Billy Lawless (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Mr. Groves on his appointment. I was going to say it as a young rookie but I will keep the "young" out of it. For the few months I have been here, Mr. Groves and his staff have been so courteous to me. I wish him well and his appointment is well deserved.

On Friday, 27 January 2017, President Trump signed an executive order halting the entire refugee programme from Syria for four months. Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen will be blocked for three months. The executive order also included legal permanent residents and dual citizens holding a passport from any of the countries listed. The result was confusion and fear among immigrant and refugee communities across the United States and at its major airports. The reaction by ordinary American citizens to this un-American act, however, has been nothing short of extraordinary. On Sunday, I stood as Senator for the global Irish in solidarity with immigrant and refugee community groups at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Over 4,000 people turned out in an impromptu show of force and defiance to denounce President Trump's executive orders.They were joined by similar protests in New York, Boston, Denver and 33 other airports across the United States. At one stage more than 50 people were detailed at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. Citizens and green card holders with valid visas were detained by customs and border control agents operating under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security. New York Federal Judge, Ms Ann Donnelly, a good Irish-American, granted a stay on deportations and eventually everyone who was detained was released.

On Sunday I met a young man from the Iraqi Mutual Aid Society in Chicago. His parents are from Iraq and both of them have a green card. They have spent ten years in Iraq working for American non-governmental organisations helping to rebuild a ravaged country. Recently, Othman Al Ani's mother travelled to Egypt to visit a son that she had not seen in eight years. As of Sunday, she remains trapped in Egypt and unable to return home as a result of this ban.

America is a nation of laws but it is also a nation of values. It has always been outward looking and welcoming to immigrants of all faiths and lands. The executive orders do not reflect the spirit of the American people or the country's leadership role in the world.

I do not believe that President Trump's actions serve the interests of the Muslims who are currently banned from the United States, the 50,000 undocumented Irish living in the United States or the 34 million people in the US who claim Irish ancestry. I call on the Trump Administration to rescind the executive order. I call on it to follow the words of Pope Francis who has admonished us to welcome the stranger and those fleeing suffering or persecution. In this climate, the 50,000 undocumented Irish in the United States are watching closely with fear and trepidation for their future. President Trump stated in his presidential campaign that those who overstayed their visa were more guilty than those who sneaked across the border into America and that would includes our Irish people. It is my hope that we can present a united voice in this country that will have a lasting effect. I hope that we can come together in a collective way to tell President Trump exactly what the citizens of Ireland think of his actions in the past few days. He may wish to build walls to divide nations but that cannot be our objective. I fully support the Taoiseach in not rejecting the invitation to visit the White House. Ireland is the only country that has this honour on its national day, which we have held for the past 60 years. Many countries are envious of our special relationship. We need dialogue. For advocates of immigration reform in the United States like myself and others, it is essential we keep open the gates of communication. I stand ready to work with the Irish Government to represent the interests of our most vulnerable citizens living abroad. I call on the Taoiseach to continue to raise this issue at the highest levels of the US Government.