Like many of you, I was horrified to read the stories of people being detained and turned around at airports across the country as a result of President Trump’s illegal “Muslim ban.”
My heart broke for the families fleeing violence and terror who were set to arrive in the United States this week only to have those plans dashed by an unconscionable abandonment of our founding principles.
But then I saw the crowds begin to gather at JFK Airport in New York City. And Logan in Boston. O’Hare in Chicago. Bradley in Hartford, Connecticut. LAX, IAD, ATL, PHX, SFO, and many others. I was inspired by photos on Twitter of lawyers volunteering their time in airport restaurants. And then we won legal battles in New York, Boston, and Virginia. And in some places, people who had been held up were let through customs.
And the response this weekend made one thing clear to me: there is no anger or anxiety that you feel that cannot be cured by political action. This week, I am going to do my part to act as well.
This week, I am going to introduce legislation to immediately overturn Donald Trump’s dangerous and hateful executive order. I want you to add your name as a citizen co-sponsor and then forward this email to your friends and ask them to do the same.
As I said in my Huffington Post piece earlier this week, we are a nation founded by religious refugees. Over and over we have opened our doors to those fleeing war and terror. We have it within our power to protect ourselves from terror and to rescue our neighbors from terror.
And we must do both.
Every best wish,
Chris Murphy
U.S. Senator, Connecticut