Recently, President Trump announced six new additions to the travel ban,
which will go into effect on February 22. The new ban will prevent immigrants
from obtaining visas that are from Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, and Kyrgystan,
and will prevent those from Sudan and Tanzania from participating in the
U.S diversity visa program which awards up to 50,000 green cards a year.
which will go into effect on February 22. The new ban will prevent immigrants
from obtaining visas that are from Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, and Kyrgystan,
and will prevent those from Sudan and Tanzania from participating in the
U.S diversity visa program which awards up to 50,000 green cards a year.
The reasons cited for these new immigration restrictions were to protect the
safety of American citizens from harm and to prevent illegal immigration,
but some suspect that this ban was put in place to single out Muslims and
prevent them from immigrating to the US. Most of the countries have large
Muslim populations and some fear that this new rule will prevent refugees from
Myanmar seeking safety from receiving the help that they need. Some are
comparing this to the travel ban that the President had signed earlier in his
term on many Muslim countries calling “for a total and complete shutdown
of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives
can figure out what the hell is going on.”
safety of American citizens from harm and to prevent illegal immigration,
but some suspect that this ban was put in place to single out Muslims and
prevent them from immigrating to the US. Most of the countries have large
Muslim populations and some fear that this new rule will prevent refugees from
Myanmar seeking safety from receiving the help that they need. Some are
comparing this to the travel ban that the President had signed earlier in his
term on many Muslim countries calling “for a total and complete shutdown
of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives
can figure out what the hell is going on.”
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think these restrictions were put in place to intentionally target Muslims? Why or why not?
2. Is immigration to the US the only option for refugees in some of these countries?
3. How will this affect international relations with these countries, especially Nigeria, an ally of the US?
The travel ban was most definitely targeted intentionally against Muslims. In the past, Trump's administration and campaign had revolved around limiting immigration. Many countries need more economic opportunities, which is exactly why they branch out to the U.S. to help support their families. There are certainly other options, but they simply aren't open. For example, Greece and Italy are overcrowded with refugees, and other bigger countries are closing their borders. The U.S. is just the most attractive option to many refugees.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up an interesting point about how limiting immigration may also have an effect on the economy of these countries and on the US. It would seem to be in our best interests to stay in good faith with as many countries as possible in order to maintain economic stability as well as political stability.
DeleteI think that this will probably create new tensions between the U.S. and the countries affected. These travel bans are essentially saying that the U.S. does not trust these countries and the people in them. This is especially shocking to countries that are allies of the U.S. such as Nigeria, because allies are supposed to trust each other. Geoffrey Onyeama, who is Nigeria's foreign minister and top diplomat told the New York Times that "[They] were somewhat blindsided with the announcement of the visa restrictions by the U.S.". However, I think that if these visa restrictions are lifted, tensions won't increase as much as they would if the visa restrictions remain. As long as the countries affected and the U.S. try to work out some sort of agreement, I think things can change and allies can remain.
ReplyDeleteSource: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/04/world/nigeria-travel-ban.html
Perhaps there was some half-truth in that this new ban was made to protect American citizens, but Muslims were definitely thought about when this travel ban was made. This is because the Trump administration does not feel comfortable with so many immigrants in their country, even though America was built on immigration. Immigration may not be the only option for some refugees, but it is definitely the safest, and (at least beforehand) was quite easy to get to. The international relations will definitely be shaken up between Nigeria and the U.S., but if the Trump Administration can negotiate well with the Federal Government of Nigeria, international alignments may stay the same.
ReplyDeletePresident Trump's claim that the travel ban was to protect American citizens was most likely a cover for him targeting Muslim individuals. As seen before, Trump's administration has been known to focus on preventing immigrants from entering the U.S. illegally. However, this comes as a surprise to many due to Trump banning immigration from countries that the U.S. is allied with, like Nigeria. The new additions to the travel ban could not only put stress on international relations but on other countries that take in refugees.
ReplyDeleteI believe he was intentionally targeting Muslims as most of the countries that he bans immigrants from are predominantly Muslim. It's pretty obvious. Sometimes it is the only option, because they can't go anywhere else. The area around the country is dangerous and many countries won't accept immigrants especially since they're getting more and more crowded. The US is always a solid option because it accepts all people for the most part and is a place that you can start a new life. According to (https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-trashes-nigeria-and-bans-its-immigrants-nigerians-love-him-for-it/2020/02/07/ed985a4c-4853-11ea-ab15-b5df3261b710_story.html), Nigerians still love Trump despite the ban.
ReplyDeleteI believe he was definitely targeting Muslims, as this is not the first time he has placed a travel ban on a predominately Muslim country. I believe he placed this travel ban because he wanted to protect the United States from potential Muslim terrorists, I believe that is what the Trump administration is trying to prevent. I don't believe going to the U.S is the only option for these immigrants. In terms of immigration I don't think the U.S is the only country they can go to. I'm not sure how other countries feel about accepting these immigrants like Canada or the U.K. I don't know if it will affect the international relations with other countries at all. If Nigeria recognizes the U.S as an ally I believe they would understand Trump's motive to place this ban. I definitely do not believe that these countries condone the terrorist groups so they might understand why Trump would place a ban.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the second question you posed, I believe that while the United States might not be the only option for immigrants, it's definitely one of the better ones. Although I am not sure what other countries' policies are in terms of accepting refugees, there are many people immigrating to America because of family or relatives that offers a better life from where they are coming from. In addition, there are only so many immigrants a country can accept without resources depleting, which that means there is only so much neighboring countries and local countries can do.
ReplyDeleteTrump's travel band is definitely targeted towards Muslims given his racist background and insensitivity. His reason for introducing the travel ban to protect the American people may be partially true, but surely was a cover up for his own assumptions about Muslim people. I personally believe Trump's ban had taken away freedom from the country that is known as the "land of the free". Trump has taken away opportunities from countries that need them the most. Therefore, I strictly believe the new travel ban is excluding Muslim people.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the countries added to the travel ban were specifically meant to target Muslims but more to protect the US. Firstly only two countries that were added have a Muslim majority. While Kyrgyzstan has 83% Muslim majority, the other Muslim country, Nigeria, only has a 51% Muslim population with another 47% being Christian. Then Eritrea has a 50/50 split between Christianity and Islam. Finally, Myanmar has an 88% Buddhist majority with only 4% of the population being Muslim. And the two countries removed from the diversity program aren't 100% banned from the US, but even then only Sudan has a Muslim majority while Tanzania has a Christian majority. With only half of the affected countries having a Muslim majority calling the decision a "Muslim ban" doesn't seem like a definite classification. Another important factor to consider is the risk factors caused by countries. In Nigeria, the terrorist organization Boko Haram can be found all throughout the country including the largest city of Lagos. Myanmar is also home to two terrorist organizations, ARSA & the Arakan Army. Additionally, the UN Top Court has recently ordered the Myanmar government to protect the Rohingya Muslims who have been the victim of genocide and discrimination in the country. With travel from Myanmar to the US, the fear of such attacks occurring stateside is cause for concern. Yet in Eritrea, I believe that the ban is a bit unnecessary. Eritrea has had a history of terrorism with the Eritrean Islamic Jihad trying to overthrow the government and establish an Islamic state. Yet in recent years Eritrea has become one of the more peaceful countries in Africa. While Eritrea is a safer country terrorism in Kyrgyzstan has been on the rise. In December of 2019, the CTED, operating on behalf of the UN, has conducted a follow-up assessment of the danger in Kyrgyzstan. The assessment concluded that many Kyrgyzstan nationals have relocated to ISIL controlled territories in Syria and Iraq. Over 140 individuals convicted of terrorist activities have relocated to Kyrgyzstan. Terrorist cells displaced by the US’s war on terror have relocated to Kyrgyzstan where they have continued recruit and train more terrorists. In conclusion, I believe that the additional countries added to the ban isn’t so much of a travel ban but an effort to protect the US from outside threats
ReplyDelete-Matthias Anderson
DeleteMaybe it's just because I'm not completely up-to-date on Trump's policies regarding immigration, but I had no idea he was now enforcing travel bans on people from certain countries. How did Congress approve this? Did President Trump even need anyone's approval to put this plan into place? Either war, the travel ban will have a significant effect on the flow of Muslims into the US, which seems quite prejudiced. At the same time, some parts of Trump's policy make sense, such as increased security against possible terrorists from the Middle East. Overall, this is a complex issue, and there really is no "right" solution. We will have to see how the next president (or president Trump) continues to handle the situation, after the 2020 presidential elections when Trump's current term ends.
ReplyDeleteI am neutral with deciding if Trumps travel ban was targeted towards the Muslims or not. I think that it may not be towards Muslims due to the attacks on the US which have occurred in the last year, so he would be trying to provide some sort of protection. I do think that he could be targeting Muslims due to his racist background and how he projects his goals which can be insulting to many.
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ReplyDeleteI think that Trumps new travel bans are direct attack against Muslims. It is widely known that Trump and his administration have negative views towards the Islamic Religion. While Trump believes that “illegal immigrants” are terrorists, he turns a blind eye towards more important issues in our country such as gun legislation and the wage gap. Also, some of the immigrants have to leave their countries due to poverty, inequality, trafficking and other terrible things. They are coming to the united states for a sanctuary from these dangers. I think Trumps administration is damaging their relations with these countries and they are refusing their entrance into the US for religious and racist reasons.
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