WEBVTT

1
00:00:24.465 --> 00:00:26.022
SECRETARY TILLERSON:
Hello, good morning. And thank you for

2
00:00:26.022 --> 00:00:32.302
joining us. The Executive Order signed
by the President earlier today

3
00:00:32.302 --> 00:00:37.197
protecting the nation from foreign
terrorist entry into the United States

4
00:00:37.197 --> 00:00:41.819
is a vital measure for strengthening
our national security.

5
00:00:41.819 --> 00:00:45.955
It is the President’s solemn duty to
protect the American people,

6
00:00:45.955 --> 00:00:50.017
and with this order, President Trump
is exercising his rightful authority

7
00:00:50.017 --> 00:00:53.081
to keep our people safe.

8
00:00:53.081 --> 00:00:57.592
As threats to our security continue
to evolve and change, common sense

9
00:00:57.592 --> 00:01:03.065
dictates that we continually reevaluate
and reassess the systems we rely upon

10
00:01:03.065 --> 00:01:05.405
to protect our country.

11
00:01:05.405 --> 00:01:10.122
While no system can be made completely
infallible, the American people can have

12
00:01:10.122 --> 00:01:14.717
high confidence we are identifying ways
to improve the vetting process,

13
00:01:14.717 --> 00:01:18.608
and thus keep terrorists from entering
our country.

14
00:01:18.608 --> 00:01:23.504
To our allies and partners around the
world, please understand this order

15
00:01:23.504 --> 00:01:27.967
is part of our ongoing efforts to
eliminate vulnerabilities that radical,

16
00:01:27.967 --> 00:01:32.393
Islamist terrorists can and will exploit
for destructive ends.

17
00:01:32.393 --> 00:01:36.688
The State Department will coordinate
with other federal agencies and implement

18
00:01:36.688 --> 00:01:40.764
these temporary restrictions in an
orderly manner.

19
00:01:40.764 --> 00:01:44.757
Our embassies and consulates around the
world will play an important role in

20
00:01:44.757 --> 00:01:49.323
making sure that our nation is as
secure as it can be.

21
00:01:49.323 --> 00:01:52.740
And the State Department will implement
the provisions in this order,

22
00:01:52.740 --> 00:01:57.211
that allow for the admissions of refugees
when it is determined they do not pose

23
00:01:57.211 --> 00:02:02.286
a risk to the security or
welfare of the United States.

24
00:02:02.286 --> 00:02:06.639
Upon the President’s initial executive
order, issued on January the 27th,

25
00:02:06.639 --> 00:02:10.922
the State Department’s Consular Affairs
and Diplomatic Security Offices

26
00:02:10.922 --> 00:02:14.397
immediately undertook a review in
coordination with the

27
00:02:14.397 --> 00:02:18.337
Department of Homeland Security, to
identify additional measures that

28
00:02:18.337 --> 00:02:22.605
would strengthen our vetting of those
seeking entry to the United States

29
00:02:22.605 --> 00:02:28.497
from seven named countries. These
early efforts were concentrated on Iraq.

30
00:02:28.497 --> 00:02:34.683
Iraq is an important ally in the fight
to defeat ISIS, with their brave soldiers

31
00:02:34.683 --> 00:02:39.485
fighting in close coordination with
America’s men and women in uniform.

32
00:02:39.485 --> 00:02:44.941
This intense review over the past month
identified multiple security measures

33
00:02:44.941 --> 00:02:50.424
that the State Department and the government
of Iraq will be implementing to achieve

34
00:02:50.424 --> 00:02:55.761
our shared objective of preventing those
with criminal or terroristic intent

35
00:02:55.761 --> 00:02:58.563
from reaching the United States.

36
00:02:58.563 --> 00:03:03.247
I want to express my appreciation to
Prime Minister al-Abadi of Iraq, for his

37
00:03:03.247 --> 00:03:08.378
positive engagement and support for
implementing these actions.

38
00:03:08.378 --> 00:03:12.090
The United States welcomes this kind of
close cooperation with countries in

39
00:03:12.090 --> 00:03:16.984
every region of the world, who share
our commitment to national security.

40
00:03:16.984 --> 00:03:21.441
This revised order will bolster the
security of the United States and

41
00:03:21.441 --> 00:03:28.053
her allies. Now we’ve spent the morning
briefing the Congress, the press, and

42
00:03:28.053 --> 00:03:32.024
we will continue to talk with key
stakeholders this afternoon.

43
00:03:32.024 --> 00:03:36.324
Experts from the Department of Homeland
Security, the Department of Justice,

44
00:03:36.324 --> 00:03:40.220
and the State Department hosted an
hour-long call with the media on this

45
00:03:40.220 --> 00:03:42.167
topic this morning.

46
00:03:42.167 --> 00:03:45.146
Our collective teams will continue,
throughout the day, to follow up with

47
00:03:45.146 --> 00:03:49.860
the Congress, the media, and stakeholders
to answer your questions.

48
00:03:49.860 --> 00:03:55.120
I’ll now turn it to the Attorney
General for his comments.

49
00:03:56.297 --> 00:03:58.384
ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS:
Thank you Mr. Secretary.

50
00:03:58.384 --> 00:04:01.851
And good morning to all of you.
One of the Justice Department’s top

51
00:04:01.851 --> 00:04:06.552
priorities is to protect the United
States from threats to our national

52
00:04:06.552 --> 00:04:10.630
security. Therefore, I want to discuss
two points.

53
00:04:10.630 --> 00:04:15.368
First, the national security basis of
this order, and second, the Department

54
00:04:15.368 --> 00:04:20.222
of Justice’s role in defending the
lawful orders of the President of the

55
00:04:20.222 --> 00:04:25.703
United States. First, as President Trump
noted in his address to Congress, the

56
00:04:25.703 --> 00:04:30.655
majority of people convicted in our
courts for terrorism related offenses

57
00:04:30.655 --> 00:04:36.198
since 9/11 came here from abroad.
We also know that many people seeking

58
00:04:36.198 --> 00:04:41.311
to support or commit terrorist acts
will try to enter through our refugee

59
00:04:41.311 --> 00:04:47.642
program. In fact, today, more than 300
people, according to the FBI, who came

60
00:04:47.642 --> 00:04:54.929
here as refugees, are under an FBI
investigation today for potential

61
00:04:54.929 --> 00:04:57.903
terrorism related activities.

62
00:04:57.903 --> 00:05:02.365
Like every nation, the United States
has a right to control who enters

63
00:05:02.365 --> 00:05:06.899
our country and to keep out those
who would do us harm.

64
00:05:06.899 --> 00:05:11.632
This executive order seeks to protect
the American people, as well as lawful

65
00:05:11.632 --> 00:05:16.490
immigrants by putting in place an
enhanced screening and vetting process

66
00:05:16.490 --> 00:05:20.927
for visitors from six countries.
Three of these nations are

67
00:05:20.927 --> 00:05:23.883
state sponsors of terrorism.

68
00:05:23.883 --> 00:05:27.961
The other three have served as safe
havens for terrorist countries,

69
00:05:27.961 --> 00:05:32.852
countries where governments have lost
control of their territory to terrorist

70
00:05:32.852 --> 00:05:38.578
groups like ISIL or Al Qaeda, and
its affiliates. This increases the risk

71
00:05:38.578 --> 00:05:44.343
that people are admitted here from these
countries may belong to terrorist groups

72
00:05:44.343 --> 00:05:48.916
or may have been radicalized by them.
We cannot compromise our nation’s

73
00:05:48.916 --> 00:05:54.502
security by allowing visitors entry
when their own governments are unable

74
00:05:54.502 --> 00:06:00.562
or unwilling to provide the information
we need to vet them responsibly.

75
00:06:00.562 --> 00:06:06.212
Or when those governments actively
support terrorism. This executive order

76
00:06:06.212 --> 00:06:12.855
responsibly provides a needed pause.
We can, so we can carefully review how

77
00:06:12.855 --> 00:06:18.066
we scrutinize people coming here
from these countries of concern.

78
00:06:18.066 --> 00:06:22.725
Second, the Department of Justice
believes that this executive order,

79
00:06:22.725 --> 00:06:28.289
just as the first executive order,
is a lawful and proper exercise of

80
00:06:28.289 --> 00:06:30.448
presidential authority.

81
00:06:30.448 --> 00:06:34.608
This Department of Justice will
defend and enforce lawful orders

82
00:06:34.608 --> 00:06:39.432
of the President, consistent with the
core principles of our Constitution.

83
00:06:39.432 --> 00:06:45.610
The executive is empowered, under the
Constitution, and by Congress, to

84
00:06:45.610 --> 00:06:50.843
make national security judgements
and to enforce our immigration policies

85
00:06:50.843 --> 00:06:57.583
in order to safeguard the American public.
Terrorism is clearly a danger for America

86
00:06:57.583 --> 00:07:02.627
and our people. The President gets
briefings on these dangers, and emerging

87
00:07:02.627 --> 00:07:08.067
threats on a regular basis.
The Federal Investigative Agencies,

88
00:07:08.067 --> 00:07:12.505
the Intelligence Community, the
Department of State, the Department

89
00:07:12.505 --> 00:07:14.176
of Homeland Security, and the

90
00:07:14.176 --> 00:07:18.696
United States Military report
to the President.

91
00:07:18.696 --> 00:07:23.446
Knowing the President would best
possess such extensive information,

92
00:07:23.446 --> 00:07:29.283
our founders wisely gave the Executive
Branch the authority and the duty to

93
00:07:29.283 --> 00:07:36.711
protect the nation. This executive
order is a proper exercise of that power.

94
00:07:36.711 --> 00:07:40.877
Now, I will turn things over to our
able Secretary, John Kelly, of the

95
00:07:40.877 --> 00:07:43.877
Department of Homeland Security. John?

96
00:07:44.638 --> 00:07:48.283
SECRETARY KELLY:
Thank you, Mr. Attorney General.

97
00:07:48.283 --> 00:07:50.863
Well, like the Secretary of State
and the Attorney General,

98
00:07:50.863 --> 00:07:54.661
I welcome you here today. My comments
will be relatively brief. Last week,

99
00:07:54.661 --> 00:07:58.226
the Department of Homeland Security
celebrated its 14th anniversary of

100
00:07:58.226 --> 00:08:04.940
first opening its doors on 1 March, 2003.
This secretariat was established in

101
00:08:04.940 --> 00:08:09.475
response to the devastating attacks of
September 11th, when foreign terrorists

102
00:08:09.475 --> 00:08:14.429
turned a beautiful, but ordinary day,
into a nightmare. Those attacks taught

103
00:08:14.429 --> 00:08:18.825
us that we could not take our nation’s
security for granted. That homeland

104
00:08:18.825 --> 00:08:23.036
security must be our top priority.
And that we needed to overcome our

105
00:08:23.036 --> 00:08:27.768
collective inability to connect the
dots of intelligence and arrange them

106
00:08:27.768 --> 00:08:32.613
into a more comprehensive picture of
the threats posed to America, and our

107
00:08:32.613 --> 00:08:37.549
way of life. Though much has changed
over the past 14 years, both in the world,

108
00:08:37.549 --> 00:08:43.215
that is more dangerous, and at DHS,
which is much better. The fact remains

109
00:08:43.215 --> 00:08:46.189
that we are not immune to terrorist
threats and that our enemies often

110
00:08:46.189 --> 00:08:51.419
use our own freedoms and generosity
against us. Today’s executive order,

111
00:08:51.419 --> 00:08:54.867
which President Trump signed this
morning, will make America more secure

112
00:08:54.867 --> 00:08:59.253
and address long-overdue concerns
about the security of our immigration

113
00:08:59.253 --> 00:09:04.076
system. We must undertake a rigorous
review and are undertaking a rigorous

114
00:09:04.076 --> 00:09:08.567
review, of our immigration vetting
programs to increase our confidence

115
00:09:08.567 --> 00:09:12.540
in the decisions we make relative
to visitors and immigrants that

116
00:09:12.540 --> 00:09:16.105
travel to the United States.
We cannot risk the prospect of

117
00:09:16.105 --> 00:09:21.941
malevolent actors using our immigration
system to take American lives.

118
00:09:21.941 --> 00:09:25.450
This executive order is prospective
in nature. Its focus is on preventing

119
00:09:25.450 --> 00:09:30.301
the entry of new foreign nationals
from the six designated countries.

120
00:09:30.301 --> 00:09:33.812
Accordingly, it is important to note
that nothing in this executive order

121
00:09:33.812 --> 00:09:38.091
affects existing, lawful, permanent
residents or persons with current

122
00:09:38.091 --> 00:09:43.968
authorization to enter our homeland.
Unregulated, unvetted travel is not

123
00:09:43.968 --> 00:09:49.331
a universal privilege, especially when
national security is at stake.

124
00:09:49.331 --> 00:09:52.456
The White House worked closely with
the Department of Homeland Security,

125
00:09:52.456 --> 00:09:55.712
the Department of Justice, and the
Department of State, to create an

126
00:09:55.712 --> 00:09:59.595
order that addresses previous concerns
and protects the homeland and

127
00:09:59.595 --> 00:10:01.667
every one of our citizens.

128
00:10:01.667 --> 00:10:05.891
The men and women of the Department
of Homeland Security, like their

129
00:10:05.891 --> 00:10:10.455
brothers and sisters throughout law
enforcement, are decent men and women

130
00:10:10.455 --> 00:10:16.219
of character, and conscience. They are no
less so than the governors of our

131
00:10:16.219 --> 00:10:23.424
states and territories, of our senators and
members of Congress, of our city mayors

132
00:10:23.424 --> 00:10:29.435
in various advocacy groups. These men
and women are sworn to enforce the laws,

133
00:10:29.435 --> 00:10:34.540
as passed by the United States Congress,
and would be in violation of the law,

134
00:10:34.540 --> 00:10:42.111
in their sworn oaths, if they did not do
so. We do not make the law, but are sworn

135
00:10:42.111 --> 00:10:47.490
to enforce it. We have no other option.
We are going to work closely to implement

136
00:10:47.490 --> 00:10:52.988
and enforce it humanely, respectfully,
and with professionalism, but we will

137
00:10:52.988 --> 00:10:58.571
enforce the law. I want to thank the
President for his leadership on this issue,

138
00:10:58.571 --> 00:11:02.150
and for his steadfast support for our
important law enforcement security

139
00:11:02.150 --> 00:11:07.147
and counter-terrorism mission.
Again, as previously mentioned, I have

140
00:11:07.147 --> 00:11:11.678
spent much of the day today on the phone,
with members of Congress, the leadership,

141
00:11:11.678 --> 00:11:16.000
explaining the ins and outs of this EO
and I did the same thing last week,

142
00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:20.666
so there should be no surprises whether
it’s in the media or on Capitol Hill.

143
00:11:20.666 --> 00:11:24.164
Thanks very much, and thanks for your time.