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    Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    Diplomats, Wall Street, more Republicans concerned over Trump travel ban

    Growing numbers of Republican lawmakers are expressing concerns about President Donald Trump’s executive order cracking down on immigration.

    GOP Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Tim Scott of South Carolina say in a joint statement that “the manner in which these measures were crafted and implemented have greatly contributed to the confusion, anxiety and uncertainty of the last few days.”

    Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania says that while he supports increased vetting, “Unfortunately, the initial executive order was flawed — it was too broad and poorly explained.”

    And Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas says that he supports thorough vetting, but does not support restricting the rights of lawful permanent residents. Moran adds, “Furthermore, far-reaching national security policy should always be devised in consultation with Congress and relevant government agencies.”

    Meanwhile, a number of U.S. diplomats have prepared a memo criticizing the travel ban.

    In a so-called “dissent cable,” being drafted for State Department leadership, the diplomats say the ban will not make the U.S. safe, runs counter to American values and will fuel anti-American sentiment around the world. They say the ban won’t produce a drop in terror attacks in the U.S., but instead “a drop in international good will towards Americans.”

    U.S. officials say several hundred diplomats have signed on and that the cable is expected to be formally submitted later Monday. The officials requested anonymity to disclose internal discussions.

    Dissent channel cables are a mechanism for U.S. diplomats to register disagreement internally about U.S. policies.

    Major Wall Street banks also are speaking out against the ban on refugees from several Muslim-majority countries.

    Citigroup CEO Mike Corbat said the company is concerned about the message the executive order sends and the impact immigration policies could have on the bank serving its clients and contributing to growth.

    At Goldman Sachs, which has several former executives in the Trump administration, CEO Lloyd Blankfein said the ban is not something Goldman supports and it has the potential to disrupt the firm.

    Executives at those and other banks say Trump’s order could unsettle their operations, break up families, and hurt the banks’ ability to do business outside the U.S.

    Like the technology industry, Wall Street banks have operations on nearly every continent and from many countries.

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