New England's U.S. lawmakers are reacting to President Donald Trump's executive order barring all entry from seven Muslim-majority nations.
The executive order would also include an infinite ban on Syrian refugees, and would extend the time for other refugees to enter the country by 120 days.
MASSACHUSETTS
In a series of tweets, Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted President Trump's executive order. She reflected on her visit to a Greek island that's a stop for many Syrian refugees fleeing their war-torn homeland, and called the order "a betrayal of American values," and argued it "creates recruiting fodder" for terrorist organizations.
"Let's be clear: A Muslim ban by any other name is still a Muslim ban," the Democrat tweeted.
Democratic Sen. Ed Markey said the executive order is a product of "extreme xenophobia."
"Turning away immigrants based on their nationality and religion is un-American an in direct opposition to everything for which our Founding Fathers fought," he said. "President Trump may not call it a Muslim ban, but it is, and runs afoul of our morals and values."
Politics
U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-2nd District) called Trump's order "un-American."
"The fact that President Trump chose Holocaust Remembrance Day to sign his Muslim ban shutting the door to thousands of refugees fleeing war is shameful," he said in a statement.
In a series of tweets, Rep. Michael Capuano said no refugees from any of the seven majority-Muslim countries on Trump's list have committed terror acts on U.S. soil, adding that Trump was playing on Americans' fears.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Granite State's newest senator vowed to work to override President Trump's executive order.
"We must always be working to strengthen the vetting process for all entryways into the U.S.," Sen. Maggie Hassan tweeted, "but discriminating against individuals on the basis of their religion will only harm our national interests."
In a statement, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said Trump's immigration order puts U.S. troops and diplomats in danger by undermining alliances and trust in these countries.
"This order is so ill-considered it even bars Iraqi civilians who risked their lives to help our troops," she said.
Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter called on Trump to reverse his executive order.
“I condemn President Trump's decision to reject fundamental American values. Our nation's founders built this nation on dreams of a better, more tolerant society, and now we must stand together and defend and preserve those ideals," she said.
MAINE
President Trump's executive order on immigration struck fear into the hearts of Maine's refugees and immigrants, according to Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-1st District).
"With these executive orders, President Trump has shown his lack of understanding for American history," she said in a statement.
VERMONT
Vermont's congressional delegation - Sens. Patrick Leahey and Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch - released a joint statement lambasting Trump's executive order.
"By imposing a blanket ban on entire nationalities of men, women and children facing horrific violence and devastation, he has allowed fear to triumph over compassion and common sense," the statement read.
The lawmakers pointed out that Vermont communities, including Rutland, have welcomed Syrian and Iraqi refugees who arrive "sometimes with just the clothes on their backs."
CONNECTICUT
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said President Trump's actions shamed the U.S. on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, saying that the immigration executive order "imposing a religious test on refugee entry is constitutionally defective and morally destructive."
Sen. Chris Murphy went on a tweet storm decrying Trump's immigration action, but one tweet sufficiently summed up his view:
Rep. John Larson (D-1st District) said having a rigourous vetting process is "absolutely necessary," but added that the U.S. is "capable of doing so in a way that honors our values and doesn't entirely halt our programs that serve some of the most vulnerable people in the world."
In a series of tweets, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd District) blasted Trump's executive order. Trump's "choice to turn away immigrants, including children fleeing violence in Middle East, speaks volumes about his character," she said.
Elizabeth Esty, a congresswoman from Connecticut's 5th District, called Trump's order an act of "cowardice."
"Turning away the world's most vulnerable does not make us safer. It makes us less human," she tweeted.
RHODE ISLAND
Sen. Jack Reed said Trump's order "runs counter to America's interests and values," while Rep. David Cicilline (D-1st District) said it's "an outright betrayal," adding that it allows "fear and hysteria to prevail over facts and reason."
Congressman Jim Langevin (D-2nd District) said as a member of the House's Committee on Homeland Security, he has seen the vetting process into refugees' backgrounds work, and that to bar immigrants and refugees from certain Muslim-majority countries "is contrary to the very core principles of our democracy."
