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Some reflections: For years, I've reported on the Muslim ban. I've spoken to families in the U.S. and families abroad. I listened to daughters who were forced to give birth without their mom. Spouses who couldn't live with their loved ones. Children forced to live in war zones.
These families did everything right. Underwent extensive background & medical checks. Went to every appointment. Handed over their lives. Some were fleeing bombs; others famine. They checked off every box, even if it meant leaving home. Their hope? Someone was on the other side.
Still, the ban was expanded and revised. It became more discriminatory and targeted African nations. More families were split. Loved ones had to spend thousands in travel to find middle countries to meet. Some moved out of the USA entirely. The impact was chilling.
Yet the disconnect was jarring. We saw the same words and reasoning used to justify anti-Muslim, anti-Black xenophobic legislation -- this one and previous ones. National Security. Terrorism. Hotbed. Radicalization. All while families fell in a bureaucratic black hole.
Despite it all — they never lost hope, even at their worst. I think of them today. Their courage and strength and bravery even when this country turned their back on them. Even if this country will fight them after they’re here.
There is still much work to be done. But for just a brief moment, know this legislation is more than a political win. It means that families are allowed the most basic human right of living together in pursuit of safety and stability. That for them was always the goal.
