The Government is to undertake a "complete review" of US immigration facilities at Dublin and Shannon airports in the wake of US president Donald Trump's ban on refugees from Syria and nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries entering the US.
“I’ve asked for a complete review of the pre-clearance facilities in Ireland,” Mr Kenny said last night at a joint press conference in Dublin with British prime minister Theresa May.
US immigration officers are based at both airports, allowing passengers to avoid immigration and customs when they arrive in the US.
This arrangement may be at risk because of the far-reaching measures adopted by the Trump administration at the weekend.
A statement circulated in Government Buildings said pre-clearance facilities were used by 1.18 million people in Dublin and 204,000 people in Shannon last year.
The Government has made contact with the US administration to convene a meeting to discuss the facilities, it said.
The Irish Times understands that a meeting between officials from the Department of Transport, the Department of Foreign Affairs and US homeland security will take place in early March.
Meetings
In the first face-to-face meeting between the Government and the new US administration, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan is due to meet Mr Trump’s national security adviser Mike Flynn today as part of a three-day visit to Washington.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said Mr Flanagan intended to “convey the Government’s concern” about Mr Trump’s immigration orders on planned deportations that affect undocumented Irish in the US and on the refugee and immigrant travel ban.
Mr Trump yesterday stood behind the rushed implementation of his ban on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries and Syrian refugees, tweeting that he did not want to give notice to terrorists and that there were “a lot of bad ‘dudes’ out there!”
Green cards
The former reality TV star defended his immigration order, signed on Friday, that caused chaos at US airports when officials detained dozens of immigrants with US visas and green cards after Mr Trump imposed a 90-day ban on people from
Iran
,
Iraq
,
Libya
,
Somalia
,
Sudan
, Syria and
Yemen
.
The Department of Transport confirmed one person was refused pre-clearance by US immigration officials at Dublin airport, in accordance with US pre-clearance procedures. It is not known where the person is from.
In his first statement since leaving office 10 days ago, Barack Obama criticised his successor’s travel ban and offered his support to protesters.
His spokesman said the former president was “heartened” by the level of public engagement and “fundamentally disagrees” with the notion of discriminating against people because of their faith or religion.
Speaking to reporters during a meeting at the White House, Mr Trump mocked Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer for shedding "fake tears" while standing alongside Iraqi and Syrian refugees during a press conference on Sunday when he denounced the presidential order as "un-American".
Meanwhile, Limerick entrepreneurs Patrick and John Collison, co-founders of Silicon Valley multibillion-dollar online payments firm Stripe, have joined the fight against Mr Trump’s anti-immigration measures, pledging $100,000 (€93,000) to the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed legal actions contesting the president’s order.
The brothers join a wave of opposition from technology leaders, including Apple boss Tim Cook, at the president’s order.
