Donald Trump's travel ban is more 'sad news' for immigrants in Michigan
"It's very unfortunate, sad news," Abdulhakem Alsadah, president of the Dearborn-based National Association of Yemeni Americans, Behavioral Health & Community Social Services, told the Free Press Thursday, June 5, the day after Trump signed the executive order banning entry.
Alsadah said he wasn't surprised, that he "knew it was coming" based on Trump's earlier statements he would issue another travel ban like he did during his first term. But "it's still a headache" for many in Michigan, he said.
Trump's ban, announced late Wednesday, June 4, prohibits people from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also partially restricts and limits the entry of people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Yemeni Americans — who are the largest Middle Eastern group in Detroit, Melvindale, Coldwater and Hamtramck, census data shows — already face challenges because of the war in Yemen that led to the shut down of all U.S. embassies and consulates. Trump's travel ban "will only add to this misery," Alsadah said.
Metro Detroit, which has the highest percentage of Arab Americans among regions in the U.S., became an epicenter for challenges to Trump's first travel ban, often referred to as the Muslim travel ban since most of the nations were Muslim-majority nations. Nabih Ayad, a Detroit attorney, filed a federal lawsuit in Detroit in January 2017, shortly after Trump's first ban, on behalf of Muslims unable to travel to the U.S. to be with family members. There were several rallies held by Muslims and progressive groups in Michigan, including one at Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus. A federal court ruled in their favor the following month and they got a federal injunction blocking the ban, which was later rescinded by then President Joe Biden in January 2021 shortly after he took office.
"I think its sends the wrong message, that America is not open to democracy and freedom," Ayad, the founder and board chairman of the Dearborn-based Arab American Civil Rights League, said of Trump's latest travel ban. It also violates the constitution and will impact families in metro Detroit, he said.
More: Border Patrol arrested a Detroit student on a field trip. He now faces deportation.
In making his announcement of the travel ban, Trump started his remarks by talking about the firebomb attack in Boulder on June 1 that injured fifteen people taking part in a rally for Israeli hostages. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is an immigrant from Egypt who overstayed his visa; he was charged June 5 with 118 criminal counts.
"The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas," Trump said from the White House. "We don't want them. In the 21st century, we've seen one terror attack after another carried out by foreign visa overstayers from dangerous places all over the world. ... In my first term, my powerful travel restrictions were one of our most successful policies, and they were a key part of preventing major foreign terror attacks on American soil. We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America."
But critics said Trump's reasoning has more to do with which countries the U.S. favors in its foreign policy rather than protecting Americans. Ayad noted that the man who carried out the June 1 attack in Boulder was from Egypt, which is not included in the travel ban.
"It has nothing to do with national security," Ayad said.
U.S. Rep. Rashida Talib, D-Detroit, said the travel ban is rooted in racism.
'It should come as no surprise that Trump's racist travel ban overwhelmingly targets Black and brown people from countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean," Tlaib said in a statement. "These policies are rooted in white nationalism and will only increase hate, xenophobia, and Islamophobia in our country."
More: Taylor Police Department is first agency in metro Detroit to sign agreement with ICE
Tlaib described Trump as 'the white-supremacist-in-chief" who "has once again issued an unconstitutional travel ban" around the time that Muslims are celebrating a major holiday on Friday, June 6.
"This comes as Muslims in our communities and around the world prepare to celebrate Eid al-Adha," the Detroit Congresswoman said. "It is a shameful expansion of his hateful Muslim and African ban from his first term."
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, who used to live in Dearborn, also released a statement, saying "Trump's renewed travel ban will not make us safer, it will create more division. It's based on bigotry and xenophobia, just like the last one. U.S. policy should not be guided by hatred. This travel ban should not stand, and we must fight against it."
Under Trump's latest travel ban, there are exceptions to the restrictions. People who are still allowed from the 19 nations include: permanent residents of the U.S. known as green card holders, some immediate family members of U.S. citizens, "ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran," Afghans who helped the U.S. during the war with the Taliban, and athletes participating in the "World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State," the order reads.
The latest order is more detailed in its rules, which is helpful, but the problem in many cases is implementation, advocates said. Individual officials may not understand the details of the ban and apply a broad brush.
Some officials "are not well trained, especially overseas at embassies in specific countries," Alsadah said. "So it's going to be hard for everybody."
Christine Sauvé, the head of community engagement and communication for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, agreed with Tlaib that the ban is discriminatory.
"The ban again targets Black, brown, and Muslim people who have recently fled places experiencing insecurity and strife," she said. "Many Michiganders have ties to the affected countries and it will sadly affect thousands of innocent people who are trying to reunite with loved ones, travel for college studies, or visit family for the holidays."
Sauvé said the ban is the latest move by the Trump administration that cracks down on immigrants in Michigan and other states that is hurting communities and affecting local economies.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com, X @nwarikoo or Facebook @nwarikoo
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Donald Trump's travel ban to impact immigrants in Michigan
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Texas Democrats know they're fighting a losing cause. At least they're fighting.
This move by Democrats is performative at best. But it's one of the only things they've done to counteract President Trump's complete takeover of the government. Democrats in Texas are trying to represent the will of their constituents. To do so, they had to leave the state. On Aug. 4, the Texas Legislature was scheduled to vote on congressional redistricting that would turn five districts favoring Democrats to favor Republicans. To prevent the vote from happening, Democratic state legislators fled Texas, ensuring that the General Assembly would not have a quorum and thus making the vote impossible. 'We come here today with absolute moral clarity that this is absolutely the right thing to do to protect the people of the state of Texas,' state Rep. Gene Wu, the leader of the House Democratic Caucus, said at an Aug. 3 press conference in Chicago. Other legislators traveled to Albany, N.Y., and Boston. On one hand, this move by the Democrats is performative at best. Eventually, they will have to go back to Texas, and the new maps will be voted on. This doesn't mean it's a bad thing, though. It's one of the only things Democrats have done to counteract President Donald Trump's complete takeover of the government. Texas Democrats are pushing back on Republican antics This did not come out of nowhere – Trump specifically asked Republicans in the state to redraw the congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms to give their party an advantage through gerrymandering in the state's cities, which would give Democrats even less representation than they currently have. Gov. Greg Abbott had to call a special session to approve the maps. At the press conference, Wu pointed out that this decision is happening against the backdrop of historic flooding in central Texas in July that killed 135 people, including more than 35 children. Instead of focusing on disaster relief, Republicans are choosing to address the congressional maps. Republicans in Texas should be focused on helping their communities, not bending to the whims of the president. At the very least, redrawing districts could wait until after flooding has been addressed. While it was bold of Democrats to leave at such a perilous time, it's clear they're doing so because they feel it's the only option. Opinion: Republicans are afraid of Mamdani in New York. That's a good thing. Democrats know this is all for show. At least they're taking a stand. The Democrats are certainly getting the attention of their fellow Texas politicians. Abbott is so upset, he's threatening to remove the lawmakers from office if they do not return to the state to vote on the new maps. He also said the Democrats possibly committed felonies by fundraising for the $500 a day fines they're facing. 'Come and take it,' the Democrats replied. Opinion: What if I told you there's a Democrat who can still get the Republican vote? Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also running for U.S. Senate, said he believes the runaway legislators should be 'found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately.' Dustin Burrows, a Republican and the Texas Speaker of the House, has said he's prepared to issue civil arrest warrants for the missing Democrats. Trump has not weighed in on the Democratic play, seeing as he's too busy firing the commissioner of Labor Statistics and weighing in on Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad. Ultimately, this act of protest will have to come to an end. Democrats will have to head back to Austin and vote on these maps, whether they like it or not. But at least they're doing something to sound the alarm on the president's meddling and Republican acquiescence. People have been souring on the Democrats as of late. A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that most Democrats see their party as 'weak' or 'ineffective.' It doesn't help that Democratic leadership is nowhere to be found nationwide. If anything, this act of protest will put attention back on the party and serve as a starting point for a stronger presence in predominantly red states ahead of the midterms. They're finally fighting back, even in a very red state like Texas. Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno
Los Angeles Times
28 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
California redistricting would be ‘triggered' by Texas maps, Newsom says
WASHINGTON — A last-ditch effort by California Democrats to redraw the state's congressional map for the 2026 election, countering a similar push by Texas Republicans, is now up against the clock. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that Democrats are moving forward with a plan to put a rare mid-decade redistricting plan before voters on Nov. 4. But state lawmakers will craft a 'trigger' for the legislation, he said, meaning California voters would only vote on the measure if Texas moved forward with its own plans to redraw Congressional boundaries to add five more Republican seats. 'It's cause and effect, triggered on the basis of what occurs or doesn't occur in Texas,' Newsom said. 'I hope they do the right thing, and if they do, then there'll be no cause for us to have to move forward.' Democratic lawmakers in Texas on Monday left the state to deprive Republicans of the quorum needed to pass the new maps. Republican lawmakers voted 85 to 6 to send state troopers to arrest them and bring them back to the Capitol, a move that is largely symbolic, since the lawmakers won't face criminal or civil charges. The outcome of the dueling efforts between Texas and California could determine which party controls the House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections, which Democrats see as the last bulwark to President Trump's actions in his second term. Trump has pushed Republicans to add more GOP seats in Texas, hoping to stave off a midterm defeat. Democrats hold 43 of California's 52 congressional seats. Early discussions among California politicians and strategists suggest that redrawn lines could shore up some vulnerable incumbent Democrats by making their purple districts more blue, while forcing five or six of the state's nine Republican members into tougher reelection fights. But nothing official can be done until state lawmakers return from recess to Sacramento on Aug. 18. Democrats, who hold a supermajority in the Legislature, would have less than a month to draw a new map, hold hearings and negotiate the language of a bill calling for the special November election, leaving just enough time for voter guides to be mailed and ballots to be printed. Democratic lawmakers and operatives said Monday that the timeline is doable, but they would have to act quickly. California's Democratic congressional delegation expressed consensus during a video meeting Monday with moving forward with a ballot measure that would allow mid-decade redistricting only if another state moves forward with it, according to a person familiar with the virtual meeting, and that the change would be temporary. They expressed their support for the independent commission. California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said the Democratic caucus met Sunday night 'to discuss the urgent threat of a continued, blatant Trumpian power grab — a coordinated effort to undermine our democracy and silence Californians.' Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly held separate meetings to discuss redistricting. David Binder, a pollster who works with Newsom, presented internal polling that showed tepid early support among voters for temporarily changing state laws to allow the Legislature to draw new maps for elections in 2026, 2028 and 2030. 'Our voters must be empowered to push back,' Rivas said. 'California has never backed down — and we won't start now.' Democratic lawmakers' exodus from Austin on Monday denied Republicans the quorum necessary to proceed with a vote on a redrawn state map that could net Republicans five congressional seats. Democratic lawmakers balked at threats from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The Texas House Democratic Caucus put out a statement riffing on a slogan made famous during the Texas Revolution: 'Come and take it.' One member of the caucus noted that being absent was not a crime and that Texas warrants can't be served in Illinois or New York, where many lawmakers have gone. 'There is no felony in the Texas penal code for what he says,' said Jolanda Jones, a Democrat. 'He's trying to get soundbites, and he has no legal mechanism.' The Texas House Republican speaker, Dustin Burrows, said that Democrats leaving does not 'stop this House from doing its work. It only delays it.' But Abbott's legal options to get his redistricting bill passed, by expelling Democrats or compelling their return, appear narrow, likely forcing the governor's office to make challenges in courtrooms based in Democratic districts. Abbott has until the end of the year to secure new maps for them to be used in the state's March 3 primaries. At a news conference last week in Sacramento, Newsom compared Trump's pressure on Abbott to add five Republican congressional seats as akin to his efforts to 'find' 12,000 votes to win Georgia after the 2020 election. 'We're not here to eliminate the commission,' he said. 'We're here to provide a pathway in '26, '28 and in 2030 for congressional maps on the basis of a response to the rigging of the system by the president of the united states. It won't just happen in Texas. I imagine he's making similar calls all across this country. It's a big deal. I don't think it gets much bigger.' For decades, redrawing California's electoral maps amounted to political warfare. In 1971, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan vetoed a redistricting plan that he called 'a mockery of good government.' The California Supreme Court ultimately drew the lines, and did so again in 1991, when then-Gov. Pete Wilson rejected maps drawn by Democrats. California's state lawmakers last drew their own district lines in 2001, after members of both parties signed off on a plan drawn up to protect incumbents. In 2008, California voters stripped state lawmakers of the power to draw their own districts by passing Proposition 11, which created an independent redistricting commission. Two years later, voters handed the power to redraw congressional district maps to the same panel by passing Proposition 20. That group drew the lines before the 2012 elections, and again after the 2020 Census. California set the date for its last statewide special election — the 2021 attempted recall of Newsom — 75 days in advance. County election officials would need at least that much time to find voting locations and prepare ballots for overseas and military voters, which must be mailed 45 days before election day, one elections official said. 'We need at least a similar timeline and calendar to what took place in 2021 for the gubernatorial recall election,' said Dean Logan, the top elections official in Los Angeles County. Similarly, he said, counties will 'need the funding provided upfront by the state to conduct this election, and the funding to do the redistricting associated with it, because counties are not prepared financially.' The 2021 recall election cost California taxpayers about $200 million. The preliminary estimate for Los Angeles County to administer the redistricting election is about $60 million. Republican strategist Jon Fleischman, former executive director of the California Republican Party, said Republicans nationally need to take state Democrats' efforts to redraw the maps seriously — by pulling out their checkbooks. 'Our statewide Republican fundraising has atrophied because it has been over a generation since we had a viable statewide candidate in California,' he said. 'The kind of money that it would take to battle this — it would have to be national funding effort.' While Texas prompted California Democrats to take action, Fleischman said, the issue has enough momentum here that it ultimately doesn't matter what Texas does. 'If Gavin Newsom places this on the ballot, it means he's already done his polling and has figured out that it will pass because he cares more running for president that redistricting in California,' Fleischman said. 'And he knows he can't afford to make this play and lose.' Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who championed the ballot measure that created the independent redistricting commission, has not weighed in on the mid-decade redistricting efforts in Texas and California. But a spokesperson for the former governor made clear that he vehemently opposes both. Since leaving office, Schwarzenegger has fought for independent map-drawing across the nation. Redistricting is among the political reforms that are the focus of the Schwarzenegger Institute at USC. 'His take on all of this is everyone learned in preschool or kindergarten that two wrongs don't make a right. He thinks gerrymandering is evil,' said Daniel Ketchell, a spokesperson for Schwarzenegger. 'It takes power from the people and gives it to politicians. He thinks it's evil, no matter where they do it.' Wilner reported from Washington, Nelson and Mehta from Los Angeles and Luna from Sacramento.
The Hill
28 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump eyes additional barriers to solar and wind energy
The Trump administration is eyeing additional barriers to the development of solar and wind energy on public lands. In a memo made public late Friday, the administration said that it would seek to block projects that take up a lot of room, calling wind and solar 'highly inefficient uses of Federal land.' The memo said that the administration would 'only permit those energy projects that are the most appropriate land use when compared to a reasonable range of project alternatives.' In doing so, it will put together a report of further actions that are needed to accomplish this goal. 'Gargantuan, unreliable, intermittent energy projects hold America back from achieving U.S. Energy Dominance while weighing heavily on the American taxpayer and environment,' said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a written statement. The renewable industry balked at the effort – saying it could have significant impacts on developing wind and solar on public lands. 'Depending on how it's ultimately implemented, it could have serious implications for new projects moving forward,' said Gene Grace, general counsel for the American Clean Power Association, a renewable lobbying group. John Hensley, the organization's senior vice president for Markets and Policy Analysis, also said that while wind and solar projects may be large, that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad for the environment. 'In the case of wind and solar, they do require much larger total project footprints, but the amount of land that's actually disturbed…is a fraction of the total project size,' said Hensley noting that wind in particular is very efficient if you consider land that's actually disturbed rather than the entire size of a wind farm. It's the latest in a long string of actions taken by the Trump administration to hamper wind and solar, including on public lands. President Trump's big beautiful bill cut tax credits for these energy sources. Separate memos issued by the Trump administration said it would consider barring future wind projects and subject wind and solar to an elevated review process, which is likely to slow them down.
