Eight Syrians were just caught on the southern border trying to get into the U.S. ISIS maybe? I told you so. WE NEED A BIG & BEAUTIFUL WALL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2015
This is the real story behind the people who Trump claimed were “ISIS maybe?”
It is the story of a family struggling to survive. They have known war, famine, and terrible fear.
The family was interviewed by Mother Jones about their ordeal and how they found themselves the target of Trump’s hateful tweet.
Less than a year ago this family was living in Syria. They talked about what it was like to live with two little boys, aged 2 and 5, in a place with constant violence, no electricity, no food, no jobs, and no schools. A part of their house had been blown up by ISIS.
The parents, both in their early 30’s, knew that they had to escape. What choice did they have? They were living in the presence of true terrorists, who would kill or imprison them if they were caught. They thought about their children, as all parents do, and they took the incredibly courageous step of fleeing the war to try to get those little boys to safety.
The father had parents and a sister who live in California, so his hope was to join them there. He contacted a smuggler, who demanded that he turn over his land, his home, all of his belongings. They readily agreed, giving up everything to travel to safety.
The family was smuggled to Lebanon, then Turkey and finally, with forged European passports in hand, to Brazil.
Finally, after months of fear, they crossed the border into the American city of Laredo. There they turned themselves in to American immigration officials. They were elated, thinking that they had finally found safety.
They were unprepared for the Islamophobic hysteria that had taken hold in the U.S. They had arrived here just 4 days after the Paris attacks, and were met by an onslaught of anti-immigration rants, from Breitbart news among other sources, claiming:
“Eight Syrian illegal aliens attempted to enter Texas from Mexico.”
Donald Trump, Ben Carson and other conservatives jumped on the story and fanned the flames of panic.
The young Syrian family was held by Immigration for almost 6 weeks, the father separated from his wife and children the entire time. The children were terrified, worried about their father and confused about what was happening.
At last, on Christmas Eve, they were allowed to fly to California to be reunited with family.
They are still not safe or free. The parents wear ankle bracelets with GPS so that they can be followed at all times. The asylum process is long and complex. They don’t what the final outcome will be.
Still, they know that they are lucky. The boys are happy for now, and they are safe. ISIS is not at the door.
These are the “terrorists” that Donald Trump wants us to be hate and fear.
Featured image by Freedom House via Flickr. Available through Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
