Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I begin my short contribution to this important debate by stating for the record of the House my disappointment and worry over the recent US executive order on immigration into the USA, which was implemented by President Trump. I firmly believe this executive action, which in my opinion could be considered as sectarian, went against the very fabric of what makes the United States such a great nation of the world. After all, the USA's history is that of an immigrant country where people from all walks of life could arrive and have a chance at making it and live the American dream. This presidential executive order did not fit in with this mixed race culture, nor did it fit in with the overall values of the United States in general. It was unAmerican and I was glad to see that it was successfully challenged by the US judicial system and has since been removed, for now.

I do not think any politician could argue about the right for an independent country to take actions to protect its borders, but I do think there is a problem when a person who, during his election campaign, was openly intolerant of other religions and races seeks to ban certain religions or races from entering his country when elected. Alarm bells have to start ringing when this occurs as we have seen similar sentiment expressed by the likes of Nigel Farage, during the Brexit referendum, and currently in France with Marine Le Pen. The fact that the repercussions of this executive order actually took place on Irish soil brought this issue firmly into focus for many here. It was no longer just something that could have been viewed on our televisions. It was actually happening at our Irish airports. For me, it became a reality because, despite this victory in the courts, my biggest concern right now is for the 50,000 undocumented Irish citizens currently living in cities throughout the USA. Will they be next? In the past number of weeks since the inauguration of President Trump, my constituency office has been receiving phone calls from families who are now worried about whether their loved ones will be targeted next. There is real fear out there in the Irish US community. If the President could target one classification of people without having any real reason to or without having any factual arguments, what is to stop him from conducting an attack on others?

Following on from the crisis, the question has been, and still is being, asked as to whether our Taoiseach should go to the White House. People are saying that we should turn our backs on the White House and refuse the annual St. Patrick's Day visit there. However, we would do the undocumented Irish a disservice if we took that approach. We need to be in that room arguing on their behalf and fighting their cause with the President. The relationship between the United States and Ireland over 200 years is bigger than any individual and it must be maintained. I believe that our relationship with the United States of America will remain strong, but this executive order and its goals need to be condemned.

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