North Texas Daily

Wendy Watson | Contributing Writer

Dear UNT Community,

Wendy Watson is a political science senior lecturer and a pre-law adviser at UNT. Courtesy

As many of you have likely heard, the President has recently signed an executive order barring entry into the U.S. of all people from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. On its face, the ban lasts 90 days (although the ban with respect to Syrian refugees appears to be indefinite).

By its terms, this order prevents people from these countries from entering into the U.S. from this date forward. By its terms, it does not call for the removal of the citizens of these countries who are currently in the U.S. lawfully (or, at least, that is my reading of the order).

That said, there are reports and rumors that some people currently in the U.S. have been detained for removal. There are certainly individuals who were in the U.S. recently (as university employees, faculty, and students) who can no longer return to the U.S.

If you or someone you know is affected by this executive order, there are organizations that will help you determine your rights.

In the DFW area, you can contact the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations here.

You can also contact the ACLU of Texas here.

~ Wendy Watson, Department of Political Science

Featured Image: President Donald Trump giving his acceptance speech following the 2016 election results. Courtesy