09 February 2017•Update: 11 February 2017
By Canberk Yuksel
NEW YORK
The U.S. must end immigration "lawlessness", the country’s new attorney general said Thursday as he was sworn in at the White House to serve a Donald Trump administration known for its harsh immigration policy.
Jeff Sessions said the U.S. faces an "increased threat from terrorism", as he commended Trump, who stood nearby, for speaking "firmly" on the matter.
"We need a lawful system of immigration. One that serves the interest of the people of United States. That's not wrong, that's not immoral, that's not indecent," he said.
"We need to end this lawlessness that threatens the public safety, pulls down wages of working Americans," Sessions added as he told Trump it was an "honor beyond words to serve under your leadership".
Trump has pushed an "America-first" attitude on national and international issues, including immigration, since he began his campaign for president.
A week after taking office last month, he signed an executive order that bars nationals of seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the U.S., enforcing what many call a Muslim ban he advocated while running for office.
After referring to the order as a “ban” the Trump administration has since pulled back from referring to it as such but many point to the order's stipulation that minorities from these countries, widely assumed to be Christians, shall be prioritized, while Muslims are banned for 90 days and Syrian Muslims indefinitely.
In an interview with a Christian television network, Trump said he would prioritize Syrian Christians for U.S. entry.
Following his confirmation by the Senate in a narrow vote after weeks of wrangling, Session assumes office a little more than a week after acting Attorney General Sally Yates was removed by Trump for her refusal to defend his currently-blocked executive order.
An appeals court is expected to decide later this week whether to lift the block, but the legal jostle appears likely to continue all the way to the Supreme Court.
