U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist says the ban, issued today (March 6), is “unconscionable, flying in the face of our American values as the beacon of hope and light to the rest of the world.”

WASHINTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, called President Donald Trump’s new ban on refugees from six predominantly Muslim nations.

The ban, which replaces one issued in January that was declared invalid by the courts, omits Iraq from the list of embargoed countries. It also does not protect religious minorities as did the earlier ban.

Crist issued a statement after the release of the ban, saying he opposed it. On his website is a picture of the Statue of Liberty with the words “no ban” in red capital letters. In releasing the statement, Crist pointed out the new executive order bans refugees worldwide for 120 days, reduces the number of refugees admitted into the U.S. by more than 50 percent, as well as restricts travel from six Muslim-majority countries. This follows Crist’s opposition to the initial refugee and travel ban signed in January that multiple federal courts blocked as unconstitutional.

The statment:

“While it’s an improvement that Iraq was taken off the list of countries under the travel ban, this executive order is still deeply troubling, and we can’t take our eye off the ball.

“By cutting the number of refugees able to seek freedom and safety in the U.S. by over 50 percent annually, we are condemning the lives of up to 60,000 people – a population the size of Fort Myers, Florida – who fear persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, or political views. It’s unconscionable, flying in the face of our American values as the beacon of hope and light to the rest of the world.

“The irony is painful for a nation that embraces and embodies the quotation, etched on no less than the Statue of Liberty, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’

“It is now up to Congress, the judicial branch, and ultimately the American people speaking out, to stop this harmful order. It will make America less safe, damaging the alliances we need to stop terrorism at home and against our allies and interests abroad.”

Crist represents the 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of mid and south Pinellas County.

For information about Crist, go to crist.house.gov.

Charlie Crist | Executive Order | Immigration Ban | Refugees | Muslims | TB Reporter

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