Two local Republican members of Congress find themselves on opposite sides of President Donald Trump's executive order blocking citizens from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Libya from entering the country for at least 90 days.

Trump's order also bans refugees from anywhere in the world for 120 days - and from Syria indefinitely. Trump said the goal is to screen out "radical Islamic terrorists" and to give priority for admission to Christians.U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Luzerne, defended Trump's actions, while U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Lehigh, branded them as "ridiculous."Barletta said Trump is right to suspend the refugee program and focus on Syria and other trouble spots. "I have long called for suspension of the refugee program while we can't properly screen applicants," Barletta said. "We must know they are who they say they are."Dent was furious after being contacted during the weekend by a constituent whose family members were detained at Philadelphia International Airport. Six family members from Syria, who had secured visas and bought a house in the Lehigh Valley, had arrived on a Qatar Airways flight, but they were turned back within hours. They are now back in Syria."I guess I understand what his intention is," Dent said, "but, unfortunately, the order appears to have been rushed through without full consideration. " He warned there are nuances of immigration policy, which, if not handled properly, can mean life or death for innocent, vulnerable people around the world.Dent called on the Trump administration to halt the order immediately until a "more thoughtful and deliberate policy can be reinstated."Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf weighed in on the Allentown family issue and joined family members and Dent in the Lehigh Valley on Sunday. "I, for one, as an American and as a Pennsylvanian, am outraged," Wolf said. "William Penn founded our commonwealth as a safe place for vulnerable people fleeing oppression; this is not who we are," Wolf said of the Trump ban.Some conservatives worried that denying entry to permanent residents and green-card holders could violate the Constitution. Many speculated privately that the order will face significant challenges in court, which it already has from the American Civil Liberties Union and others. The Trump administration has since modified the order allowing green card holders to enter the country, with the possibility of extra scrutiny.Barletta, however, gave a full-throated endorsement to Trump's order. "In a sense, the reaction from some quarters to President Trump's executive order is understandable, because people are not used to a president who intends to enforce the borders of the United States. It is the president's job to protect the American people. And it is also important to recognize that citizens of foreign nations simply do not have the right to unfettered admission to the United States."Barletta went on to say that what the president has done is to ensure that we have the time and capability to accurately determine the background of people seeking access to this country. "There will be a tiny percentage of travelers who are affected, and, of those, most will experience only minor inconveniences while the new policies are enacted," Barletta added. Each day, 325,000 people from other countries attempt to enter the United States. On the day the president's order took effect, only 109 of those were denied entry, Barletta pointed out.Barletta said that in no way can the order be construed as a ban on any particular religion. "There are approximately 50 Muslim-majority countries in the world, and this order affects seven of them. These seven nations were identified as terrorist havens by none other than the Obama administration, and it was this designation which President Trump used in selecting them.""Let's remember that President Obama did the same thing when he suspended refugee applications from Iraq for six months in 2011. I somehow do not recall the same level of outrage," Barletta said. It is now, as it was then, within the president's authority to suspend or halt the admission of people from certain nations in the interest of American national security, Barletta added.Barletta also took a swipe at Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who declared that his country will accept any and all refugees who want to immigrate to that nation. "This is a reminder that we should be concerned about the security of all of our borders," Barletta said.U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, R-Lackawanna, urged Trump to "rethink his ill-conceived, discriminatory and dangerous executive order banning Muslim travel; our national devotion to religious freedom and tolerance is not Republican or Democratic - it's American."In urging Trump to rescind the ban, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., said he will not stand by as the promise of America is diminished. After a weekend of silence, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., came out Monday in support of the president. This was an about-face for Toomey, who spoke out against the idea in 2015 when he was facing a tough re-election campaign. "Trump is wrong," Toomey said then.Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro helped organize and lead a push to have 15 of his Democratic attorneys general colleagues in other states condemn Trump's executive order. "Religious liberty has been, and always will be, a bedrock principle of our country, and no president can change that truth, their statement said.By Bruce Frassinelli |

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