North Cook News

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) released a statement last week regarding her vote against blocking Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

“Last week’s tragic attacks in Paris and Lebanon were a horrific reminder of the threat that terrorism poses to our global community," Schakowsky said. "They also showed us the importance of coming together as one community to stand strong against those who wish to rip the world apart to serve their narrow ideological ends."

Schakowsky urged compassion toward the refugees, including the mothers trying to save their children from the violence in their home countries. The entry process requires high level security screenings and refugees wait a year or more for approval to enter the U.S. As a Jew, she reminded Americans of the Jewish experience, when those fleeing the Holocaust were turned away from America's shores and returned to Europe. Many of those refugees did not survive World War II and the German camps.

“In the wake of these tragic attacks it is important that our nation comes together and does not give in to the hateful rhetoric of fear and division," Schakowsky said. "Closing our borders at this precise moment would only deepen the problems in Syria and in the Middle East, creating many more down the road. Instead, let’s come together, welcome those in need and live up to the values of our country.”