2 years after Executive Order 13769

“I am not welcomed here.” In many comments on news articles and video segments, people directly affected by Executive Order 13769, which was titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry in the United States” and resulted in hundreds of immigrants being trapped in airports, lamented that that was how they felt. Although I was only in 7th grade at the time, I was struck by how a green card, just one slip of paper, could make a world of difference in how one was treated in America and could closely sympathize as I, like all those trapped people, am an immigrant. 

I thought the situation was hopeless for those immigrants, and I was extremely saddened not only because of the unfairness of the situation, but also because I felt like there was nothing meaningful I could do. Although there were protests going on all over the country regarding this issue, I came to realize, to my dismay, that these protests wouldn’t directly help the detainees, even if they put pressure on the administration. Then, I saw an article about how in one airport, immigration lawyers were stepping in to aid the immigrants. These lawyers had left behind everything and ran to airports that were detaining immigrants to provide them with legal aid. One thing was certain: these lawyers stood up in times of crisis and helped these people, who were immigrants like me, when they were lost and helpless. After seeing this immigration crisis play out, it became my greatest ambition to become involved in policy-making and law so that I can help people in times of crisis. ​