Rubio, Scott ‘uneasy’ about Trump immigration order

by Rebecca Savransky - 01/30/17 7:16 AM ET

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are expressing concerns about President Trump’s executive order barring refugees and people from seven predominately Muslim countries from entering the U.S.

“We are uneasy about the potential impact of these measures on our military and our diplomatic personnel abroad, as well as those who put their lives on the line to work with us,” the two wrote in a statement.

“We are both committed to doing what we must to keep America safe. We are equally committed to the defense of religious liberty and our tradition of providing refuge to those fleeing persecution.”

{mosads}In the statement, the two senators said reporting about the “scope and implications of these measures is misleading.”

“However, it is also clear that the manner in which these measures were crafted and implemented have greatly contributed to the confusion, anxiety and uncertainty of the last few days,” the two wrote.

Rubio and Scott said they are looking for clarity on the changes being made to the Visa Waiver Program, which they called “critical to the economies in our respective states.”

The two added they are guided by their belief that “when we stand before our Creator to face judgment, He will say that ‘to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ “

“That is why we intend to do all we can to both keep America safe, and keep America special.”

The president on Friday signed an executive order calling for a 90-day ban on nationals from seven majority-Muslim countries entering the U.S. The order also includes a 120-day halt on admitting refugees and an indefinite pause on admitting refugees from Syria.

Amid protests and backlash, Trump on Sunday released a statement stressing the importance of keeping the country safe and denying the order constitutes a Muslim ban.

Other Democratic and Republican lawmakers have spoken out against the order and its implementation since Trump signed it on Friday.

Tags Marco Rubio Tim Scott