WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement in response to President Trump’s Executive order to suspend immigration for 60 days.

“Thanks to COVID-19, international travel has ground to a near halt, so it is unclear what practical value the president’s new directive may have except from keeping family members apart during a most historic, global crisis. Since taking office, when all else seems to have failed on a given issue for President Trump, making some pronouncement on immigration has become a fallback position. What he continually fails to recognize is that immigration and how we, as a nation, treat immigrants, should be a reflection of our values. These core American values include family, compassion and opportunity. The virus we battle today does not recognize borders or nationality and it does not understand values. But we cannot lose sight of what we hold dear, nor can we fall prey to the president’s attempts to distract from the problem at hand.”

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