March 6 Executive Order

Dear President Trump,

One benefit to being President is that you have an entire army of government bureaucrats to weigh the pros and cons of any idea that pops into your head. This begs the question, what are you doing?

Your latest Executive Order issued on March 6, 2017 (and going into effect on March 16) is a second attempt to “keep America safe.” From what exactly? As those of us who make up your constituents have unfortunately come to expect, your administration has still offered no facts to indicate that nationals from the remaining six targeted countries – Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Syria – pose a unique risk to national security. And DHS has confirmed that in fact, people from these countries pose no such risk.

The Executive Order cuts the refugee program to 50,000 refugees and still bans Syrian refugees in renewable 120-day increments, essentially creating an indefinite ban. This is despite consistent evidence indicating that refugees pose no increased risk to national security and that accepting refugees is instead a “hugely profitable investment” for the United States economy.

Although the Order now does not provide minority religions preference (kudos!), the constant anti-Muslim fearmongering by the Administration provides little comfort that the intent behind the order is not still to institute a Muslim ban. Furthermore, the rhetoric coupled with the mere image that the United States is banning people based on their religion fits precisely into anti-American terrorism propaganda and fuels recruitment.

So, what is the ultimate goal, President Trump? If it is, in fact, “protecting the nation from foreign terrorist entry into the United States,” it might be helpful to do some research. Because what you have done today may manipulate your base for now, but it will certainly not protect Americans.

Concerned citizen,

Alison W. Davis