On Tuesday, dozens of demonstrators rallied outside San Diego International Airport to express their outrage over President Donald Trump’s newly enacted travel ban, which had begun blocking travel from 12 primarily Middle Eastern and African countries just a day prior.
The demonstrators, representing local Muslim and immigrant rights organizations, held up signs emblazoned with slogans such as “No Muslim ban,” “No African ban,” and “Refugees are welcome.”
Tazheen Nizam, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ San Diego chapter, condemned the ban, stating, “It is shameful, and it bans entire communities as suspects because (of) where they come from.”
Nizam further described the ban as an act of scapegoating that weaponizes fear and transforms global crises into pretexts for sweeping, racist exclusions.
“This isn’t about security. It’s about scapegoating,” he added.
The San Diego rally was part of a series of protests at airports across the country in reaction to an expansive travel ban that critics see as deeply discriminatory.
Maria Chavez, an immigration attorney in San Diego, reflected on her experiences with the original travel ban initiated by President Donald Trump in 2017, which separated many Muslim families.
She noted, “These families were kept apart for four long years for no reason whatsoever, other than the fact that they were from a Muslim-majority country,” and expressed sadness that the country is facing similar challenges again.
Chavez was among several demonstrators at the airport rally, which featured a coalition of the city’s Muslim organizations, including CAIR San Diego, the Islamic Center of San Diego, and the Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego.
Experts have characterized the new ban as a more systematic and expansive version of the original travel restrictions, citing a longer list of prohibited and restricted nations.
Trump administration officials have framed the ban as a national security measure, linking it to concerns over unvetted foreign nationals and visa overstays.
In a video accompanying the announcement of the ban, President Trump said, “The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted… We don’t want them.”
Critics, however, assert that the ban unfairly punishes entire countries based on the actions of a few individuals.
Nizam pointed out that the ban will once again hinder San Diegans with connections to the banned nations, like the city’s large Somali community, from reuniting with family members.
While spouses, children, and parents of American citizens are still able to travel from these countries, other relatives face challenges in entering the U.S.
Ian Seruelo, an immigration attorney and chair of the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, emphasized the discriminatory nature of the ban, stating, “We should not call this a travel ban, but we should call it a Muslim ban. And this is a Muslim ban hiding under some legal and national security pretext.”
The new travel ban comes as a contrast to the chaotic implementation of the original 2017 ban, which had led to confusion at airports and numerous legal challenges.
This time around, the Trump administration appears to have crafted its policy with more deliberation, allowing for smoother operations at airports even in light of the new restrictions.
Despite this more methodical approach, opponents argue that the new ban will be harder to challenge legally, given its more refined justifications that cite visa overstays among the reasons for the prohibitions.
Nizam explained that the new ban uses what they term “legalistic” reasons, which complicates efforts to overturn it in court.
Nevertheless, the demonstrators at the rally voiced their commitment to resist the ban persistently.
They urged community members to advocate to their congressional representatives in support of the NO BAN Act, which aims to limit the President’s ability to impose travel bans.
This measure was proposed by Rep. Judy Chu in February and is currently under review by a House subcommittee.
Nizam stressed the human impact of the ban, saying, “We are talking about community members who are unable to unite with their families that are not able to be here.”
He concluded, “When you come for one of us, you come for all of us.”
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