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U.S. NEWSWednesday 11 November

Congress OKs bill banning Guantanamo detainees from US

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., center, joined by Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin personnel, ships, aircraft position about the need to
of Ill., Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., ranking Democrat on the and other war-fighting close the prison.
Senate Budget Committee, leave their weekly policy conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, equipment. To do so, however, Obama
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. Congress sent President Barack Obama a $607 billion defense policy bill The president plans to send would have to ignore the
Tuesday that bans moving Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States — something Obama Congress a blueprint for ful- will of Congress.
has been trying to do since he was sworn in as president. filling his campaign pledge “This is not something the
to close the U.S. prison in American people want to
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Cuba. But the plan is wide- see happen with Guanta-
ly expected to be dead on namo, and so the president
DEB RIECHMANN is expected to sign even approved the bill, 91-3, on arrival on Capitol Hill, with needs to follow the law
Associated Press though he adamantly op- Tuesday just days after the Republicans and some and the law is very clear on
WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- poses its ban on moving House passed the biparti- Democrats opposed to this,” she said.
gress sent President Barack some Guantanamo Bay san measure, 370-58. The any move to detain some The bill imposes restrictions
Obama a $607 billion de- detainees toU.S. prisons. legislation authorizes Pen- of the terror subjects on U.S. on transferring any of the
fense policy bill that he The Senate overwhelmingly tagon spending on military soil. 112 remaining detainees
The congressional decision to the United States or a
to retain a ban on transfer- foreign country. Loudest in
ring detainees to the U.S. congressional opposition
has prompted debate on have been the Republican
whether the president will senators from Colorado,
try to bypass Congress and Kansas and South Caro-
close the prison through ex- lina — three states which
ecutive action. “We know have facilities reviewed by
he’s contemplating it,” said a Pentagon assessment
Senate Majority Leader team.
Mitch McConnell, a Re- Pentagon press secretary
publican. Peter Cook said, “Let’s
White House press sec- wait to see what the plan
retary Josh Earnest said finally looks like. The folks
Obama would sign the bill who are crafting that plan
because it includes provi- have been working very
sions critical to protecting hard on this for months. ...
the United States. But he This is not going to deter the
said the president’s signa- department from moving
ture does not change his forward.”q

US high court appeal of immigration case comes mid-campaign

ALICIA A. CALDWELL of Appeals late Monday Hillary Rodham Clinton to that the millions who are deportation immigrants
effectively blocked Presi- go further than Obama to affected can stop living in brought to the country ille-
Associated Press dent Barack Obama’s plan protect large groups of im- fear of their families being gally as children.
to protect as many as 5 migrants from deportation. broken apart.” DACA, as the program is
WASHINGTON (AP) — The million immigrants, primar- Clinton promised in May The future of the estimated known, was seen as an
ily the immigrant parents to expand Obama’s ex- 11 million immigrants living administrative answer to
Obama administration of U.S. citizens and legal ecutive actions if Congress in the country illegally has the DREAM Act, legislation
permanent residents. It up- does not overhaul U.S. im- been debated by Republi- once supported by Rubio
said Tuesday it will ask the held a Texas-based federal migration laws. In October can and Democratic presi- that would provide legal
judge’s earlier injunction. she also pledged to be dential candidates. Earlier status to those young immi-
Supreme Court to save its The ruling leaves in limbo “less harsh and aggressive” this month Sen. Marco Ru- grants. To date, more than
the future of the program, than Obama in enforcing bio, a Republican, said if 720,000 young immigrants
plans to shield from depor- called the Deferred Action immigration laws. elected he would eventu- have been granted permis-
for Parents and Americans, Clinton said Tuesday she ally end Obama’s Deferred sion to live and work legally
tation millions of immigrants and promises by Democrat- hopes the case gets a Action for Childhood Ar- in the United States.q
ic presidential front-runner quick and fair hearing “so rivals, which protects from
living in the U.S. illegally.

The appeal advances a

legal confrontation with 26

states during a presidential

race already roiled by dis-

putes over U.S. immigration

policy.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court