“It is not compassionate, but reckless, to allow uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting cannot occur,” the President said. “Those given the high honor of admission to the United States should support this country and love its people and its values.

“We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America — we cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists,” Trump added. “That is why my Administration has been working on improved vetting procedures, and we will shortly take new steps to keep our nation safe — and to keep out those who would do us harm.”

The President’s executive order to restrict travel from seven Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — was challenged in court by numerous lawsuits, resulting in a temporary block on Feb 3. The block was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Feb. 9.

Hours before his speech to Congress, Trump suggested he was open to a legal pathway for undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S.

“The time is right for an immigration bill as long as there is compromise on both sides,” the president told TV anchors.