On Thursday, February 14, the Senate voted to confirm William Barr to succeed Jeff Sessions, and he was sworn in to become Attorney General of the United States. Barr has served in this position before, under President George H. W. Bush. Although he was confirmed by the Republican-majority senate, Barr has managed to garner support from select Democrats because of his prior experience in office. However, his past actions suggest a dangerous story is about to unfold for America.
Most notably, Barr’s transition will likely negatively impact the issue of immigration. Like his predecessor, Barr has taken a hard stance on immigration. During his previous term as Attorney General, Barr made it more difficult for people seeking asylum to come to the United States, and even sent immigration officers to screen people boarding planes to the United States from foreign airports.
Barr has also defended President Donald J. Trump’s P’00 Muslim ban, and, during his confirmation hearing, he told senators that he believed Americans should allocate funding to build a physical barrier at the U.S.-Mexico border.
In this way, Barr mirrors many of the views held by Sessions, who aggressively supported President Trump’s border wall. These beliefs are already dangerous on their own because the idea of keeping people out of the nation reinforces the concept that only certain people are worthy of living in the United States, directly contradicting American ideals of equality. Having an Attorney General that believes in enforcing anti-immigration policies could have tragic consequences for those trying to cross the border, especially when coupled with the horrific treatment of immigrants by the Trump administration.
Barr’s occupancy in the office of Attorney General would have other consequences, too. During his time as Attorney General in 1992, Barr released a report titled “The Case for More Incarceration,” which defended policies such as mandatory minimum sentencing in hopes of controlling a growing crime rate. In 2015, even after research showed that policies like this disproportionately affected people of color, Barr stood by them. In an already broken criminal justice system, such policies would only enhance the plight of communities of color, especially those with predominantly black and Latin American populations.
As Attorney General once again, Barr has the power to enact criminal justice reform that would make the United States a more equitable place. Sadly, Barr’s actions suggest that he’ll do just the opposite.
Although these views do not reflect American ideals, Barr’s nomination is not all bad news. Barr’s respect for American intelligence establishments provides insight into how he will handle special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election. When asked about Sessions recusing himself from this investigation, Barr said that he believes Sessions “did the right thing.” This view is ultimately beneficial for Americans because it implies that Barr will let the investigation proceed without obstruction. Unlike the president that appointed him, Barr will be able to use his previous experience to uphold American institutions, for better or for worse.
Barr is not the ideal Attorney General for Americans, but we should not lose all hope. Compared to his predecessor, Barr is much more open-minded. However, we must remember that he is serving a president that has proven himself time and time again to be an unreliable representative of the American people. We can take solace that Barr is an experienced professional, but Americans cannot get comfortable. We must do our civic duty and stay informed so that we do not have another Trump appointee that does not hold himself accountable to the American people.
