Yemeni family torn apart by Trump's travel ban hope to re-unite

Meanwhile, African Union and African ambassadors to the UN called US president's reported remarks xenophobic and racist.

New York Yemeni Americans demonstrate in response to US President Donald Trump's travel ban and recent denials of visa applications in Foley Square in lower Manhattan in New York City, New York, US, December 27, 2017.
Reuters

New York Yemeni Americans demonstrate in response to US President Donald Trump's travel ban and recent denials of visa applications in Foley Square in lower Manhattan in New York City, New York, US, December 27, 2017.

The US immigration policies under President Donald Trump have separated family members, causing mass protests and legal battles over the last year.

A travel ban imposed on six Muslim-majority countries, as well as Venezuela and North Korea, has temporarily been allowed to stand by the nation's highest court.

American-born Ramy al Mansoob is among these family members.

His daughters are only Yemeni citizens, a country in the middle of a war and they are not allowed to come to the United States.

"What they understand is the war, from what they see, from what they hear, and that they need to reach this country to live with their dad. That's what they understand. They don't have a clue what the political reasons for them not being granted visas to come here is," says Mansoob.

TRT World’s Abubakr al Shamahi reports.

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Trump branded racist over 'shithole' slur

Meanwhile, racism allegations stacked up against Trump at home and abroad on Saturday, after he apparently derided "shithole countries" during a meeting on immigration reform, prompting condemnation around the world.

Ghana's president called the purported comments unacceptable while Namibia, whose name Trump had difficulty pronouncing last year, said the remarks had "no place in diplomatic discourse".

Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo said the reported language was "extremely unfortunate", adding: "We are certainly not 'a shithole country'."

"We will not accept such insults, even from a leader of a friendly country, no matter how powerful."

John Dramani Mahama, whom he defeated just a month after Trump's own victory against Hillary Clinton at the polls in November 2016, went further.

"Isn't Trump demonstrating that he's nothing but a racist and pursuing a policy of 'Make America White Again'?" he asked on Twitter.

The intervention of Ghana and Namibia followed a similar tone to strongly worded comments from the African Union and African ambassadors to the UN that called the reported remarks xenophobic and racist.

Namibia's foreign ministry meanwhile said Trump's language was "contrary to the norms of civility and human progress" and ignored Africans' contributions in the United States.

"The USA we know is one that was built with blood and sweat of African slaves and immigrants from all over," it said in a statement.

The 15-nation Caribbean Community meanwhile condemned Trump's use of "repulsive" language".

CARICOM "is deeply disturbed by reports about the use of derogatory and repulsive language by the President of the United States in respect of our member state, Haiti, and other developing countries," the bloc's Guyana-based headquarters said in a statement.

Trump tweeted a lukewarm denial early on Friday, maintaining that he used "tough words" but not those reported at the previous day's White House meeting with Republican and Democratic party lawmakers.

He reportedly demanded to know why the United States should accept immigrants from "shithole countries", after lawmakers raised the issue of protections for immigrants from Africa, Haiti and El Salvador.

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