WASHINGTON (January 28, 2017)—On Friday, President Trump issued Executive Orders banning all immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries and stopping the admission of all refugees from entering the country for four months. This includes millions from war-torn regions.
Below is a statement by Ken Kimmell, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“A ban on Muslim immigrants and refugees is fundamentally at odds with our democratic principles and the values we stand for as a nation. Issued, with no apparent irony, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, these Executive Orders undermine core values that Americans hold dear—that we as a nation do not turn our backs on vulnerable people, nor do we discriminate based on religion or national origin. Furthermore, America's economy and particularly our scientific enterprise has always benefited from the contributions of immigrants and refugees. Turning our back on those in need doesn't just violate our values as Americans—it leaves our country worse off.
“Our organization was founded by scientists, including those who fled the Nazi threat in Europe. In fact, ask around any office or business in the United States and you will meet immigrants, children of immigrants and grandchildren of immigrants like me. This includes our offices in Cambridge, Washington D.C., Oakland and Chicago. It also includes the West Wing of the White House and the Pentagon where President Trump signed this reprehensible Executive Order.
“The president’s statements favoring immigrants of one religion (Christian) over another (Muslim) violate our Constitutional principles of freedom of religion and equal protection under the law. It further violates the Constitution by casting huge numbers of people as guilty until proven innocent. But most of all, it is shameful and callous because it will result in the death of many innocent people, including children and women, from war-torn regions of the world.”