(VOVworld)- The immigration ban US President Donald Trump signed on January 27 reflects a divisions in American society. Protests against the ban are taking place around the US and in many other countries.
People march in London against U.S. President Donald Trump's ban on travelers and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries entering the U.S., Feb. 4, 2017. |
President Trump temporarily closed US borders to refugees and citizens from 7 predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Libya. In an executive order, the US President also banned all refugees for 4 months and refugees from Syria indefinitely. Mr. Trump says his executive order doesn’t target any specific religion. Its aim is to protect the US against terrorism. But U.S. Senator John McCain said Sunday that the order is "confusing" and has raised a number of questions. He asked why the countries targeted by the order include Iraq, where US forces are fighting alongside Iraqi forces against the Islamic State. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he supports more stringent screening mechanisms, but cautioned that Muslims are some of the country’s “best resources in the war against terror”.
According to analysts, of the many executive orders that President Trump has signed since his inauguration on January 20, this one has the biggest impact. In a rally outside the White House on January 29, protesters asked the US administration to respect a federal judge’s decision suspending the President’s order. Thousands of people gathered at Battery Park in New York to protest Trump’s order. Demonstrations also took place in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Similar protests were reported in Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Barcelona, Canada, Indonesia, and the Philippines. A group of 100 technology firms including Apple, Google, and Microsoft have filed a legal brief opposing President Trump’s migration ban arguing that it imposes significant burdens on the industry by preventing it from hiring talented immigrants.
Thousands of people marched in London to protest against the British government’s invitation to President Trump to come to the UK for a state visit.