9/11 flashback and future immigration policy
Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia on The Hill reminds us of the various immigration responses to the events of September 11, 2001, including special registration, as the world (as well as Donald Trump) considers responses to terrorism. She begins:
“As we approach 2016 and the 15th anniversary of the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001, the debate around how to keep America safe and welcome newcomers is prominent. In the last year, cities and countries around the world, including Paris, Beirut and Mali – have been vulnerable to terrorist attacks and human tragedy. Meanwhile, the world faces the largest refugee crises since the Second World War. While President Obama has committed to admit 10,000 refugees from Syria, the sentiment within the United States has been complex, and included a vow from dozens of states to reject refugees; proposed legislation by Congress to restrict admission to the United States for refugees from Syria and Iraq and certain visitors who have set foot in Syria and Iraq; and proposals for a registry to track Muslims.
These events produce a flashback to a parade of policies enacted after 9/11 in the name of national security. Many of these programs were ineffective, and enacted at great expense to Arab, Muslim and South Asian communities.”
Here are some additional resources provided by Shoba on the topic:
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and Penn State Law, NSEERS: The Consequences of America’s Efforts to Secure Its Borders
Rights Working Group and Penn State Law, The NSEERS Effect: A Decade of Racial Profiling, Fear, and Secrecy
Penn State Law, The 9/11 Effect and its Legacy on U.S. Immigration Laws: Essays, Remarks, and Photographs
Business As Usual: Immigration and the National Security Exception 114 Penn State L. Rev. 1485 (2010)
Civil Liberties Restoration Act
Office of the Inspector General Report on the September 11 Detainees
KJ