U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive order to impose a travel ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries on Friday is already keeping Canadian families from seeing loved ones south of the border.
CTV News Channel spoke to two Iranian-Canadians on Sunday 鈥� one in Toronto and one in New Haven, Conn. 鈥� who say their families were unprepared for the effects of Trump鈥檚 decision to stop citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the U.S.
鈥淢y husband is in the United States right now. He got a job in California. He crossed the border on Tuesday, but when I wanted to join him yesterday, the visa that took the (U.S.) government three months to issue was cancelled in a matter of seconds,鈥� said Shima Ramezani Tehrani.
An Iranian-born permanent resident of Canada, Tehrani is one of many around the world who were denied entry to the U.S. under Trump鈥檚 executive order.
On Friday, Trump signed an order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days and suspending all refugee admission for 120 days, a move he said is necessary to stop 鈥渞adical Islamic terrorists鈥� from entering the country.
The ban has been met with protests, international condemnation, and widespread confusion since it was announced. Travellers have been blocked from their flights and detained for hours inside airports, despite having valid travel documents.
A U.S. federal judge issued an emergency ruling Saturday allowing stranded travellers to stay in the country. On Sunday, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus clarified that green card holders returning from affected countries will not be stopped from entering to the U.S., but may face additional screening at the border.
An email from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office late Saturday said the U.S. has given assurances that Canadians with dual citizenship will not be turned away.
On Sunday, Canada's immigration minister said Canadian permanent residents from the seven Muslim-majority countries can still enter the U.S. Dual citizens with a Canadian passport are also allowed into the U.S.
Still, many questions remain unanswered by the new U.S. administration.
Tehrani understands Trump鈥檚 desire to bolster U.S. security, but feels the blanket ban on entire countries will affect far too many innocent people.
鈥淧eople like my husband, who is scientist and can be an asset to the United States,鈥� she said.
With her Canadian citizenship already approved, Tehrani knows it won鈥檛 be long before she is able to visit her husband in Silicon Valley. Her thoughts, however, are with other families who aren鈥檛 so lucky.
Over 800 kilometres away, on the leafy Yale University campus, Behbod Negahban worries about his cancer-stricken father in Vancouver. He鈥檚 heard Canadian officials say dual citizens would be exempt from the travel ban, but worries those rules could change without notice.
鈥淚f I were to leave the country I would essentially be doing that on an act of faith, essentially hoping the information regarding Canadian dual nationals was correct, hoping that Donald Trump doesn鈥檛 change his mind,鈥� said Negahban.
His parents didn鈥檛 tell him about his father鈥檚 bladder cancer for six months until after he underwent surgery. Negahban says he is doing better now, but he wants to see how he is recovering with his own eyes.
Sitting in his dorm room at one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the U.S., he says he feels 鈥渨eirdly ambivalent鈥� about the so-called 鈥淢uslim-ban.鈥�
鈥淥n the one hand, I am furious because this is feeding into the powerlessness that I think a lot of Middle Eastern people, especially since 9/11, feel. Who is there to fight for our rights?鈥� he said. 鈥淥n the other hand, I feel incredibly hopeful. I鈥檝e lost count of the number of messages of support from people I haven鈥檛 spoken to in years who suddenly reached out to tell me that they are there for me, and if they can help my family at all, be it from Canada or the United States, they are prepared to do that.鈥�
Negahban says he鈥檚 never seen his people of his generation so angry about politics, or anything for that matter. He says he is growing more concerned by the day about the Trump administration鈥檚 鈥渆xecutive onslaught鈥� in the name of national security.
鈥淭his policy is based on a sort of bigotry. It鈥檚 based on a desire to pander to populist sentiments throughout the United States,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about wanting to keep Americans safe. It鈥檚 about creating the illusion that we are somehow keeping Americans safe.鈥�
Executive director and general counsel of Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), Sukanya Pillay, told CTV News Channel Sunday that it鈥檚 not just about those being stranded in Canada or the U.S., but also those who are fleeing persecution, terror and war overseas.
鈥淭hose people now might be obstructed by this executive order that is banning people from those listed countries from even getting on flights,鈥� she said.
The CCLA has called for from the Canadian government in response to the U.S. travel ban, but Pillay thinks two actions are crucial at a moment like this.
鈥淥ne is [raising] the cap on refugees that we are going to allow in and suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States,鈥� she said.
Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, refugee claimants are required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they land in, unless there鈥檚 an exception.
鈥淩ight now we don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to happen and if the U.S. is going to send people to the risk of torture or otherwise not honour their legal commitments under international refugee law, I think Canada has to rethink that the Safe Third Country Agreement,鈥� said Pillay.
With files from The Canadian Press
