'It creates chaos': Winnipeg immigration lawyer on Trump's travel ban
Reis Pagtakhan says uncertainty in system is bad for business in the U.S. — but maybe good for Canada
The travel ban imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump Friday is leaving many people in the province uneasy and unsure about what the long-term implications will be.
Winnipeg immigration lawyer Reis Pagtakhan said at first, it seemed the ban would suspend new visas for a 90-day review of the American process, but he said its bizarre rollout has entangled many and is leaving even more people confused.
"It just takes the confidence that any individual or business has in the system and says to them 'I don't know what is going on' and that isn't good for anybody," said Pagtakhan.
Protests and rallies have spread across North America after the 90-day immigration ban came into effect.
Pagtakhan thinks the restrictions weren't well thought out and said even though the ban no longer affects people with green cards, the government likely captured more people with the restrictions than they intended to. Pagtakhan said restrictions on people travelling from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — all predominantly Muslim countries — and unclear immigration policies could have a negative impact on the U.S. economy.
"It shows that the government of the United States moves very quickly, without a whole lot of consideration and briefing to their people. It creates chaos. It creates uncertainty, and if you're an individual, if you're a tourist, if you're a business-visitor, if you're a person that wants to do business in the United States, why would you continue to do things with uncertainty," said Pagtakhan.
Not going to cross the border
Zeeshan Zamir with the Muslim Student Association at the University of Manitoba was born in Pakistan — a country that isn't on the banned list — but said he doesn't plan on travelling to the United States anytime in the near future.
"For now at least from what I see how things are, I will try not to go across the border because I do not know what I will be expecting. To be very honest, I do fear that," said Zamir.
Zamir has citizenship in both Pakistan and Canada and said he used to travel across the border often to spend time in nearby Fargo, N.D., and while he doesn't plan on going south anytime soon, he does see optimism in the response from many across Canada and the U.S.
"We are in a very tough time, no matter what your religious background is where you're from, but at the same time there is a lot of hope. There are a lot of good people who are out there who'll try their best, regardless of your race and religion, to help you out," said Zamir.
Pagtakhan said for now, even though the thousands of officers in hundreds of airports and pre-clearance facilities likely have a better handle on the new restrictions today than they did on the weekend, the weekend's chaos could have a lingering effect.
