Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis Tuesday continued to raise concerns over President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration, joining two Democrats in calling the detention of two immigrants “unacceptable.”
 
Tillis, along with Democratic Sens. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, wrote Defense Secretary James Mattis in support of two Iraqis who’d helped U.S. forces and had immigrant visas but were detained at New York’s JFK airport.
 
Trump’s order bars immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iraq.
 
“This situation is unacceptable,” the senators wrote, “and we fear the United States will pay significant moral and strategic costs if it continues, particularly in terms of our ability to obtain necessary local support for U.S. military missions abroad.
 
“As such, we respectfully request that you encourage the President to immediately ensure that properly vetted Iraqis who supported the U.S. mission in their country can continue to enter the U.S.”
 
In a statement Sunday, Tillis said he supported tighter screening of refugees. But he said “there is a lot of confusion surrounding the order,” particularly with so-called green card holders “inexplicably being denied entry back into the United States.” He said then that the order should be “refined.”
 
The Department of Homeland Security has since said it would no longer bar green-card holders from the seven countries from entering the United States.
 
Tillis and the two Democrats appealed to Mattis to help those foreign nationals who had worked with the United States in places such as Iraq.
 
“(G)iven that you understand the strategic and moral importance of standing with, and when necessary providing refuge to, those foreigners who supported our soldiers and diplomats, we urge you to intercede with the President and we support any efforts you make toward that end,” they wrote.
 
“Properly vetted individuals who supported the U.S. missions overseas and face threats as a result must continue to be allowed entry to the United States.”

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