“The entry into the United States of nationals of Haiti as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended.”
“Those ugly words, with ‘Haiti’ replaced by ‘Republic of the Congo,’ ‘Sudan,’ ‘Somalia,’ ‘Yemen,’ and seven other nations (Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Libya) are knives in the hearts of Ohioans hoping to reunite with their loved ones. Those born in Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela are equally devastated, their hopes similarly dashed, by a ‘partial’ ban that is just as extensive,” said Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance.
“This is racism by presidential decree,” she continued. “The new Muslim and African ban is here, with a Caribbean and Asian annex. It comes within the context of:
- The Trump administration attacking international students‘ and green card holders‘ rights to free speech, and international students’ rights to even attend college in the United States;
- The Ohio legislature seeking to prohibit people born in certain countries from owning property in certain parts of Ohio — building on an already xenophobic measure that was slipped into law last year. People born in China, Korea, Cuba, Russia, Venezuela, and possibly Syria could be affected;
- A massive increase in ICE detention in Ohio, which paves the way for state and local police to help the Trump administration carry out mass deportation, separating parents from children and devastating Ohio families.
- The Trump administration attempting to terminate Temporary Protected Status and other forms of legal status for people from various countries that cannot guarantee their safety if forced to return, including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela.
“How many times do people from Haiti, the Congo, Cameroon, and Afghanistan have to save their own lives in order to find a safe place to call home? How many countries do they have to turn to, before one lets them stop moving and settle in? These are some of the strongest, bravest, and smartest people I have ever known. They want to live in Ohio and are doing great things here. Ohio needs them. We would benefit from embracing them and their family members, and helping them put down permanent roots, not making them feel scared and telling them to leave.
“The latest policy out of Washington is ugly and evil. The Trump administration doesn’t speak for me. They don’t speak for many of us in Ohio who are glad that they have found safety here, and want us to be an open society where people feel safe and welcome,” Tramonte continued. “We can and must be better than this.”
Said Demba Ndiath, Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s Advocacy Director, “This ban is planting discord and fear instead of unity and compassion. It divides families, brings economic challenges in many American households, and creates more borders and divisions. The Muslim faith is one of peace, compassion, and submission to the will of Allah. In all cases, Insha Allah, we will be okay — we trust in God’s plan.
“Insha Allah means ‘If God wills.’ This, for Muslims, means embracing humility, patience, gratitude, and HOPE. Insha Allah reminds us to remain hopeful, even in difficulties. Insha Allah brings us together as a community, united by our belief in something greater than ourselves, in the belief that we are all humans, we are all brothers and sisters.”
Read the Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s prior statement about the rumored Muslim and African ban, and how the policy during Trump’s first term also influenced deportation policy.