Haitian community in Brooklyn reacts to Trump's travel bans
FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- President Trump's latest travel ban has made many immigrants and their families nervous about the future.
The president targeted a dozen countries in the latest ban, citing national security concerns.
He also restricted travel for people coming from seven other countries.
It doesn't apply to people with visas who are already in the United States.
In Little Haiti in Flatbush, reactions range from an insult to a shrug.
At Buffet Kreol in Flatbush, Brooklyn, around the corner from the Little Haiti train station, an image of one of the fathers of Haiti, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, stands on the roof.
Daniella Volty's mom lives in Haiti with an American visa that's set to expire soon.
"It's not based on any real reason why we have the travel ban in Haiti. If there was a real reason, I would understand it," Haitian-American Daniella Volty said.
"We are American allies. We came here and fought for this war for America ... you turn your back on your allies? Doesn't sound good to me," said Jean Marcellin, who works at Buffet Kreol.
Pierre Phnor left Haiti when he was a teenager and thinks maybe the ban isn't all bad.
"Probably will teach them a lesson so they have to respect. The Haitian is falling apart over there. Too much guns," Phnor said.
The president says starting Monday, the U.S. is blocking people from 12 countries from entering the U.S., citing national security concerns.
A dramatic escalation in his immigration crackdown.
"We want to keep bad people out of the country. The Biden administration allowed some horrendous people and we're getting them out one-by-one and we're not stopping until we get them out," President Trump said.
The ban includes countries mainly in Africa and the Middle East, among them Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
People from seven countries, including Cuba and Venezuela, will have partial restrictions. They will not be able to come to the US permanently or get certain visas.
The ban comes days after an attack in Boulder, Colorado, where an Egyptian man who overstayed his visa has been charged with a federal hate crime for allegedly attacking a group of demonstrators advocating for the release of hostages in Gaza.
Egypt, though, is not one of the countries included in the travel ban.
"Well because Egypt is a country that we deal with very closely. They have things under control," Trump said.
Meanwhile, a break in the ranks in team MAGA.
Upstate New York Republican congressmember and Trump ally Mike Lawler is calling for the immediate reversal on the travel ban on Haiti, saying there is no evidence Haiti is a threat to national security.
"I think the Haitian population has long been integrated into the United States. About 40 percent of the Haitian people live in the U.S.," Lawler said.
The White House says they're targeting countries that lack proper vetting, failed to share identity and threat information or exhibit high visa overstay rates.
"The situation on the ground in Haiti is disastrous and obviously, the Haitian people have been subjected to kidnapping, murder, human trafficking," Lawler said.
The travel ban is certain to face legal challenges. President Trump said the list of countries could be updated.
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