Byline: Alyssa Abbonizio, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, aqa5498@psu.edu
Fresh off his inauguration, President Trump is already stirring controversy by enacting the policies that got him voted in as the 45th President of the United States.
Trump announced an executive order that temporarily suspended all travel to the U.S. for 90 days for citizens of Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Syria and Libya and banned all refugees for 120 days. Once the order went into effect, which included green card holders, travelers from those countries were detained at airports causing chaos and protests. According to Fox News, Homeland Security and State department officials were told to gather information about the would-be visitors and to make a list of countries that wouldn’t cooperate and make the information available. The government gave countries 60 days to provide the information or those country’s citizens would be blocked from traveling to the U.S.
The ban sparked outrage across the U.S. as many protests took place at airports. Protestors chanted, “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.”
Protestors at the Philadelphia airport sang, “This Land is our Land” and police closed lanes of traffic to vehicles so the protestors had room to protest.
Trump’s order was shut down when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco declined to reinstate the ban. The court unanimously rejected the claim of presidential authority, questioned its motives and its ability to survive legal challenges. In response, Trump tweeted “See you in court!”
Since being rejected by the court, Trump has revised his travel ban order and will aim at the seven Muslim-populated countries but will exclude green card holders and dual citizens of the United States and any of those seven countries, according to a White House official.
Taken from the New York Times, “The new order continued to impose a 90-day ban on travelers, but it removed Iraq, a redaction requested by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who feared it would hamper coordination to defeat the Islamic State, according to administration officials.Shifting from foreign policy to the economy, Trump has pledged that he will get major companies to move back to the United States and he will work to keep companies from moving overseas.”
President Trump announced a deal to keep the Carrier plant in Indianapolis from moving to Mexico, thus keeping about 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Carrier produces air conditioners and they have invested $16 million to keep the Indiana plant open.
Ford Motor Company also announced that it is canceling plans for a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico and instead, will expand their Michigan plant. Ford CEO, Mark Fields said the company would spend $700 million and add 700 jobs to its plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, according to USA Today.
President Trump is continuing to do what he believes is best for the country and is ready to deal with the media outcry.