Two local politicians – a Democrat and a Republican – are speaking out against President Donald Trump’s travel ban that was instituted by executive order Saturday.
The statements came as citizens and immigration lawyers rushed to international airports, including in Philadelphia, to assist travels detained by federal officials due to the new ban.
At Philadelphia International Airport, there were about 200 protesters against Trump’s ban and working to help several foreigners detained. High-profile elected officials at the airport included tuxedo-clad Sen. Bob Casey, Gov. Tom Wolf, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and two congressman who represent the city, all of whom are Democrats.
Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a retired FBI special agent who helped fight terrorism in Iraq, said Trump’s executive action “entirely misses the mark.”
Casey stated that the executive order was “contrary to our values and our security.”
Republican Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey did not release a statement on the travel ban. Constituents blasted him for his silence via his Facebook page, which shows its last post was about the Pittsburgh Steelers. In June, Toomey said he was against a travel ban based on a religious test.
“You’re welcome,” Wolf said about refugees at the airport.
Trump’s order blocked the entry of refugees, some Green Card holders and immigrants from entering the country for at least 90 days if they were from seven Muslim-majority countries. The list of countries was based on a documents created by security officials during former President Barack Obama’s administration.
The president said the ban is being put into place to protect the country from global terrorism and is “not a Muslim ban … but is working very nicely.”
On Saturday night, a New York federal judge made an emergency ruling that stated federal officials could not deport citizens from seven countries already in the United States or in transit.
The travel ban will likely be the focus on much political discussion and court actions in the coming days and weeks.
Brian Fitzpatrick speaking about his FOP endorsement Thursday in Wrightstown.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Fitzpatrick’s statement is below:
For a decade and a half, I served this country as an FBI Supervisory Special Agent supporting global counterterrorism efforts and working to keep our communities safe. When it came to this mission, we were focused on solutions, not engaging in partisan attacks or declaring a singular fix to a complicated issue.
While we certainly need to enhance our current vetting process and significantly reform our immigration policies to make sure terrorists are not exploiting our nation’s proud tradition of freedom and acceptance, the President’s policy entirely misses the mark. The reality is, terrorism inspired by radicalism and hate is global in scope and, as such, requires a comprehensive response, not a purely regional focus. While serious actions are needed to protect our country, these must not be done in a way that singles out any specific nations or ethnicities.
Terrorists have shown a propensity to simply change their tactics to exploit short-term fixes. It’s time we work together to address the root causes of these threats.
Credit: Office of Senator Bob Casey
Casey’s first statement:
This reported executive action is contrary to our values and our security. If news reports are correct, it will mean turning away children fleeing barrel bombing in Syria, women and girls fleeing human rights violations in Sudan and Somalia, and brave people who risked their lives to work with our troops in Iraq. Preventing these vulnerable people from resettling in the U.S. as refugees does nothing to make our nation safer. Further, lowering the level of overall resettlement will make it harder on our allies who are already absorbing the bulk of the refugees fleeing conflicts around the world. This reported executive action appears to be driven by politics and discrimination, not by recommendations from national security professionals.
Our first priority must be to keep America safe which means destroying terrorist networks wherever they are and ensuring that those offered refugee status go through the most rigorous possible screening. Refugee applicants are subject to the highest level of security checks for any category of traveler to the U.S. The process, which involves 18-24 months of review, includes screening by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center and the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense and State. This robust process includes biographic and biometric analysis. I am open to and have voted for ways to strengthen refugee screening in order to keep America safe, but these actions won’t make our nation measurably safer- they will just move us further away from the promise of America.
Casey’s second statement:
The details of President Trump’s executive order are more troubling than the initial reports. This order imposes a religious test on refugees– an idea that is deeply inconsistent with our values. Escaping religious tests is exactly why people colonized American 400 years ago and why William Penn founded the Province of Pennsylvania. Subjecting refugees to such a test is simply not who we are.
