Mohammed Al Zabidi celebrated it in 2017 when he learned he had been selected in the US green card lottery, which randomly picks people from a large pool of applicants. It was an opportunity to escape his war-torn homeland of Yemen and chase his dreams in the United States.
“I won! I won!” Al Zabidi cheered. He borrowed money to pay for his trip, bought clothes for his new life in America, and picked up souvenirs for friends there. Not having a US embassy in Yemen, he made a grueling trip to Djibouti for his visa interview.
But there, after he was initially approved, his luck ran out: “CANCELED WITHOUT PREJUDICE,” read the bold, black, capitalized stamp on the unused visa in his passport with a travel ban from the Trump administration for several Muslim-majority countries. , including his, in place.
My family had put their hopes in me. … My mother was crying; this made me most sad, ”he said.
President Joe Biden’s repeal of the ban on inauguration day brought a sigh of relief among citizens in the countries covered by the measure. But amid the celebrations, there are stories of broken dreams, divorced families, spent savings and missed milestones, from births to graduations. And for some there are concerns as to whether their opportunities may be gone forever.
The lottery system requires winners to be vetted and have their visas in hand by September 30 of the year they are chosen or they will lose. So Al Zabidi wonders if he will ever come to the United States to work there and pay back what he borrowed.
Can we get our visas back? Can we be compensated? “he said.” We don’t know. “
Many of those whose lives were turned upside down now have to get through the pandemic to ask about arrears, fees paid and travel restrictions. Immigration and Muslim rights advocates in the US hail Biden’s decision, but also point to the work ahead of us to get lives back on track and reverse the legacy of the ban.
“The ban brought forth the story that Muslims, Africans and other colored communities do not belong in America, that we are dangerous threats,” said Mary Bauer, legal director of Muslim Advocates. “Ending the ban was only the first step to change that story. Next, the Biden government must remove other administrative immigration barriers that prevent family reunification. “
According to figures from the United States Department of State, more than 40,000 people were denied visas because of the ban. They include not only lottery winners, but also those attempting to visit relatives, those traveling for business or personal reasons, and students admitted to American universities.
Biden has commissioned a report to address a number of issues, including a proposal to ensure reconsideration of visa applications from immigrants who have been denied due to the ban. The proposal considers whether rejected applications should be reopened. He also called for a plan to speed up the processing of those applications.
Many affected by the ban are also being blocked by an April order from former President Donald Trump to stop the issuance of green cards to protect the US labor market during the pandemic.
Biden has not indicated whether he will lift it, and ending the travel ban will mean little if he doesn’t, said Rafael Urena, a California attorney.
“Most of my clients have no reason to celebrate as they are still stuck,” said Urena.
They include Mania Darbani, whose 71-year-old mother in Iran was denied a tourist visa to visit her in Los Angeles. For the past few days, she’s been checking and was told she still can’t go because of the pandemic.
“I’m so exhausted by this situation,” said Darbani, 36. “I want to ask President Biden to lift all travel bans and help us out. Please help us please.”
Many people are concerned about the long wait times for visas, said Manar Waheed, senior lawmaker and advocacy adviser with the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Embassies have been closed all over the world because of COVID, so that’s that bit of it,” Waheed said. “But we’ve also seen so many parts of our immigration system get stuck and really gutted by the Trump administration, so the point is to rebuild those systems.”
What is known variously as the “Muslim ban” or “travel ban” was first imposed in 2017 and then reinstated amid legal challenges, until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. It affected different categories of travelers and travelers. immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families. In 2020, immigration restrictions were added affecting several other countries.
Trump and others have defended it on national security grounds, arguing that it would make the US safer from terrorism. Proponents of the policy rejected the argument that it was rooted in anti-Muslim prejudice, saying it was aimed at protecting the country.
By lifting the ban, the new government says instead to strengthen information exchange with other countries and implement a rigorous, individualized control system for visa applicants.
It is not clear whether it will be too late for Anwar Alsaeedi, also from Yemen, who had hoped to give his two children a better future. He rejoiced in 2017 when he was selected for the lottery “diversity visa” interview, but was considered ineligible due to the ban.
“Our country is in wars and crises and we have lost everything,” said Alsaeedi. “Making it to America is a big dream.”
Some whose dreams were dashed eventually sought them elsewhere.
Moayed Kossa, a Syrian pharmacist graduate hoping to start a cosmetics company with his family name, had been awarded a grant to study business administration in the US after the civil war in his country caused the family to flee to Jordan. A few days before he was due to travel, the US Embassy in Amman summoned him and canceled his visa.
He eventually went to study in Italy, and he is unsure whether he will reapply for a US visa, even though his brother now lives there.
“It’s not always easy,” said Kossa, “to try to open a door that was closed.”
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Associated Press writer Julie Watson in San Diego contributed to this report.
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