Fox Valley Congressmen criticize Trump’s immigration executive order
Congressional Democrats from the Fox Valley denounced President Trump’s executive order on immigration Monday as discriminatory while one Republican questioned how it was implemented and another remained silent despite a weekend of airport protests.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Schaumburg Democrat whose district represents portions of Elgin and nearby communities, condemned the order, which froze refugee admissions and temporarily blocked people from seven nations — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — from entering the United States, even those with valid visas.
The lawmaker, Illinois’ first Indian-American congressman, issued a news release stating that the order, which kept more than a dozen travelers detained in O’Hare International Airport on Saturday, “must not stand.” Critics call it a “Muslim ban.”
“Because of President Trump’s executive order, American citizens, people living here legally, and their families, have been detained by the U.S. government,” Krishnamoorthi said in the news release. “Many of those who have been detained today are people who have made their lives here.”
U.S. Rep Randy Hultgren, a Republican from Plano, on Monday issued a statement that the order is “overly broad and its interpretation has been inconsistent and confused.”
“This has led to unintended consequences, like the barring of legal, permanent residents and the rejection of Syrian Christians at the airport, a religious minority that was supposed to be protected by the executive order,” he said.
He said he supports both the United States as “a beacon of hope for the vulnerable and oppressed,” and high security for the country.
“I believe we can and must continue to strive for that balance of compassion and security,” Hultgren said. “I have consistently fought for strengthening our security policies.”
Hultgren’s 14th District includes portions of Aurora, Naperville, the Tri-Cities, Huntley, Plano, Oswego, Yorkville and other communities.
U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, a Republican from Wheaton, did not respond Monday to requests for comment. He did not issue a statement to the media, as of late Monday evening. Roskam’s district represents portions of Naperville and Elgin.
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, a Naperville Democrat, strongly disagrees with the order and said the move poses “a grave threat to our values and our economy.”
“Since 1975, zero people have been killed by terrorist attacks on American soil by immigrants from the seven countries affected by Trump’s executive order, showing just how misplaced the priorities of the Trump administration are.” Foster said.
He said the United States thrives on the innovation, culture and diversity that immigrants from all walks of life bring.
“More than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. History has not looked kindly on us when we’ve prevented people fleeing violence from seeking refuge in this country,” he added.
Foster’s 11th Congressional District includes parts of Naperville and Aurora. It stretches east to Burr Ridge and south to Joliet.
As a sign of support for protesters, Krishnamoorthi went to O’Hare on Saturday to rally for the release of detainees. He also joined other Congressional Democrats on the U.S. Supreme Court steps Monday evening and spoke to a crowd of protesters.
“I am an evangelical American,” he told the crowd in Washington, D.C. “I preach the values of liberty, freedom, equality, hard work and prosperity. If you believe in those values, you are an American. Regardless of where you came from, the color of your skin, how you pray, whom you love, and yes, the number of letters in your name.”
Photo Credit: Chicago Tribune