Trump's New Muslim Ban: Worse Than Ever – And the Media’s Silent

Yes, it's just as bad as you think.

As an Iranian and Muslim news commentator, today’s newsletter brings me nothing but sadness to write. Donald Trump’s Muslim ban 2.0 is much worse than the first one.

We have to wait until they determine which countries will be a part of this executive order and how it will all pan out, but the implications and new provisions are terrifying. For this article, I tapped into Maryam Jamshidi’s work, a legal scholar who breaks down complex issues like this for normies like us to understand. Please give her a follow!

The Executive Order Broken Down…

First worrisome provision:

Unlike the first ban, this provision implies that foreign nationals from countries related to the new ban who have been admitted into the US in the last four years could be subject to deportation. Since it’s written so vaguely, we don’t know exactly which countries or what the “actions/activities” are, so we are keeping the door open for many possibilities.

For example, more than 40,000 Iranians holding non-visitor visas are in trouble, as are thousands from the multitude of countries that will be listed concerning this executive order.

Once again, we aren’t talking about undocumented people or people who live outside of the US. We are talking about people who live here and have documentation.

Second worrisome provision:

This language looks to be directly targeting foreign nationals involved in pro-Palestine protests, especially foreign students on visas. Since Oct 7, 2023, supporters of Israel have been looking for a way to deport protestors against their cause.

Looks like they may have found a way.

Third worrisome provision:

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but it suggests forced assimilation. It suggests a narrow, one-size-fits-all vision of what it means to be American, potentially disregarding the diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds that immigrants bring with them. It can imply that there is only one correct way to assimilate, one “unified American identity,” which can marginalize those who don't fit that ideal.

Also, America is multicultural, so I’m not sure what they want Americans to do. Go to baseball games and eat hot dogs?

Your definition of being an American differs from most people's because our lived experiences here differ. So, I’m curious to see the Trump admin’s definition of assimilation.

Fourth worrisome provision:

This would mean that people fleeing war, persecution or who are stateless (lacking a nationality) would face more intense background checks or identification verification than other immigrants or visitors. Unless you live under a rock, you’d know that many countries within the Middle East struggle with all of the above to some capacity.

Singling out refugees and stateless individuals for more rigorous checks is problematic because it can create barriers to safety for vulnerable populations.

It also risks perpetuating negative stereotypes and undermining the country’s humanitarian responsibilities.

In the News…

Moments after Trump’s inauguration, about 1,660 Afghans who the U.S. government had cleared to resettle in the U.S. had their flights canceled. This includes family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel.

One of the dozens of executive orders Trump signed was to suspend U.S. refugee programs for at least four months.

Unaccompanied minors are also in this group of personnel, waiting to reunify with their family members in the U.S., as well as Afghans who risk Taliban persecution because they joined forces with the former U.S.-backed Afghan government.

If this doesn’t indicate how the Muslim ban will go, I don’t know what will.

Wrapping it up…

The new executive order introduced by Trump represents a profoundly troubling escalation of his previous Muslim ban, with more far-reaching consequences. From the potential deportation of lawful immigrants to the targeting of individuals based on their political views, particularly those advocating for Palestine, these provisions threaten to divide and alienate marginalized communities.

The push for forced assimilation undermines America’s rich diversity and risks erasing the cultural identities that make our country unique.

As this executive order takes shape, we must remain vigilant, informed, and ready to oppose policies that threaten the principles of equality and inclusion on which the U.S. was founded.

For now, the stakes are higher than ever, and the need for solidarity and resistance is greater than ever.