Garrett Expresses Support for Temporary Refugee Ban

Statement

Over the weekend, President Trump unveiled the latest of his executive actions entitled "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States."

Despite widespread media coverage claiming this bans entry based off religious affiliation, the order does no such thing. Instead it uses criteria established by President Obama and the previous Congress which notably caused no similar stir upon its adoption.

In response to this weekend's immigration order, Congressman Tom Garrett issued the following statement:

"A temporary pause to review vetting criteria of refugees from regions with ongoing radical Islamic bloodshed is prudent in lieu of the FBI director's statement that such individuals could not be properly vetted. It is noteworthy that this pause is half as long as a similar action taken by President Obama."

Garrett went on to say,

"Refugee-initiated violence manifested itself in a very real manner at a Berlin Christmas market just over a month ago. While radical terrorists in Orlando, San Bernardino, Chattanooga and Boston were either second generation or non-refugee first generation arrivals, the threats posed by radical Islam are nonetheless real. ISIS has indicated its wishes to use the refugee stream to infiltrate western nations. Our office has received information to substantiate these claims. With this in mind, a temporary pause for further review of the program only serves to fulfill the United States government's first responsibility to protect its citizens."

Terror attacks by immigrants or second generation radical Islamists in Boston, San Bernardino, Orlando, and Chattanooga have killed over seventy and left over three hundred Americans injured in the last few years alone.

Following this weekend, Quinnipiac released polling numbers indicating a much larger percentage of Americans support this order than oppose it, just as when President Obama executed similar actions of longer duration.

Source