they give mr. president. i yield the floor. >> mr. president, on friday night the president issued an executive order striking wer at the hearts of our democracy i wish i were exaggerating or this were a game but it didn't believe -- as a religious test keeping immigrants from entering the country is illegal and unconstitutional and immoral and it must be overturned a. the effects of this order were immediate and terrifying for people in massachusetts my office got a call from iranian citizen t to see his daughter currently receiving treatment for cancer and was denied boarding in germanypprovd and said back to where rain and prepare a woman who already was approved but they would not allow her to board a flight to the united h states. resident who has a student visa could not board the flight. another resident called because her radiance sisters were denied boarding at heathrow both had of validhe o visa one is a visiting professor at harvard and other is at harvard medical. chorus student studying at m.i.t. in which she tried to return on sunday after the temporary stay was issued she was denied boarding. mas and a massachusetts student on a student be said becausef his wife was denied boarding in switzerland. they are not criminals or threats they are students at top universities at some of the best hospitals. many were already vetted and granted the right to come to america. one was to see his cancer stricken daughter brothers and sisters and friends and neighbors they are real people.f they are what makes massachusetts great and part of what makes america great. the radical banon muslims in line with american values it is also not in line with what the republican partyer stands for. president george w. bush made a point to remind the united states we are not at war against islam. in a speech april 2002 he said america rejects of bigotry and every act of hatred against people of the background of muslim states and welcomes peaceful people of all states. i every faith is practiced and protected here because we are one country. if the immigrant can be fully and equally berry can because we are one countryause cover race and color should not divide us because america is one country. the senate republicans agreed. then say so. targeti if that issues and order targeting one religious group then let's be clear. with a small group of operatives consulting no experts in diplomacy of home and security and then no actual legal authority president truitt -- president trump unilaterally will issue that it may not affect the executive order it is a muslim and and it is unconstitutional the this is a crisis. the senate should take up and pass of bill to overturn the illegal order right now. what is happening is shocking. donald trott is doing exactly what he said he would do during the presidential campaign he promised, a total andnt complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. that is what he said.cceptabl is a separate much agreed this was not acceptable in the united states of america. ent and as a religious test is not reflected on thehe fundamental values. so where are you now paul wright and? to oppose a religious test for entering our country? had introduced a bill to overturn? you have the power. where are you? as governor of indiana mike pence said calls to ban muslims are offensive and unconstitutional. where are you vice president ? had you called to overturn the offensive and unconstitutional order? said he last republicans to introduce a bill to overturn? sen you have a platform. where are you? mitch mcconnell called it completely and totally inconsistent with american values where are you mitch mcconnell? with his completely and totally inconsistent with american values that youre introduced a bill to overturn it? you have the power. where are you?an they ignored the republican leaders and they will lot stand up for what is right.aws f they have been willing to make door the constitution of the united states ofn america and the republican leadership may be willing to ignore the constitution but the american people are not. people across the country came together to reject fear and hate to show courage even as the republicanow leadership the crowds of people was race to welcome immigrants and refugees to demand compliance with the court rulings to gaveand temporary relief in to demand the reckless order be rescinded. cannot be to stand with those hallowed in airport with the 20,000 people with one of the biggest demonstrations in the country and also i and then all at the hundreds of lawyers and translators who spent sleepless nights in airport terminals fightingel for justice because of their tireless work we could undo some of the damage caused by president trump and while i admit encouraged the trump and administration has derided these judges and refuse to follow orders. it is shocking and unconstitutional. congress must act now. so to say to president trumpre. that this is not who we are. upon receipt laissez to donald trump and to the world of the of lawful immigrants and refugees to not turn our backs in the fight against i.c.e. this. we will not give them more recruiting material we will stand for our values for american values or human values we will not be divided by hate and fear.d fifteen months ago i travelled to the first top sto of the assyrian refugees as they flee from the terrors of ice this. that is when i saw the shoddy paper-thin raft that people cram onto with nothing more than a hope and a prayer they will make it across the sea bill little plastic floats these people put on small children hoping t that is enough to save them if the raft goes down i metirl a seven year-old girl who was sent out on that journey alone. i thought about what horrors her parents must have faced c to hand a wad of cash to smugglers with only the moste desperate dreams that the of the broker would find something better on the other side. tha president trump is trying to shut the door on that little girl and on countless others who flee for their lives. trying to shut the door on children and doctors and students and engineers gramm and grandpa in trying to shut the door on people who would risk their life in those who face execution if they are sent back.es president trump is even trying to shut the door on illegal immigrants and across this country on people who have already been screened for entry into the united states and granted permanent status to live and work in the country. this has nothing to do with security but the little girl's fleeing from murderers are not a threat. students and teachers and people who work in massachusetts and across the country are not a threat. iraqi translators putting their lives at risk are not a threat to. we should welcome them with open arms. that is who we are. voices from across the political spectrum have stepped forward to criticize the order. criticism is not enough the order must be overturned and we must overturn it.e i would like to take some time for the people who are hurt by a the heartless illegal unconstitutional actions and social media we have heard about theer reckless and illegal border. and to start with the story lis this negative then i have spent the weekend in to see firsthand the devastating effect of president trump'st action formally sought a yellow free air for saturday night bed isis iss file fiat immigration facade sf up here.e living in the boston area approximately nine yearsties might very conflicting liberties union to be readmitted despite fodder traveled with him to iranngry but returned to weeks earlier. he was not angry everybody was friendly. peopl and it was chaotic.merica. and what a delight for her family in america is terrifying older life has changed in today's.ne e and pick up my daughter from preschool she was like everyone else. i was like everyone else but now we are different.m to stock of old life this for -- stuff people like this that is different in america. protesters rally from entering the country atpl boston logan and then after the flight landed a federal judge issued a temporary stay for all titis affectedd by the executive order all refugees fife to be definitely falsify for to keep out radicals of terrorists for. one every the doctor said she was denied to 94f from germany chief laugh to study our offer for the full for ralph my view of a very fed does not change of the decision of a politician. flooded changes because they used to be a building and of those that want to be there who want to do something good and take something good from the community. for that pitcher of america has changed for me.blocked fr some at the college's treated they were blocked from being entering the country and a miti official said that the executive order is affecting the university's community and options for helping impactive students. and with the statement to support their 555 staff to remind him of their from for we believe is of the that is what donald trott of this triumph to destroy a. one somali family with worries from other refugees as trump promises restrictions. with global implicationsamily including a new family with three sisters from somalia huddled on a couch with their mother he to live with the brightly colored headscarf clutching a plastic bag the most recent refugees at the international institute of the settlement office andba with the refugee restrictions hanging in the balance likely the last somali family to enter the state for some time. my mom and dad fled from the conflict in mogadishu. she and her twin sister for only four months wolf for gulf for a telling story of other 55 l.f. hit nine free of with this call leaveik civil war foe for of the fossil of the free for. people were phillip e. jeff and fro different tribes were filling from the hood of the seated they kill you they would even come into the house is to reap the girls and kill them so they had to move. the newest daughter was born in kenya where the girls grew up in went to school to learn english but they'll consider themselves somalis. but one said she's walks from an asthma attack the family did not have enough money for in inhaler per after finishing the refugee application the family arrived in manchester new hampshire. their rifle felt real make a dream come true and then as soon as they got off the plane they some of the news about the executive order on the airport television. tears would phillip in my eyes because they felt very bad for others.they some were even told they are going or which city or if they stop this the bill be very painful. i arrive of unscientific up. >> i have a request of the president. to with only one more interview to complete now they're not sure what will happen enough good fluff. [laughter] felt fluff fife fight off doing to people around the world. world. ... trump's executive order worries massachusetts family awaiting loved one. with the stroke of a pen, president donald trump fulfilled a campaign promise that temporarily bans more thank 130 million people from entering the united states. several people were prevented from entering boston due to trump's executive order. quote -- we are very worried. we are very concerned, omar salem of canton said. quks i'm hoping for the best. aim hoping that i can get a text >> as mimicing anxiously awaiting his brother's arrival to be on vacationisa signing the executive ordert from seven countries meet did not know it would be that bad or shameful they thought his green card bisbee ef but the business owner is facing uncertainty. while hoping of those refugees to seek the unitedom states as a sanctuary of freedom and acceptance and is very an american and to do this with a stroke of a pen. this is just a starting point and that is what donald trump is doing around the world.k another story. a facebook post r.i. did face free of of five big get negative a paper silence -- i figured i had break the silence and other parts of the country that have contacted me. i am truly speechless grateful and proud to be part of the m.i.t. community . i have never been subjected to racial or religious discrimination we are diverse and supportive and excepting of individuals and their background. but i cannot believe this love comes from the same country banning muslims a couple of hours ago. m to create this situation one-two share to be targeted to such racism that was very familiar with to have daveis valle bid will try it -- will they student fees that i have travelled and became home to visit my parents as the new president died extended negative day.oke -- my stay. i will come up with a new executive order to restrict of those majority muslim countries fought over 30 days and they contacted immigration authorities that was read and interpreted the of any type of immigrant and a non immigrant visa over 30 days. the president had not yet signed it so i changed my flight to get me to boston saturday he signed a pipeline from alaska who vp airport and was executed while i was on my first flight. but i looked on the white house press iff and was published cf i was stopped at the gate for a u.s. flight. the band is now 90 days instead of 30 including everybody holding in immigrant student or tourist visa or green card lot of people were deported to different cities 30 other iranians were stuck waiting for a flight back to tehran among them were one old couple to see their children in the u.s. trying to be with and help their pregnant daughter through uh third v trimester. and one family just sold their belongings back home to build a better life they had gotten them legally through background checks did goal was to deal with illegal immigration that only increases racism the president tries to make islamophobia a new form and that policy of his fourthhe hat flew out ends and ask them to do the same. them to do the same. also could the judge to freeze and let us known how we contribute my was telling stories of interactions please know i love and respect for all of food trading for of an office of. another story. this time from cnn. a syrian teen was headed to m.i.t. and then came the ban. mamad hasan was ecstatic when he got the acceptance lemplet -- letter. all through high school, the >> cement get in engineering degree from m.i.t.. faugh fife off fifth off on friday of faugh befall >> rou off. >> the 68,000 applicants for refugee resettlement that promised for too fast track often chafe to work with the u.s. tariff reform the was off critical to the u.s.-led effort those that work with the u.s. government nellie's one iraqi and to afghans for expedited be set turned away sat from the port of entry prior had fled from forefront icahn i often defy death us up of could defy a each year for people from uh should -- in the future with the more military posture. day laid their lives on the line and arcade aff fraction of what i made. if they want out we should get the amount to -- and get them out to. one officer of who has been appealing to get a visa. this is what mr. trump campaigned but some who were singled out and shot back for serving united states made and we've made up on this. -- a promise. five interpreters were killed in the last 50 froufrou fluff laugh floorpr reflects unless from to ignore the damage that he is doing to the safety of our country, and our service men and service women overseas, brave men and women who risk their lives to help u.s. soldiers in iraq have already been caught up in the president's unconstitutional order. i just want to associate m >> there a fifth man food had felt >> >> and after seven years of in . every day their lives are in danger, she says. danger, she says. she tries to talk with them daily to move from place to place. worried that the refugees began for will never reach american soil. i understand and i respect safety and national security however there are people in iraq with a long history to support in iraq and afghanistan panicked band-aid need papers to bep expedited. these are the people that donald trump is keeping out of america. another story. immoral and stupid and counterproductive they slam the bay and london negative properly a telling people get screwed.t . . lands, were effectively suspended with trump's executive order friday to temporarily ban immigration from seven critical targets of the u.s. spy agencies: iraq, iran, syria, yemen, sudan, libya, somalia. the departments of state and homeland security, the other stipulations may allow entry from those countries on, quote, a case by case basis." but it's a bulky arrangement and not likely to appeal to the managers of the c.i.a.'s highly secretive operations directorate, espionage and covert action arms. intelligence veterans with vast counterterrorism experience are expressing dismay about how the order will affect their spy operations. these individuals often put themselves at the risk of death for working with the united states. and without the ability to offer them safety, we will be reducing the likelihood that those in countries targeted by the ban will work with us in the future. phillip lohas, decorated veteran of the u.s. special operations command and c.i.a. tells "newsweek" -- quote -- "we relied heavily on local translators many of whom have gone on to forge productive lives for themselves here in the states, lohas added. why would they take such a risk if they knew that they would face retribution or death by staying in their home countries? absolutely agreed cindy store, a former member of the c.i.a. intelligence team that tracked al qaeda leader osama bin laden. it hurts, she said in a brief interview. capital h-u-r-t-s. imagine, she said if the ban had been in place when a sudanese muslim and key al qaeda operative showed up at the american embassy in the mid-1990's and volunteered to defect to the united states. f.b.i. counterterror agents brought him into the u.s. where he provided -- quote -- "a major breakthrough of intelligence on a creation, character, direction and intentions of al qaeda, according to the official 9/11 commission reports. and that is what donald trump is putting an end to. another story, "the washington post," "dissent memo circulating in the state department over trump's policy on refugees and immigrants." for this one, foreign service officers have written a memo and have shared it with the "washington post" in opposition to president trump's executive order. and here are excerpts from a leaked dissent memo by u.s. foreign service officers regarding the executive order. it will immediately sour relations with these seven countries as well as much of the muslim world, which sees the ban as religiously motivated. these governments of these countries are important allies and partners in the fight against terrorism, regionally and globally. by alienating them, we lose access to the intelligence and resources we need to fight the root causes of terror abroad before the attack occurs within our borders. it will increase anti-american sentiment. it will have an immediate and clear humanitarian impact. it will have a negative impact on the u.s. economy. looking beyond its effectiveness, this ban stands in opposition to the core american and constitutional values. this ban stands in opposition to the core american and constitutional values that we as federal employees took an oath to uphold. the united states is a nation of immigrants, starting from its very origins. the concept that immigrants and foreigners are welcome is an essential element of our society, our government and our foreign policy. so, too, is the concept that we are all equal under the law and that we as a nation abhor discrimination, whether it is based on race, religion, sex or national origin. combined together, that means we have a special obligation to maintain an immigration system that is as free as possible from discrimination, that does not have implied or religious -- or actual religious tests, and that views individuals as individuals, not as part of stereotyped groups. banning travelers from these seven countries calls back to some of the worst times in our history. laws enacted in the 1920's, which lasted through the 1960's, severely restricted immigration based on national origin, and in some cases race. the decision to restrict the freedom of japanese americans in the u.s. and foreign citizens who wanted to travel to settle in the u.s. during the 1940's has been a source of lasting shame for many in our country. decades from now, we will look back and realize we made the same mistakes as our predecessors. shutting borders in a knee-jerk reaction instead of setting up systems of checks that protect our interests and values. we do not need to place a blanket ban that keeps 220 million people, men, women and children from entering the united states to protect our homeland. we do not need to alienate entire societies to stay safe, and we do not need to sacrifice our reputation as a nation, which is open and welcoming to protect our families. it is well within our reach to create a visa process which is more secure, which reflects american values, and which would make the department proud. again, this is a dissent memo circulating in the state department over president trump's policy on refugees and immigrants. and this is what donald trump's executive order does. it makes us less safe. it is wrong. another story. from a ""boston globe"" op-ed. matt gallagher, who is a veteran. the headline -- trump rejects the muslims who helped us." the bravest person i've ever known went by the nickname serge knight. he was as fistly imposing as the infamous music producer, but he was calm and big-hearted, with a smile as wide as a canyon. a sudanese muslim, serge served as my scout's platoon interpreter during the deployment to iraq in 2007 and 2008, and he went on every patrol and mission with us, no matter the circumstances. he had survived multiple roadside bomb attacks, had lost three young children to the bombings in the first gulf war, and yet still believed in america and what america represented to him and his family. although he doubted he would ever get to our country, he aspired for his children to do so. perhaps my grandchildren will go to school with your kids, he once told me with typical paternal charm. i'd like that very much. and i felt the same. we all did. he was one of us. president trump's recent executive order on muslim refugees and immigrants works to ensure that such a dream never comes true. muslim allies, including interpreters like serge in iraq and afghanistan have done more for the united states during the past 16 years of war than most americans will even think of doing in their entire lives, yet we're abandoning them in their hour of need, wrapping ourselves up in a big, billowing flag of fear and pretending it's safety. we're also abandoning middle east refugees fleeing the very terrorists we professed to combat, who have seen their homes and lives destroyed and now seek shelter on our shores, the same way that immigrants have for generations. this is a national disgrace. the president's executive order betrays american values and weakens our national security all at once. our country was founded as a haven. trump and his administration seem intent on turning it into a medieval fortress. in november, shortly after the election, i joined a nonpartisan group in washington, d.c., to advocate for muslim refugees and immigrants, veterans for american ideals, a project of human rights first. there was a great pall over the city and a deep sense of urgency for what awaited, even in republican offices. no one knew then what we all know now -- trump really did mean to do what he said on the campaign trail. time and again, democrats and republicans alike told us the united states already has in place the best and most thorough refugee and immigrant screening process on the planet. a prominent republican advisor assures us that trump's -- quote -- extreme vetting idea was just a ploy to rustle up votes. a national security official suggested that we should be more thankful that congress had saved the special immigrant visa program for interpreters and translators who served with the u.s. military and maintained that the amount of issued visas was sufficient despite the overflowing backlog of requests. a shouting match ensued. enraged veterans can have our own sort of diplomatic style. i look back at that week with both pride and despondency. on one hand, to see so many young american veterans standing up for the principles of our nation, often the very same principles that led them to enlist in the military to begin with was stirring. we tried, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, to convey to politicians the importance of remaining true to our muslim brothers and sisters in arms. we also tried to remind them of the secondary and tertiary effects of not honoring the bonds forged in combat. on the other hand, bearing witness to how easily dismissed entire lives and formative experiences can be by fellow citizens, let alone elected representatives, was rather dismaying. even in our era of yellow ribbon patriotism and star-spangled banner grandiosity, veterans' stories of heroic muslim translators and brave, dedicated local iraqis and afghans were sometimes met with hollow stares and empty platitudes in washington. what we were telling these officials defied their preconceived notions about vets and muslims and how vets of the taro wars were supposed to feel about muslims. what we were telling them was american security was dependent on opening our doors to as many vetted refugees and immigrants as possible, not barricading ourselves and saying we're not that america anymore. what we were telling them was what we knew. more than any other group of americans, what the hearts and souls of the middle eastern people were, and that those hearts and souls were so very much like our own. these are just some of the stories of what donald trump is doing to people here in america, to americans abroad and to people around the world. this executive order is illegal, it is unconstitutional, it is immoral, and it must be overturned by congress. i understand that under the rules, the majority can stop any senator after speaking for an hour postcloture, but there is a bit more i would like to say, and so therefore i ask unanimous consent to speak for up to ten additional minutes. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. warren: thank you, mr. president. i will stin with the story that was published this morning in "the boston globe." this is from a veteran who was writing of his own experiences. he says trump's executive order, which seeks to keep radical islamic terrorists out of the united states, will only embolden those very same people who already had a near-zero chance of gaining entry to our country to begin with. this order proves too many isis and al qaeda talking points are true about what the united states really is and will serve as an excellent recruiting tool for those organizations and others. this executive order isn't about national security. it's about fearmongering for ends we can only guess at. this shouldn't be a partisan issue. as my friend, phil clay, winner of the national book award and marine veteran pointed out last year, ronald reagan's city on a hill speech outlined an america for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness toward home. i get that people are scared, clay continued, but it's only during frightening times when you get to find out if your country really deserves to call itself the home of the brave. donald trump's zero-sum world view and flimsy understanding of the intricacies of modern war and terrorism threaten to undermine our republic. his policy on american refugees and immigrants must be checked and resisted by citizens of all political stripes, legislators of both major parties and the judicial courts. after 16 years of war, much of my generation of military veterans stands with middle eastern people. we sweated, labored and bled with and sometimes died for. it's going to be a fight, but it's one we're not going to lose. the legacy of america's past is at stake, as well as the soul of its future. matt gallagher is the author of the novel "young blood" and" the miami our, kaboom, embracing the suck in a savage little war." he is an iraq war veteran and a former u.s. army captain, and he wrote this morning in "the boston globe." we are here tonight because this country is in crisis. we are here tonight because it is a constitutional crisis, because it is a moral crisis. we are here tonight to stand up and ask the rest of the united states senate to overturn donald trump's executive order. we have that power. all we need is the courage, the courage to stand up and do what is right. this is why we came to the united states senate, to stand up and do what is right. i call on the rest of the senate to overturn donald trump's illegal, unconstitutional and immoral executive order. mr. president, i yield. the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. booker: mr. president, i rise today in gratitude for this opportunity to speak on the senate floor. i want to express a lot of gratitude towards the senator from massachusetts. she has been an eloquent advocate for the truth of our country. she has spoken here on this hallowed floor, but i have now also watched her speak in the streets, speak at airports, speak at rallies. she is one of those people who, like so many americans, literally millions of americans over these last few weeks, is saying with a chorus of conviction that they will not be silenced when the cause of our country is at stake. so i join with her tonight and some of my other colleagues in standing up to really speak from the heart. i think that this floor has seen many partisan speeches but this is not to me about republican or democrat. in fact, this is not a speech i ever imagined i would be giving in the united states senate. i never thought that i would be here today talking about something that quite honestly was unimaginable to me just months ago. this is a time that i could not have foreseen and i fear that my generation of americans may be perhaps should have known that moments like this are possible, that we who believe in the values of our nation, we who believe in the ideals enshrined in our constitution such as religious liberty, we should know that every generation of ericans has to prove worthy of these ideals and stay forever vigilant in their protection and never to get so complacent that you think that this could never happen. the ideals that we enjoy were fought for and struggled for and often bled for and folk died for, that we in our generation with the privileges that we enjoy, the blessings of liberty that we luxuriate in, we have an obligation to stay vigilant, to ensure that moments like this never come, and if they do, that we stand with conviction and speak out against them, work against them to resist any retrenchment of american values. what donald trump did in his executive action issued this past friday is in no uncertain terms a break with american policy. i believe it is a violation of our very constitution that is illegal, unconstitutional, as well as immoral. more than this, it very specifically makes this nation less safe and not more so. i want to repeat that. it makes this nation less safe and not more so. the ban was said -- put forth in a climate of fear intending to try to appeal to people's fears, trying to tell people that doing this executive order was going to make us safer but that in its essence is illogical when you look at the facts. not only should it be known that it blocks immigration from seven majority muslim countries, seven countries where not a single perpetrator of terrorist attacks on american soil have come from these countries dating back to well before 9/11. in fact, well before the 2000's, well about the 1990's. in fact, not since the 1970's, over 40 years on american soil, nobody from these countries has -- no american has been killed by anyone in these countries of terrorist attacks. in addition to that, what this ban is doing is it's shutting down the refugee resettlement program. for about four months. and suspends the syrian refugee program indefinitely, despite the fact individuals entering the united states as refugees undergo the most heavily vetted resettlement process of any population traveling to the united states. so understand this. if you are trying to come into this country, student visas, visas waiver programs, there are so many ways to come into this country without going through the refugee process which takes between a year and three years. and you're not just going through the vetting of the department of state but the department of defense, the department of homeland security, the f.b.i., the national counterterrorism center, numerous agencies over up to three years are vetting you and let me tell you right now again, people who go through this program history is showing you have not seen in any recent years that folks who are going through these programs pose a terrorist threat to american lives. and so the very argument being used to push this ban is illogical and has no basis for any of the experiences we've had in this country. a former chief counsel for u.s. citizenship and immigration services remarked that no competent terrorists would choose the u.s. refugee process as a preferred strategy for gaining entry into this country. subjecting yourself to the one to three years, the vetting from multiple agencies, more than any other entry is not a way for terrorists to gain access to this country at all. and so what we see is that this terrorist ban is putting focused -- excuse me -- this executive order is putting focus in areas that do not produce safety but do have the collateral consequence of making us less safe. the order indefinitely suspends a resettlement of syrian refugees in the u.s. the majority of these folks are women and children who are fleeing barrel bombs, chemical attacks, military attacks on homes and schools. they're fleeing famine. they're fleeing starvation. they're fleeing the same violent extremism that we ourselves are trying to fight against. while the syrian face violence, terror and oppression, the president of the united states has chose ton equate helpless refugees with those who are actually perpetrating the terr terror. and despite the fact that we have this stringent years' long vetting program for iraqis and afghanistans who risk their lives to help americans by acting as interpreters, the ban ends astonishingly, it ends the special immigrant visa program and substitutes it with nothing. what is this special immigrant visa program that many of my colleagues have spoken about? it's a program that is specifically there for iraqis and afghanis who helped america and their families in danger, who put their next -- their necks out for us. they put themselves out there to assist our service men and service women. it actually is there to help people that because of their service to us as a country have now had their lives endangered where they are. now, i want to read a series of tweets just yesterday from kirk johnson, a former usaid administrator in iraq who wrote about these folks who put themselves on the line for americans, who are our allies and our friends. this is what kirk johnson wrote. he says, i served in iraq as usaid's man in fallujah, lived alongside marines and interpreters as they fought terrorists. over a hundred thousand of these iraqis risk their lives for us during the war. they bled for our country. you said before signing -- he's talking about president trump -- that quote, we only want to admit those into our countries who will support our country and love deeply our people. and what kirk johnson writes, i'd like you to know, donald trump, about some of these people, home boy, lost his leg dragging a wounded u.s. sergeant out of the field of fire. he spent four years being vetted before coming here. there was hussam who built us build schools. when insurgents found on in october of 2006, they left a severed dog's head on his front step that said run. there's interpreter for troops that you command, donald trump, that died of a suicide bomb on march 14, 2008. mohammed was assassinated when terrorists who wanted to kill the trader in quotes, booby trapped his house in january 2008. ali had both of his legs amputated by an i.e.d. blast while works as an interpreter in november 2007. hameed died of a gunshot wound to the head while helping our troops in july 2007. i could do this all day, he wrote in his remarks. he says -- he goes on to say, those that helped us were christians and muslims, atheists, you name it. these people in fallujah and the surrounding areas were our allies when they ran through gunfire to save our troops. they didn't think about such labels. these iraqis believed in america. they loved our country. they lost their country as a result of the choice that they made to help us. your signature, donald trump, he's writing, just banned them. he continued, i have heard from many, many soldiers and marines, some of them of extremely high rank who believe this is a huge mistake. our senior military officers with extensionive experience in iraq and afghanistan, one told me it was heinous and counterproductive. now, why is it counterproductive? well, for one when we're conducting dangerous missions, when we're relying on people in country to assist us with our counterterrorism efforts, if they are going to take that risk, put their lives on the lines, be subject of terrorism themselves, there should be a process that allows them after proper vetting to get into this country. that has been american policy. even people who have been threatened and victimized and persecuted, they can't just walk into our country because some of our high ranking marines say so. they still go through vetting that often takes years. that's the process. it's the process that donald trump has now stopped. yesterday a report noted that radical jihadists, the people we're fighting against, the terrorists intending to kill us were already using this executive order as a victory, proof that the united states is at war with islam. now, some people say that claim is hard to make. this is just banning people from seven countries. well, look a little closer at the executive order. there are exceptions made for non-muslims in those countries. imagine this. we are the united states of america enshrined in our constitution is this idea of freedom of religion, that there's no religious tests to vote. there's no religious tests to have citizenship. there's no religious tests to enjoy the richness of a nation that believes in religious liberty. but in one action by the president of the united states who claims to be concerned about terrorism for these countries, he says i'm going to stop people from entering. oh, wait a minute. only the muslims. christians, you're welcome. if that is not a violation of our core principles, of freedom of religion that there should be religious tests to enter from these countries, that's an assault on all that we proclaim in our country to be our core values. this is not missed by our enemies. they're now trying to say this isn't a war between america and isis. this is not a war between america and radical jihadists. they want as their propaganda tool for people to believe that this is a war between the u.s. and islam, between america and a religion. that is a lie. but when donald trump takes actions like this that specifically target people because of their faith, he is playing into the hands of the proper gandzists that seek -- propagandists that seek to hurt us. national security experts from across the spectrum, republicans and democrats have spoken out against this order on this basis and of how it will affect our security as a country. the former director of the c.i.a., general michael hayden said this order -- and i quote -- inarguably has made us less safe those people that want to help us, that want to serve with our marines, that wnts to be interpreters, that want to stand up for america, what are they to think now when america has shut their doors, where they've watched others do and now they can't gain access to this country? what do those allies of ours who say the great united states of america is standing up against terrorists, muslim leaders in other countries, it's not about islam. it's about the people that are conducting vicious terrorism which is a sin on a peaceful religion. what could they say now when they have specifically targeted an executive order from our president, not at a country but at people that pray a certain way i in that country? we in the united states, this great nation born from the ideas of liberty and freedom, freedom to pray as you want, what are we to think? despite all of the evidence to the contrary, just two days after president trump instituted this ban, he remarked, hey, this ban is going nicely -- quote, unquote. earlier today, president trump's spokesmen referred to those being unlawfully detained as just being -- quote -- "temporarily inconvenienced." we know that the reality of the situation is much different for the families and individuals across the globe who are affected. many of them are permanent residents and green cardholders for whom this executive order has amounted to a door slammed in their face by the country that is supposed to represent the shining we conon the plan -- beacon on the planet earth of liberty and hope. hundreds of people of seven different nationalities have been trapped at american airports. many of them were detained for hours an end, without access to lawyers, handcuffed and interrogated, some immediately deported while many more have been turned away at the doors to their flights bound for the united states. people who followed all of the rules, who went through extensive vetting, who up-ended their lives -- doors slammed in their faces. this is not an inconvenience. i'm sorry, this is a denial of process, a denial of procedure, it's a denial of basic liberty and a violation of our principles. it's no wonder, though, that judges across the country began issuing stays within hours of this order becoming effect tism as we saw in new york how people like hami hamid salween, mothero traveled from an iraq to see her son for the first time in five years, a mother of a sergeant in the 82nd airborne, someone who should be honored, lawfully entering this united states and because of this order, she was detained for 30 hours, denied a wheelquhair and hand -- wheelchair and handcuffed before her release. on saturday night and early into the mornings, i saw customs and border officials at dulles. i left washington, d.c., and drove to virginia to go to dulles airport. i saw a customs and border patrol official seemingly defy the orders coming from a federal judge to at least permit all legal permanent residents in detention to access legal counsel. i held the judge's order in my hands. because of the kindness of a local law enforcement officer that was stationed in dulles, i was able to shuttle to customs and border protection -- i was able to submit handwritten notes and questions to the officials who refused to meet with me, but i did not get much of an explanation as to why they were defying a clear order from a federal judge. whether or not this was a case of bureaucratic confusion or a message from the courts getting lost, federal law enforcement officers under the supervision of the department of homeland security ignored and defied the orders of a federal judge. to me, this is more outrage, and in a nation with three branches of government -- with the judiciary with a clear role giving an order to the executive branch -- i believe the defiance of of that order also was unconstitutional. access to counsel is a principle in our democracy. it's about fairness and due process. failing to allow counsel, to me, seems a clear violation of constitutional norms and ideals. the judge obviously believed so, and that's why they ordered counsel to be provided. still right now we don't know how many people are being detained across the country in the wake of this executive order. or how many were immediately and quietly deported once they came here, again thoroughly vetted, in accordance with the law, but they were yet then deported upon their arrival in this country. i think congress deserves answers. i wrote to homeland security secretary jon kelly earlier this evening to seek them. this mistreatment of any legal permanent resident or visitor to this country is wrong. it is un-american. it undermines the truth of who we are, and it's pa at any timely unaccept deductible patently unacceptable. this order has treated green card hoirlds and immigrants of this nation as if they were criminals. it's torn families apart across the world and pulled the rug out from families who are preparing to begin a new life in the united states of america. and this order has betrayed some of our closest allies -- men and women who risked their lives to help american service members deployed often on hostile soil. by ending the special immigrant visa programs established to help iraqis and afghans who risked their lives to help american forces, it's unacceptable. the united states cannot turn its back on those who stepped up and stepped in when we needed them most. just this morning i read about an iraqi man, same, who had risked his life to work with the american government in iraq after waiting seven years to gain entry going through a laborious process of vetting under the special immigrant visa program. he and his family finally got the okay and they were ready to start their new lives in ameri america. on saturday, he and his wife and two daughters had flown from iraq to i istanbul and they were sitting in their seats ready to take off when they were removed from the plane by security officials. foreign policy magazine reported that through tears same's 7-year-old daughter asked, "why don't they want us in america?" american service members and slernt--and veterans are joinina growing chorus speaking out against this. take zachary. sivment kel, a former manager infantry officer who wrote about some of the iraqis he worked with who had riived everything to help the united states. he told the story of one man, frank, who had served as an interpreter for his marine corps unit. and in doing so, he had taken a bullet in his leg. frank had remained in iraq since then. zachary wrote, and i quote zachary's words, "he was still living in baghdad with daily fears for his and his family's safety. after six years of vetting, including what seemed like countless interviews and background checks by various government agencies, he had finally been cleared to come to the united states with his pregnant wife and 18-month-old son." "my wife and i began to prepare our guest room for their arrival, but now because of a new executive order by president trump, frank is no longer welcome." this is an american military man preparing to have these folks who put their lives on the line for him stay in his home. this special visa program is why people like mohammed and saif, elnasiri, one of my constituents, were able to dhom this country -- were able to come in this country. and i'd like to share a little bit about this family. mohammed el nasiri was finishing school when the americans arrived. as an english speaker, mohammed gang helping the americans stationed near his neighborhood working for free as a neighborhood translator. when the unit had become -- he had become friends with left, he decided to apply for work as an official interpreter with the united states army. but by 2004, he had been sent to fallujah to work with and help protect american military fighting there. because of his work with the american military, he recounts receiving hundreds of death notes, threatening not just his life but the life of his mother and his family. he returned to baghdad where he worked, despite these threats, as a contractor with an american company until one day he was targeted and almost aassassinated in his car. he knew at that point with the death threats and the aassassination attempt that he had to get out of the country. after moving to australia, his sister informed him about america's special visa program. so he applied and two and a half years later he was able to join his family in the united states. in a call to my office just earlier today, he wanted to make it clear that he'd arrived on the united states on july 3 but by august 10 he had started his job. he remarked to my team that he couldn't understand why anyone would think he was coming to america because it was easy or because he wanted something. he spent most of his savings trying to get to america and he had never taken any benefit since arriving here. mohammed met his wife in new jersey and now lives in our state, works at costco and is working to obtain citizenship. he shared that this executive order made him more sad than scared. and that it simply didn't make sense to ban regular hardworking people who were also afraid of terrorists, persecuted by terrorists, almost killed by terrorists, who had done so much to help our country. it made no sense toban them. "we ran away from these people," he said. "paid all the money i had to leave" for the safety of his family. mohammed's brother is is now a proud american citizen, father of two, and resident of scotchplains, new jersey. saif and his wife had worked as pharmacists in iraq but when the war began, he knew he needed to get involved. so saif worked as a translator and reporter for "the los angeles times" during the war in iraq providing support and key insights to american media and the american public. saif and his wife were able to come to the united states in 2008 through that special visa program, the siv program, and slowly worked their way through school and now as pharmacy technicians they have their license, pharmacy license. saif is a pharmacy manager in cranford, new jersey, a homeowner in scottsplains and a proud father of two girls. he savers this country -- he savors this country, this precious nation, he celebrates our values. he is a glowing testimony to the truth of who we are. his success is our success. his family's security and safety and thriving life in new jersey give u luster to the greatness f america. in a phone call yesterday, saif remarked that this executive order was embarrassing and hurtful, that it was clear muslims were being targeted and that he couldn't understand why those who were so heavily vetted like his family posed such a threat. saif and his family are heavily involved in their community in scottsplains and they make sure to offer support to those families similar to theirs who come from iraq seeking refuge. he see, they're -- you coo, they are a -- you see, they are a not just basking in their good fortune. they're hallowing one of the great tradition of our country, which is service. at the end of the call, saif remarked that he didn't think this would happen in any other country. it seemed like he was about to say this kind of religiously targeted ban wouldn't happen anywhere else, and he might have been right. but instead he said that if this kind of executive order from a leader in any other country happened against any group of people, you would never see the kind of resistance and action of so many standing up for them. even in one of the darkest moments in recent history, this man, this patriot, this person who served our nation's interests and continues to volunteer in service to this day, he could have been given a reason to be angry, upset and cynical. but what is beautiful about our conversations with this man is that he hasn't given up faith. he still believes in the american people. the beautiful thing about the conversations my staff has that had -- staff has had with those new jersey residents who once were serving our nation in theaters of violence and terrorism, standing up for our military, for our press, victimized by terroristic threats, shot at, assassination attempts, these families now here in america witnessing this executive order are saddened and embarrassed by it, but they're not giving up on their faith in america. that's our story. i stand here today, dare i say all of the members of the senate stand here today because of this tradition of our country that even when the past, when we had dark chapters from our past where others in positions of power violated our values, the faith and act ivism and engagement of american people remained. i dare say this, we are the oldest constitutional democracy on the planet earth. god, the genius of our founders who put on paper ideals that have been heralded for centuries on the planet earth. newer constitutional democracies literally would study our constitution and model their nations after elements of our constitution. but i'm sad to tell you that some of those countries, democracies have failed. theythey-- they had the vaunted, they put forward the same principles and ideals. but yet their country's democracies have been overthrown, have seen despots who destroyed the very spirit of those ideals. why has america persisted? it's not just because of the documents that are sacred and so special in the course of human events. but what makes those documents true and real, because those sentiments are not just written on parchment, every generation has had them written on their hearts and have said that no matter what i may be experiencing in this country, i'm going to dedicate myself to the principles and ideals because as great as our founders were, when they founded this country in liberty and in justice and equality under the law, it didn't apply to everyone. it didn't apply to women. native americans referred to as savages. african-americans were fractions of human beings. but yet the faith of a people in every generation worked to expand the concepts of liberty and freedom. they made the constitution more real. they made our union more perfect. they made our country's truth more true for more people. it's why great poets like langston hughes wrote america never was america to me, but i swear this oath: america will be. that is the call to the citizenry of this country. there have been dark days in our past, but every generation of americans, despite the dark actions of people in power, understand this truth, that the power of the people is greater than the people in power. and if we never lose faith in the ideals of this nation, if we keep standing and working and sacrificing and struggling, every generation can advance the ideals of our country and make us more free and more true and more real for more people. and so last week we saw yet another american leader shrink the ideals of this country, try to pull us backwards to times past when we turned our back on people fleeing persecution. what donald trump did is try to pull back on the ideals inscribed on that great statue that sits right next to new jersey, the mother of exiles, who says in poetry, among other things, give us. not, hey, you can come in. no. a demand. give us your tired your hungry your poor your huddled masses the wretched of your teeming shore. we will take those that are oppressed. we will take those that are being victimized. and a president turns his back on those ideals. we've seen it before. dr. lauren feldman writes to me about chapters of dark pasts. she writes today is holocaust remembrance day. i am a jew. my relatives were unable to find refuge in our country and were murdered by the nazis. my grandmother lost her beloved aunt, rosenik gertman, an uncle and four young cousins that she had never met. had we as a country done the right thing and welcomed these refugees fleeing the nazis, tante rokel and millions of others could have joined their family members in safety, and we could have been proud of our country instead of ashamed of the racist paper walls built by the f.d.r. administration to keep my family and others out. please tell mr. trump that we cannot go back. we must remain a beacon of safety and refuge for the persecuted. please do all that you can to prevent this ban from being enacted. please think of my relatives and the relatives of your other constituents and fellow citizens who needlessly and shamefully were murdered because of our fear and racism. we are better than that. you are better than that. she concludes, thank you for your time and service. dr. lauren feldman princeton. we are the united states of america. we haven't been perfect, but there has been a striving and a yearning in every generation to be more so. i am a product of people, black and white, christian and jewish and muslim, who even though issues didn't affect them directly, they knew that in justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. and they marched and they fought. they sat in. they got on buses for freedom rides knowing they would be bombed. they tried to cross bridges standing up against law enforcement, state troopers, governors who dared them to try to pass them. they were implacable walls of racism and hatred, but they stood anyway and they bled the southern soil red for my freedom, for our nation, for this nation's freedom. i worked all my career for the safety of communities. yes, we must make sure our nation is safe, but don't let fear and concerns for safety make us ever turn our back on our values as a nation. when we are threatened by our enemies, it is not a time to surrender our values. it is time to double down on them. the terrorists win if they change our free hearts and our souls set on liberty. we as a nation are called to be great, to be a beacon of liberty and justice. there are people now pulled off of airplanes, forced to return to communities where their lives are being threatened. we made a bargain with them. stand for america. stand with our military. stand against terrorism. there are people that went through years and years of vetting by agency after agency. and when they were on the brink of freedom, like people of old who were on ships that came into our harbor, they were turned away back to face persecution and injustice. that's not the america that i believe in. it is not who we are. and so i say to our president in prayer, in deep abiding faith, repeal your executive order. stand up for our principles. defend them. be the champion that millions of americans want you to be. and i say to americans, to all of us as a country, this is not a time to despair. it's not a time to give up. it's not a time to grow cynical or lose faith in our country or our values. no. remember our history. when dark times come, when it seems that people of the highest points of power are turning their back on their ideals, it is not a time to retreat or equivocate. it's a time to fight, to stand up, to resist. we are a great nation not just because of the words printed on a constitution. we are a great nation because people with great sacrifice and struggle fought to live those words and to make them real in the lives of every single person. america, we must now stand up. the opposite of justice is not just injustice. it is also silence and indifference. this may not affect you or your family directly, but it is a threat to all of our collective values. you go to the jefferson memorial and read those final words. thomas jefferson knew that for this nation to be great we had to pledge to each other an unusual level of commitment. he said we must mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. there is no honor in this executive order. but we as americans now must pledge our sacred honor, to do all we can to tear this order down so that the truth of america can rise again. mr. president, i yield the there is a french farmer by the name of hector st. john decrevacore, and he emigrated to the united states from normandy in france in 1759 and he settled in the hudson valley. he married an american woman, and the astounding diversity of those that settled around him