News / Interviews

Trump’s travel ban racist, discriminatory: Analyst

Wednesday, 08 February 2017 10:38 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 08 February 2017 10:38 AM ]

Opponents of US President Donald Trump's executive order imposing a temporary immigration ban on seven Muslim-majority nations protest outside a federal appeals court February 7, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by AFP)

The new US administration’s controversial travel ban, which temporarily blocks the entry of people from seven Muslim-majority countries, has stirred up much resentment inside the US and around the globe. The fate of Trump’s Muslim ban is now in the hands of a federal appeals court. Press TV has asked Edward Corrigan, a human rights attorney, to share his viewpoint about Trump’s contentious executive order and whether he believes it will be reinstated by the court.

Corrigan believes that Trumps’ travel ban is “blatantly discriminatory,” “overly broad,” and a violation of American law.

“In terms of immigration, there is probably more authority with it. But he (Trump) is actually banning refugees which is much more important and is governed by the 1951 Geneva Convention which the United States is a signatory to. The 1951 Geneva Convention is actually a part of American law,” Corrigan noted.

He explained that the president cannot “pick and choose” whoever he wants, carve out seven countries and ban all refugees from Syria when in fact there is a “well-entrenched legal right” for asylum seekers who come to the United States to make a refugee claim.

He also opined that this executive order is clearly a ban on Muslims which is “racist,” arguing that there is not a single incident of an act of terrorism committed by anyone from these seven countries.

Corrigan further noted that Trump cannot ban the asylum seekers “on a whim,” because that would be a “very serious breach of the United States international obligations to protect the refugees.”

He also noted that it is “absurd” to ban someone from entering the United States who has a valid visa and has gone through the full vetting process.

The analyst predicted that the court will throw out Trump’s travel ban because it creates all sorts of contradictions with regard to the rights of permanent residents and the refugee issue.

The president “has got no legs to stand on,” he asserted.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk