The American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, Vermont Legal Aide, and the South Royalton Legal Clinic hosted the event.
“We have a lot of clients who are very scared and worried,” said Erin Jacobsen, a staff attorney who handles the immigration load at the Legal Clinic. “There’s new information and cases everyday and we are working with other organizations to come up with answers.”
Murmurs filled the room as advice from legal experts was translated into several different languages. Questions swirled as green card holders and citizens wondered about their abilities to travel outside of the country and return home safely to Vermont.
Salma Dauodi is a Moroccan interpreter has lived in the United States for 17 years. She speaks several different languages, including Arabic and French, and attended the event as a translator.
“The last few days there has been a lot of crying,” she said. “People are worried—green card holders and even naturalized citizens. Many came to the U.S. seeking refuge but are finding anxiety and depression.”
The information session was organized to curb some of those anxieties and arm immigrants with the facts about their rights.
First, lawyers went over the executive order. Under the new policy immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia are banned from entering the country for 90 days. Refugees are not allowed to enter the country for 120 days, except for Syrian refugees who have been barred indefinitely.
Green card holders from the seven Muslim countries are allowed to leave and enter the United States but should expect intensified questioning at the border, lawyers said. Refugees and immigrants who have not received their green cards yet were recommended not to leave the country.
Jay Diaz, a lawyer for the Vermont chapter of the ACLU, advised green card holders from the seven countries to carry copies of a Department of Homeland Security guidance document that shows green card holders are not subject to the ban, as well as recent ACLU court decisions that deemed detainment of green card holders based off their country of origin illegal.
“Be aware of your rights but also be careful,” Diaz said. “The constitution can be a little bit different at the border, unfortunately.”
Jacobsen added that anyone traveling should make sure someone in the U.S. has their flight information so if something goes wrong friends or family can contact a lawyer immediately.
“If you’re not a U.S. Citizen and you’re going to travel—take the extra precaution and talk to an immigration lawyer,” she said.
Some who attended the event expressed concern over immigration checkpoints throughout Vermont, because the state borders Canada. Others worried that their citizenship could be affected. People from countries not included in the ban wondered if while outside the U.S. their country could be added to the list.
“These are uncertain times,” said Arthur Edersheim, staff attorney at the Royalton Legal Clinic. “But you should know the government, people, and officials of Vermont want to protect you in anyway we can.”
Representatives from Congressman Welch as well as Senators’ Sanders and Leahy’s offices also spoke to the crowd.
“Senator Leahy is strongly opposed to this travel and refugee ban and has signed onto three different bills to try and turn it around,” Leahy’s aid Susan Sussman said.
Afaf Yousif, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen from Iraq has been in Vermont with her family for 10 years. She said that the atmosphere in her house has not been as dark as some others, because she and most of her family are American citizens.
“This answered some questions,” she said. “We were planning to travel to Jordan to visit family we haven’t seen in many years. We feel much more comfortable about going.”
One of her uncle’s, however, only has a green card.
“Maybe we will cancel his flight,” she said. “That will be much better.”
