Dr. Suha Amin Abdullah Abushamm was born in Saudi Arabia and is now a Sudanese citizen living in Cleveland, Ohio and undergoing a three-year internal medicine residency. Three weeks ago he was detained for nearly 10 hours upon arrival at JFK by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. He was told that he would be forcibly removed and then banned from re-entry for five years. At no point was he allowed to speak with a lawyer. Only after Dr. Abushamma complied with CBP agents was he given something to eat.
Since President Trump’s executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries and suspending the refugee admissions program was signed, the fate of many has been stuck in a state of limbo and confusion. With the promise of a new executive order next week, the president has made it clear he is not turning his back on this disastrous policy and that confusion will likely continue.
{mosads}The truth is, the lasting effect this order has had on the Muslim, refugee, and immigrant community can’t be rescinded. President Trump’s executive actions have proven his priority is closing the U.S. border and stoking xenophobic fears – this new order will undoubtedly lead to further court battles and throw countless other lives into chaos.
Thousands of individuals who have found safety in the U.S. now fear for their future in this place they call home; thanks to an executive order so sweeping, it bars the entry of babies with severe burns.
Congress must prepare to have a strong role in the debate on any new executive order. Litigation only provides a temporary resolution as the court decisions do not provide stable ground for policy makers or for those directly impacted by this inhumane executive order.
When the order does come, what havoc will it wreak in the immediate term? Those who have already been affected have no clear path forward, particularly with the threat of a new policy.
Ms. Marjan Vayghan’s uncle is an Iranian citizen who holds a visa for permanent legal residence—he had gone through all the right channels and processes and had been approved by the U.S. government; her uncle’s wife has already settled in the U.S. Upon arriving at LAX, her uncle was detained and informed that his visa was cancelled and that he would be returned to Iran, but was then sent to Dubai. Marjan was not permitted to speak with her uncle at first, who had been beaten by the police at the airport in Dubai. When she finally spoke with her uncle, he expressed fear of retuning to Iran and his desperation to be sent anywhere else. He also spoke of his detainment at LAX, where he was not given food or a place to sleep for more than 18 hours.
These stories are nearly certain to repeat themselves once President Trump’s new order is in effect.
These policies are causing fear and uncertainty. Confusion and inconsistent enforcement have prevailed, with Border Patrol agents being accused of coercing lawful permanent residents into relinquishing their green cards, detaining people without access to legal counsel, and interrogating people extensively about their religious background.
The Trump administration’s policies are predicated on an unwarranted belief that refugees are inherently dangerous. Theses unsubstantiated assumptions seek to remove the humanity from individuals, simply based on their nationality or what they believe in.
In 2016, the U.S. admitted 84,995 refugees. They came from countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Myanmar, Iraq, and Somalia. These are individuals with personal stories of suffering and fear – but also hope and success. These are the most vetted people entering the United States.
There is far too much at stake for Congress to remain silent in the midst of this bedlam. President Trump’s new order could see a continued suspension of the program excluding people based on their national origin, and new forms of so-called extreme vetting. They deserve better than to be to villainized by a country they hoped would be a refuge. They deserve more than the silence of our Congress.
Margaret Huang is the executive director for Amnesty International USA
The views expressed by this author are their own and are not the views of The Hill.