Franken, Klobuchar Meet With Minnesota Refugees On Travel Ban

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Senator Franken walked into a St. Paul office with his Democratic colleague Senator Klobuchar on Sunday - after meeting with Minnesotan refugees - they say are worried.

Senator Franken said Sunday, "What I got out of this is that this order is put together in a way that is terribly confusing."

Suud Olat was baffled. He joined the senators for Sunday morning's news conference. The Somali native and college student has been in Minnesota for a year.

"I'm not a terrorist, my name is Suud. I play soccer, I watch films just like any other person," Olat said.

And this is a story line he didn't want to be a part of. His parents just made it to the U.S. last month. His brother, who is waiting to leave the refugee camp, will now likely have to wait longer.

"I want to tell the world refugees are real people with real needs," Olat said.

A point that makes Senator Klobuchar emotional.

"If the new president wants to look at biometrics and some of the new technology that we think we could use more, I think that's a good thing. But you don't create chaos while you are doing it and you don't do it on the backs of these little girls who are waiting on their 4-year-old sister to come in," Klobuchar said.

Amidst protests here and beyond, Republican Congressman Tom Emmer stresses that this is not travel a ban, it's a temporary suspension.

"Everybody needs to take a deep breath, there is no litmus test based on religion, the administration and I understand it takes the seven countries identified by the Obama administration, not this administration, as the most dangerous countries when it comes to potential terrorists," Emmer said.

He and the Senators all agree: There needs to be more vetting against potential terrorists, but how to fairly do that isn't so clear.

The senators say they are working closely with immigration lawyers to help concerned Minnesotans.