There is now frustration and fear after President Trump’s new comments on immigration, including a possible crackdown affecting Afghan residents, following the National Guard shooting in Washington, DC.
Just days after the deadly National Guard shooting in DC, Afghan immigrants in the Bay Area say they’re feeling new fears following President Trump’s vow to stop immigration requests from what he called “third world countries,” and his call for “reverse migration.”
Trump’s comments come after authorities identified the suspect as an Afghan national, who once worked with a CIA-backed group, killed one national guard reservist and severely injured another.
A man who came from Afghanistan to the US in 1981, who asked to remain anonymous, said he is fearing retaliation against him and his community.
“My message is to others. Please be useful to this country. It is a very lovely country, and we hope that we have accomplished something that we are hoping for peace, prosperity, and happiness,” he said.
He says Afghans in America are overwhelmingly peaceful and shouldn’t be judged by one person’s actions.
The president also said he’ll re-examine the status of green card holders from 19 countries including Afghanistan.
Afghan immigration justice group ANAR warns against using a single incident to justify broad restrictions.
“What we are seeing right now is a form of large-scale harm and collective punishment in response to a specific incident and this really doesn’t do anything to keep our communities safer or to promote national security,” said Laila Ayub, ANAR Co-Director and an immigration attorney.
ANAR plans to monitor any new policies and says the US has legal and moral obligations to uphold.
“This bigger picture affect of restricting pathways for people and really abandoning our united states obligations under domestic and international law to ensure protections of people who are fleeing their homes,” Ayub said.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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