The Trump administration addressed the immigration issue by signing Executive Order
13769, which, according to McEntire (2019), was signed by President Trump to take into
consideration the necessary security criteria to prevent foreign terrorists and criminals from
entering the United States. Although similar measures had been implemented by earlier
Presidents, the order was met with fierce public and media opposition (McEntire, 2019). The
Trump administration believed that Obama’s immigration policies weakened American’s border
security. According to McEntire (2019), Trump explained his decision on signing executive
order 13769 on the grounds that Obama's immigration policies increased the potential of
terrorists and other malicious actors to undermine the border security of America and inflict
harm. On 27 March 2017, President Trump signed executive order 13780, which replaced
executive order 13769.
According to “Executive Order 13780: Protecting the Nation” (n.d.), provisions of
executive order 13780 placed travel limitations on Countries entering the United States such as
Iran, Libya, and Syria and increased the threshold for foreign nationals monitoring and testing as
well as improving the safety of American citizens. President Trump’s ability to implement
provisions was met with resistance. The executive orders were challenged through the court
systems and modifications were made to strike a balance between protecting the borders and
satisfying those that believe his policies are discriminatory towards Muslims and Mexicans.
I do not believe Trump's immigration policies were not of a discriminatory nature but
attempted to address the concerns of some segments of the American population which believed
that Muslims and Mexicans are responsible for the crime rates and terrorist attacks that are
occurring on American soil. Other segments of the American population resent this
generalization because it promotes division and encourages hate towards those from a different
ethnicity, religion, or belief background. President Trump’s proposal to build a wall was also
met with opposition. Budget restrictions and the political environment has dampened his effort
to build a wall of his vision across the Mexican American borders. There are implications for
toughening the stance on immigration. According to McEntire (2019), strengthening
immigration policies will require money and human capital to be distributed. Furthermore, a
tight immigration policy could lead to economic losses as immigrants fill millions of jobs.
Trump’s request for funds to build a wall has been a subject of debate during their past fiscal
budget reviews.
The detention of children along the Mexican borders has also generated debate across the
public, political, and media arena. According to Stephen (2018), In the summer of 2014, when
thousands of children and women traveled through Texas to the United States, they were sent to
detention centers in New Mexico, California, and Arizona. While they were accepted in some
neighborhoods and thousands of people set out to support them, posters and audiences in other
areas ordered them to go back or worse (Stephen, 2018). This occurred under the Obama
administration. According to Bortz (2018), children may be subjected to conditions that make
them susceptible to many contagious and non-communicable diseases through travel and
detention. Additionally, before and during the relocation process of children entering the United
States, children may be subjected to trauma brought along through separation from their parents
and other stressors generated from their internal and external environments (Bortz, 2018). The
overcrowding of detention centers and the recent deaths of children and adults held in detention
centers has raised questions about the effectiveness and intent of the current immigration
policies. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) has also
been controversial because those that oppose, believe it provides amnesty for unauthorized
migrants as well as rewarding them with educational benefits which would have otherwise been
made available to American students.
The President reserve the right to protect our borders. At the same time, immigrants
should have the opportunity to come to America to seek a better life. However, those seeking to
enter America must do so legally and follow the protocols to become an American Citizen. The
9/11 terror attacks, human trafficking, and drug trafficking has impacted our society in a
detrimental way and action is required to counter their effects on our way of life. Romans 13:1
states, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except
from God, and those that exists have been instituted by God” (ESV).
References
Bortz, K. (2018). Migrant children's health endangered by family separation at US border.
Infectious Diseases in Children, 31(8), 1-12.
Executive Order 13780: Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United
States Initial Section 11 Report. (2019, November 8). Retrieved from
https://www.dhs.gov/publication/executive-order-13780-protecting-nation-foreign-
terrorist-entry-united-states-initial.
McEntire, D. A. (2019). Introduction to homeland security: understanding terrorism prevention
and emergency management. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Stephen, L. (2018). Creating preemptive suspects: National security, border defense, and
immigration policy, 1980–Present. Latin American Perspectives, 45(6), 7-25.
doi:10.1177/0094582X17699907
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
