The US President Donald Trump may be revising the executive ban that temporarily halted people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US and suspending Syrian refugees indefinitely. But here are some things that he must consider before announcing the fresh executive order.
Indians urge that shutting doors to immigrants would be like shunning the most fundamental value as a country that welcomes refugees.
Dr Jyotsna Reddy, a retired physician and founder of SV Temple in Minnesota feels that illegal immigrants need to be stopped but in a right way. While talking about the ban she says, "America is our country at present (for some, it is a permanent home) and we are all living here for a long time and enjoying the benefits and serving the country even though we all came as immigrants/students/work visas. We need to follow and respect the present President 's policies whether we like or not.(Some of the policies are very uncomfortable and unbelievable.)
President Trump was elected by a lot of our Indians and at that time we did know what he will be doing if he gets elected and I am very confident India will not be on the "Ban list "even in future. Immigration has been a chronic problem with all the illegals coming from other countries, including India so something has to be done to take care of it in a right way that will benefit the country & people but not making people against each other."
The President while signing the executive order said that it was being done to fight terrorism, but reportedly nobody from the banned countries had killed a single American in the US soil as part of the terrorist attack since 2001.
The executive ban was imposed on January 27 and nearly all travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries were left stranded after halted from coming to the US.
"It is unimaginable that some of the most fundamental aspects of a democracy such as civil liberties, free press, and the right to protest and organize are under siege. It is hard to reconcile with the surreal rhetoric and policy developments, " says one of the residents on the basis of anonymity.
She adds, "Everything that has happened so far needs to be protested with civic and legal action. There is no room for inaction when policies are predicated by hate and bigotry. It is irrelevant whether or not India/Indian nationals are subject of a target. The larger point is the administration has targeted other nationals and communities.
I would really hope that we are proactive in drafting a response to the developments, that we remain vigilant, and show solidarity with other immigrant groups. I think it will be important that we remain organized and active in advocacy."
The ban caused confusion not only in the US but in Mexico and Canada as well. Visa and green card holders, as well as the dual citizens, were also caught in the ban. However, the ban was struck down nationwide by judge James Robart and Trump's emergency appeal was also denied. Now the justice department has decided to revise the order and re-file it.
Ekta Prakash, Executive Director of Capi (Immigrant and Refugee non-profit) says, "We at CAPI are concerned that this order will negatively impact the Refugee and Immigrant Community we serve. Many refugees are fearful of what this order may do to themselves and their families, and that it may increase Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment. We are a nation that values the contributions made by refugees and immigrants. By shutting the doors to these groups, we are shunning some of our most fundamental values as a country that welcomes refugees. We are proud of our work and will continue to do our best! We will continue to engage, build, and provide informal support to allow us to have one voice and uplift the mission by "Guiding Refugees and Immigrants in their journey towards self-determination."
Raj Chaudhary, Executive Director of Sewa-Aifw, Minneapolis, sums it up with, "America is formed on a solid constitution. There are checks and balances. The two-party system puts our faith in our system. There is the law of the land that prevails. And I am thankful for that. I hope the advocacy for basic human rights and dignity will prevail. God bless."
