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CAIR Florida Sues Trump Over Travel Ban

Tom Flanigan

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is suing President Donald Trump over his travel ban. The ban restricts refugees and travelers from certain Muslim-majority countries.

President Trump’s travel ban caused confusion this weekend in airports across the globe. The president denies the ban targets Muslims. But Wilfredo Ruiz, the Florida spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, disputes that. He said that’s exactly what the ban is designed to do.

“These orders bring a false sense of security," he said. "The countries chosen, it has been already evidenced that none of the nationals of these countries have ever committed a terrorist act in America.”

Credit Tom Flanigan

The order temporarily bars all refugees into the U.S. and halts the Syrian refugee program indefinitely. It also temporarily blocks entry into the U-S for travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries.

“People have questions as to whether or not they should travel, they’re concerned, they’re worried about what’s going to happen next," said Hiba Rahim, CAIR Florida’s Northwest coordinator. "Like is this the first step of a series of different orders that potentially may see the eviction of refugees from our country.”

Rahim recommends people check with an immigration attorney before traveling and not to travel if there’s a chance they won’t be able to re-enter the U.S.

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Sarah Mueller is the first recipient of the WFSU Media Capitol Reporting Fellowship. She’ll be covering the 2017 Florida legislative session and recently earned her master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting at the University of Illinois Springfield. Sarah was part of the Illinois Statehouse press corps as an intern for NPR Illinois in 2016. When not working, she enjoys playing her yellow lab, watching documentaries and reading memoirs.
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