On Friday, Trump signed an executive order to ban travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days, prevent refugees from entering the country for 120 days, and suspend Syrian refugee admissions indefinitely. Border patrol agents were forced to implement the order immediately without any clear instructions for how to go about it, resulting in hundreds of travelers getting detained, despite most having green cards or visas. In response, thousands congregated at airports across the country to peacefully protest the order and demand the release of detainees.
Perhaps adding to the confusion, a disjointed slew of representatives’ statements flooded the internet over the weekend, surfacing on Twitter, news outlets, and personal websites. Luckily, a Google doc quickly materialized that outlines who’s speaking out, supporting, or staying silent on Trump’s travel ban with links to original sources (as to who created the list, we’re not yet certain). So far, the bulk of Democratic representatives have opposed the order, though a handful of Republicans have voiced concerns or outright opposition as well. Meanwhile, at least a third of U.S. senators have remained silent on the issue.
Should you feel inclined to reach out to your representatives and press for more information, the mysteriously comprehensive Google doc includes contact information as well (just keep scrolling to the right). If you’re short on time and want the abbreviated version, keep scrolling to see which major senators oppose the ban along with supporters who could probably use a calm, well-informed phone call.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY – Opposed
Senator Kamala Harris, D-CA – Opposed
Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY – Opposed
Senator Richard Burr, R-NC – Silent
Senator Cory Booker, D-NJ – Opposed
Senator Tammy Baldwin, D-WI – Opposed
Governor Bill Walker, I-AK – Silent
Senator Rob Portman, R-OH – Opposed
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Senator Bob Casey, D-PA – Opposed
Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-CA – Opposed
Attorney General Andy Beshear, D-KY – Silent
Senator Benjamin Sasse, R-NE – Opposed
Senator Sasse released a statement on his website that read:
“The President is right to focus attention on the obvious fact that borders matter. At the same time, while not technically a Muslim ban, this order is too broad. There are two ways to lose our generational battle against jihadism by losing touch with reality. The first is to keep pretending that jihadi terrorism has no connection to Islam or to certain countries. That’s been a disaster. And here’s the second way to fail: If we send a signal to the Middle East that the U.S. sees all Muslims as jihadis, the terrorist recruiters win by telling kids that America is banning Muslims and that this is America versus one religion. Both approaches are wrong, and both will make us less safe. Our generational fight against jihadism requires wisdom.”
Senator Tom Cotton, R-AR – Support
Senator Cotton told The Washington Post:
“It’s simply wrong to call the president’s executive order concerning immigration and refugees ‘a religious test’ of any kind. I doubt many Arkansans or Americans more broadly object to taking a harder look at foreigners coming into our country from war-torn nations with known terror networks; I think they’re wondering why we don’t do that already.”
Senator Steve Daines, R-MT – Support
Senator Daines’ office issued a press release, stating:
“We are at war with Islamic extremists and anything less than 100 percent verification of these refugees’ backgrounds puts our national security at risk. We need to take the time to examine our existing programs to ensure terrorists aren’t entering our country. The safety of U.S. citizens must be our number one priority.”
For the full list of senators, governors, and their positions on the travel ban, check out the original Google doc here. The Washington Post also has an extensive list of congressional members’ viewpoints, which you can view here.
