President Donald Trump says everything is going as planned with his executive order on immigration, and blamed the chaos that his order caused at the airports this weekend on a Delta Airlines computer problem, protesters, and a senator.
Only 109 people out of 325,000 were detained and held for questioning. Big problems at airports were caused by Delta computer outage,.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
protesters and the tears of Senator Schumer. Secretary Kelly said that all is going well with very few problems. MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017
Delta's IT system went down around 6:30 pm. Sunday and was restored a few hours later.
However, people detained, along with officials, said they were held starting Saturday. Several people were seen being released Sunday from JFK Airport before Delta's system went down.
The New York Immigration Coalition said about 41 people were detained and released at JFK Airport due to Trump's executive order.
The group says two people were deported, and one, as of Monday morning, has not been reunited with his family and may still be detained.
More than 100 were detained over the weekend at airports across the country due to Trump's ban, according to officials.
Immigration lawyers working pro-bono are still in the airport, providing legal assistance.
"These are people that have, in many cases if they are on a special immigrant visa, given their lives to the U.S. military, given their lives to the U.S," said Hallam Tuck of the New York Immigration Coalition. "So the idea they might be turned away is deeply disheartening."
Trump's order, which he signed Friday, bans entry to the United States by residents of seven Muslim-majority countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen —for the next 90 days.
The Queens native's executive order also bans U.S. entry of those fleeing war-torn Syria indefinitely, and bans the admission of all refugees for the next four months.
A federal judge in Brooklyn had issued a stay on the executive order Saturday, preventing deportations of people if they have valid visas.
The stay, which covers the entire country, awaits further legal review.
That judge's ruling, however, does not prevent people from still being detained.
Trump said Christian refugees will be given priority over Muslims.
The White House appears to have backed down on admission and re-admission of people from the affected countries who have green cards.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly issued a statement saying permanent U.S. residents from the seven countries on the president's list will be allowed to enter the country.
Another travel ban protest is planned in Manhattan on Monday.