By: Nia Mosley ~Guest Writer~

When I saw the headline stating that U.S. President Trump signed what is officially called “Protection of The Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” I was floored. This document indefinitely suspends refugees from entering the United States. This order has caused many Americans to have issues at home because of either a direct or indirect connection to the countries affected.

The travel ban is geared toward seven Muslim-majority countries: Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia. These countries are, as a lot of Americans know, filled with refugees of war, famine and people in need of serious aid. The travel ban not only makes it clear to the countries affected that their people in need will not receive aid from America but also sends a clear message to the American people who have family ties in those countries that the Trump administration, and therefore the American government, does not welcome them here. This poses a problem when the American people do not agree with this ideology.

The travel ban has even been nicknamed the “Muslim Ban,” due to the not so coincidental occurrence that these countries are all Muslim-majority. I could only imagine how I would feel if my family members who take a pilgrimage to Mecca were not able to easily come back to the United States. I am personally scared for not only my family but also for close friends I went to grade school with because of how deeply this affects their daily lives and makes seeing their friends and family difficult. All I have been taught is inclusivity and kindness, but to see the Trump administration bring in new ideas that challenge this belief appalls me.

The United States is filled with doctors, lawyers and other tax-paying citizens who come from these countries and are affected by the travel ban. These individuals go on about their daily lives just as much as everybody else. It is shameful that the Trump administration and the media continues to perpetuate the idea to other countries that America is not inclusive, when the reality is that the American population is the most diverse group of people in the world. America is called the “melting pot” for a reason. The travel ban doesn’t declare how the American people feel because the American people did not sign it.

In fact, President Trump did not even get officials from the Justice Department to look over the order, nor was the Department of Homeland Security adequately informed. This lack of communication resulted in several airport problems. Many families were split apart, there was mass confusion and people were stranded at various airports. To safely generalize the situation: it was utter chaos. Although the situation was bad, it was a beautiful example of how Americans can come together in a time of great distress and be there for one another in solidarity.

Trump is the president of the United States of America, but his actions and the subsequent actions of his administration are not indicative as to how the general population feels about our Muslim friends and family as well as people from the countries on the travel ban list. The American people stand with those affected by the travel ban and will continue to stand with them and help fight for what is right.