Vermont's Congressional delegation is condemning a U.S. Supreme Court decision that upholds the Trump Administration’s ban on travel from five predominantly Muslim countries.
"Like the earlier two bans, Version 3.0 bars almost all travelers from five mainly Muslim countries, and it adds a ban on travelers from North Korea and government officials from Venezuela." — @NinaTotenberg #TravelBan #SCOTUS @POTUS
— Vermont Public Radio (@vprnet) June 26, 2018
Speaking on Vermont Edition, Sen. Patrick Leahy said he strongly disagrees with the ruling.
Leahy says it’s false to believe someone’s citizenship can be an indicator of a terrorist threat. And he says the ban amounts to a religious test.
“It’s not a question of protecting us, it's anti-American," said Leahy on Vermont Edition Tuesday. "We should be spending our time, our efforts our intelligence community and others, going after real threats, not pretend threats based on an anti-religious test.”
In a statement, Sen. Bernie Sanders said the Supreme Court sided with "fear, racism and xenophobia and against the American ideals of religious freedom and tolerance.”
Rep. Peter Welch called the ruling "a step backwards."
#SCOTUS ruling today is a step backwards. It goes against the very principles upon which our nation was founded. A religious ban has no place in the United States. https://t.co/9DbcGWKmLl
— Rep. Peter Welch (@PeterWelch) June 26, 2018