This week the administration finally released the newest version of the Trump administration’s travel ban. The new order entitled, Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States executive order does not include the controversial religious litmus test that prioritizes Christian refugees over Muslims and eliminates the indefinite suspension of the Syrian refugee resettlement program.
In addition to these changes, Iraq was removed from the list of countries facing a travel ban, and the administration exempted legal permanent residents and those with existing visas as well.
{mosads}Despite the removal of some of the more controversial aspects, the new order still retains the same hateful core message and intent. The Trump administration continues to scapegoat immigrants and refugees and paint them with one brush as violent individuals bringing crime and violence into our country.
One of the most nefarious actions of the order has remained the same in both iterations of the executive order. According to the order, the refugee resettlement program will be suspended and will halt the flow of refugees into the United States for 120 days. With the stroke of a pen, the President has effectively closed the doors of our country to some of the world’s most vulnerable individuals—and not just those coming from the Middle East. Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Bhutan, and other countries will be barred from seeking asylum in the United States, putting their safety at risk.
We don’t have to look across the ocean to find refugees that will be affected by this ban. Since 2014, our organization has closely monitored the humanitarian crisis in the Northern Triangle of Central America that contains the countries of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Over the past couple of years, thousands of unaccompanied children from these countries have fled their countries and sought asylum in the United States. Tens of thousands report unspeakable acts of violence and are willing to leave their families and lives behind to have just one chance at safety in the United States.
In response to the crisis, the Central American Minors (CAM) refugee program was created to allow some of the minors to apply for asylum from their home countries or from Costa Rica depending on the level of the threat. Under the program, thousands of children have successfully received asylum in the United States and have escaped the threat of murder, sexual slavery, and forced gang recruitment in their country of origin. However this program is suspended under the new executive order, leaving more than 9,000 current applicants in limbo and subjecting thousands to the terror of daily life in these countries.
These children are not terrorists and they do not pose a security risk to the United States. In fact, refugees are some of the most highly-vetted people entering the United States, with their information passing through various federal agencies including the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. The vetting process was established by the Refugee Act of 1980 and since then has resulted in the admission of 3 million refugees—none of whom have been implicated in any fatal terrorist attacks.
Trump’s latest attempt at a ban is yet another attempt at assaulting the American values of diversity and inclusivity. It pits our communities against each other and runs contrary to our historical immigration narrative. Despite how Donald Trump wants to frame the conversation, he can’t change the fact that we are a nation of immigrants and refugees. Our American story is composed of the experiences of those fleeing persecution, finding refuge, and building a new life and home from nothing.
As a result of his actions, families will be separated and innocent civilians will be at the mercy of repressive governments, wars, and organized crime; and will not be able to look to the United States as a standard-bearer for human rights. With just one executive order, the President has decimated American values and shown the world that the perceived insecurities of Trump’s political base are more important that the safety and security of some of the most vulnerable population. Instead of focusing on the complexities of foreign policy to help explain terrorism and regional instability, Trump has taken the easy approach by doing what he does best: taking advantage of those in a vulnerable position and exploiting them to serve his own political self-interest.
Brent Wilkes is the executive director of the League of Latin American Citizens, which advocates for the political, economic and educational rights of Hispanic Americas. Follow him on Twitter@BrentWilkes. Follow LULAC on Twitter @LULAC
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