Governor Dannel Malloy has reiterated his opposition to the Trump administration’s reissued travel ban, which ends refugee resettlement and travel from six majority Muslim countries. The revised ban is set to go into effect next week, although it's already facing legal challenges.
Malloy described it as more artfully crafted that the first, which was struck down by the courts, "but it does not hide the fact that this began as a Muslim ban," he told reporters at a news conference. "It does not hide the fact that there was intended discrimination, and I find that to be troubling, I find that to be abhorrent."
He noted that the Trump administration has as yet done nothing to tighten up vetting procedures, which is its stated policy in monitoring immigration to the U.S.
And Malloy said he does not believe the ban will prove to be only a 90-day limit, but rather is intended to be permanent.
"The bottom line here is that this is choosing to pick on the most defenceless people in the world - refugees," he said.
It’s as yet unclear what the ban means for refugees who might already be on their way to Connecticut, but the state will affected in other ways. Universities are warning students from the affected countries not to travel. Hospitals and other businesses say they're having difficulty in attracting talented workers from overseas because of the ban.
David McGuire of the ACLU in Connecticut concurred with the governor that the revisions to the ban won't necessarily protect it in court from accusations of discrimination.
"We know the intent of the person promulgating this executive order," he said. "He has been clear to the world that he wants to ban Muslims from the United States."
Mongi Dhaouadi of the Council on American Islamic Relations said the efforts of the Trump administration are degrading the country’s civil discourse.
"It’s not a problem only in its technicalities, but it sets a tone, and it sets a whole atmosphere of fear and Islamophobia," he said.
That point was echoed by Alok Bhatt of the Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance, who noted the rise in hate crimes against both Muslims and Jews since the election.
"Do we really want to go back to a time where these kinds of actions and attitudes are acceptable and endorsed by our government?" he asked, "because its certainly not the first time that’s been a reality."
State Attorney General George Jepsen is reviewing the order, and Malloy says Connecticut stands ready to cooperate with other states in legal action.
