US President Trump released a new Executive order that doubles down on his attacks on refugees and immigrants. While this new ban has been designed to avoid court challenges, it still discriminates against Muslims, slams the door on vulnerable refugees, and blocks people from lawfully traveling to the US.
On Monday 6 March, US President Donald Trump signed a second refugee and immigration travel ban that once again slams the door on many thousands of people forced to flee their homes.
Unlike the previous version, this ban is designed to stand up to scrutiny from the courts. While it may have new packaging, it still targets people who are simply trying to find a safe place to live after fleeing violence and persecution at home. The new ban blocks people from six predominantly Muslim countries from lawfully traveling to the US.
Under this order, thousands of refugees and migrants will no longer have the opportunity to rebuild their lives in the US. Some of the most vulnerable men, women and children in the world are now being refused safety. Families are being separated. Some might call this ‘extreme vetting’ but we call it what it is – extreme injustice.
After President Trump issued his initial Executive order in late January, millions stood up to reject this injustice and show their support for refugees. Together we demonstrated in cities and airports across the world to voice our opposition to the order. Oxfam even joined with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office to bring a lawsuit challenging the initial order.
But our fight isn’t done.
In this unprecedented moment, we need your help. At a time when refugees are in urgent need of life-saving aid, we need to do everything we can, from supplying displaced families with essentials like clean water and warm clothing, to resisting the new travel ban in any way we can.
As a global organization with a diverse workforce operating in more than 90 countries around the world, we are joining this fight because our ability to address some of the worst humanitarian crises around the globe is now being severely jeopardized.
It is all the more shocking that Europe is also sealing off its borders to keep out people who are seeking protection. Therefore, we are calling on world leaders to condemn the Executive Order, demand that it be rescinded, and increase their own resettlement numbers too.
What can you do?
President Trump is unlikely to listen to you or me – but he may listen to other governments if they stand together. Over 280,000 of us from Kenya to Syria have already taken action to #StandAsOne with people forced to flee. Let’s double that number and ensure that thousands of refugees aren’t left in limbo. Find out how you help refugees right now.