This last Wednesday, on January 27th, marked the four-year anniversary of the Muslim Travel Ban instated by President Donald Trump. Thousands dropped their everyday tasks and headed over to L.A.X to protest against this outwardly racist, Islamaphobic, and xenophobic executive order. This order united Americans despite economic, racial, religious, and political differences. We understood the basis of America’s foundation was to welcome immigrants and refugees, and this executive order went against everything we believed in. We would not allow our doors to shut on families, children, and the elderly coming to America to escape the unfortunate unrest in their home countries.
Four years later, we returned back to L.A.X to celebrate the repeal of the Muslim Ban by the Biden Administration. Just like in 2017, people came from diverse racial, religious, and economic backgrounds to show that they support refugees and immigrants. Individuals affiliated with CHIR-LA, SEIU 721 and KRC and others attended and decorated their cars with words of support such as, “#AllOfUs, #FreedomTogether, and ‘Refugees Welcome.’” Seeing the community and the diverse individuals who came out to stand with Muslims, immigrants and refugees showed that we must stand united and continue to fight, even if it is for someone you don’t know.
President Joe Biden’s Executive Order is a huge step forward towards creating a more just America, but there is so much more to be done. We must continue to fight and advocate for citizenship for all immigrants and essential workers, close the camps and reunite families together at the border, abolish ICE, and free all immigrants criminalized in ICE prisons.
“No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.”
— Warsan Shire
