“The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) believes that President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States,” is devastating to refugees, targets Muslims, and is without justification. The executive order reduces the number of refugees allowed in the United States to only 50,000, from the current 110,000. And given the world is experiencing its worst refugee crisis since the Second World War, it is unconscionable. Stopping refugee resettlement for 120 days will ultimately add years of waiting for refugee individuals and families, including those already in the process of being cleared to come to the United States.

“The attempt to tailor the order to conform to recent court rulings deeming the first ban unconstitutional does not mask the fact that it singles out Muslims by banning entry from six majority-Muslim nations. The attempt to justify this ban by citing national security is a smokescreen — the US Department of Homeland Security issued a report indicating that the ban does not make anyone safer, and in fact, that country of citizenship is “unlikely to be a reliable indicator” of terrorist activity in the United States. Given the facts, it’s clear that the ban is simply a way to codify xenophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry.

“Refugees deserve to live their lives with dignity and security. As Jews we are taught va’ahavtem et ha-ger — as we were once strangers, so must we love the stranger. It’s imperative that we continue to open our communities to those fleeing violence and/or seeking better lives in the United States. It was not that long ago that those refugees were our own ancestors. And, we all remember what happened when the United States closed their doors to them.”

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