Hundreds of UC San Diego students marched across campus Monday to denounce President Donald Trump’s executive order barring visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
The demonstration came a day after a couple of thousand protesters jammed Terminal 2 at Lindbergh Field to oppose the travel ban.
The UCSD students carried signs and chanted “Move, Trump, get out the way” and “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here.” They also expressed opposition against Trump’s plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico.
At the heart of the matter was Trump’s Executive Order banning indefinitely all refugees from Syria entering the United States. The order blocked all refugee admissions for 120 days, and also stopped all refugee and non-refugee entries from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Syria for 90 days.
The national office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a federal lawsuit in Virginia on Monday challenging the constitutionality of Trump’s order, which the White House defends as a step in preventing potential terrorists from entering the country. A lawsuit was also filed by the state of Washington.
The San Diego CAIR chapter planned a news conference for Tuesday to discuss the president’s action.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to an inquiry into the number of people detained or prevented from entering the country in San Diego County.
However, officials with the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said they were trying to confirm a report that someone was stopped at an area border crossing. It did not appear that any travelers were detained for additional screening at Lindbergh Field, according to the ACLU.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that despite all the uproar, only about 100 travelers out of about 320,000 visitors were stopped nationwide.
“It’s a shame that people were inconvenienced, obviously, but at the end of the day we’re talking about a couple of hours,” Spicer said.
“I’m sorry that some folks may have had to await a little while, but I think the president would much rather know that he’s not placing a call to someone who was killed because someone was let in this country to commit a terrorist act.”
He added, “Coming into the this country is still a privilege. We’re the greatest country on Earth. Being able to come to America is a privilege, not a right. And it is our duty and it’s the president’s goal to make sure that everybody who comes into this country — to the best of our ability — is here because they want to enjoy this country and come in peacefully.”
In Sacramento, state legislators debated a resolution opposing Trump’s order.
Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego, said she sent a letter to the agency asking for information on anyone with visas or lawful permanent resident status who might be detained at San Diego’s international airport. She also called for them to be released from custody, and that they be allowed access to attorneys.
“People who have been lawfully vetted and granted legal status are being detained illegally as a result of the president’s unconstitutional executive order,” Davis said.
“We need to know who they are and they need to be released immediately and granted access to lawyers,” the congresswoman said. “This order is striking fear into families who have legal status and have done nothing wrong. This should never happen in America and the White House should immediately rescind this executive order.”
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that despite all the uproar, only about 100 travelers out of about 320,000 visitors were stopped nationwide.
“It’s a shame that people were inconvenienced, obviously, but at the end of the day we’re talking about a couple of hours,” Spicer said.
“I’m sorry that some folks may have had to await a little while, but I think the president would much rather know that he’s not placing a call to someone who was killed because someone was let in this country to commit a terrorist act.”
He added, “Coming into the this country is still a privilege. We’re the greatest country on Earth. Being able to come to America is a privilege, not a right. And it is our duty and it’s the president’s goal to make sure that everybody who comes into this country — to the best of our ability — is here because they want to enjoy this country and come in peacefully.”
In Sacramento, the state Senate passed a resolution opposing Trump’s order 26-11, along party lines.
In Congress, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, called for his House colleagues to work with the Trump administration to “swiftly reestablish strong and clear screening procedures” so that the country’s tradition of immigration is not permanently threatened by “those who wish us harm.”
A welcoming America is not incompatible with a strong and secure America,” Issa said. “We can put in place a vetting process that the American people have confidence in.”
The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. noted that local companies submitted 3,400 visa applications that allow them to employ foreign workers with specialized expertise.
“If you visit San Diego’s research institutions or science and technology companies, you will find world-class talent from across the globe,” said Mark Cafferty, the EDC’s president and CEO.
“Many of our greatest ideas and breakthroughs have been advanced by the contributions and dedication of immigrants, who have become part of our community,” Cafferty said. “President Trump’s recent immigration actions are harmful to San Diego companies and our economy, just as they are harmful to our nation as a whole.”
James Mathes, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, released a statement that called the executive order “an affront to our sense of fairness and equity.” He said Trump set a religious standard for entry “that is anathema to our national creed.”
On Sunday, Bishop Robert McElroy, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, issued a statement that said welcoming a stranger was a “searing responsibility” in individual interactions with people and guiding efforts to create a just society.
–City News Service
