Travel ban concerns Southwest Washington delegation to Congress

All three congresswomen representing Southwest Washington expressed concerns Sunday about President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration.

U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, said in a statement that although border security should be taken seriously and could be improved, “Our nation should be able to uphold its tradition of allowing those law-abiding foreign nationals — some of whom have put their own lives on the line to provide assistance to the U.S. on the battlefield — to proceed with their journeys.”

Herrera Beutler continued: “Surely there is a way to enhance the security at our borders without unnecessarily detaining innocent individuals who have followed the rules, stood in line, and pose no threat to our country, and I hope this Administration takes quick action to ensure that we’re focused only on those who pose a threat to our safety.”

U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both Washington Democrats, took a harsher tone with Trump’s order.

“It is abhorrent that during his first week in office, President Trump is planning to slam the door on thousands of people, many of whom are women and children fleeing horrific violence in one of the worst refugee crisis in recent history,” Murray’s statement said in part. “I urge this Administration to work to further our national security, not merely target individuals based on their religion or nationality.”

Cantwell’s statement said that the order “flies in the face of core American values and is hurting U.S. interests.”

“The executive order is likely unconstitutional and should be challenged in federal courts,” part of Cantwell’s statement said. “Our state has a proud tradition of resettling refugees from all over the world including Cambodia, Vietnam and Somalia. We have a stronger economy and more dynamic high-tech workforce thanks to diversity.”