SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Activists representing Islamic and African communities gathered at San Diego International Airport to protest President Donald Trump's travel ban, which took effect Monday.
The demonstrators, primarily from countries affected by the ban, said it directly attacks their national identities.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) organized the rally alongside other organizations like PANA, which represents refugees from the 12 countries now on the travel ban list.
The countries on the travel ban list are:
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- Yemen
- Somalia
- Iran
- Eritrea
- Sudan
- Libya
- Chad
- Equatorial Guinea
- The Republic of Congo
- Haiti
Seven more countries are on a partial travel ban list, meaning they face reduced visa restrictions. They include:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
President Trump has stated that the ban was necessary for national security, claiming the countries on the list don't conduct proper vetting or share enough information about potential security threats.
President Trump also stated that travelers from these banned countries have higher rates of visa overstays.
Tazheen Nazam, Executive Director for CAIR's San Diego Chapter, said, "This seems like a Muslim travel ban, but it has expanded to many African countries."
Nazam said this ban resembled the president's 2017 ban, which was struck down by the courts. She believes the "No Ban Act" will prevent current and future administrations from enacting discriminatory bans without oversight, and she has asked her peers to contact Congress in support of the act.
"As an immigrant rights activist, I do feel frustrated and angry, but I'm not losing hope," Nazam said. "There is no justification for banning entire populations from countries that need to migrate to a safe haven."
Protesters who spoke at the rally also emphasized their concerns about family separation.
An immigration attorney for PANA said, "This travel ban is yet another way this administration is going to separate families."
Ian Serulo, another immigration attorney and Chair for the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, made a similar statement.
Serulo said his clients came to the U.S. to escape the Taliban's regime, and they're currently trying to bring the rest of their family members over.
"Especially the women and girls, it's still a very dangerous place to live," Serulo said. "That's why it's very important that they are able to bring their family members here to the US."
Serulo said the travel ban is also unfairly causing issues for those who are here legally.
"You are punishing the spouses and the children of legal permanent residents, so [this ban] doesn't make sense to me," Serulo said.
