Obama Administration Ends Dormant Program Once Used to Track Muslim, Arab Men

Obama orders dismantling of prototype Muslim Registry Program.

Washington, 23 Rabiul Awwal 1438/23 December 2016 (MINA) – The Obama administration on Thursday said it was ending a program, which was suspended in 2011, that was once used to track mostly Muslim and Arab men.

“The Department of Homeland Security is removing outdated regulations pertaining to the National Security Entry-Exit Registration Systems (NSEERS) program, with an immediate effective date,” KUNA quoted department spokesman Neema Hakim as saying.

The “intervening years have shown that NSEERS is not only obsolete, but that its use would divert limited personnel and resources from more effective measures,” Hakim said.

President-elect Donald Trump, during his campaign, suggested instituting a program that would track Muslim immigrants to the United States.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Trump would not pursue a ban on Muslim immigration to the US based only on religion.

Last month, nearly 200 organizations, led by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), asked Obama to abolish the program before he leaves office.

The program affected males 16 or older from 25 countries. With the exception of North Korea, all the countries on the list were Arab or had majority Muslim populations. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)