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Immigration executive order is un-American

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On Friday, Jan. 27, President Trump signed a far-reaching executive order on immigration.

This order bans immigration from seven Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – for 90 days, suspends all refugee admission for 120 days and bars Syrian refugees indefinitely.

This ban that originally included people on any U.S. visa category (such as green-card holders) has since been revised to apply to people who, regardless of status, seem suspicious. What doesn’t seem to make sense is why these countries were selected. President Trump has claimed national security and preventing terrorism as the motive behind the executive order.

However, no one has been killed in the U.S. by anyone from these countries. If anything, these actions propagate Islamophobia and hatred, and further the cause of terrorists who use these type of instances to justify their behavior.

While this is the most obvious part of the ban, there are other important takeaways from the order. The order says, “The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the President a list of countries recommended for inclusion,” implying that this ban has the potential to extend far beyond just the current seven countries. However, in some ways, it already does because no refugees from any country are allowed for 120 days.

Another alarming section of the order gives priority to non-Muslim refugees. The order declares prioritization for “refugee claims made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality.”

For all who refuse to admit it, this is a Muslim ban. Even though President Trump says it isn’t, that doesn’t mean his actions do not have that exact consequence.

This is obviously religion-based discrimination because all the countries included in this ban are Muslim countries. Therefore, people of minority faiths in these countries, such as Christians, will be allowed entry into the U.S.

The impacts of this ban have been widely seen this weekend, as people were detained at airports across the U.S. About 375 were impacted, in the form of being denied entry into the U.S., or stopped from boarding flights to the U.S. Large amounts of people also showed up to airports to display their support for the detained individuals.

Countries that have been included in the ban, such as Iran, have expressed how offended they are by President Trump’s actions. Since this order has been implemented, the American Civil Liberties Union has sustained a federal court order that grants an emergency stay for the people who have already made it to the U.S., or are in transit.

Besides the fact that the countries chosen don’t pose a threat to the U.S., this ban sends a very clear message to people everywhere. Following the rules, and even respecting the U.S. Constitution, does not mean you will be treated fairly. There are countless amounts of people who have waited their turn and respected the immigration process, and yet are still being denied entry into the U.S.

Whether or not you follow the rules, you still get punished.

Everything about this ban screams “un-American.” Diversity is what makes this country such a great place to live. Blocking an entire region of the world in the name of “national security” is not an effective way to stop terrorism, and instead it inhibits diversity.  

For the individuals that think people aren’t justified in being terrified for their well-being under Trump’s administration, you’re wrong.

People have every reason to feel worried or scared for all the uncertainty that is going to follow them. If this is any indication of what the next four years are going to be, people have every right to feel upset. Regardless, we need to continue to be vigilant and stand up for our rights and the rights of the people around us.

Fariha Jawed is an accounting and political science junior and can be reached at [email protected]

3 Comments

  • if it is a Muslim ban as you say, why are Indonesia (most populous Muslim country in the world), Turkey, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia or Saudi Arabia (where almost 100 percent are Muslim) not included on that list?
    The countries included have clear ties to supporting radicalists or governments that are hostile or unstable. Want to bet that Iran doesn’t “pose a threat to the US”?

    The director of our FBI himself says “we can query our database until the cows come home but we are not going to — there will be nothing show up because we have no record on that person”.
    A temporary stop to refugees until we can put in place strong appropriate screening procedures.

    Why are you not upset that wealthy gulf states in the same region refuse to take in any refugees? Are they racist too or does the argument only apply to America?

  • What does Fairy, my ‘eternal’ friend, know about being an American? Whether you were born here or in Iran, I don’t care.

    Now whether Fairy loves or hates America is another thing, but the viewpoint of this piece was written clearly from the standpoint of an America Hater.

    Prior to the the 1960’s, most immigrants came to our shores because they actually wanted to become American. They wanted to work, and make a better life for themselves and their families. Immigration was actually suspended from 1924 to 1965 to allow the immigrants here to assimilate into society. And we are in desperate need for another such period. There is precedent there.

    In the 1970’s, Schoolhouse Rock videos educated children about how Bills become Law, and other topics. They also did a video on “The Great American Melting Pot”, about immigrants coming to America, which the Democrats long ago killed the saying in favor of creating Balkinized groups all with the idea of being beholding to the Democrat Party.

    Fairies calling of Trump’s Immigration EO un-American, and for all intensive purposes is … un-American. And I certainly hope that there is a file somewhere on her.

    Fairy is smart and cute, and presents a likable facade, but inside she may hold as much contempt and harboring of harm to the US as any ISIS terrorist. Yes, if you loath the US and wish it harm, you should be concerned that someone may be watching.

    President Trump’s Executive Order is necessary to begin a process of ensuring our future safety and well being. Obama virtually gave terrorists an Equal Opportunity to kills us .. and hogtied Homeland Security by forcing them to relax surveillance techniques that would have stopped terrorist attacks.

    So if this EO upsets a few people, so be it. If it upsets Fariha Jawed, then so be it. The needs of many American Citizens outweigh the needs of potential immigrants.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZQl6XBo64M

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