President Donald Trump has turned heads with his immigration ban through a series of executive orders, and now we know how many people's visas have been revoked. Over 100,000 people have lost their right to be in this country, and have been deported following the law.
The original law banned Syrian refugees for an indefinite period, while banning other refugees for 120 days. Additionally, citizens of seven countries with a Muslim majority have been banned from entering the U.S. for 90 days. What's really scary is that the percentage of people being detained is higher in some states compared to others.
What resistance looks like in certain states
The acting immigration officer has stepped down amidst the chaos and uncertainty surrounding the country in these arduous times. New York and Massachusetts have not imposed heavy prohibitive laws upon the request of the POTUS due to the liberal nature of these states. Federal judges have ordered U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers not to detain or deport travelers with a visa that previously authorized them entrance to the U.S.
There is also some resistance in Virginia as Attorney General Mark Herring filed a motion on Jan. 31, asking the state to join the Aziz v. Trump suit. The lawsuit was filed by 60 people who are lawful residents or visa holders and were denied entry into the country soon after the ban.
The suit was originally filed by two Yemeni brothers who were "handcuffed, detained, forced to sign papers that they neither read nor understood, and then placed onto a return flight to Ethiopia just two and a half hours after their landing" at Dulles on January 28, according to the suit.
How immigrants and visa holders are being treated
There are plenty of reports surrounding CBP officers treating immigrants with disdain. Mitra Ebadolahi, Border Litigation Project Staff Attorney at the ACLU, told ABC News that the agency has been operating "with impunity and continue treating innocent travelers with callous and inhumane disregard for their basic rights."
The agency refused to comment on the matter, stating that it does not discuss pending litigation.
The Department of Homeland Security claims that it is treating these people with respect. However, the fact remains that the CBP has mistreated these immigrants and should be held accountable for their unlawful practices.
