Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), who was infamously the sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote against Congress’s post-9/11 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists, which precipitated the Afghanistan invasion, has now taken to spreading outright fake news.
Yesterday, Lee took to Twitter to spread baseless and unconfirmed innuendo that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is now involved in the detention of Iranian-American U.S. citizens. “People of Iranian descent — including American citizens & green card holders — are reportedly being detained by CBP officials,” Lee tweeted. “We can’t let this stand.” She continued, urging conscientious citizens all over the land to contact her district office: “If you or someone you know has been targeted or detained by CBP officials, please contact my district office at 510-763-0370.”
People of Iranian descent — including American citizens & green card holders — are reportedly being detained by CBP officials. We can’t let this stand.
If you or someone you know has been targeted or detained by CBP officials, please contact my district office at 510-763-0370.
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) January 5, 2020
Less than 30 minutes after Lee’s misleading spreading of fake news, CBP itself responded. “Social media posts that CBP is detaining Iranian-Americans and refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false,” the agency tweeted. “Reports that DHS/CBP has issued a related directive are also false.”
Social media posts that CBP is detaining Iranian-Americans and refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false. Reports that DHS/CBP has issued a related directive are also false.
— CBP (@CBP) January 5, 2020
Congresswoman Lee was not the only prominent leftist to spread this fake news, as the Daily Caller reported. Other offenders included Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who tweeted on Sunday: “Deeply disturbed by reports that Iranian Americans, including U.S. citizens, are being detained at the Canadian border with WA State.” She continued, similarly urging conscientious citizens to contact her office: “My office has been working on this all morning. Please contact us with information on directly affected people at [email protected].”
Deeply disturbed by reports that Iranian Americans, including U.S. citizens, are being detained at the Canadian border with WA State.
My office has been working on this all morning. Please contact us with information on directly affected people at [email protected].
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 5, 2020
As noted by the Washington Examiner, part of the fear-mongering began via the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which was infamously an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terror finance trial in the history of the Department of Justice. CAIR had issued an alarmist post earlier on Sunday entitled, “BREAKING: CAIR-WA Assisting Iranian-Americans Detained at U.S. Border.”
Lee, keeping with her longtime status as an ardent foreign policy dove, has been one of the most outspoken opponents of escalating military tension with the Islamic Republic of Iran. As reported by The Hill, Lee is teaming up with none other than Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) to draft a congressional resolution that would prevent U.S. military action against Iran that is not expressly authorized by Congress:
The resolution released by the two lawmakers would explicitly tie any military action against Iran to a congressional vote, though the U.S. would not be prevented from responding to an Iranian attack.
“We in Congress must exercise our Constitutional duty—and do everything in our power to stop another disastrous war,” Omar said in a statement. “Following the assassination [of Gen. Qassem Soleimani,] thousands of additional troops were sent to the Middle East in one of the largest rapid deployments seen in decades. This follows years of saber-rattling and threats of war against Iran by President Trump and his accomplices.”
“It’s past time for Congress to reassert our Constitutional authority and return to diplomacy with Iran and our allies,” added Lee, the sole member of Congress to vote against war in Afghanistan in 2001.