Congressional Democrats seek to repeal Trump's refugee travel ban

WASHINGTON — Democrats offered legislation and protests Monday to try to force a repeal of President Trump's executive order banning most Syrian refugees and citizens from six other Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, is introducing two bills: one that would rescind Trump's order and another that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to require greater congressional oversight of the president’s power to bar classes of people from entering the U.S. The president would be required to provide 30 days notice to Congress, give a detailed rationale for taking the action, and respond to lawmakers' questions about the order.

With Republicans in charge of both the Senate and House, Feinstein's bills may never get a vote. But her legislation requiring greater congressional input stands a better chance of attracting GOP support since some key Republicans have expressed concern that Trump's order was poorly executed and created chaos and confusion.

"The consequences of this order will be far-reaching and were obviously not carefully considered," Feinstein said. "People all around the world will be affected, including Americans ... The president should not be able to take this type of action unilaterally, given the severity of the consequences."

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., asked senators for their unanimous consent to speed up the normal legislative process to allow debate and a vote Monday on Feinstein's bill to repeal the travel ban. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., objected to Schumer's request, so the Senate did not take up the legislation.

In the House, more than 160 House Democrats, led by Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and John Conyers, D-Mich., introduced legislation Monday to defund and rescind Trump’s travel ban and his suspension of the Syrian refugee program.

Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., led a Democratic protest Monday night against Trump's order on the steps of the Supreme Court, along with a group of refugees and immigrants.

"We are here tonight to ask the president to withdraw this unconstitutional order," Pelosi said.

Trump dismissed the Democrats' objections Monday, mocking Schumer for crying during a news conference Sunday when he denounced the president's executive order. Trump accused Schumer of "fake tears" and suggested he had hired an "acting coach."

"There is nothing nice about searching for terrorists before they can enter our country," Trump tweeted Monday. "This was a big part of my campaign. Study the world!"

But it is not just Democrats who are criticizing Trump's executive order, which includes a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by citizens of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen, as well as a 120-day suspension of the global U.S. refugee program.

The president has drawn criticism from around the world but also from Republican leaders of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees.

"Our most important allies in the fight against (Islamic State terrorists) are the vast majority of Muslims who reject its apocalyptic ideology of hatred," Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said in a joint statement Sunday. "This executive order sends a signal, intended or not, that America does not want Muslims coming into our country. That is why we fear this executive order may do more to help terrorist recruitment than improve our security."

McCain is chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and Graham is a member of the panel. Trump tweeted that the two senators were "wrong" and "weak."

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Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said the Trump administration should "immediately make appropriate revisions" to the order to clarify that it would not bar green card holders — immigrants with legal status in the U.S.— from re-entering the country.

A U.S. district court judge in Brooklyn on Saturday granted an emergency stay of Trump's order that was sought by immigrants' rights attorneys. The ruling applied to people who have already arrived in the U.S. and those who are en route and have valid visas.

The senior Democrats on the House Judiciary, Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees sent a letter Monday to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly asking to meet with him about the travel ban no later than Wednesday.

"Given the widespread chaos and confusion caused by the order ... it is vital that we meet as soon as possible so that we may provide needed guidance and information to our committees and our constituents," the letter said.