WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Monday after the Supreme Court ruled to allow part of President Trump’s travel ban to move forward while also announcing it will take up the full case in October:
“I am hopeful the Supreme Court will ultimately act with clarity that we will not allow religious tests as to who can come to America. That is the question that must be answered, because the selection of Muslim majority countries by the Administration was purposeful and continues to serve as a recruitment tool for extremist groups.
“I am very disappointed and disheartened about the ban moving forward as it relates to refugees. There will be people hurt because of the refugee ban. The refugees seeking to come to America from these countries have not caused problems for American national security. They go through the most stringent screening in the world, including the UN refugee agency and the Department of Homeland Security and other U.S. government agencies, undergoing extensive background, medical and security screenings. They in fact are often the victims of terrorists in their own countries.
“The President claiming he is keeping America secure through his travel ban is in fact a phony argument about American security.
“The United States should continue to be a leader in resettling refugees, not turn our back on the most vulnerable in the world. Such a ban runs contrary to everything we stand for as Americans.”
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