Newsletter by Carmen Chen
It was an astonishing moment for America when our new president Donald Trump announced his executive order on immigration, banning people of the seven Muslim countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen -- from coming into the United States. People, especially immigrants, are terrified after Trump introduced his ambitious plans for “Mak[ing] America great again” during his campaign. Now he is trying to fulfill his promise, bringing a nightmare for millions of immigrants.
His executive order bars all citizens from the seven Muslim countries, which are considered as “countries of concern,” from entering the United States for the next 90 days. Regardless of its ephemerality, what makes this order more alarming is that these countries are just the very first seven on Trump’s immigration ban list. It’s going to be expanding in the future.
Refugees from all over the world are also the victims of President Trump’s immigration policy. He is prohibiting all the refugees to come in. Though he beautifies his orders by claiming that they are protecting the country from foreign terrorists, people are still having doubts about whether these orders will keep them safe or create more chaos and panic in the future instead.
Besides Trump’s words, people’s opinions should be heard and put into consideration. In order to have an idea of how the public views this ban affair, I interviewed four of my peers. One student is from Yemen, one of the seven countries on the banning list, and three other students are not directly affected by Mr. Trump’s policy but serious and concerned about the contemporary situation. One from Dominican Republic, one from Niger, and another from Senegal. There are four questions in total and we are going to have a close look at each of them.
Question One:
What do you think of Donald Trump’s immigration ban?
Student 1 from Yemen:
“I think that immigration ban is a huge issue… and to stop them from coming to the United States is injustice because immigrants are people who are making America great. As Trump said, ‘he will make America great again.’ If he wants to make America great again, then it won't be great without immigrants.”
Student 2 from Dominican Republic:
“I think that Donald Trump’s immigration ban is act of discrimination and intolerance. Terrorism can come from any country. Religion or culture has nothing to do with it. I see the immigration ban as segregation.”
Student 3 from Niger:
“I believe president Trump is trying to help his country the best way he can, but his immigration ban policy is the wrong way to do so. Many good immigrants has come to this country for a chance to success and president Trump can't go around snatching people's dreams. Besides this country was founded and developed by immigrants.”
Student 4 from Senegal:
“I think what he did is wrong because United States is made for immigrants. So he has no right to ban any group of people because of their beliefs or race. What he did he is disgrace to the American Society.”
It is not surprising that people with different backgrounds have the same overview on Donald Trump’s orders. Since many of his policies are made particularly to reform the immigration system in the United States, people who come from a different countries panic; they never know when they will be the next target.
Question Two:
Does his immigration policy affect you and your family?
Student 1 from Yemen:
“Yes, it affects me because I want to go to my country for marriage. However, I'm afraid that I won't come back as long as Trump’s decision includes Yemen, my country. On the other hand, it affects my family because my brother's wife is in Egypt. She has three children. Two of them are in America living with us, one is nine and the other is four years old. The other one is with her in Egypt. He is twelve years old. She has been there for about six months because there is a delayed in the process of coming to the US from the American Embassy. This affects our family and the two kids as well because they ask for their mom all the time.”
Student 2 from Dominican Republic:
“It does not affect my family, but it makes my family afraid. Now they think twice before they go out of the country. However, we are immigrant and we have sympathy to the people that come from countries that have being included in the list of the immigration ban.”
Student 3 from Niger:
“For now it does not affect me or my family because… we came here legally. So, I don't know what will happen in the future but for now we are not afraid.”
Student 4 from Senegal:
“This immigration policy doesn't affect me and my family, however it affects many of my good friends who are undocumented. I feel sorry for them because they are being deported for no reason, which I'm also scared of because I may never be able to see them again.”
Even though the ban does not affect their families, students have sympathy to those who are victims of our president’s startling action.
Question Three:
How do you feel after you know about the immigration policy?
Student 1, from Yemen:
“I feel bad and uncomfortable for the people who arrived to the airport and get deported because maybe they have family here is waiting for them.”
Student 2, from Niger:
“I'm not worried about myself but for my close friends and their families who are not documented. I also feel terrible about their situation because all of their years of hard work will soon be in van.”
Student 3, from Dominican Republic:
“I feel angry, scared and confused. I still not believe that a person as Trump is the president of the United States. United States the land of the freedom.”
Student 4 from Senegal:
“I felt bad because… I know it affected some good people as well as some bad people. It also destroyed a person’s hope and dream.”
Question Four:
What do you think we should do to change the situation?
Even though these students come from different countries, they all reach to one consensus: stay together. They firmly state that all immigrants should stand for each other, support each other to fight for their rights and freedom. Mr. Trump is our president, but that title does not grant him the power to seize innocent people’s little wish, separate families, and disappoint the public, our faith on this Democratic government, with his theory of guarding against potential terrorists.
People have already reacted to Trump’s policy in action. On February 2nd, many bodegas owned by Yemeni in New York City were closed to protest Trump’s banning order.
“My family is detained at JFK.” Posts like this were on the window of bodgas on strike.
The New York Yemeni were very irritated and worried when they knew the immigration act was in effect. For them, the act is extremely unfair for them and for people from other six countries that are on the banning list. They have come here and been working painstakingly just for a better living. They have not caused any trouble in the public, and now they are judged unjustly by the government. Additionally, they are separated from their family by force. Husbands cannot see their wives, and the wives cannot see their children
Many Americans show support to Trump’s policy while others feel disappointed. For those who agree, the act is the best solution for them to gain back opportunity. They think that immigrants are those who take away their jobs and other social benefits. They are jealous to these immigrants and now they want to “purify” America by using Nationalism as an excuse. The others who disagree think that the executive order is obviously and ridiculously an act of discrimination. Also, the act can potentially put America into risk because it is like America sets the seven countries as its enemies, dragging itself into convoluted conflicts in the future. Trump is going to have a hard time dealing with foreign affairs as a result.
Overall, immigrants are diligent and intellectual. It is very hard for them to give up what they have in their countries and come to U.S. to start over, and they miraculously survive the journey! Many of them are good-behaving people, just like the native-born citizens. They are industrious. A large part of them is even paid under the minimum wage for long hours. Still, they are facing unjust treatments in America, especially for undocumented immigrants. They don’t get the same benefits as the native citizens and permanent residents get. The United States is a country that is made up of immigrants. Immigrants stimulate the growth in economics and contribute their knowledge in technology and many other fields of study. They should be treated more fairly instead of being judged discriminatively. At this point, at this urgent moment, all the immigrants should be stubborn on our position and enlarge our voice. If they don’t listen, we show them. We need to show our attitude, our opinion about what is really needed to be done right, by marching, by posting information on social media, by calling the mayor office, by making posters, by doing whatever we can to save this situation, by never stopping our action.