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Bill de Blasio Struggles Differing Trump's Immigration Policy From Obama's

January 29, 2017

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had trouble differing President Donald Trump's immigration policy with that of former President Barack Obama on Sunday.

CNN's Jake Tapper raised the point that Obama and former President Jimmy Carter had both taken similar moves during their presidencies as Trump did with his executive order restricting immigration from certain countries with terrorism problems.

"Now there have been times in the nation's history when detainees–I'm sorry, not detainees–when refugees or immigrants from a specific country were put on hold, were suspended," Tapper said.

"Barack Obama did it with Iraqis for six months," Tapper continued. "Jimmy Carter did it with Iranians during that hostage crisis. How is this different?"

"Well, I don't know the details of those orders," de Blasio said before criticizing Trump's order.

De Blasio also criticized Trump's executive order for what he called prioritizing non-Muslim immigration, but Tapper reminded him that it is for all religious minorities.

"Well, to be clear, what the executive order says is it provides for prioritization if people are of a religious minority in these countries and obviously they are majority Muslim countries, but theoretically, we don't know how it's going to be implemented," Tapper said.

"Theoretically, that could be a Sufi Muslim could be considered a religious minority, a Shia Muslim could be considered a religious minority, no?" Tapper asked.

"Well, Jake, I understand that point, but I would be careful on that, the notion that there's not a pattern of exception for individuals, that the only indication suggests bluntly non-Muslims should be very, very worrisome here," de Blasio responded.