Seeking refuge from a violent civil war, Hussein Amach fled Syria and Jordan, ultimately pursuing safety in Madison, but sweeping immigration restrictions have put that newfound security in peril.
“As an immigrant and as a Syrian, I’m really worried and sometimes terrified,” said Amach, a Madison College economics professor.
Fearful sentiments echo throughout the Muslim community in Madison following a controversial executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week. Various students expressed hesitancy to comment, unsure how public statements would personally affect them.
The order declares that, barring case-by-case exceptions, immigrants from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia are prohibited from entering the U.S. for 90 days as the Trump administration reviews its screening process.
The legislation prioritizes entry for refugees of minority religions in their country of origin. Given that the seven countries specified are majority-Muslim, opponents of the order question whether it is a thinly veiled attempt to limit Muslim immigration.
No extremists from any of those seven countries have killed Americans in the U.S. since 9/11.
Students speak out against ban
“If the president says refugees from the same exact country that are Christian are able to come into the country versus Muslims that are not, then that comes down to religion,” said Iffat Bhuiyan, an American-born Muslim student at UW-Madison whose family emigrated from Bangladesh. “By doing this … you’re categorizing people. You’re saying, ‘Oh, refugees are now dangerous.’ People don’t see them as people anymore.”
Others contended the order is not only wrong, but ineffective.
“I see it as being counterproductive ... because it antagonizes a largely productive community in America,” said Hani Rustom, a recent UW-Madison graduate, Syrian and former president of the Muslim Student Association. “It’s extremely disheartening to see from a country that was built on a foundation of immigration, and built on a foundation of diversity.”
The policy’s broad reverberations have had a direct impact on members of the Madison community. According to the university, the executive order affects 115 students, faculty and staff.
Study-abroad options, visiting scholars’ plans and research in affected regions are consequentially stifled by the new travel limitations, according to Steven Barcus, UW-Madison International Division’s director of communications.
For numerous students, the effects cut deeper than academics, with some even separated from family members.
“My uncle wanted to come [to the U.S.], but he’s a refugee from Syria ... he’s not going to be able to come at all any time soon,” said Rustom. This is an arbitrary and detrimental policy keeping families from being together, according to Rustom.
The unexpected nature of the act restricted individuals on short-term trips abroad from returning to the U.S. This was the case for one couple on campus who planned to reunite this semester, according to UW-Madison junior Omar Jandal. Now, one partner is stuck overseas.
Even for students not directly affected by Trump’s executive order, the fallout has been distressing. After reports that Trump’s senior staff was pushing for the order to apply to legal green card holders, many expressed concerns over further legislation from the Trump administration.
“It kind of scares me, because Pakistan is not on the list, but it’s basically like all of those countries, it’s Muslim-majority,” said Pakistani UW-Madison junior Ibtisam Ul Haq. “It kind of makes me not want to travel.”
Students also condemned the heightened Islamophobia sparked by Trump’s rhetoric and legislation.
“It definitely puts us on the front line of being targeted ... For me, it’s like, ‘But I am American, I am from here,’” Bhuiyan said. “‘I was born and raised with you—you’re my neighbor—and yet you still hate me. Why is that?’”
“If you can’t see people as human beings, how are we supposed to move forward in this country?” she asked.
University responds, faces criticism
In response to anxiety over the executive order’s future implications, the university released a statement calling on the Trump administration to “ensure its policy does not keep out those who have good reasons to travel, including the international students, faculty and staff who are part of the fabric of our institutions of higher education.”
The statement also reaffirmed that the university will not provide individuals’ immigration status unless required to do so “under force of law.”
Junior Nour Saeed argued the university’s response should have emulated the more forceful responses from other institutions, and said she would push administration to strengthen its commitment to refugees. Saeed had been petitioning administration to grant scholarships to Syrians before Trump’s order leveled an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees, leaving her program defunct.
“There are some universities that have said they are going to ... find Syrian refugees who had already gotten into the United States and give them scholarships,” Saeed said. “I think the university should take a stronger stance, and I’m working on talking to the chancellor and the dean to get a stronger response.”
The lack of a strong response from the university sends a message to its Muslim students, according to Associated Students of Madison Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair Ali Khan.
“I feel like they haven’t been doing enough to really make it clear that they are on our side and that they do care about us,” Khan said.
ASM Student Council representative Omer Arain echoed that sentiment, saying the university’s response “could’ve been stronger.” At the same time, he recognized the administration’s constraints in circumventing the executive order.
“Ultimately if they can effectively provide resources for the students affected, I’m not as concerned with the messaging in this case,” Arain said.
Looking forward
According to Arain, ASM will be pushing Chancellor Rebecca Blank to provide resources like legal aid to students impacted by the executive order. Khan also noted the Equity & Inclusion Committee would be starting a flyer campaign around campus to show support for affected students.
Many students outside ASM also said student action will be key under the Trump presidency. Despite this enthusiasm, Jandal conceded that beyond general support, the lack of tangible action students can take to obstruct an executive order is frustrating.
“On campus there’s a deep sense of failure of the system,” Jandal said. “Because even if we don’t like it, who are we going to speak out to? Our representatives? These protests are being done in airports, yet this rhetoric continues.”
Ul Haq said students can’t constantly agonize over a futile situation.
“What actually worries me is that I’m not that worried,” Ul Haq said. “But like, there’s no other way to cope with it because you can’t have it on your mind and let it affect things for you ... otherwise there would be no survival, because then you can’t focus on any good things.”
For those directly impacted by the executive order, though, optimism isn’t a switch they can turn on or off. According to Amach, it is an emotional necessity.
“Everything I have is here; I have nothing left in Syria,” said Amach. “I have to have hope. Otherwise, if I don’t, I cannot survive.”
Click here to view a gallery of students featured in this article.
