Trump’s Muslim Ban

Donald Trump’s recent decision to halt immigration and flights from “terrorist prone” areas has come with many more consequences than he expected. Protests ensued across the country, Starbuck’s offered 10,000 jobs to immigrants, and Trump’s approval rating plummeted. But the main trade off between basic human rights and “making our country safe” has become even more apparent. People who flew to the Middle East on trips were detained and questioned. Legal residents of the U.S. (of foreign decent) were handcuffed and interrogated in airports, while some were even sent back.

The trade off between safety and immigration is not as simple as you think. First of all, zero refugees from Trump’s travel banned countries have killed anyone in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Second, the odds of getting killed in a terrorist attack are 0.00003%. So the trade off between safety and human rights should not be an argument at all. Although terrorism is a problem globally, stopping immigration and stopping refugees from entering the U.S., is not the answer.

Trump’s decision has affected the lives of many immigrants, both legal and illegal. Legal immigrants are now subjected to increased inspection, profiled as Middle-Eastern and then detained for questioning for no reason. This is a racist process. In fact, Trump’s decision in entirety is racist. He banned immigration from majority Muslim countries, continuing the stereotype of Muslims as terrorists. The scene after this executive order was reminiscent of the Holocaust to an extent. Although people aren’t being killed for their beliefs, their beliefs can make them subject to search, detention, and even deportation.

There truly is no trade off here. Illegal immigrants from these countries now have no opportunity to flee war and violence. That is the main reason for immigrating, to seek opportunity and escape the struggles at home. However, that opportunity no longer exists. As long as Trump and his advisors stay behind this order, human rights will continue to be violated.