"You can't just turn your back on what made America great," U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer said.
OAKLAND -- New Jersey's newest member of Congress is questioning President Trump's executive order barring Syrian refugees and residents of seven nations from entering the United States.
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer said his wife's grandparents settled in the U.S. after escaping the Holocaust.
"You can't just turn your back on what made America great," Gottheimer said on Saturday.
Gottheimer, a Democrat from Wyckoff who took office Jan. 3, spoke with NJ Advance Media during his "Cup of Joe with Josh" event at the Lenape Valley Diner.
Some at the diner asked Gottheimer about Trump, who on Friday issued an executive order suspending the Syrian refugee program and barring entry from seven predominantly Muslim nations for 90 days.
Since ousting former Republican Rep. Scott Garrett last fall, Gottheimer has noted areas in which he agrees with Republicans, such as in scaling back federal regulations.
However, on the immigration ban, he drew a sharp distinction between himself and Trump's executive order.
"I woke up this morning deeply concerned," Gottheimer said.
Gottheimer said that, while he understands the importance of closely screening new arrivals, that "the United States has always had good processes in place."
He alluded to the inscription welcoming immigrants on the base of the Statue of Liberty.
"That is so core to who we are. It's what's made our economy great and helped our economy grow. It's what's made America the melting pot and such a rich place to live, and a culturally rich place to live," Gottheimer said.
Gottheimer expressed hope that Trump will reconsider after the 90-day review.
"I'm hopeful that the president will hear such an outcry to taking draconian measures that when after the review is over, he'll understand that we need to be vigilant, (have) very strict review policies on who we let in -- but that we don't shut down our borders from letting people in our country who want to be here," Gottheimer said.
Gottheimer represents the Fifth District, which includes parts of Bergen, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties.
Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.