January 30, 2017 | By Bekah Harger
DALLAS – On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. These countries are Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. The president also suspended all refugee admittance for the next 120 days.
President Trump says, “I’m establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. We don’t want them here.”
The order caused confusion in U.S. Airports, including Dallas/Fort Worth International. People from the seven countries listed in the executive order were detained upon arrival, including some travelers who are U.S. citizens. Now, more than 100 attorneys are at D.F.W. to defend these detainees.
Brett Chisum, an attorney at McCathern P.L.L.C. says, “All of these attorneys are unpaid, from large firms to small firms. All here because we believe in the rule of law. This country was founded on the rule of law, and we have a sitting president right now who is in blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution.”
Chisum, who graduated with a degree in mass communication from West Texas A&M University before graduating law school at Southern Methodist University, believes the nation needs attorneys to get this resolved.
“I don’t want to be dramatic but the nation kind of depends on that,” says Chisum. “If you have people that are either legal residents or in the case of this 11-month-old child, who’s a US citizen, that don’t have access to their basic rights, where do we go from here as a country?”
Members of President Trump’s administration see this as a way to keep Americans safe.
Reince Priebus, the president’s Chief of Staff says, “This is a promise that President Trump had made, and it’s a promise that he is going to keep. He’s not willing to be wrong on this subject. We need to do our best to be vigilant and protect Americans.”
Federal judges from several states including, Washington, New York, and Massachusetts have ruled against president trump’s executive order. They are refusing to deport detained travelers.
“America is a proud nation of immigrants and we will continue to show compassion to those fleeing oppression, but we will do so while protecting our own citizens and border. America has always been the land of the free and home of the brave. We will keep it free and keep it safe, as the media knows, but refuses to say. My policy is similar to what President Obama did in 2011 when he banned visas for refugees from Iraq for six months. The seven countries named in the Executive Order are the same countries previously identified by the Obama administration as sources of terror. To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting. This is not about religion – this is about terror and keeping our country safe. There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order. We will again be issuing visas to all countries once we are sure we have reviewed and implemented the most secure policies over the next 90 days. I have tremendous feeling for the people involved in this horrific humanitarian crisis in Syria. My first priority will always be to protect and serve our country, but as President I will find ways to help all those who are suffering.”
We have received word from Chisum that most of the detainees at D.F.W. have been released. However, two people are still being detained. But we’re told it’s not because of the new executive order but rather for national security reasons.