported on what's actually gone down:
The proposal that had been under consideration was opposed by many immigration enforcement leaders who viewed it as unworkable, having no legal justification and likely to create strain on an agency already dealing with a crisis.
A White House official and a spokesman for Department of Homeland Security sent nearly identical statements to The Post on Thursday, indicating that the proposal was no longer under consideration.
“This was just a suggestion that was floated and rejected, which ended any further discussion,” the White House statement said.
In a separate statement late Thursday night, a White House official characterized the idea of steering migrants to sanctuary cities as being “informally asked.”
“The idea was briefly and informally raised and quickly rejected,” the official said.
Under current practice, once detainees are released, they are generally free to settle wherever they choose, and they are required to inform the government of their address.
DHS generally releases immigrants in two ways: directly from one of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s immigration jails or more recently, from Customs and Border Protection after they are apprehended and pass an initial security check.
I wouldn't be surprised if all of this was not the brainchild of Trump's wunderkind meanie Stephen Miller, to whom Trump has entrusted all matters relating to immigration. Here's how The Guardian describes Miller:
Miller has been able to consolidate and expand his power because he is at once an extremely accomplished operator, able to successfully negotiate a highly toxic environment, and an ingratiating sycophant, who has mastered the art of telling his master what he wants to hear.
If the president describes himself in a tweet as a certifiable genius, Miller can be counted on to go on national television to offer vociferous support of the truth of the description. Like a minister of propaganda, he is skilled at repeating, distilling and amplifying his master’s messages.
So now we live in a country with a dangerously paranoid and vindictive president attempting to implement mean-spirited policies meant to stir his base into even more of a frenzy as he is egged on by the likes of Stephen Miller.
It's no wonder that one of Not Fake News' most loyal site members, Deb Winkler, sent me this email this morning:
"The president is having an awful effect on young people-my 28 year old son asks why we don't move to Canada or someplace sane."