An alternative approach
IF the policy was about vetting refugees why wouldn't the administration tap the heads of immigration and homeland to come up with their assessment regarding vetting Syrian (for example) refugees and their recommendations regarding vetting and whether or not it's possible to vet them further. This administration could take that information and draft an executive order targeting the refugees or immigrants of "high risk" countries and institute a temporary ban until the new procedures could be put into place.
Would that not target the claimed "issues" in question?
Instead, it's a sweeping order against green card holders and high risk countries...only if you're a Muslim? Not if you're a christian or minority religious group? (Why wouldn't terrorists just lie about their religious beliefs?)
This isn't about security. The proper way to approach an issue isn't lost on the heads of these agencies or GOP leadership.
It's racially fueled populism. I don't see any argument where his order makes any sense and I'm not referring to the cost of alienating millions of legal residents and over a billion Muslims abroad. Because we can disagree on the intangible costs, but it's pretty hard to disagree on whether this move was anything other than racially charged populism in the name of security. If it wasn't it would have been approached with care and sincerity to solve a problem.
Putting my opinion out there.