MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - The Supreme Court’s decision to reinstate President Trump’s travel ban, Monday, has plenty of people talking, from a group of mayors in South Florida to members of local mosques.
As afternoon prayer came to a close at the Islamic Center of Greater Miami, Khalid Kahn learned a travel ban is now reality.
“This ban is totally ridiculous, you know,” said Kahn.
The Supreme Court’s decision closed the door on six predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days, allowing entry only to those with bona fide ties to the U.S.
“He’s differentiating the good and bad,” said Kahn. “How do you know that? Who is good and who is bad, who is allowed to come and who is not allowed to come?”
The latest development on the travel ban came as more than 250 mayors of major cities across the country met in Miami Beach. They gathered to discuss how national issues hit home, and this one did not sit well with the United States Conference of Mayors.
“I don’t think it’s American at all,” said Mayor Tim Willson of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
“An outright travel ban in the 21st century? It just doesn’t seem to make sense to me,” said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
“This sends a message that perhaps certain people are not accepted,” said Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s home state of Hawaii was among the first to fight the travel ban with a lawsuit.
“I was hoping that the court would hold off from making any decision until they actually heard the case,” said Caldwell.
But hearing the case won’t happen until October, and the ban will expire by then.
“We have to find a way to lawfully, in a very reasonable but very stern way, ensure our safety but also reinforce who America is,” said Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert.
“We need to do everything we can to make our country safe and secure,” said Miami Beach Mayor Phillip Levine, “but I don’t want to see us target specific people, specific groups.”
In this case, people from Libya, Sudan, Syria, Iran, Yemen and Somalia.
“I understand that there has to be laws and regulations, but it should not be based on nationality,” said Grushenska Zambranno. “It should be based on individuals.”
“The United States is losing all its integrity,” said Kahn. “We are supposed to be a Democratic country and very civilized, but that’s not what our value is.”
People at the Islamic Center of Greater Miami said they fear that this travel ban is damaging the country’s reputation and sending the wrong message to the rest of the world.
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