Hayat Khan is an Afghan who worked with the U.S. military for nearly eight years before coming to the United States.
He fled Afghanistan in order to escape the Taliban, an extremist Islamic militant group that stripped citizens of their human rights. Khan said immigration to the U.S. is crucial for people to stay safe, go to school and reunite with family members who have already fled the country.
But that lifeline was shattered on June 9 when a federal travel ban took effect, barring entry into the U.S. to people in 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti and Myanmar — three countries of origin that have sizable populations in Indianapolis. The travel restriction is one of President Donald Trump’s latest policies that aim to meet his goal of keeping millions of immigrants out of the country. He’s also sought to end longstanding pro-immigrant programs, such as birthright citizenship and refugee resettlement.
“Here in Indiana, we have Afghan communities,” Khan said. “They are your neighbors, your coworkers, your friends and your family members. The children go to school with your children, and they will suffer because of this travel ban.”
Khan was a speaker for a June 9 rally that drew roughly 150 protesters to the grassy area of the Indianapolis International Airport across from the arrivals entrance. The event was organized by local organizations, including Exodus Refugee Immigration, the Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network, and the ACLU of Indiana.
With the help of Exodus Refugee, Fikiri Nkulwe and his family left the Democratic Republic of Congo and resettled in Indianapolis in 2016. Since he’s a U.S. citizen, he wanted to use his status to stand up and speak up against changes he doesn’t think reflects the opinions of most residents.
“President Trump is lying to people and saying, ‘Let’s make America great again.’ But what is great? Or who is great?” Nkulwe said. “When we talk about greatness, a greater person is the one who helped others — the one who is there for others.”
Nkulwe said immigrants are a vital part of the community and contribute to the economy.
Afraid to speak out
A second-generation immigrant whose family is from Mexico also attended the event, but Mirror Indy agreed not to use his name publicly because he’s concerned he or his family could be swept up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — even though he’s a U.S. citizen.
But he didn’t want that fear to stop him from speaking out.
The local resident criticized the Trump administration for allowing white South Africans to migrate to the U.S. with federal support while demonizing and barring people of color from other countries.
“We’re supposed to be equal for everyone, not just any special white man that they deem worthy to enter their idea of what America is,” he said.
Protests against the travel ban have occurred across the country, but it’s unclear how effective they will be to reverse or amend any of these changes. As immigration advocates scramble to help families who have been separated and people who have been detained, there’s a fear of advocacy burnout as they continuously hear heartbreaking stories.
Jeanne Smucker is a volunteer with the Indiana Assistance to Immigrants in Detention, a group of volunteers who provide emotional and financial support to immigrants detained in the Clay County Jail. They help pay for items from the jail commissary and provide detainees with important news updates.
Smucker, who was alive during the Vietnam War in the mid-1900s, remembered a phrase someone said at the time that keeps her going today, even when change seems impossible.
“I heard somebody say, ‘I don’t know if it’ll change things, but I can’t let myself be changed.’ So getting out here and continuing to speak out, I hope, will change things,” she said. “But it’s also important for me not to be changed by what’s going on around me.”
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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