There is a lot of conversation and controversy concerning the new travel ban that president Trump has placed on seven individual countries. Most of the student population at San Luis Obispo High School seem to have strong opinions on this new executive order.

Many have been calling it a ‘Muslim Ban’. President Trump has been getting increasingly aggravated by this and vehemently denies it; despite the fact that in his campaign there were multiple occasions where he mentions the idea of banning Muslims. And the countries banned in the order have a predominantly Muslim population.

Expressions interviewed some students with opposing opinions on the topic.

Expressions: What do you know about the new Travel Ban?

Senior Caroline Petithomme: I don’t know specific facts, but I do know that it’s a ban on seven of the Muslim states in the U.A.E. and it’s a ban on the Muslim religion and the people of that religion coming into the country. Even if they have a green card, citizenship, visa, or not until the one hundred and twenty day… background check, I believe it is, comes in.

Junior Lia Pagel: I think the travel ban is completely unnecessary. America was established by immigrants, for immigrants as a place of refuge from religious persecution. Religious freedom is part of the first amendment and Trump is banning people from majority Muslim countries. Which isn’t right.

Expressions: Do you think it will have a positive effect on the country?

Petithomme: I think in the long run it will, because we have had a history since the nineties of terrorism coming from the middle eastern area of the world. But right now it is kind of- its negative and it’s gotten a negative vibe from a lot of the population because it’s not allowing the people who have a citizenship here or a visa to come back to their homes and it does separate families. So, in the long run yes, I think it can be positive because it will end up keeping our country safe- and again, he’s not banning all of the Muslim states so it’s not technically a specific Muslim ban but it’s a ban on the states that we’ve received the most terror from.

Pagel: I think the travel ban will have a negative effect on the country because it will only make us more of a target.