WEBVTT

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>> Hello, good morning
and thank you for joining us.

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The executive order signed
by the President earlier today

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protecting the nation
from foreign terrorist

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entry into the United States

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is a vital measure for strengthening
our national security.

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It is the President's solemn duty
to protect the American people,

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and with this order President Trump

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is exercising his rightful authority

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to keep our people safe.

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As threats to our security
continue to evolve

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and change common sense dictates

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that we continually reevaluate

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and reassess the systems we rely upon
to protect our country.

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While no system can be made

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completely infallible
the American people

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can have high confidence

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we are identifying ways

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to improve the vetting process

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and thus keep terrorists
from entering our country.

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To our allies and partners

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around the world, please understand

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this order is part
of our ongoing efforts

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to eliminate vulnerabilities

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that radical Islamist terrorists

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can and will exploit
for destructive ends.

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The State Department
will coordinate

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with other federal agencies

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and implement
these temporary restrictions

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in an orderly manner.

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Our embassies and consulates
around the world

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will play an important
role in making sure

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that our nation
is as secure as it can be,

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and the State Department
will implement the provisions

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in this order that allow
for the admissions of refugees

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when it is determined
they do not pose

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a risk to the security

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or welfare of the United States.

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Upon the President's
initial executive

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order issued on January the 27th

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the State Department's Consular Affairs

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and Diplomatic Security Offices

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immediately undertook
a review in coordination

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with the Department
of homeland Security

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to identify additional measures

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that would strengthen
our vetting of those seeking

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entry to the United States
from seven named countries.

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These early efforts
were concentrated on Iraq.

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Iraq is an important ally
in the fight to defeat ISIS.

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With their brave soldiers
fighting in close coordination

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with America's men
and women in uniform.

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This intense review
over the past month

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identifies multiple security measures

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that the State Department
and the Government of Iraq

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will be implementing
to achieve our shared objective

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of preventing those with criminal

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or terroristic intent

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from reaching
the United States.

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I want to express my appreciation
to Prime Minister al-Abadi

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of Iraq for his positive engagement

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and support for
implementing these actions.

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The United States welcomes
this kind of close cooperation

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with countries
in every region of the world

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who share our commitment
to national security.

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This revised order will bolster
the security of the United States

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and her allies.

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Now, we've spent the morning
briefing the Congress, the press,

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and we will continue
to talk with key

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stakeholders this afternoon.

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Experts from the Department
of Homeland Security,

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the Department of Justice,

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and the State Department
hosted an hour long call

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with the media
on this topic this morning.

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Our collective teams
will continue throughout today

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to follow up
with the Congress,

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the media, and stakeholders
to answer your questions.

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I'll now turn it
to the Attorney General

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for his comments.

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>> Thank you, Mr. Secretary,

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and good morning
to all of you.

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One of the Justice
Department's top priorities

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is to protect the United States

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from threats to
our national security.

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Therefor I want
to discuss two points.

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First, the national security
basis of this order,

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and second the Department
of Justice's role

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in defending
the lawful orders

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of the President
of the United States.

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First, as President Trump

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noted in his address

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to Congress the majority

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of people convicted in our courts

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for terrorism-related offenses

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since 9/11 came here
from abroad.

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We also know that many people

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seeking to support
or commit terrorist

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acts will try to enter
through our refugee program.

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In fact, today more
than 300 people

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are going to the FBI

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who came here as refugees

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are under

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an FBI investigation today

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for potential terrorism
related activities.

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Like every nation
the United States

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has a right to control
who enters our country,

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and to keep out those
who would do us harm.

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This executive order seeks
to protect the American people

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as well as lawful immigrants
by putting in place

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an enhanced screening

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and vetting process for visitors
from six countries.

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Three of these nations
are state sponsors of terrorism.

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The other three have served
as safe havens

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for terrorist countries.

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Countries where governments
have lost control of their territory

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to terrorist groups
like ISIL or Al Qaeda

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and its affiliates.

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This increases the risk

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that people are admitted here

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from these countries

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may belong to terrorist groups

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or may have been
radicalized by them.

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We cannot compromise
our nation's security

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by allowing visitors

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entry when their own
governments are unable

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or unwilling to provide
the information

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we need to vet them
responsibly.

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Or when those governments
actively support terrorism.

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This executive order
responsibly provides

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a needed pause

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so we can carefully review

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how we scrutinize people coming here

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from these countries
of concern.

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Second, the Department
of Justice believes

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that this executive order--just
as the first executive

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order--is a lawful,

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and proper exercise
of Presidential authority.

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This Department of Justice
will defend

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and enforce lawful orders

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of the President consistent

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with the core principles
of our constitution.

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The executive is empowered
under the constitution,

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and by Congress to make
national security judgments

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and to enforce
our immigration policies

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in order to safeguard
the American public.

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Terrorism is clearly
a danger for America

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and our people.

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The President gets briefings
on these dangers

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and emerging threats
on a regular basis.

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The federal investigative agencies,

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the intelligence community,

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the Department of State,

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the Department
of Homeland Security,

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and the United States
Military report to the President.

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Knowing the President would possess

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such extensive information,

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our founders wisely
gave the executive branch

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the authority and the duty
to protect the nation.

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This executive order

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is a proper exercise
of that power.

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Now I will turn things
over to our able secretary,

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John Kelly of the Department
of Homeland Security.

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John?

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>> Thank you,
Mr. Attorney General.

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Well, like the
Secretary of State

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and the Attorney General
I welcome you here today.

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My comments will be
relatively brief.

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Last week the Department
of Homeland Security

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celebrated its 14th anniversary

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first opening its doors
on 1 March, 2003.

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This secretariat
was established in response

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to the devastating attacks
of September 11th

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when foreign terrorists
turned a beautiful,

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but ordinary day
into a nightmare.

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Those attacks taught us
that we could not take

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our nation's security
for granted.

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That homeland security
must be our top priority,

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and that we needed to overcome
our collective inability

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to connect the dots
of intelligence

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and arrange them
into a more comprehensive

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picture of the threats
posed to America

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and our way of life.

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Though much has changed
over the past 14 years

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both in the world
that is more dangerous,

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and at DHS which is much better.

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The fact remains that we are
not immune to terrorist threats

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and that our enemies
often use our own freedoms

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and generosity against us.

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Today's executive order
which President Trump

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signed this morning
will make America more secure,

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and address long overdue concerns

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about the security
of our immigration system.

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We must undertake
a rigorous review

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and are undertaking
a rigorous review

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of our immigration vetting programs

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to increase our confidence
in the decisions

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we make relative
to visitors

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and immigrants that travel
to the United States.

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We cannot risk the prospect
of malevolent actors

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using our immigration system
to take American lives.

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This executive order
is prospective in nature.

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Its focus is on preventing

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the entry of new
foreign nationals

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from the six designated countries.

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Accordingly it is important
to note that nothing in this executive

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order affects existing lawful

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permanent residents or persons

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with current authorization
to enter our homeland.

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Unregulated, unvetted travel

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is not a universal privilege,

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especially when national
security is at stake.

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The White house
worked closely

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with the Department
of homeland Security,

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the Department of Justice,
and the Department of State

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to create an order that
addresses previous concerns

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and protects the homeland
and every one of our citizens.

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The men and women
of the Department

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of homeland Security

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like their brothers and sisters

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throughout law enforcement
are decent men

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and women of character
and conscience.

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They are no less
so than the governors

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of our states
and territories,

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of our senators
and members of congress,

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of our city mayors
and various advocacy groups.

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These men and women
are sworn to enforce the laws

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as passed

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by the United States Congress

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and would be in violation of the law

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in their sworn oaths

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if they did not do so.

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We do not make the law,
but are sworn to enforce it.

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We have no other option.

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We are going to work
closely to implement

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and enforce it humanely, respectfully,
and with professionalism,

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but we will enforce the law.

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I want to thank the President
for his leadership on this issue

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and for his steadfast support

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for our important
law enforcement, security,

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and counter-terrorism mission.

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Again, as previously mentioned

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I have spent much
of the day today

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on the phone
with members of Congress,

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the leadership explaining the ins
and outs of this E.O.

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and I did the same thing
last week.

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So there should be no surprises

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whether it's in the media
or on Capitol Hill.

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Thanks very much,
and thanks for your time.

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>> Is this an acknowledgement
that the first order

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was flawed in many ways
and not well thought through?

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>> Mr. Attorney General,
have you spoken to the FBI--