The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) strongly opposes President Trump’s revised executive order that will close our doors to refugees fleeing violence and persecution and bans nationals from six Muslim-majority countries, said Yasmine Taeb, FCNL’s lead lobbyist on human rights and civil liberties.
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The executive order puts a new gloss on the same bad policy of President Trump’s January executive order on immigrants and refugees, and it maintains provisions that were previously questioned by courts.
This new executive order makes superficial changes to President Trump’s January executive order on immigrants and refugees in an attempt to circumvent legal obstacles: It removes Iraq from the list of countries barred from migration, and it addresses some due process concerns for legal permanent residents and current visa holders. However, it still blocks visas from a number of Muslim-majority countries and effectively bars Muslims from coming to the United States. The policy is in keeping with the “Muslim ban” President Trump proposed during his campaign, and it represents a clear violation of the principle of religious freedom.
FCNL stands in firm opposition to the new executive order. The United States has a strong, treasured tradition of welcoming those fleeing violence and persecution, as demonstrated by our acceptance of almost one million Vietnamese refugees following the Fall of Saigon. Today, we are grappling with the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. Now, more than ever, the United States must live up to its promise of welcome. Today’s executive order grossly violates our core beliefs and runs counter to American values. We also believe that the United States has a special obligation to assist those fleeing from countries in which the United States military has recently intervened, including Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia. It is shameful for our nation to elevate the level of violence in other countries, or claim to deploy military force out of a desire to protect civilians, and then turn its back on the people forced to flee these conflicts.
It is our responsibility as Americans to welcome those most in need, offer refuge, and lift up our shared humanity. On these grounds, we vehemently oppose Trump’s executive order and call on members of Congress to publicly oppose these discriminatory policies. As a faith community, we will continue to oppose all threats to the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program. We must ensure the U.S. continues to serve as a safe haven for women, men, and children fleeing violence and persecution.
