Carper, Coons join colleagues in introducing bill to block President Trump’s re-issued travel ban

WASHINGTON – After President Donald Trump re-issued his harmful restriction on refugees and immigrants from six Muslim-majority nations in Africa and the Middle East, U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) today joined 14 of their colleagues in introducing legislation to reverse the executive order and block its implementation. Specifically, the bill would withhold funding to enforce the executive order. The bill also declares the executive order illegal based on the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which banned discrimination against immigrants on the basis of national origin.

“President Trump has once again moved to deny refuge to thousands of Syrians seeking asylum and ban immigrants from six Muslim-majority countries,” said Senator Carper. “This revised order stands to hurt families and businesses while also jeopardizing our national security and the diplomatic relationships we have with nations around the globe. I’ve joined with Senator Coons and a number of our colleagues to stop this order because categorically denying entry into our country to a group of people on the basis of their origin is uninformed policy that doesn’t make us any safer.”

“President Trump’s revised travel ban still discriminates against six Muslim-majority countries from which travelers, including refugees, do not pose a significant terrorist threat to the United States,” said Senator Coons. “This travel ban still makes us less safe by giving extremist groups a propaganda and recruiting tool. It still makes us less respected in the world by refusing to help our allies shoulder the burden of the refugee crisis. I am proud to join with Senator Carper and many of our colleagues to stop this order. We should see this executive order for what it is: a decision based in fear, not facts, to discriminate against people on the basis of their nationality and how they pray.”

Original cosponsors of the bill include U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).