Former immigration minister and current Progressive Conservative Party leadership candidate Jason Kenney has joined the chorus of Canadians and Americans speaking out against U.S. President Donald Trump’s travel ban.
“I don’t believe that Canadian politicians should get mixed up in American domestic politics, but when American policy seriously effects Canadian interests, including our economic interests, we have to stand up for ourselves,” Kenney told News Talk 770’s Danielle Smith on Monday.
Listen below: Jason Kenney speaks with Danielle Smith on the Trump travel ban
Kenney took to Twitter to voice his opposition to the ban over the weekend.
The unprecedented executive order, which restricted immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, prompted protests at airports across the U.S. and in several major Canadian cities.
The ban has also reportedly impacted Canadian citizens travelling into the U.S. who were born in one of the seven countries listed.
Dr. Parsin Haji Reza, an Alberta biomedical engineer who was born in Iran, claims he was banned entry into the U.S. despite travelling with his permanent residency card and a travel visa. He had been on his way to a conference in San Francisco.
“I think it is right for us to speak up when we see policies inflicting damage on Canadians,” Kenney said, speaking about another Iranian-born Canadian, Kasra Nejatian, who said he had also been impacted by the ban.
“I’ve cancelled trips back to Canada already and I’ll stay here until my immigration lawyer tells me that it’s OK to cross the border again,” Nejatian said.
“When laws aren’t clear, bad things happen. This executive order was written hastily and in a hamfisted way.”
READ MORE: Trump travel ban reaction – ‘Syrian refugees…have been vetted more than Trump’s cabinet picks’
Listen below: Kaz Nejatian speaks with Danielle Smith on the impact of Donald Trump’s travel ban
On Sunday, the U.S. State Department spoke about the potential impact of the ban on Canadians and said Canadians with dual citizenship would be allowed to enter the United States despite earlier warnings to the contrary.
“Anyone who understands this order knows it has nothing to do with national security; it is an act of political theatre,” Kenney said, condemning the controversial travel ban.
“It punished the victims of organizations like the Islamic State and did nothing about some of the countries that were the major sources of and state-sponsors of terrorism.”
The U.S. travel ban does not include Saudi Arabia (15 of the 19 men who carried out the 9-11 attacks were Saudi nationals). Egypt, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates were also left off the list.
READ MORE: Donald Trump defends travel ban claiming it is not about religion
Kenney said Canada has dealt with increased security threats by introducing more rigorous screening of immigrants and asylum-seekers. He said Canadians need to speak out against policies that put the country’s economy and people at risk.
“That’s not engaging in the hyperventilation we see from some on the left, it’s just a responsible assertion of Canadian interests.”
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