[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 43 (Monday, March 13, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1774-S1775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING YOUNG VERMONTERS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO REFUGEES

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, Vermont is known far and wide as a tourist 
destination for all seasons. From our celebrated ski slopes to our 
stunning and world-renowned fall foliage, Vermont draws travelers from 
near and far, from nearby States and from Canada, our neighbor to the 
north. What many don't realize is that Vermont has also become home to 
refugees and asylum seekers from Iraq, Syria, Bosnia, Sudan, and 
elsewhere. These men, women and children enrich our communities and 
inspire us all.
  One Vermont community, Rutland, last year announced that it would 
welcome refugees fleeing the catastrophic civil war in Syria. The town 
was preparing to welcome 100 refugees. Nine arrived. When President 
Trump issued his appalling and disastrous executive order banning 
admission to refugees from Syria and six other nations, the remaining 
91 individuals were prevented from coming to Vermont.
  I have heard from hundreds of Vermonters outraged by President 
Trump's Executive actions to close our borders to those seeking refuge. 
Also deeply concerning is the President's clear intent on targeting 
Muslim refugees. The freedom of religion, enshrined in the First 
Amendment of our Constitution and defended through the ages by 
generations of Americans, should not be squandered to promote an 
unfounded fear.
  The voices raised in opposition to these executive orders cross the 
spectrum. I want to include in the Record some of those voices: 
students at Rutland High School, some of whom have formed the New 
Neighbors Club, to help welcome refugee students who will attend 
Rutland City Public Schools.
  Emma writes: ``I am a 9th grader from Rutland High School. We should 
continue to support immigration in Vermont and the United States. These 
people deserve a good life and don't deserve what they have to go 
through.''
  Carolyn writes: ``I'm from Rutland, Vermont, and I believe that 
refugee resettlement is an important issue. We have the opportunity to 
make a change in these people's lives and make new relationships and 
bonds in our lives. They need a support system so why can't that be 
us?''
  Lea writes: ``This immigration ban is a big problem to me. I don't 
like that our country is stopping people from coming to our country. I 
know many people are afraid of what could happen to us. But we are all 
human and they are humans looking for safety.''
  Lily writes, ``Everyone deserves the same amount of respect and 
understanding that we afford to anyone. The refugees obviously need our 
help and we are completely capable of building a community that is 
ready and willing to accept the refugees.''
  Jessica writes: ``I can understand these fears, but they also clearly 
come from an inhumane and misinformed point of view. Without 
immigration in the past, no one would be here, and it is simply un-
American to deny freedom from persecution to refugees and other 
immigrants.''
  Emma writes: ``With all of the recent stigma regarding the Refugee 
Resettlement Plan, Rutland's program has recently gone static. At 
Rutland High School, we have a club that helps raise money and 
eventually welcome the refugees. Please make all the movement possible 
to make these people feel welcome in our state. We don't want to be 
stuck on the wrong side of history.''
  Victoria writes: ``I feel that it is incredibly important for us to 
help refugees who are in desperate need of a second chance at life. As 
a global superpower of a country, it seems absurd to me that we are 
accepting so few refugees to our communities, as we could be helping 
with the global refugee crisis a whole lot more by actually trying to 
mitigate it.''
  Ian writes: ``The refugees should come to Rutland because we are 
devoted to helping integrate them into our community. Several of the 
students here are devoting every Friday to getting together and coming 
up with great ideas on how we can incorporate them.''
  Kjersti writes: ``As a citizen in the United States, I believe the 
diversity is what makes this country beautiful, and the fact that 
someone is exempt from the freedom and is turned away because of their 
diversity is not what this country stands for.''
  Noah writes: ``I believe we should let people immigrate to Vermont 
because the people in these countries are living in terrible living 
conditions. Everyone in this world is equal so there's no reason not to 
let them in. They just want a chance at a safe life.''
  Ashleah writes: ``We should continue to support immigration for the 
Syrian refugees into our community. This is such a great opportunity 
for Rutland to experience more diversity and more culture. Our small 
city would benefit greatly from allowing refugees to come and live with 
us.''
  Kelsey writes: ``People who are safe and living comfortably should do 
their best to help those that need it. I feel by turning them away and 
denying them help we are being inhuman and cruel.''
  Caitlin writes: ``I believe immigration should be accepted in all 
areas of this country. I strongly support the idea of people wanting to 
make a better life for themselves. I choose to take a stand against 
anti-immigration for I believe it is essential to make America 
better.''
  Greta writes: ``These Syrians are people who have gone through 
atrocities and deserve our help. They will also promote understanding 
and diversity in our community amidst this political climate of fear 
mongering. Welcoming Syrian refugees will only be beneficial for 
Rutland and United States, and is upholding the value of America and 
human rights.''

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  And Elizabeth writes: ``I am disappointed with how our current 
administration is portraying our nation to the rest of the world. I 
think the people of the United States are stronger, more loving, and 
kinder people than what is being shown, and I think we need to take 
individual action in order to show this.''
  The voices of these young Vermonters are emblematic of what I hear 
from Vermonters across our State. We all want to keep our country safe; 
of that, there is no question. But President Trump's travel ban ignores 
the clear fact that refugees are the most stringently vetted travelers 
to the United States. His Executive order provokes and plays on fear. 
It does not make us safer.
  Benjamin Franklin once famously said, ``Those who give up essential 
liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty 
nor safety.'' I hope all Senators will listen to the words of these 
young Vermonters. President Trump's Executive order does little to 
enhance our security, but does great damage to the freedoms that are 
the cornerstone of our good and great Nation.

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