WASHINGTON, D.C. – On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, responded to President Trump's executive orders on restricting refugees entering the United States.

"Having heard the President's call for a ban on Muslims, and seeing the list of Muslim-majority countries he plans to ban from our shores, it’s clear to me that the administration is taking a page from one of the darkest chapters of history. Tragically, as a country, we have been here before with the same tired arguments," said Rep. Pascrell.

"On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is especially shameful President Trump would send the message to the world that the United States is rejecting desperate people fleeing a terror as they seek refuge. I will not fooled by these transparent actions that dress up religious discrimination as U.S. policy. By instituting this ban, President Trump would be turning a blind eye to the families seeking escape from war and devastation in search of a better life.

"Refugees are already subject to the highest level of security checks and most rigorous screening process of any traveler to the United States. When the world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement in recorded history, we should be extending a helping hand to the tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free, not building walls ignoring the real suffering of people. This is about as inhumane as it gets," said Rep. Pascrell, who also serves as co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus.

"I also fear that President Trump’s proposed ban on Syrian refugees will be seen by our enemies as taking substantive actions that mirror his extreme rhetoric. He is creating a new recruiting tool to encourage more people to join the cause of terrorism. Do not be fooled by his attempts to justify these actions by claims of protecting our national security. This is an attempt to satisfy an extreme wing of the Republican Party and justify a type of discrimination that will be a stain to the moral fabric of our nation."