Local Immigrants Say Trump Travel Ban Already Having Negative Impact
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Dona Mozayanpour moved to the US from Iran when she was just a child.
She still has a lot of family there, but with the Supreme Court upholding the president's travel ban, her hopes of more family coming here are dim.
"I have family members who would love to move here and live here, but unfortunately the whole process with bringing them, the paperwork is hard but not everyone can get approved for a visa or residency," Mozayanpour said.
Iran is one of the countries on the list, requiring more stringent screening for people to get visas to come into the United States.
"It's just not fair, it's not right," Mozayanpour said. "I feel like everybody should be treated equal and have the opportunity and if they do something, that's when their rights should be taken away."
Mohammad Tofighi moved from Iran too. He became an American citizen in 1977 and owns a store and restaurant in Plantation.
He has a fiancé in Iran and has been trying for months to get a visa for her.
"I'm waiting for my fiancé to come here," Tofighi said. "I just waiting, the time, they say 4-6 months. Hopefully it work out for me because I'm a citizen. I shouldn't have any problem to bring a fiancé here."
Tofighi says the process has been going on for five months.
Omar Saleh is an attorney for the Council on American Islamic Relations.
He calls the president's policy discriminatory and not based on fact. He believes everyone should face the same strict screening, no matter where they're from. He's afraid the court ruling could lead to more discriminatory regulations.
"It's a setback for the Muslim community and Americans but it's certainly not the end of the road here," said Saleh. "We think now, that the president understands through the courts that he has this executive ability, that he will expand the list."
