U.S. Attorney General William Barr, the head of the Justice Department, testifies on April 9 before a House appropriations committee panel on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. File Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI |
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Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Justice Department has apologized for sending an email to immigration courts this week that contained a link to a white nationalist website.
The department routinely sends emails to court employees that link to immigration-related reports, but its Aug. 19 message included the path to the questionable site. The site listed photos and anti-Semitic remarks about immigration judges, including National Association of Immigration Judges President Ashley Tabaddor.
"The blog post should not have been included. The Department of Justice condemns anti-Semitism in the strongest terms," department spokeswoman Kathryn Mattingly said.
The Justice Department's Executive Office of Immigration Review said the blog posts are compiled by a contractor.
The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers slammed the Justice Department for missing a link to what it called ethnic intimidation.
"It is shocking and outrageous that a vile, racist attack against distinguished jurists was linked and distributed from an official U.S. government publication," said IFPTE President Paul Shearon. "The Department of Justice is supposed to enforce our nation's laws against ethnic and religious discrimination, not fan the flames of such hatred.
"We are committed to stand together against any attempt to harass or threaten our members."
The NAIJ classified the content as "offensive."
"NAIJ has received numerous complaints from judges across the nation who found the blog offensive and equated having it on the official (office) website to working in a hostile work environment," the group said.
The error casts an unfavorable new light on an administration that has already received a fair share of white nationalist-related criticisms. President Donald Trump drew widespread condemnation two years ago with his response to a violent rally in Charlottesville, Va. -- and more this week for saying members of the Jewish faith who vote for Democrats are "very disloyal" to member of their religion and Israel.
