Senate Democrats Considering Legislation To Overturn Trump Order On Immigrants, Refugees: Schumer

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called on President Donald Trump to reverse his recent executive order barring some people from entering the country and said Senate Democrats would be introducing legislation to overturn the order.

Speaking at a press conference in New York City, Schumer said the misguided executive orders are bad for national security and go against everything that America has always been about.

"So we are joined today to the president to say no more orders to turn America away from what it has always been," he said.

He said he had spoken with Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly who told him that 42 people who had been detained at airports that fit under the court order issued last night would be processed and allowed to enter the country. Kelly also told Schumer that the order would not apply to those with green cards, which White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus seemed to say earlier this morning on NBC while later saying that customs and border protections agents had discretionary authority to question individuals. Schumer said Priebus needed to clarify what he said.

Schumer was joined at the press conference by refugees who were recently settled in the United States. One of them was an Iraqi man who served in the U.S. Army for 10 years, making him a possible target for insurgents.

"Donald Trump seems to want us to believe that immigrants are either terrorists or criminals," he said. "But here, these people are who they are. Look at these faces, are they any kind of threat to America? No, they are America."

Schumer said Senate Democrats would introduce legislation to overturn the order and move it as quickly as they can. Getting emotional, Schumer said he would "claw, scrap and fight" with every fiber of his being until these orders are reversed.

He said that the key to getting the legislation passed would be in getting Republicans on board.

"I heard Senator McCain speak out pretty strongly on TV, Senator Sasse has already opposed it, if we get a few more Republicans, I think we might be able to pass legislation to overturn it, it'll be up to getting more Republicans," Schumer said.

Photo by Senate Democrats via Flickr/Creative Commons