Trey Gowdy on Immigration

Secure the border; it's respect for the rule of law

We need fundamental change in Congress, not career politicians who let Congress change them. With 100 days left until the primary, I'll be sending you one new idea each day until the election. I want to hear your ideas as well. This election cycle is critical. Together we can build a new Congress, led by a new generation of leaders, and reclaim the American Dream.
• Day 56--Secure the border. That is the first step in immigration reform.
• Day 79--Secure the border. It's not nativism. It's not xenophobia. It's respect for the rule of law.
• Day 28--Congress has repeatedly dropped the ball on immigration reform. We must secure the border, enforce existing laws, and have an immigration policy that is fair, compassionate toward the politically persecuted but above all enforced.

Ban admission of Syrian refugees & any Syrian residents.

Congressional Summary: This bill prohibits federal funds from being obligated for the U.S. refugee admission of any alien who is a national of Syria or whose last habitual residence was in Syria during the period that the civil war in Syria is ongoing, as determined by the Department of Homeland Security.

Supporters reasons for voting YEA:Rep. Ross: "ISIS carried out a series of violent attacks in Paris, and reports have indicated at least one of the terrorists who committed these atrocities entered Europe by posing as a refugee fleeing Syria. These horrific attacks provide a warning of what can happen on American soil if we do not take appropriate and immediate action. Reliable intelligence about refugees from countries like Syria attempting to enter the United States is clearly unavailable. More than half of our country's governors have taken immediate action to prevent Syrian refugees from settling in their states. Our own intelligence community has expressed concerns about our capabilities to identify threats. The federal government has no greater responsibility than keeping Americans safe."

Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (Opposing legislation S.Res.268): The Congress recognizes:

• the scale and complexity of the Syrian refugee crisis and the need for the international community to work together to provide resources and capacity to aid refugees;
• the humanitarian commitment of Syria's neighbors who have worked to absorb the vast majority of refugees, as well as the European nations who have made commitments to share in the refugee resettlement effort; and
• that the refugee crisis is a symptom of the broader conflict in Syria, the persecution of persons based on identity groups, including Christians, Yezidis, Turkmen, and Kurds, and instability in the Middle East and North Africa, and that efforts to resolve those challenges are a necessary component of any plan to address the refugee crisis.