By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Monday, January 30, 2017, there has been global reaction to President Donald J. Trump’s controversial orders on refugees and persons traveling with passports from countries linked to terrorism. Most of the reaction from the Alabama Congressional delegation was positive.
US Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) released a statement on Monday after President Trump signed an executive order temporarily pausing immigration admissions from seven countries that have been designated as areas of terror concern.
Congressman Byrne said, “There is a lot of misinformation and overreaction out there regarding President Trump’s actions to keep the American people safe, so I wanted to share the actual text of the executive order with you. I think much of the noise about these actions has been caused by the mainstream media overreacting. Despite what some may be reporting, the reform is not a “Muslim ban.” There are over 40 majority Muslim countries not included in the restrictions. In fact, the executive order doesn’t set any sort of religious test for being allowed into the United States. Instead, this is about keeping the American people safe and ensuring we have a process to adequately vet people entering the United States from certain countries that pose a high risk.
This is also a measured approach. Consider these numbers: On Saturday, 325,000 people from foreign countries came into the United States and 109 people were detained for further questioning. There is not the widespread issues that the national news media wants you to believe. Instead, this is a very thoughtful approach to keeping the American people safe.”
US Representative Mike Rogers (R-Saks) said, “I strongly support President Trump’s executive order that puts the security of American citizens first. Make no mistake –Americans’ safety is at stake if we continue to allow people in from countries with known terror activity. Specifically regarding refugee admissions, I have questioned the FBI Director and Department of Homeland Security officials, and they admit there is a crisis of confidence in the vetting process. Until there is a new and effective refugee vetting process in place, this executive order is necessary.” Rep. Rogers serves as a senior member of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee.
US Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) said, “I support temporarily pausing travel from terrorist-infested foreign countries until America’s refugee review process is strengthened to better protect Americans from the violence, murder, and mayhem that has become all too common in Europe, the Middle-East, and other parts of the globe. no country on the planet allows as many foreign immigrants to permanently cross its borders as does America. However, and as the Department of Homeland Security states, “No foreign national in a foreign land . . . has any unfettered right to demand entry into the United States or to demand immigration benefits in the United States.” Although it needs tweaking, I applaud President Trump’s executive order as a good first step that helps protect American citizens from torture and murder at the hands of Muslim fundamentalists.”
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) said, “Our number one responsibility is to protect the homeland. We are a compassionate nation, and I support the refugee resettlement program, but it’s time to reevaluate and strengthen the visa vetting process. This is why we passed bipartisan legislation in the wake of the Paris attacks to pause the intake of refugees. President Trump is right to make sure we are doing everything possible to know exactly who is entering our country.”
Speaker Ryan also supports Trump orders to rebuild America’s armed forces. Speaker Ryan said, “I also commend the president for taking action to rebuild our military. We need to close the readiness gap and ensure our troops have the tools necessary to complete their mission. A well-equipped fighting force is essential as we work to defeat ISIS and restore American leadership on the international stage.”
On Monday, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates ordered all the US attorneys not to defend President Trump’s Friday executive order. President Trump has since fired acting Attorney General Yates for refusing to carry out the immigration ban order from the White House. This issue and furor around it could become an issue for US Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) who still needs to be confirmed by the US Senate before he can take over as Attorney General.
