Immigrants embrace first amendment rights
Trump’s immigration agenda causes immigrants to not show up for work
It has been five weeks since Trump signed the travel ban which prohibited the entrance of immigrants from seven Muslim countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia. Five weeks since the President has allowed a form of hatred in our country to justify the fears of Muslims. Five weeks since the name and reputation of this country has been tarnished. Five weeks of people contemplating if the last time they saw their family will be the very ‘last time.’ Five weeks of animosity and tension were found on every corner and every street. In response to these five weeks, people channeled their grievances through numerous protests across the country.
On February 16, immigrants in multiple cities demonstrated their opposition against Trump’s immigration agenda, which advocates the building of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to block Mexican immigrants from entering the U.S. and also includes the disgraceful travel ban. “The Day Without Immigrants” protest called for immigrants to not attend work, refrain from sending their children to school, and abstain from spending money. The protest was to send the message of the importance of immigrants in the economy. The restaurant industry was able to witness their impact on the economy, with 23 percent of the industry made up of immigrants. According to the Washington Post, restaurants in Washington, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, and many more states closed for the day. Empty classrooms and vacant offices were also a common theme across the country.
Protests like these let us know that there is still hope for our country. They show that citizens cannot be silenced and that they will continue to voice their opinions to the government. They show that most aren’t going to allow their fear against Muslims and “immigrants taking our jobs” overpower their morals. According to CNN, 53% of American oppose Trump’s prohibitions on immigration and 6 out of 10 disagree with the stupidity of the wall. Yet these numbers don’t mean anything to the president, for CNN is classified as “fake news” anyways. Despite his opinions of CNN, as President of the United States he should take these numbers in careful consideration. If the majority of the population is disagreeing with his radical policies, then they should be changed to accommodate the beliefs of the people.
Those who support the travel ban use the argument that it is a direct attempt to stop radical terrorism in the United States. However, Huffington Post clearly states that there have been zero fatal attacks from those seven banned Muslim countries. It’s important that as U.S. citizens we look at the facts and don’t believe everything that has been told to us whether it’s a political figure or not. Supporters also claim that immigrants are taking various job opportunities from many people in the U.S. Blaming immigrants for one’s misfortune in finding a job is unacceptable. It completely undermines the intelligence of many qualified immigrants all over the world.
“The Day Without Immigrants” had such a big impact on the country as a whole, that it has inspired. “The Day Without Women” protest which is scheduled to take place on March 8. The protest calls for the equality, justice, and human rights for all women and those who are gender oppressed all across the world. “The Day Without Immigrants” and the upcoming Day Without Women assures we are having some sort of progress. During Trump’s address to Congress, he talked about working towards civil rights. Although, we can’t be working towards civil rights when the President is proposing plans that are banning an entire group of people based on their religion and ethnicity. Civil rights mean the freedom for all and his views completely contradict the statement he made during his address. We cannot let an unjust travel ban and a ridiculous wall ruin who we are as a country.
