Oliver letter: Executive action on refugees

Thank you to the Statesman for providing us with public statements from our congressmen regarding President Trump’s recent executive action which, among other things, bans refugees from certain countries. Perhaps our congressmen’s offices take your phone calls more seriously than mine; I was not provided with their stances when I called. Now, having read through their statements, I can summarize them with one word: cowardly. The United States is not a place where leaders tiptoe around issues, afraid to stand up for what’s right if it might come with a political cost. Sen. Jim Risch said that taking a stance on the issue — which immediately led hundreds of refugees to be stranded in U.S. airports — would be “premature.” Senator Mike Crapo changed the subject to vetting — a process that is already in effect and has already been done for thousands of refugees expecting to arrive in the United States in the coming months. Fortunately, not everyone has forgotten the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: hundreds protested at Boise’s airport on Sunday, Jan. 29, and a handful of Republican congressmen have spoken out against the Executive Action. What will it take for our congressmen to do the same?

This story was originally published February 10, 2017 at 10:51 PM with the headline "Oliver letter: Executive action on refugees."