[guildwriter]

The argument that it's clearly targeted at one individual religion doesn't stick that well. If that were true there were a lot of countries that are predominantly Muslim that were left off the list.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_by_country

Arguing a racial thing is a bit difficult as well as there were plenty of Arab countries that were left out.

An interesting commonality is this:

"What all seven countries also have in common is that the United States government has violently intervened in them. The U.S. is currently bombing — or has bombed in the recent past — six of them. The U.S. has not bombed Iran, but has a long history of intervention including a recent cyberattack."

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/25/trumps-muslim-immigratio...

Therefore I think it's easy to argue that the common factor isn't necessarily race or religion, but considered hostile status with the US.

[turc1656]

Great point, guildwriter. To extend that thought - it never ceases to amaze me the expectations people have regarding America. For example, if we were at war with China, Russia, whoever - no one would be shocked if those countries denied our citizens entry until the conflict was over. But reverse it and there is outrage.

Similarly, I have no expectation that I would ever be able to, for example, travel to another country on "vacation" and just stay indefinitely after my visa expired. I would never think that would fly. I fully expect that at some point I would be facing either serious charges or a quick deportation, possibly with the stipulation that I was never allowed to return - or that violating the visa a second time would mean a jail sentence. Yet here in America, that's just people "trying to live the American dream", rules and laws be damned. Violating the sovereignty of a nation should always be taken seriously.

[cooper12]

Maybe because American citizens aren't tripping over themselves to immigrate to those countries? Also history has proven time and time again that prejudice against immigrants from American war enemies was always based on xenophobia and racism rather than legitimate security concerns. [0][1]

Regarding your second paragraph, what bizarro-America do you live in? That's exactly what happens to people who overstay their visas. You last sentence also betrays your own xenophobia: you associate people looking to "live the American dream" with wanting to violate the sovereignty of American.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-German_sentiment#United_S... [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_America...