As of Friday, Jan. 27, President Donald Trump signed a very controversial executive order into law regarding immigration. Trump’s immigration order placed a temporary ban on anyone entering the country from seven middle eastern countries, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen. This includes American workers with valid green cards that had been traveling outside of the country. Passengers in the air en route to the United States on Friday were held detained in airports upon landing. Many Americans were upset with this executive order, protesting at international airports nationwide to spread support for the. Even lawyers got involved in the protest, defending the rights of newly arriving passengers being stopped by security. Since passed, Trump’s executive order has been protested by thousands of American citizens, based on the principles that it violates our country’s foundation, including freedom of religion, equal protection and pursuit of the American Dream.
Our country was formed on the basis of freedom of religion. As thirteen colonies, America was a space to escape religious persecution in Europe. Even the first amendment to the Constitution recognizes the freedom of religion of all people. With Trump’s executive order on immigration, the United States is becoming a perpetrator of religious intolerance. Although Trump claims that his ban is to prevent terrorist attacks, all seven of the countries banned from entrance into the United States are majority Muslim.
Additionally, the United States prides itself on the equal protection of all humans under the law. The 14th amendment states that nobody can be discriminated against due to race, religion or nationality. Trump completely violates this amendment by profiling the seven Muslim countries that he temporarily banned from entrance to the US.
By passing this executive order into action, Trump is also separating families and forcing green-card holders to either stay in the country or not be readmitted after leaving. This makes the pursuit of the American Dream much more complicated for these people and nearly impossible for others from the seven middle-eastern countries banned during the executive order.
Trump also decided to fire the acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, after she stood up to him refusing to enforce this executive order. Yates was appointed by the Obama administration and told to stand up to Trump to keep him in check, but when she actually did, Trump fired her immediately. He did not want anyone to stand in his way of achieving what he set out to achieve.
This executive order violates many of the natural rights that the United States was founded on. In Trump’s first two weeks, he has already greatly tested the limits of his power. Time will only tell what else he will try to pass, and how the legislative and judicial branches will react to his appointments.
