>> c-span, where history unfolds daily. in 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television companies and is brought you today by your cable or satellite provider. democrats are expected to introduce legislation sometime this week that would lock an executive order from president trump that banns refugees and citizens of seven predominantly muslim countries from entering the u.s.. earlier today, senate minority leader charles schumer held a news conference to speak out against the ban. from new york city, this is 25 minutes. i'm right here. and right here. >> [indiscernible] >> just to hear from syria.

ok. you come here, mohammed, on this side of me. and the elias'... ok, good. well, thank you, everybody. emotional few minutes together. myself, and these newly arrived americans. they are standing to my right and left. we -- we are here today to know to theciferous president and the misguided executive orders that are shocking the majority of americans and aren't footing wounds on this country -- are inflicting wounds on this country. sen. schumer: we are saying no to misguided executive

orders because they are bad for america, bad for national security, bad for humanitarian nature that america has always been. these orders go against what america has always been about. the orders make us less lessitarian, less safe, american. and when it comes to making us less safe, people forget this. that is why so many of our military, intelligence, security, and law enforcement leaders are opposed to this order and all those like it. the order hurts our alliances overseas, we lose allies. it hurts our soldiers overseas as they lose intelligence sources, and allies to fight with. and here in america, these orders heard our domestic security by increasing the small

number who would resort to terrorism at home. this order makes loan wolves wolves more-- lone likely. we are joined together to say to the president, "no more orders to turn america away from what it has always been." we are demanding the president reverse these executive orders that go against everything we are, everything america has always stood for. i have communicated opposition to the administration. i have talked to general kelly, secretary of homeland security, twice, told him how opposed i was and so many others were to these orders, and asked him to persuade the president to change his mind. i spoke to him this morning and one little bit of small good this is thatll of

there are now 42 americans at our airports that are detained, that fit under the court order, that the judge issued. there was worry that the order would not be obeyed. secretary kelly injured me the order will be obeyed and those 42 will be processed -- assured me that the order will be obeyed and those 42 will be processed and allowed into america. that is good news. he told me last night that this order will not affect green card -- those who held green cards, millions of people. did morning, reince priebus not say that on tv. and so, we need clarification, above thews you, verbal nature of these, the incompetence of this administration. one hand does not know what the other is doing. most of the departments in charge of enforcing it did not even know about it.

they did not even check with the check onepartment to whether these orders are constitutional. i believe they are not. and judges in every corner of the land have already issued temporary restraining orders against them. there was no thought, no preparation, no coordination, in this administration as they did this. it would be bad even if they were coordinated, but it shows you just in addition to the ineffectiveness and incompetence of the administration, in addition to the nature of moving us far away from what america has always been about, which is what bothers me the most, other than the beauty of these people. so let me just try to tell you about the families we have here, who will say a few words in a minute.

on my right is mohammed hamid, any iraqi refugee. he arrived as a refugee on january 5, six weeks ago, with his wife and two small children. whited hamid have to come here -- why did hamid have to come here? he helps our american soldiers translate. he and his family got death threats because he cooperated with our american soldiers. kindkind of country, what of administration, would tell him he has to stay there and maybe face death because he helped our soldiers? he began the refugee process two years ago. if donald trump had initiated his guidelines six weeks ago, he with hisll be in iraq life and the life of his family

threatened. about this tell you family. children, maia, 16, hazam, and ara. they arrived here about one month ago. in-laws are' american citizens. and his wife live in the bronx. he started out as a tailor, as many immigrants do. we are very short of skilled tailors in america. he we upholsterers boats -- he

reupholsters boats. his wife is an educator. they wanted their children and grandchildren here. suicide bombs blow up in front of their house in damascus. so, that is who they are. filled with promise and the american dream. seems to want us to believe that immigrants are either terrorists or criminals. these people are who they are. look at these faces. are they any kind of threat to america? no, they are the promise of america. so, we are here today, oh yes.

i just wanted to, this is also scriptural. we have the support of so many of the religious leaders throughout the country. exodus 22:20. it admonishes us not to wrong or oppress a stranger, "for you were strangers in the land of egypt." matthew 25 in the new testament, "i was hungry and you gave me something to eat. i was a stranger and you invited me in." and i'm reminded of pope francis, who asked us in terms crystal-clear to "confront the reality of those who have been -- in order to protect their dignity, improve their quality of life," -- this is the pope speaking -- "and face the challenges emerging from modern

forms of persecution, oppression and slavery." , so, mr. president, i'm here to tell you we will fight this. many of you may not know this. ellis.dle name is i was named after my uncle ellis , who is named after ellis island, and i named my daughter middle name, emma, named after a lazarus. she was a great poet who wrote those lines on the pedestal of the statute of liberty. "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free." so, this executive order was mean-spirited and un-american. it was implemented in a way that

created chaos and confusion and cross the country and it will , only serve to embolden and inspire those around the globe who will do us harm. it must be reversed immediately. senate democrats are going to introduce legislation to overturn this and move it as quickly as we can, and i as your claw,r from new york will scrap, and fight with every fiber of my being until these orders are overturned. thank you. now going to turn it over to mohammed, who will say a few words. please. >> hello, everybody. good morning. i am mohammed hamid. from iraq.

i used to be an interpreter for the u.s. army when they were in straight fromars 2003 until 2013. during a period of time, my life, my family's life, we were at real risk. we have been threatened to many times, and i would say that we were on the brink to be killed , and we got threatened so many times by those terrorists, and they were trying to track us down or trying to find out our places and our houses to kill us. know -- working for the americans. actually, i applied for the ask forprogram just to asylum for myself and my family

as well, because i know the united states is a great country, and actually a gift for the people were really in need for it, and actually, i feel really now, after two years of applying for that program, i was status ine asylum the united states. me and my family, my wife, and our kids, and now, i feel much better, sees me, much better and safer now in the united states. thanks to the america people who actually helped us, and think you actually for everybody who supported us. the organization, and every person that actually helped us. all the possible assistance and help from the first moment. appreciate every person. actually evenn, get help from people i never met before.

helped peopleyou who you never met before some of , our soldiers. >> i cannot even find words to thank everybody. i mean, they helped me even more than my family did back in iraq. thank you for everybody. thank you very much. sen. schumer: thank you, mohammed. >> appreciated. thanks a lot. sen. schumer: now, we are going to hear from mr. elias, and american citizen, resident of the bronx, was just united with his children and grandchildren who just came, having been granted refugee status. these young family had suicide bombs in front of their house, so they were worried for their lives. >> mr. schumer i would like to , thank you for the opportunity , and also, i want to thank my wife. they are not her children.

she is six years fighting to bring my two daughters and grandchildren to the u.s. i am a refugee also. i came to the united states in 1978, through an organization. i appreciate it. and i'm a good citizen. i have my own business, my own house but i don't have my , children with me. it is very hard to see people being killed right and left, and i can't save my own children and so, and i have another daughter in lebanon, stuck there with four children. they cannot get here, and i appreciate mr. senator schumer for his efforts, and he is going to fight this nonsense because america was built on refugees and people like us building america.

we are going to build it better than what mr. trump wanted it. i will promise you that. i'm going to bring my kids here to be good citizens. my wife teaches them, and we all teach them to do good and be good for everybody. for america and everybody. and i appreciate it. sen. schumer: mr. elias, thank you. we will keep the questions to this subject. yes? >> how many people are being held in new york airports? sen. schumer: 42 nationwide is what secretary kelly told me. that was a few hours ago. i believe there are six at kennedy airport. i believe that is the number, yes. >> [indiscernible] what is your opinion on the

white house asking for social media info and cell phone numbers from foreigners? sen. schumer: i don't know about that. >> what is your opinion on business here? a bunch of silicon valley companies -- sen. schumer: it is not just the tech industry. business depends on people like these folks to both make their product, create their product and buy their products. community, i have not heard them speak out. not just text, where is the rest? they are going to buy cars. how about the auto industry? they are going to buy appliances, how about the appliance industry? you are going to work and a lot of these businesses.

our business people should bespeak yell loudly. i have not heard them, except for the tech industry. ok? thisschumer: --reporter: morning donald trump tweeted , that christians in the middle east have been executed. sen. schumer: the refugee program should be for all religions who are persecuted. that is the point. there should not be a religious test. the constitution prohibits it , and so we want christians to , come, and in fact, be refugee program from syria is about half and half right now, syrian and muslim. christians who were persecuted should be able to come here and people of other religions should , islam and others should be , able to come here, too. we have never used a religious test to who should be able to come here and be a refugee. reporter: this is going to play

out in the courts. what are your opinions? by now, folks are saying this is uncharted territory. he is pushing things that have not been pushed before, testing the waters. where do you see this and months? thatschumer: first i heard john mccain spoke out strongly against it. we should have other republicans speaking against it, and maybe we can pass something in congress. we can only do it with republican support to undo this or they it. -- stay it. secondly, this is unconstitutional. you do not need to be a scholar to know that this is not ok in america. have three ory four courts, not just in new york, but in other places, issue temporary restraining orders. senator, what does that mean for the alliance family, the children and grandchildren?

sen. schumer: well, they are here. this is an example -- the people who are not here we cannot bring here. the people not being allowed to come are people who have helped our military like mohammed and there are people who are facing severe danger, many of whom who have relatives here who are american citizens. it's forhey are here every person who is here there , are people over there in these countries that are very much the same. reporter: is there a member of the alliance family that is elias to get here -- the family that is trying to get here? >> yes. >> is it two or three daughters were trying to get here? >> i have three daughters. she also has four kids. both of us had the interview and everything they're ok. one of my grandchildren, they want to take them to the army. i said, "no, you cannot serve a

savage government who are killing these people and stuff." this is in syria. it is very difficult for us to keep them. a lebanese government, they are not taking any syrian refugees, contain them in their country, because they have so many, and here we are, we do not know what to do. he is he is the legally in lebanon. if the lebanese government catches them, they will give them to the syrian government, and they will put them in the this.and we do not want i am an american citizen. i have been here for years. my wife, i'm a muslim, she is a catholic. [laughter] >> you know, we have no problem. you know, she is not -- these are not her children. she is a stepmother, but she is fighting for them just like her own. you know, it works. it has always been working, but we are some politician make it

out that way. i do not know why. they say christians are persecuted in syria. are theng, the muslims same. we live in the same house, one above the other, like here in the bronx. i have a jewish friend, a jewish family. i make dentist chairs. all my clients are jewish. they go there -- sen. schumer: you make dentist chairs? >> yes, sir. that is part of my business. sen. schumer: reupholster. >> i never had a problem with anybody, and they never had a problem with me. i never had a complaint. you know, it works. sen. schumer: so many immigrants are entrepreneurs, creating jobs. ok. we will take one more. anyone who has not asked. then we will let you do another one. reporter: what giuliani had in mind? sen. schumer: i have no idea

about that. reporter: senator in terms of , blocking or reversing the executive order, what are the options for that besides the federal court? sen. schumer: legislation. again, i heard senator mccain speak out pretty strongly on tv. another senator has already opposed it. if we get a few more republicans , i think we might be able to , pass legislation to overturn it. it will be up to getting more republicans. reporter: senator, the department of homeland security said they will keep going -- [indiscernible] have you seen the signs that the federal judge ordered that they will follow? sen. schumer: as i said, i called when i heard from some of the lawyers who cannot really talk to the people at kennedy airport, who just came, that there might be six of them on an airplane going back, so i immediately called the secretary of homeland security, kelly, and

i said this would violate the court order by the judge in brooklyn, and he said, that is not so. we are all the people who came here, and are subject to the as theyill be vetted should be, and then allowed to stay in the united states. beorter: but they will released? sen. schumer: yes, soon. getting bored, kids? i know. [laughter] >> [indiscernible] sen. schumer: no. no, i did not. reporter: why not? sen. schumer: you would think as something as serious as this would be consultation and care. it's not just the justice department but many other departments i can't reveal were not consulted. they just issued it. this is serious stuff. these are human lives at risk.

thank you, everybody. appreciate it. i want to thank our families for their bravery. i told them i wanted to show who these people are. as i said, the president wants people to believe, i guess, that everyone is a terrorist or criminal who is an immigrant. well, it is not fair, it is not right, and these folks speak far better than me as to what this is all about. i am proud and i think they will be great americans. thank you. thank you, everybody. >> this was the scene outside the white house earlier today, where several people gathered to protest the president's executive order on this was the scene earlier today, where people gathered to protest the executive order on