In the name of protecting Americans from terrorism, President Trump has signed an Executive Order banning Muslims from seven Middle Eastern countries from entering the United States. Included in the ban are many individuals who were en route at the time of the order, possessing valid visas and having already been vetted overseas.
Fulfilling his campaign promise to close our borders to Muslims while stoking the irrational fears of Conservative zealots across the country, Trump is tarnishing the freedoms for which the U.S. has long been admired. At the same time, he is playing into the hands of Islamic extremists across the globe, endangering Americans who will now become symbols of religious discrimination and Muslim hatred.
As I write this post, hundreds of Muslim business travelers, tourists, immigrants and refugees are being detained at U.S. airports. In response, onsite demonstrations are occurring and lawsuits to overturn the order are being filed by the ACLU and affected State Governments. The real question is whether Republican members of Congress will side with the President or have the courage to uphold the liberties that generations of Americans have fought and died to defend.
Addendum: A Federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, has granted a stay on the enforcement of the Executive Order.
