The Dig: Fighting the Trump Bans: Linda Sarsour and Nicholas Espíritu

The depravity of Donald Trump’s fear-mongering, xenophobic, anti-Muslim politics are now in full swing.

The new president has barred people from seven Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen — including, to an unclear and ultimately-walked back degree, lawful permanent residents, from entering the United States for ninety days. All refugees are barred for 120 days, and refugees from Syria are barred indefinitely.

What’s gotten less attention, but is also quite serious, is that Trump slashed the overall number of refugees slated to be admitted this year by more than half.

Today, we bring you two interviews. The first is with Nicholas Espíritu from the National Immigration Law Center, one of the groups mounting legal challenges against the ban, who will explain the legal and constitutional challenge to the Muslim and refugee ban.

The second is with Linda Sarsour, the executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, a leading supporter of Bernie Sanders’ primary bid, and co-chair of the Women's March on Washington.