Father residing in Canada faces potential permanent separation from his son due to Trump's travel restrictions
In the heart of North America, the weight of immigration polices hangs heavy over the Alshuwaiter family. Mohammad Alshuwaiter, a Yemeni refugee residing in Ottawa, is bracing himself for potential heartache amidst U.S. President Donald Trump's latest travel ban. His oldest child, Noor, inhabits the same continent but finds himself bound by borders in Dearborn, Michigan.
Trump's executive order aims to restrict travel from 12 countries, including theviolencestrike-stricken Yemen, Afghanistan, and other nations. Critics claim these countries receive insufficient vetting of travel documents, exhibit high visa overstay rates, and in some instances, sponsor terrorism.
As the implementation date edges closer, immigration lawyers predict thousands of foreign nationals like Alshuwaiter, currently residing in Canada, may end up blocked from entering the United States. Ottawa immigration lawyer Warren Creates warns that even those who have already been vetted by Canadian national security services could face border restrictions.
The impending ban casts a somber cloud over Alshuwaiter's chest. He last embraced his 19-year-old son in March and fears it could be years before they are reunited. His heart aches, "(Noor) is studying abroad. How can I support him? I am broken-hearted."
The Alshuwaiter family's immigration troubles date back to Trump's first administration. In 2018, their asylum application in the U.S. was rejected, with future family separation looming. Seeking shelter, they fled to Canada and fell into a seemingly endless immigration limbo.
In May 2019, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada ruled that Noor, who was 13-years-old at the time, was not eligible to join his parent's asylum claim because he was born in the U.S. Despite multiple delays, immigration authorities have yet to provide a rationale for the hold-ups in the Alshuwaiter family's permanent residence application.
Meanwhile, Noor straddles a precarious line. Without permanent residency status, he struggles to join his Canadian peers, unable to obtain essential documentation to open a bank account, secure a job, or apply for a driver's license.
Adding to Noor's woes, his visits to Canada were cut short last month when a Canadian border patrol officer chose to enforce a 2019 immigration ruling labeling Noor a failed refugee applicant. He was denied entry, leaving him stranded at the border, mere moments away from his eagerly awaiting parents and younger brother in Windsor, Ontario.
Amidst this tumultuous immigration landscape, Alshuwaiter is pursuing legal action against Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada. He is seeking to forces the government to disclose the reasons for the delays and issue a decision on granting him permanent residence. However, even if Alshuwaiter secures permanent residence status, it may not be enough to evade Trump's travel ban. For that, he needs to become a Canadian citizen.
The Alshuwaiter family's circumstances are emblematic of the challenging immigration landscape resulting from intertwined security and immigration policies. As both countries grapple with national and international security concerns, the fallout between these policies continue to test families’ resilience and strain familial bonds.
- The Alshuwaiter family's lawyer, Warren Creates, predicts that thousands of foreign nationals like Alshuwaiter, currently residing in Canada, may be blocked from entering the United States due to Trump's travel ban, which aims to restrict travel from 12 countries, including those vulnerable to violence and terrorism.
- Amidst the potential heartache, Mohammad Alshuwaiter is not only bracing himself for being stopped at the U.S. border, but also seeking to become a Canadian citizen to evade Trump's travel ban and secure the future reunification with his son Noor, who is currently unable to obtain a driver's license, open a bank account, or secure a job in Canada due to his precarious immigration status.
- News outlets and general-news channels reported on the Alshuwaiter family's immigration troubles, which date back to the Trump administration's first year, as their struggles with immigration policy and citizenship barriers have been sandwiched between national security concerns and political debates on travel restrictions.
