"It's All On Me": New Homeland Secretary Takes Blame For Rushed Immigration Order Rollout

Speaking before the House"s Homeland Security Committee, the new Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly accepted blame for the hasty rollout of President Trump"s order suspending immigration from seven countries, while defending the measure as lawful and constitutional.  "It"s all on me," Kelly told the Committee, acknowledging lawmakers were not fully apprised. 

“I should have delayed it just a bit so I could have talked to members of Congress,” Kelly said. “Going forward, I would have certainly taken some time to inform Congress, and that’s something I look forward to in the future.”

Trump"s hastily rolled out Jan. 27 executive order suspended the U.S. refugee program and largley banned immigration and travel from seven mostly Muslim countries for 90 days. Kelly said Monday, as he said last week, that the order was crafted before he was confirmed as DHS secretary. The order, which caused confusion for green-card holders and others before the administration made clear they would not be affected, has since been held up in federal court with a hearing set for late Tuesday in California. 

Trump, ahead of a White House meeting with county sheriffs, voiced confidence Tuesday in his administration’s case ahead.  “We have to have security in our country,” Trump said quoted by Fox News, adding that his team would take its case “through the system.” Asked if that means the dispute will land before the Supreme Court, he said: “We’ll see. Hopefully it doesn’t have to.” 

Kelly also acknowledged before the GOP-led committee Tuesday that some of the order’s core tenants are problematic but said “it’s still my belief we will prevail.”

“We believe [the order] is lawful and constitutional,” said Kelly, who also gave his support for Trump’s plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, opened the hearing, Kelly’s first as Homeland secretary, by saying, “This country is eager to work with you. … Your job won’t be easy.” The Texas Republican also said the rollout of the executive order has been “problematic.”

Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the committee, acknowledged that Kelly was being called upon to explain and defend an order about which he had little prior knowledge. “Frankly, it is somewhat unfair,” he said.

Later today, a US Federal Appeals Court will hold a hearing before deciding the fate of Trump"s Immigration order, which many have speculated will ultimately end up in the Supreme Court.

Trump: We're Going To Take It To The Supreme Court

In the clearest indication yet that the Trump administration will fight any adverse ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (should one be handed down later on Tuesday), President Donald Trump said he is not backing down on an executive order halting travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, vowing to fight legal challenges to his Immigration executive order all the way through the courts.

As reported last night, a federal appeals court in San Francisco will hear arguments at 6pm ET on Tuesday whether the United States should restore the order. Federal Judge James Robart, who serves in the state of Washington, previously suspended it, prompting personal attacks from Trump. Trump suggested that his administration will keep pressing the fight if the appeal fails.

"We"re going to take it through the system," Trump told reporters at the White House. "It"s very important, it"s very important for the country regardless of me or whoever succeeds at a later date. We have to have security in our country." When asked if he thinks the case will go to the Supreme Court, Trump said "we will see." He added that "hopefully, it doesn"t have to."

When asked if travel ban fight could go to Supreme Court, Trump says “We’ll see…hopefully it doesn’t have to” https://t.co/H44YrRCw21

— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 7, 2017

On Tuesday, Justice Department lawyers will argue the case against opposing attorneys from the states of Minnesota and Washington. The appeals court will focus on whether the lower court had the grounds to suspend the order, not the legality of issuing the order itself as CNBC reports. Trump"s order temporarily barred travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries with visas from entering the United States amid what the White House called a need to vet immigrants properly to prevent terrorism. It also temporarily halted refugee admissions and barred Syrian refugees indefinitely.

The White House has defended it as necessary to properly vet people who could attempt terrorist attacks on American soil. Trump on Tuesday urged courts to "act fast" and has repeatedly contended that people are "pouring in" because of the judge"s action, without evidence to back that claim.

During a hearing before the Homeland Security Committee, the Trump"s new Homeland Secretary John Kelly took the blame for the rushed rollout of the Immigration order, saying "it"s all on me."