Immigration policy

Opposition

Regarding “Resist now!” (Page A13, Monday), the editorial criticizing President Trump’s executive order on immigration is just plain wrong. Where you see a threat to the very fabric of our democracy, anyone with a shred of common sense sees it as an effort to protect our country from being attacked. What our president is doing is not a ban on Muslims or religion in any way. It is a ban on anyone from seven hostile countries who have terrorist cells that would like to destroy America.

Other countries such as Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt are Muslim. However, they are not in this temporary ban. The president’s executive order also does not, as this editorial states, “threaten legal permanent residents.” It does give us a little time to put in place and implement stringent vetting procedures on thousands of immigrants coming from countries who are at war with us.

Intelligence agencies around the world have said ISIS is indeed infiltrating the ranks of refugees. Just ask Germany, Belgium, and France if that is happening. Randall C. Sagstetter,

Huffman

Freedom, justice

President Trump’s executive order on immigration was, as the editorial said, a chilling affront to liberty, an affront to “sacred American values.”

It was also an assault on religious freedom. Trump’s own comment that his administration is giving “priority” to Christians leaves no doubt of that. More troubling to my mind, this order is also an assault on and affront to the fundamental principles of compassion and obligation to our fellow human beings found in almost all the world’s religions and philosophical traditions. One might even argue that it is an assault on our “humanity” itself.

The editorial is right. We must resist fiercely with “every legal, nonviolent means available.” And I believe we must be committed to a long, hard slog in this struggle for freedom, compassion and justice.

Becky Edmiston-Lange, minister, Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church, Houston