The Trump administration issued a cruel and racist proclamation yesterday blocking entry to the United States for people from 12 countries and partially restricting the entry of people from seven other countries. The proclamation came at the end of a day when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Chicago and other cities arrested people who were summoned for check-ins or attended immigration court hearings.
National Immigrant Justice Center Executive Director Mary Meg McCarthy responded:
“Trump’s campaign to separate immigrant families and traumatize our communities escalates every day. Yesterday, as the Trump administration prepared to issue a sweeping xenophobic ban on entry to the United States, its ICE officers in Chicago were arresting people at their immigration court hearings and calling immigrant community members to report for check-ins where they were detained and taken to undisclosed locations. We are grateful to the people from all over Chicago who courageously took to the streets yesterday to try and stop ICE from disappearing loved ones and neighbors. We need members of Congress to recognize these actions taken to together for what they are: a racist and authoritarian regime’s effort to remove Black and Brown immigrants from our communities, destabilize our families and social systems, and isolate all of us from our global community. The anguish of Chicagoans yesterday as ICE took away loved ones who were trying to comply with their immigration process paints a foreboding picture of what lies ahead for our country if we do not act now to defend our neighbors and due process, and to hold the Trump administration accountable to abide by the rule of law.”
About the travel ban:
The new travel ban relies on the same racist and xenophobic justifications as those Trump issued during his first term people from African and predominantly Muslim countries. The proclamation bars entry to the United States for travelers from the following countries who do not have visas or lawful status as of June 9: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It partially restricts entry of people from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Read the National Immigration Law Center’s explainer for more information about the travel ban and its expected impact.
Read NIJC’s Know Your Rights: If you or your loved one is detained for more information about next steps to take following an ICE arrest.