President Trump released a revised version of his previous travel ban on June 30. The second ban is still too strict on who can come into the country and for what reasons. The six nations banned are Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Iran, excluding Iraq, which was included in the original executive order.
In order to gain entry, ties to the country must be proven with: an approved family member, a green card or visa valid before the ban, a university tie or with diplomats. It seems that all the bases are covered, right? Well, the issue now lies in what can be determined as a “close tie” by those in charge.
This part shocked me the most was the mandate that grandparents are not considered “close family members” but step-parents are. Refugees can’t always prove a connection to the country. Refugee organizations are arguing that they are at a disadvantage since they usually can’t prove they’re connected to the United States through the family ties requirement.
The ban will go into effect July 7. There’s also a 50,000 refugee cap included in the legislation. According to the U.S. Department of State, 49,009 refugees have entered the country this fiscal year. The July 6 date is when Trump assumes the cap will have been reached for this fiscal year, which ends October 1.
The Supreme Court has stated that there may be exceptions for refugees who want to come in, but will exceed the cap. This ban will affect significantly fewer people than the first draft, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay. While I am all for protecting our country and keeping America safe, I just don’t think barring people from predominately Muslim countries is the way to do it.
This isn’t the first time America has banned outsiders due to the impression that a certain group will wreak havoc on our picture-perfect way of living. Does anyone remember the Japanese internment camps in World War II? Did we just forget the second Red Scare and the House Un-American Activities Committee?
Americans forget this country was built by people fleeing religious persecution, and that the constitution was written by men who were tired of being under the thumb of an oppressive king. Those seeking a better life for themselves and their families flooded the shores of America, brave enough to begin a new life in a foreign land.
We cannot operate under a “what if” scenario forever. You can’t account for the course of life and the unknown. Due to our own ignorance, we too often remove ourselves from integrating with immigrants from Muslim majority nations.
I am not surprised in Trump’s actions, but I am disappointed. I would hope by now we could have learned from our past.
I just hope this works out for the best and people see the hypocrisy of their actions. Otherwise, it’ll be another skeleton in the closet of the American people.
LSU political science and Spanish senior Morgan Johnson presents her opinion about President Donald Trump's immigration executive order on Feb. 1, 2017 in the Quad.
