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Tom Crann and Cody Nelson

Walz: Customs officials refused to discuss travel ban

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U.S. Congressman Tim Walz
U.S. Congressman Tim Walz
Courtesy of Walz's office

U.S. Rep. Tim Walz wanted to know how President Trump's immigration executive order was affecting travelers to Minnesota.

He tried his usual channels, to no avail. After calling "every single person that we could call," Walz said he went to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to get some clarity.

Walz, a Democratic congressman from Mankato, said he generally gets answers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection at his home state airport.

Not this time.

"They just had a prepared statement and they were very clear they have been instructed not to answer any questions," Walz said in an interview with All Things Considered host Tom Crann.

Walz said he "doesn't think" anyone in his district has been detained or was not allowed in with a Green Card.

Trump's order, which came down Friday, temporarily stopped any refugees from coming to the U.S. and restricted travel from seven Muslim majority nations.

How the order should be enforced is still hazy. Acting attorney general Sally Yates told her staff not to enforce it on Monday. Trump fired her that night.

The White House has given conflicting messages on whether the order constituted a "travel ban."

When Walz was trying to get some clarity on how his constituents might be affected, he said it was clear customs officials were told not to speak with anyone.

"It seemed to me that people were probably pretty nervous about their jobs," Walz said. "That's not the way this should work. We have oversight responsibility."

Walz's district voted overwhelmingly for Trump in the election.

Trump campaigned on a message of boosting national security, and Walz said he's been reelected for the same issue.

But Trump's order missed the mark for Walz and some of his constituents, he said.

"These are not racist people, these are not people who want to turn away refugees who are in need," Walz said of his district. "They want to get them here. They are concerned that they're vetted correctly.

"They are concerned they're playing by the rules. But these are people when they talk to me say, 'Yeah, but this boggled executive order just made it harder to do some of those things.'"