Minnesotans on edge over likely refugee restrictions
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday to restrict the flow of refugees into the U.S., including a temporary ban on those fleeing Muslim-majority countries
A draft of the executive order was sent to a number of media outlets on Wednesday, including MPR News, titled: "Protecting The Nation From Terrorist Attacks By Foreign Nationals."
While the details could change, the eight-page draft document outlines stricter policies for refugees trying to enter the U.S. It places a month-long ban on those coming from countries with links to designated terrorist groups, including Somalia.
That's causing great concern for Minnesotans with family members in those countries.
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St. Paul resident Ahmed Mohamed, 19, is ethnically Somali, born in Saudi Arabia and raised in South Africa. His father, who lives in Somalia, is 60, and has failing kidneys.
"Trump is going to be four years president. Who knows if my dad is going to be alive for four years. Anything can happen," Mohamed said. "But I really want to see him before four years."
Mohamed is a newly resettled refugee who arrived in the U.S. on his birthday in August last year.
It was the best birthday gift ever, he said. But not all 11 of his siblings are here: one older sister is in Somalia, and two others are in Saudi Arabia.
Mohamed said he's confused by Trump's executive orders — the young man thought America welcomed foreigners, especially refugees.
"What I heard is that U.S.A. is a great place," Mohamed said. "And it's a place where all nationals love. You can't ban them from coming here."
Trump campaigned on pledges to tighten U.S. immigration policies, including strengthening border security and stemming the flow of refugees. His call for a border wall was among his most popular proposals with supporters, who often broke out in chants of "build that wall" during rallies.
Over at the state Capitol on Wednesday, dozens of politicians — mostly Democrats and immigrant advocates — held an impromptu press conference shortly after Trump signed two other executive orders.
One was to start the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The other was to cut federal funding to cities that have policies against reporting undocumented immigrants to authorities.
The room was packed, and passionate speakers gave messages of support for immigrants and refugees.
"What you have before you here is incredible diversity. African Americans, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, Muslims, Christians, Jews, this is who we are," Rep. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul, told the crowd. "This is Minnesota, this is our nation. We're here to stand up for who we are."
Correction (Jan. 26, 2017): An earlier version of this story misstated where Ahmed Mohamed lives. This post has been updated.