President Trump replaced acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates late Monday evening, hours after she criticized his executive order on immigration.
The White House announced the unusual move in a scathing statement, calling Yates “weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration.” Yates had been appointed deputy attorney general by former President Obama last January.
“The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States,” the statement read.
Yates had directed the Justice Department earlier Monday not to defend the executive order, which halted immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries and suspended the United States’ admittance of refugees for 120 days.
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.@POTUS fires acting AG Sally Yates for "refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens" of US pic.twitter.com/9LOufrREHE
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 31, 2017
Much as I dislike Trump and object to the EO, this move to replace the acting AG is the right one. The DOJ is required by law to enforce and defend ALL laws, not just the one it likes. This practice of picking and choosing which laws to enforce/defend has been going on far too long and has to stop.
The courts will decide soon enough whether this EO is lawful. Until then the AG and the DOJ must be made to do their jobs.
I agree. This one I give Trump a “thumb’s up” for.
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