John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Photo by Judd Legum.
Large protests are happening at this hour at major airports following President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.
Filmmaker-activist Michael Moore tweeted earlier today, “Homeland Security now detaining 11 innocent Muslims inside JFK Terminal 4. Everybody peacefully to JFK! Term 4!! Shut this place down!”
Al Jazeera reports, “Protests have broken out at the John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York City as immigrants, including US green card holders, are detained following right-wing President Donald Trump’s executive order placing harsh restrictions on travelers from several Muslim-majority countries. Hundreds of demonstrators chanted ‘No ban, no wall, sanctuary for all!’ and ‘no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!’ while gathering outside the airport’s Terminal Four arrivals section.”
Protests are also happening in airports in Portland, Washington, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Miami, Dallas, Las Vegas, Boston, Houston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
The Toronto Star now reports, “The countries targeted by Trump’s 90-day ban are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Tens of thousands of Canadians have dual citizenship in one of them. Air Canada, WestJet and Porter Airlines are no longer letting people carrying passports from the seven countries board flights to the U.S. All three are waiving their cancellation fees.”
As of Saturday at 5 pm EST Justin Trudeau had not commented on the order other than an indirect tweet stating, “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength.”
Jahanzeb Hussain and Derrick O’Keefe comment in Ricochet, “The Canadian government must immediately step up in both words and deeds to categorically reject Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration and refugee policy. …To protect those directly affected and threatened by Trump’s Muslim ban, the Canadian government should immediately grant temporary visas to anyone otherwise accepted for entry who is denied under Trump’s racist and unconstitutional measures.”
NDP MP Jenny Kwan says, “As global citizens and defenders of human rights, Canada must be willing to do its part in addressing the increase in the number of refugees that will be denied entry into the United States. On behalf of my New Democrat colleagues, I call on the new minister to present Canadians with a plan to address these serious concerns.”
Trudeau is scheduled to meet with Trump in the White House in late-February.
Update: Global News reports, “A federal judge in New York has issued an emergency order temporarily barring the U.S. from deporting people from nations subject to President Donald Trump‘s travel ban. U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly issued the order Saturday evening after lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union filed a court petition on behalf of people from seven predominantly Muslim nations who were detained at airports across the country as the ban took effect.”
#MuslimBan #MuslimBanProtest #JFKTerminal4 #NoBanNoWall
