Trump's Immigrants' Ban - Essay Sample

Introduction

President Donald Trump introduced an immigration ban at the beginning of his term, to "curb" terrorist attacks in the United States of America. This was met head-on by opposition from citizens of these nations, human rights activists and the courts. It led to a showdown where demonstrators protested to delay the immigration ban. Many Muslims viewed the ban as a Muslim ban hence escalating the issue. The ban may separate families that live in these countries and even lead to broken international relationships. The travel ban is the wrong move by the president; it hurts the lives of many individuals, and in hindsight does not seem to deter any form of terrorism, contrary to what the president claims.

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The president's travel ban goes against federal statutes that are against discrimination of individuals due to their gender, race, or place of birth. It might seem like a simple ban to those who are not affected by the ban, however, a large number of refugees, and students studying in the United States. International laws are also against the travel ban due to its implication on the nations affected (Mulroy, 2018). It may not be the first time that a travel ban has been implemented; however, there are due processes that have to be followed when implementing a travel ban. None of which have been followed by Donald Trump. The rights of both citizens and non-citizens who depend on the United States of America will be affected. Many of these individuals may end up feeling discriminated against due to issues that may not directly be their doing. Syria, for example, is a country that has been at war for a long time.

For this reason, plenty of refugees, students, and asylum seekers live in the United States. A travel ban would, therefore, hinder them from going to and from Syria. This is disturbing truths that though clear for all to see, is avoided. The government chooses to focus on looking for means to implement the ban without due process instead. It is also disturbing to learn that even though this is a crisis; the president has received overwhelming support from several quarters. Of course, a large number of people have opposed the move, but the support is still overwhelming.

The immigration ban is a bad idea at this time because most foreigners, the Muslim countries, in particular, view it as a Muslim ban. This is because all the countries affected by the immigration ban are countries with a Muslim majority in their population. This creates a conspiracy theory that although probably misplaced, like many who believe in it. A Muslim ban is considered an intrusion of human rights. Many Americans who are of the Muslim religion are opposed to the immigration ban due to its apparent similarities to an actual Muslim ban. This notion is strengthened by the fact that none of the nationals of the countries the president included in the travel ban had committed any terrorist attack on American soil in the recent past. The last time a terrorist attack was committed by a national of one of these countries was 1975 (Saleh, 2017); this is a disturbing fact because the president claims that the travel ban will protect the US from terrorist attacks. It is therefore not justified that citizens of these countries, who have gone through plenty already, should face the brunt of the travel ban. Getting into the United States is for asylum seekers is a complicated process, as Lana Saleh narrates in her story. She immigrated to the United States due to the war in her own country. The process took a staggering ten years to be completed. However, she found the United States to be a welcoming host to her and the rest of her family. She feels the pain that other asylum seekers who may be going through the same process are feeling due to the critical implication the immigration ban may have (Saleh, 2017). Lana Saleh is one of many who understands what refugees go through; it is not a straightforward affair.

The implementation of the immigration ban creates a situation where human rights are violated. Students from these countries, for example, are denied the right to free movement. This is very different from the Free State that we claim to live in. The United States of America is a country that was built by immigrants. It may be generations ago, but it still shows how feeble the human person may be at times. Those who advocate for the immigration ban forget that their ancestors were once immigrants in this country too, the initial inhabitants of the country make up a negligible portion of the population today, and here we are fighting due to an immigration ban (Collingwood, Lajevardi, & Oskooii, 2018, p. 1047). Even though the current citizens of the United States of America are not considered as immigrants due to the dynamics of time, they should be sensitive to the plea of asylum seekers. Immigrants make up thirteen percent of the country (Saleh, 2017). This is a large percentage by any standards. A significant percentage is from the countries included in the travel ban. A survey in 2013 showed that 18 percent of scientists and engineers in the United States of America were initially immigrants (Finnemore & Ikenberry, 2006). This seems to point out the importance of immigrants to the economy of the country. The government needs to see this as a reason to lift the immigration ban due to its impact on this group of people who contribute significantly to the economy of the USA (Collingwood, Lajevardi, & Oskooii, 2018, p. 1047). Some of these come from the countries affected by the immigration ban, and probably still have family and friends in these countries. Those who are from Syria, in particular, may face an indefinite period without any of their relatives. If this is not an obstruction of fundamental human rights, I do not know what is.

The immigration ban is a violation of human rights and a wrong move by President Donald Trump. It serves to show the double standards that exist, albeit in many of our institutions, the government of a world superpower in this case. Most of the citizens of the United States of America are probably conscious of the issues the immigration ban brings and are probably not on board with it. The immigration ban affects students, workers, families, and even citizens of the United States. Syria, in particular, will lose a lot due to the travel ban, which in essence fails to justify anything the president and his allies claim. The president should, therefore, listen to the voice of reason, and try to find a middle ground to solve the issues he raises. Rational thinking maybe a friend at this time; he would do well to use it to solve the problems of this great nation.

Works Cited

Collingwood, Loren, Nazita Lajevardi, and Kassra AR Oskooii. "A Change of Heart? Why Individual-Level Public Opinion Shifted Against Trump's "Muslim Ban." Political Behavior 40.4 (2018): 1035-1072.

Finnemore, M., & Ikenberry, G. J. (2006). The plot against American foreign policy: Can the liberal order survive. Foreign Affairs, 85(6), 160. doi:10.2307/20032157

Mulroy, Steven. "The Best Legal Arguments Against Trump's Immigration Ban." The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2017, theconversation.com/the-best-legal-arguments-against-trumps-immigration-ban-72196.

Saleh, Lana. "Trump's Travel Ban." ASBMB, Apr. 2017, www.asbmb.org/asbmbtoday/201704/Essay/TrumpsTravelBan/.