'So ISIS will hate us now?' TV host stumps migration expert during car-crash interview
FOX NEWS host Tucker Carlson destroyed a prominent migrant campaigner during a heated on-air debate following Donald Trump's decision to suspend the US refugee programme.
Migrant advocate says taking in refugees makes US safer
Kevin Appleby, a migrant advocate, was left squirming during the car-crash interview as he desperately tried to defend the merits of the refugee influx.
The heated on-air spat comes after Donald Trump officially suspended the US refugee programme and banned Syrians indefinitely.
Mr Appleby, who works for Migration and Refugee Services Office of Migration and Refugee Policy, attempted to condemn the President's controversial policy.
However, when he was left at a loss for words after the Fox News host persistently asked him for specific benefits of the refugee resettlement programme.
At one point during the interview, Mr Appleby even mentioned that the US had made Syria safer because of its efforts in accepting refugees.
The conservative news anchor went head-to-head over the refugee ban
As part of his stream of executive orders, President Trump banned the entry of Syrian refugees into the US yesterday until further notice.
The wide-ranging measures also banned all refugee admissions for four months.
He halted visas being issued to nationals of six Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, for three months.
Mr Trump said the measures were intended to "keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the US".
In response to this, Mr Applebly told the Fox News host Mr Carlson that Mr Trump was making a mistake.
He argued that accepting refugees had made America safer, rather than more vulnerable to terrorism.
He said: "This is both a soft power move and a humanitarian gesture.
"Refugees are not threats. It takes them 2-3 years to get into this country
"We have to show global leadership. Otherwise, the world is chaos."
President Trump banned the entry of Syrian refugees into the US until further notice
Wild Harvest campaign to help female refugees in France
Why is it a Christian duty if you are forcing others to pay for resettlements?
Mr Carlson persistently asked the migrant advocate to give him just one benefits of the refugee programme.
He asked: "What’s in it for Americans citizens? Name me one benefit the US has derived from the refugee resettlement.
"Your claim is that it is an ISIS recruiting tool, that unless we let in people from Syria, ISIS is going to hate us?
"But don't they already hate us?"
The conservative television anchor pointed to the Boston bombings as well as attacks reported in Minnesota as evidence of the threat refugees pose to Americans.
Mr Carlson argued: "They were refugees brought here at public expense.
"You say it's a Christian duty to accept them, but what is Christian if you are forcing others to pay for resettlements?
"They are forcing me and other Americans to pay. How is that virtuous?"
Rights groups have condemned the move
Mr Carlson persistently pressed his guest on the benefit of refugees
Last year, Mr Obama's administration admitted 10,000 Syrian refugees into the US.
During the election campaign, Mr Trump suggested a "total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".
Many left-leaning politicians condemned yesterday's move, noting that the order had been signed on Holocaust Memorial Day
Democrat Senator Kamala Harris said: "During the Holocaust, we failed to let refugees like Anne Frank into our country. We can't let history repeat itself."
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was "profoundly saddened" and the president had sent "a shamefully different message" than the country's founding beliefs.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg also posted a lengthy note, saying he was "concerned" about the president's executive orders.