WASHINGTON -- An Indiana lawmaker is calling President Donald Trump's executive order for "extreme vetting" of immigrants "un-American."
The order, which Trump signed Friday afternoon, calls for the freezing of refugee applications from seven Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Africa, including Syria. A federal judge blocked the order Saturday night, but it could still potentially be enforced as the stay makes its way through the courts.
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Purdue President Mitch Daniels weighed in on Sunday, saying the executive order is a "bad idea."
“The President's order related to immigration is a bad idea, poorly implemented, and I hope that he will promptly revoke and rethink it. If the idea is to strengthen the protection of Americans against terrorism, there are many far better ways to achieve it.”
Around 100 of Purdue’s 40,000 students are from the countries named in the executive order from the White House and hold non-immigrant visas. Another 10 faculty are citizens of those countries.
Currently, the university is not aware of any of its students, staff or faculty who have been left stranded outside the United States, however, the university remains concerned for them and their families as the result of this order.
Congressman Andre Carson (D-IN) took to social media Friday to criticize the president's order, saying that the United States was built by immigrants.
“The US was built by immigrants and refugees: Protestants looking for freedom, Irish Catholics escaping starvation and Jews fleeing violence. Today, millions of Muslim families need our help. America is in an immigrant nation. Blocking them is un-American." - Congressman Andre Carson.
All are welcome in my office. That's the American way. #RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/rXiZDd5A2N
— André Carson (@RepAndreCarson) January 27, 2017
Trump said at the Pentagon as he signed the vetting order, "I am establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. We don't want them here. We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people."
Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) said shutting down the refugee program could have the opposite effect that Trump intends, providing "recruitment fodder" for ISIS.
"I think we can all agree we need strong measures to protect our national security and prevent terrorists from entering our country. I have worked to strengthen our visa programs and have said we should always be looking for ways to make our country safer; however, I do not believe that shutting down the refugee program will achieve that goal and could actually make us less safe by providing recruitment fodder for ISIS's propaganda machine.” - U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly
Exodus Refugee Immigration has helped thousands of refugees establish their lives in the state of Indiana. The group has fought hard against now Vice President Mike Pence's "anti-Syrian agenda in Indiana," but their fight is now turning national with the president's latest executive order.
The group released the following response on Friday:
Exodus Refugee Immigration is preparing for an Executive Order from President Donald Trump that will effectively dismantle the refugee resettlement program and ban Syrians from entering the United States.
“We are deeply troubled that during one of the worst refugee crises the world has ever seen, our new President is asking us to deny refuge to tens of thousands of people on the basis of religion and nationality,” said Cole Varga, Executive Director.
If signed, the Executive Order will halt all refugee resettlement for 120 days, reduce refugee admissions this year from 110,000 to 50,000, and specifically block admission to Syrian refugees and others from predominantly Muslim countries. Refugees approved for travel in the coming days may denied entry at U.S. airports after years of thorough screening and preparation to make a new life here or to unify with other family members.
“As you know, former Governor Pence’s anti-Syrian agenda began in Indiana. We fought against this discrimination once before, but this time, the fight is national. It is essential to send a message to the new administration that we will continue standing with refugees and condemn all forms of discrimination,” explained Varga.
Since 1975 the U.S. has welcomed over 3 million refugees fleeing violence, persecution, and war. Resettling refugees is a long-standing American tradition and the program has been upheld by every President since WWII. “It is imperative that the U.S. does not abandon our international leadership role in human rights and our commitment to welcoming refugees fleeing persecution,” said Varga.
The Executive Order will also drastically reduce Exodus’ funding for services to refugees already in the U.S. Exodus welcomed 947 individuals last year from: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, China, Cuba, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Honduras, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria. Exodus is asking for donations to keep its promise to provide vital services to resettled refugees, including case management, employment, education, and mental wellness support. “We promised to welcome and support our refugee clients in rebuilding their lives in Indianapolis. We intend to keep that promise,” said Varga.
Congressman Todd Rokita (R-IN) said he is "encouraged" by the wording in the president's order and that it is not a "ban on Muslim refugees," but targets specific nations that could be a threat to the United States.
“While the United States has a proud tradition of welcoming refugees into our country, we cannot ignore the high-threat environment that exists in the world. Despite claims from Democrats, this is not a ban on Muslim refugees, as the order specifically targets a select few nations with known terrorist networks. The President's executive order is a necessary step to protect our citizens, and I am especially encouraged to see its language empowering states to have more say in our country's refugee process." - U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita
The Islamic Society of North America, headquartered in Plainfield, Indiana, said in a Facebook post the group is "deeply troubled" by the executive order:
On Friday, January 27, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order which limits entry of non US Citizens to the United States from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for at least 90 days. The order also suspends entry of refugees from any country for at least 120 days and entry of refugees from Syria indefinitely.
ISNA is deeply troubled by the closing of the border, particularly to the most vulnerable. We are stronger as a nation when we are unite...d, however this Executive Order threatens to further divide the nation. We encourage all our members to contact their House and Senate representatives to express their concern about this Executive Order.
In addition, Muslim immigrants should seek legal advice in making their travel plans. There are timely and invaluable resources available from organizations such as American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), American Civil Liberties Union, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Muslim Advocates.
While we are going through trying times, we remind the community to not lose hope and remember that Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best disposer of affairs. May Allah protect us and provide us with clarity and guidance.
Friday's executive orders follow several others that President Trump has signed since he took office last week. Including his controversial order on Thursday, calling for a wall to be built at the border of Mexico.
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