A Moderate’s View on Trump’s Immigration Ban

National media programs, social media, trendy coffee shops, and dive bars across the country are buzzing with emotionally-charged rhetoric related to President Trump’s recent Executive Order regarding an immigration and travel ban for citizens of certain predominantly Islamic countries. Criticisms of the order allege everything from corruption, xenophobia, and racism to inexperience and ineptitude. Proponents of the order, however, cheer it as a long-needed first step in an urgent and radical change they see as necessarily to protecting the United States and its citizens from incoming terrorists. Regardless of our views or their extremity, though, it is important that we have an accurate understanding of the identifiable motivations behind the order, its implementation, and its potential.

One of the most divisive elements of the order has been the countries to which the non-refugee citizen ban has been applied. Some critics of both the Trump administration and of the order itself have suggested or accepted the idea that Trump selected the list of seven countries via a combination of his own personal racial, ethnic or religious bias and consideration for his personal overseas business relationships. While it may or may not be true that the list fits these considerations nicely, the list itself does not appear to have originated with Trump. The exact same seven countries are those listed around a year ago under the previous administration as countries to whose citizens visa waivers should not be granted. This also speaks to the current…