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PA Congressman presses Trump administration on refugees turned away from PHL

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, a Republican from Allentown, is seeking answers from the Trump administration concerning six Syrian Christian refugees turned away from Philadelphia International Airport Saturday despite family members saying they had valid visas.

Dent, an outspoken critic of President Trump's executive order temporarily restricting refugee admissions and immigration from seven largely-Muslim countries, has taken a particular interest in the plight of a group that was en route to his district when Trump signed his order, and were then turned away, without access to a lawyer, the Congressman wrote the administration.

The six family members, related to an Allentown dentist, had spent 14 years arranging their migration, only to be forced away after arriving in the U.S. The dentist, Ghassan Assali, is part of a lawsuit seeking to stop the Trump administration from blocking their entry again. The suit, filed Tuesday, was assigned to an Allentown judge.

"According to the family, all six individuals were holding valid immigrant visas and the paperwork for their green cards was in order at the time of their landing in Philadelphia," Dent wrote to the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol. The letter was dated Monday but released Tuesday evening. His district his home to a large Syrian Christian population.

Dent's letter asks for "corrective steps to be taken as soon as possible to honor their visas and entry into the United States."

Dent, a centrist voice who did not endorse Trump in November's election, also asked officials a series of questions, including asking about the individuals' current status, "what was the legal rationale" to deny them entry to the U.S. and "what corrective actions have been taken thus far to remedy the wrongful expulsion of these six individuals?"

The debate over Trump's order has continued to rage, with most Philadelphia-area Republicans praising the move, though criticizing its roll out, and Democrats strongly objecting.

You can follow Tamari on Twitter or email him at jtamari@phillynews.com.