Donald Trump to Propose Ideological Tests for Immigrants
In a speech on Monday, Donald Trump is expected to propose the institution of a new, ideological test that immigrants to the United States would be required to take, the Associated Press reports, so as to determine their positions on social issues like religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights. In any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings, the U.S. would not issue a visa.
After the Pulse shooting in Orlando, Florida, in June, Trump wanted to temporarily ban foreign Muslims from entering the U.S. “As he laid out in his Orlando remarks, Mr. Trump will describe the need to temporarily suspend visa issuances to geographic regions with a history of exporting terrorism and where adequate checks and background vetting cannot occur,” campaign spokesman Jason Miller wrote in an email. And how would that vetting occur? From the AP:
Through questionnaires, searching social media, interviewing friends and family or other means, applicants would be vetted to see whether they support American values like tolerance and pluralism.
The candidate is also expected to call in the speech for declaring in explicit terms that, like during the Cold War, the nation is in an ideological conflict with radical Islam.
Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and top U.S. government officials have warned of the dangers of using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants’ hands.
“Mr. Trump will outline his vision for defeating radical Islamic terrorism,” Miller wrote in an email, “and explain how the policies of Obama-Clinton are responsible for the rise of ISIS and the spread of barbarism that has taken the lives of so many.” Last week, Trump said that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were the co-founders of ISIS.