Donald Trump’s Muslim Immigration Ban
Dr. Mozammel Haque
Donald
Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of
America on Friday, 20th of January 2017. There were protesters
clashed with police outside in Washington DC. Next day, Saturday, there was
hundreds and thousands of men and women of all ages took to the streets of
Washington DC. In the first week of his full working week, President Trump
issued around 13 Executive Orders, one of which is Muslim Immigration ban. President
imposed a blanket Muslim Travel ban on all refugees coming from seven Muslim
majority countries, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. That
provoked outcry, concerns, condemnations and legal confrontation in USA and
aboard.
In
this paper, I will mainly concentrate on President Donald Trump’s Muslim
Immigration ban, how the international community responded and reacted to it;
what is the opinion of the world leaders? This cruel, inhumane Muslim
immigration and refugee ban created another issue in the United Kingdom. Donald
Trump was invited by the UK Prime Minister Theresa May for state visit in her
first official meeting with the American President Donald Trump on 28 January
2017.
Later
on, President Trump issued another Revised Travel Ban on 7th of
March, 2017 which suffered legal setback again. Revised Travel Ban was blocked
by two Federal Judges, judges in Hawaii and Maryland saying President was
likely engaged in unconstitutional religious discrimination. (The Wall
Street Journal, 16 March, 2017). Countries included in the Revised Travel
Ban include Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Iraq was first
included in the list, but was taken off when the second travel ban was rolled
out.
Before
narrating, discussing and analysing the Muslim Travel ban, I would like to
start with President Donald Trump’s inauguration in rainy Friday amid
spontaneous protests in capital, Washington, DC and global women march and
issuance of executive orders. Muslim Travel ban is one of the executive orders
which was protested, condemned and criticised in America and abroad.
The
reaction and response to Donald Trump’s Muslim Immigration ban in the United
Kingdom will be dealt with in the next write-up where it would also be
mentioned about Donald Trump’s visit to the United Kingdom which was debated in
the British parliament.
Inauguration Ceremony
Donald
Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on the
rainy Friday, 20th of January 2017 amid anti-Trump protesters
clashed with police in the US capital, Washington DC. The number of protests
against and rallies for Trump taking place on Friday is far above what has been
typical at recent US presidential inaugurations.
.
Women March on Washington
Hundreds
of thousands of men and women of all ages have taken to the streets of
Washington DC on Saturday, 21st of January 2017 to march in
opposition to President Donald Trump, a day after the Republican took office, as
sister demonstrations took place in cities across Africa, Asia and Europe. It
was one of more than 600 rallies taking place worldwide on the new US
President’s first full day in office rallying around issues like women's
rights, reproductive rights and immigration. Protesters held signs like
"Women's rights are human rights", "Break down walls, don't
build them", and "Hell hath no fury as a nasty woman scorned",
referencing the time Trump called his opponent, Hillary Clinton, a "nasty
woman" during a debate, reported in Al-Jazeera, on 22 January, 2017.
Sophie
Walker, the leader of the Women's Equality party, told Al Jazeera that
protesters had gathered in a show of unity. “We are here to protest the hate
and the division that Donald Trump puts forward as politics,” she said and
added, “We are here to march against the rising xenophobia in this country.
We're here to march against the normalisation of racism and misogyny and
sexism.”
Global protests
Demonstrations against Trump's discriminatory rhetoric were
also held in Australia, the UK, Germany, Japan and France, and others. It is reported
in Al-Jazeera, “In Kenya, hundreds of protesters in Nairobi's Karura
Forest waved placards and sang American protest songs. In Sydney, Australia's
biggest city, about 3,000 men and women gathered for a rally in Hyde Park
before marching on the US consulate downtown, while organisers said 5,000
people rallied in Melbourne. In Japan, hundreds of people joined protests in
Tokyo, including many American expatriates.” (Al-Jazeera, 22 January,
2017).
UK protesters join anti-Trump rallies in London
Thousands
of protesters have taken part in a Women's March in London on 21 January 2017 as
part of global protests on the first full day of Donald Trump's presidency. They
marched from the US embassy to Trafalgar Square - as part of UK-wide rallies to
highlight women's rights. Organisers said up to 100,000 people took part in
London, although that has not been independently verified, reported by Sian Grzeszczyk
to BBC on 21 January 2017.
.
BBC also reported, “Protesters left the US embassy, in
London's Grosvenor Square, shortly after midday and chanted ‘build bridges not
walls’ as they made their way along Piccadilly. TV presenter Sandi Toksvig and
Labour MP Yvette Cooper later addressed crowds, while London mayor Sadiq Khan
was also in attendance. London organisers announced on stage that between
80,000 and 100,000 women and men had taken part in the rally, but police have
not given an independent estimate. UK demonstrations have also been held in
Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and
Bristol.”
Executive Orders
Into
the first week into his Presidency, Donald Trump issued executive orders. James
Reinl reported in Al-Jazeera on 27 January 2017: “Up until he was
inaugurated as United States president this month, opinions were divided over
whether Donald Trump would come good on his hard-line campaign pledges to
tighten US borders, scrap Obamacare and exit free trade deals. One week into
his presidency and it has become clear that Trump meant business. He hit the
ground running with a flurry of executive actions that won cheers from his
Republican admirers but alarmed liberals, environmentalists, minorities and
others.”
After
Trump's rainy inauguration ceremony on Friday, he quickly directed government
agencies and issued executive orders. Al-Jazeera and BBC has
mentioned the following executive actions and directives.
Opening salvo on Obamacare
President
Trump directed government agencies to freeze regulations and start weakening
Obamacare, the signature healthcare policy of his predecessor, Barack Obama, a
Democrat. ii) Goodbye Asia-Pacific Trade Deal: On Monday, Trump signed
an order formally withdrawing the US from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP), once viewed as the crown jewel of Barack Obama’s
international trade policy. iii) Cutting cash to global, pro-abortion charities:
That same day, Trump re-instated the so-called "Mexico City
policy", issuing an executive order barring foreign aid or federal funding
to global aid groups that promote or provide abortions as a method of family
planning. iv) On his second full working day, the President signed two orders
to advance construction of two controversial pipelines - Keystone XL and
Dakota Access oil pipelines, which respectively link Canada and North Dakota
with US Gulf Coast refiners. (BBC & Al-Jazeera)
Border
Security: He pledged repeatedly at rallies to build wall along the southern
border saying it would be big beautiful and powerful. On Wednesday, Trump
signed a pair of executive orders to fulfil that campaign pledge. One order
declared the building of a multibillion dollar wall along the 3,200km US-Mexico
border and signalling tough action against the roughly 11 million undocumented
immigrants in the US, mostly Latinos. The second order pledges to hire 10,000
more immigration officers and to revoke federal grant money from so-called
‘sanctuary cities’ which refuse to deport undocumented immigrants. ( reported
by BBC & Al-Jazeera)
As of Thursday, 26th of January, 2017, the Trump
administration had signed 13 executive actions. Others, not listed above, dealt
with cutting regulations on US manufacturing, a freeze on hiring new government
employees and other issues. More are in the works. Most widely anticipated are
new orders on national security, refugees and visa rules.
According to one draft order, Trump was expected to block refugees
coming from war-torn Syria and to suspend the entry of any immigrants from
seven mostly-Muslim countries: Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Libya and
Yemen.
Muslim Immigration Ban
On
Friday, 27th of January, 2017, Mr Trump signed a four-month hold on
allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily barred travellers from
Syria and six other Muslim-majority countries. He claimed the moves would
protect Americans from terrorism. “We want to ensure that we are not admitting
into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas,” he said
in a ceremony at the Pentagon, where he also signed an order to boost the US
military. President Trump announced last week of January 2017 that nationals
from seven Muslim majority countries will now be refused access to the United
States of America. (reported in The Independent online, 28th
of January, 2017)
Lucy
Pasha Robinson reported, “Trump has ordered a four-month ban on all refugees
from entering the country as well as enacting an indefinite ban on all those
who hail from Syria. For 90 days, visas will not be issued to nationals from
Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Green card and visa holders were being
blocked from boarding US-bound flights within hours of Donald Trump issuing an
executive order limiting immigration from several Muslim countries, according
to reports. (The Independent online, 28 January 2017)
The cruel
inhumane bans affect travellers with passports from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia,
Sudan, Syria and Yemen and even extend to green card holders who are granted
authorisation to live and work in the United States, according to a Department
of Homeland Security spokeswoman.
Refugee admission
President
Trump has imposed a blanket ban on all refugees from seven Muslim majority countries.
He has signed Executive Order to ban refugees from entering the US. Syrian
refugees will be banned 'indefinitely'. Refugees from the other six Muslim countries
will be banned for 120 days. In this connection, it should be mentioned that Mr.
Trump first promised to ban Muslims in December 2015. He got his wish just 13
months later.
Rachael Revesz reported from New York: “Mr Trump’s
executive order, signed on the same day as International Holocaust Remembrance
Day, requested that the Department of Homeland Security imposes a 120-day
blanket ban on all refugees coming from seven Muslim-majority countries. Syrian
refugees would be banned "indefinitely", but Christian applicants would
be given top priority.” (The Independent online, 28 January, 2017)
(a) Chaos Confusion and Anger:
Horror stories
Visas denied immediately, chaos created at airports and in
the air. The decision has sparked chaos, outrage and anger around the world. Andrew Buncombe from New York wrote: “Donald
Trump’s ban on refugees entering America has caused chaos, confusion and anger
across the globe, as people were turned back from US-bound flights and others
were detained on arrival at American airports. Mr Trump denied that his
executive order amount to a Muslim ban, but he said: “This is working out very
nicely.” (The Independent online, 28 January, 2017)
Narrating
the horror stories after the Muslim Immigration banning executive order, Ms.
Nesrine Malik wrote in The Guardian: “Within minutes of Donald Trump signing his executive order
banning the entry of nationals from seven Muslim majority
countries, the horror stories started coming through. “Some were turned back
from boarding their flights; others were handcuffed in airports, patted down
and interrogated on their political beliefs. Mothers, fathers, children,
students, employees suddenly found that the unthinkable had happened. They had
been banned from returning to their jobs and studies, to their families and
homes because they were Muslims.” (Nesrine Malik, The Guardian, Sunday,
29 January, 2017)
She
also mentioned, “The thought was almost too evil, too grotesque, to
countenance. The hours after the ban felt like living through a chapter of
history that we’d left behind. Events unfolded the likes of which we had only
ever seen in documentaries, in fragments of newsreels from the archives.
Travellers in tears, stern officers “just following orders”, refugees on the
cusp of safe harbour wild with despair at the uncertain fate to which they must
return, confused children huddled behind their parents as they plead with
authorities, their faces speaking of fear, confusion and the sense that
something is about to change for ever.” (Nesrine Malik, The Guardian,
Sunday, 29 January, 2017)
(b) Condemnation and Criticism within the US
This
Trump’s Muslim Immigration ban from seven Muslim majority countries was widely
condemned and criticised both within the country and abroad. Muslim leaders
filed lawsuit against Donald Trump’s refugee ban. There are around 3.3 million
American Muslims in the US, just one percent of a national population of more
than 120 million. “The American Muslim community has been the target of
discriminatory policies for many years,” Lena Masri, CAIR’s national litigation
director told Independent and added, “Generally speaking at this time
the Muslim community is being attacked by this order. It’s important for
Americans to stand together and rise together.” (The Independent online,
27 January, 2017)
Rachael
Revesz from New York, reported, “CAIR will file lawsuit in the US District
Court of the Western District of Virginia on Monday. The CAIR’s lawsuit is aimed
to “challenge the constitutionality of the order which very clearly is designed
to target Muslims.” “There is no evidence that refugees, the most thoroughly
vetted of all people entering our nation, are a threat to national security,”
Ms Masri said in a statement released by CAIR. “This is an order that is based
on bigotry, not reality.”(The Independent online, 27 January, 2017)
An
estimated 400 lawyers have signed up to represent detainees, and dozens flocked
to airports, many with signs in Arabic and Farsi to alert relatives that
attorneys could help them find lost loved ones. From Saturday into Sunday,
hundreds attended rallies against Trump’s “extreme vetting order” at 29 cities
and airports across the country, reported by Edward Helmore. (The Guardian,
on Sunday, 29 January, 2017).
In
the report, Edward Helmore also mentioned that Executives at major tech
companies that rely on foreign skilled labour also expressed concern. In a memo
to staff, Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said it had been
“painful to see the personal cost” on our colleagues.
© Legal Challenges against the Executive Order
Four
states filed lawsuit against Trump administration over ‘un-American’ travel
ban. Joanna Walters from New York reported:
“New York, Massachusetts and Virginia on Tuesday joined Washington State
on a growing list of states challenging the travel ban that caused chaos at
airports in those states and beyond at the weekend as people with valid
immigration documents were detained or deported after arriving on flights from
overseas.” (The Guardian, on Wednesday, 1 February, 2017)
Lauren
Gambino, Sabrina Siddiqui and David Smith from Washington reported, “On Tuesday,
31st of January, 2017 New York joined a federal lawsuit against
Trump’s executive order brought by the American Civil Liberties Union
Foundation, the Urban Justice Centre and others. Eric Schneiderman, the New
York state attorney general, described the order as “unconstitutional,
unlawful, and fundamentally un-American”. (The Guardian, 31st
January 2017)
And
the Massachusetts attorney general, Maura Healey, said the state was also
filing its own case seeking to have the ban struck down. “The executive order is harmful,
discriminatory and unconstitutional. It discriminates on the basis of religion
and national origin,” Healey said at a press briefing at her office. (Joanna
Walters, The Guardian, 1 February, 2017)
Late
Saturday night, Federal Judges in New York, Virginia and Massachusetts ordered
a temporary halt to the President’s deportation of people who had arrived in
the US with valid visas, reported by Edward Helmore from New York in The
Guardian, Sunday, 29 January, 2017.
Amid
a tremendous backlash in America and around the world, on Monday night Trump
removed Sally Yates, acting Attorney General after she told justice department
lawyers not to defend his executive order. The White House said she had
“betrayed” the department by refusing to enforce a legal order that was
“designed to protect the citizens of the United States”. (25) The dismissal of
Sally Yates from her post as acting attorney general is just the latest.
After a federal judge in Seattle ordered
a temporary halt on Donald Trump’s travel ban for refugees and people from
seven predominantly-Muslim nations, Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
reportedly told US airlines that they could board travellers who had been
barred. “We are a nation of laws. Not even the president can violate the
constitution,” Washington state attorney general Bob Ferguson told reporters
outside the courtroom. “No one is above the law, not even the president.” “This
decision shuts down the executive order immediately, shuts it down,” he added.
“That relief is immediate, happens right now. That’s the bottom line.” (Reported by Martin Pengelly and Edward Helmore from New York in the
Guardian, Saturday, 4th of February, 2017)
(d) United Nations Secretary General
Criticises Trump’s border policies
The
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the US President to
abandon his controversial policies. He criticises President Trump’s border
policies. The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on
Wednesday, 1st February 2017 that U.S. President Donald Trump’s
travel restrictions on seven countries and freeze on refugee resettlement
should be lifted sooner than later. “This
is not the way to best protect the U.S. or any other country in relation to the
serious concerns that exist about possible terrorist infiltration,” Guterres
said to reporters. “I don’t think this is the effective way to do so. I think
that these measures should be removed sooner rather than later.”
Travel
ban is not the effective way of stopping terrorists entering U.S,” he said.
(e) International Organisations – UN
Civil
rights and faith groups, activists and Democratic politicians were furious and
vowed to fight the executive order. The Trump’s
executive order provoked international outcry from human rights, humanitarian and
faith groups, activists and democratic politicians, with the United Nations
refugee agency (UNHCR), International Organisation for Migration and Amnesty
International all condemning the ban.
The
United Nations has condemned Donald Trump’s ban on refugees and order to stop
Syrians and travellers from six other Muslim-majority countries entering the US
amid mounting international anger. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) called on the new President’s
administration to continue offering asylum to people fleeing war and
persecution, a right protected by international law. (Reported by Lizzie
Dearden, The Independent online, 28 January 2017)
Lizzie
Dearden also mentioned in the report, “The UNHCR and IOM urged the new
administration to continue its work with the UN and other agencies to ensure “vital”
resettlement programmes for people fleeing conflict and persecution, whatever
their background. “We strongly believe that refugees should receive equal
treatment for protection and assistance, and opportunities for resettlement,
regardless of their religion, nationality or race,” a spokesperson said.
(f) Concerns and Condemnation
from International leaders
US
and European officials have expressed anxiety about the damage the Trump
administration’s ban targeting Muslim refugees could inflict on western
security. The ban is believed to have been drafted by an ideologically-driven
group around Donald Trump without consultation with the justice, state, defence
or homeland security departments, which could have weighed on its implications
for US foreign relations, as well as the country’s security concerns and legal
obligations, Julian Borger reported from Washington. (The Guardian,
Sunday, 29 January, 2017)
Sam
Jones and Philip Oltermann reported on Sunday, 29 January 2017 about the
reaction of the international leaders. It is reported: Donald
Trump’s Executive Order to halt travel from seven Muslim-majority countries –
Iraq, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia – has provoked a wave of
concern and condemnation from international leaders and politicians.
“A spokesman for Angela Merkel said the German chancellor regretted
Trump’s decision to ban citizens of certain countries from entering the US. “The
chancellor regrets the US government’s entry ban against refugees and the
citizens of certain countries,” Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a
statement. “She is convinced that the necessary, decisive battle against
terrorism does not justify a general suspicion against people of a certain
origin or a certain religion. The Geneva refugee convention requires the
international community to take in war refugees on humanitarian grounds. All
signatory states are obligated to do. The German government explained this
policy in their call yesterday.”
“The
French President, François Hollande, said that “when [Trump] rejects the
arrival of refugees, while Europe has done its duty, we should respond to him”.
Hollande said that in an unstable and uncertain world, “withdrawal into oneself
is a dead-end response.” Italy’s Prime
Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, in a tweet, said his country was committed to the
values that bind Europe: “Open society; plural identity; no discrimination.” Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Charlie Flanagan, said
that while US immigration policy was a matter for the US government,”It is
clear that the most recent decisions could have far-reaching implications –both
on humanitarian grounds and on relations between the US and the global Muslim
community”. The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, tweeted: Justin Trudeau @Justin Trudeau. To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you,
regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #Welcome To Canada. Swedish Foreign
Affairs Minister, Margot Wallström, said she was “deeply concerned” by a
decision that “creates mistrust between people”. (Sam Jones and Philip
Oltermann reported in The Guardian, 29 January 2017)
(g) Human Rights Organisations and NGOs
It
provoked outcry from NGOs working to stem the worst ever global refugee crisis with
more than 65 million people forced to flee their homes.
Amnesty
International warned the move could have “catastrophic consequences”. Salil
Shetty, the group’s secretary general, said: “These men, women and children are
the victims of the same terror President Trump claims he wants to fight
against. The irony beggars belief.” The International Rescue Committee (IRC)
said Mr Trump’s “harmful and hasty” decision would impact thousands of innocent
people, mostly women and children, awaiting resettlement to the US. “In truth, refugees are fleeing terror – they
are not terrorists,” said IRC president and CEO David Miliband, the former British
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,” Help Refugees, a British charity working
across camps in northern France, Greece and the Middle East, said news of Mr
Trump’s order was “devastating”. “Refugees are, by definition, people seeking
sanctuary from some of the most horrific circumstances and it is the duty of
compassionate and progressive nations to accept their fair share,” a
spokesperson said. “Banning refugees on
the basis of their religious beliefs is abhorrent.”(Lizzie Dearden reported in The
Independent online, 27 January, 2017)
Summing up
I
would like to draw conclusion with two very relevant observations: One by
Robert Fisk who is a regular columnist and journalist in the Independent
and another by Nesrine Malik, contributor in the Guardian.
Commenting
on Donald Trump’s Muslim Immigration Ban, Robert Fisk observed in The
Independent online: “There’s no getting round it. Call it Nazi, Fascist,
racist, vicious, illiberal, immoral, cruel. More dangerously, what Trump has
done is a wicked precedent. If you can stop them coming, you can chuck them
out. If you can demand "extreme vetting" of Muslims from seven
countries, you can also demand a "values test" for those Muslims who
have already made it to the USA. Those on visas. Those with residency only.
Those – if they are American citizens – with dual citizenship. Or full US
citizens of Muslim origin. Or just Americans who are Muslims. Or Hispanics. Or
Jews? Refugees one day. Citizens the next. Then refugees again.”
While
commenting on Donald Trump’s Muslim Immigration Ban, Nesrine Malik observed in The
Guardian: “This did not start with Trump, it’s something that is only
reaching its climax. For years, as people warned against the mainstreaming of
Islamophobia, they were met with equivocation. “Islam is not a race”, “we are
criticising Islam, not Muslims”, “we condemn all religion, not just Islam”.
Mosques were attacked, women were spat on and had their hijabs snatched from
their heads. Western media, led by the British tabloid press, established an
industry of hysteria against Muslims with fake news. The niqab and its banning
commanded hours of debate in European parliaments. All the while Muslims
repeatedly hit the panic button and were told that they needed to stop
overreacting and being so precious. Rightwingers exploited Islamophobia to
channel anti-immigration hatred, and liberalism took refuge in intellectual
handwringing and posturing over prophet cartoons and freedom of speech and
women’s rights, unable to ally itself with what it perceived to be a backward
Muslim tradition, and failing to understand that the danger to everything the
west stands for is not from Islamic extremism but from the response to it.”
No
one was asking for forgiveness, merely an understanding that collective
condemnation of a people via attacking their religion meant collective
punishment. And here we are. It unfolded before our eyes and yet many still
could not see it coming. It became apparent that people would pay attention
only if something terrible happened, and by then it might be too late. Now
something terrible has happened, but it can and will get worse. If the past
seven days have taught us anything, it is that events that seem to happen
overnight are actually the climax of years of complacency,” Malik concluded
(49. ‘After banning orders, horror stories,’ by Nesrine Malik, The Guardian,
Sunday, 29 January, 2017)
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