As an organization that represents one of the largest immigrant groups in New York City, including thousands of Muslim Americans, we are appalled and deeply affected by the recent executive orders put in place by President Donald Trump.  Indo-Caribbean Alliance, Inc. (ICA) condemns President Trump's actions and rhetoric against our immigrant communities and all Americans. These orders promote a divisive and intolerant society in a country that has thrived on the acceptance of all immigrants and served as a safe haven for those fleeing religious and racial persecution.
 
These executive orders, among others signed last week, have serious legal ramifications that inspire hate against immigrant communities.  Most recently, on January 28th, 2017, a female Muslim Guyanese employee at JFK International Airport, Rabeeya Khan, was both physically and verbally assaulted.  Khan was wearing a hijab, or headscarf, when she was allegedly kicked by the assailant who proceeded to intimidate her by blocking her from escaping.  The attacker allegedly went on to imitate the prayer stance of Muslims by kneeling and bowing his head repeatedly.  Witnesses also claimed that the attacker yelled “Trump is here now.  He will get rid of all of you” during the attack. This is the latest in a series of hate crimes against Indo-Caribbean Americans. We call on everyone to condemn actions that inspire hate and fear in our community and threaten our safety.
 
ICA mobilized our community and resisted President Trump’s actions by participating in a demonstration against the executive order on Saturday, January 28th, 2017 at JFK International Airport.   Please actively call your local and state Congress Members and ask them to oppose President Trump’s orders and actions and fight for the rights of every person in our community regardless of race, religion, or gender. There is a lot of work to be done as we stand against the President’s anti-immigration and anti-Muslim agenda.
 
ICA vows to remain steadfast in our opposition to these divisive policies that only promote hatred, racism, and fear.  We will continue to fight with our allies across New York and the country for the rights of our immigrant communities.
 
On Thursday, February 2, 2017 at 7PM at the ICA office (131-12 Liberty Ave., cellar level) we continue to mobilize our community and protect ourselves from President Trump’s Anti-Muslim and Anti-Immigrant agenda.  We will be hosting an emergency discussion  with community partners, stakeholders, elected officials, and lawyers who will discuss the implications of these orders.  It will be a safe space to discuss fears and concerns and ask questions: ​

​Emergency Meeting: President Trump's Anti-Immigration Exec Order
 
Background:

On January 27, 2017, the President Donald Trump enacted the Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States executive order.  This order calls for the following:

• Banned entry into the United States for all natives of seven Muslim majority countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) for 90 days, including those with a valid visa.  The order also calls for reviews of additional countries not initially placed on the list of banned countries to determine whether they should be included.
• Suspension of refugee admissions into the United States for 120 days; Syrian refugees are banned indefinitely.
• The order initially appeared to impact permanent residents (green card holders) traveling in and out of the United States; however, recent reports from the White House on Sunday indicate that green card holders will not be barred from entering the country.
• While these orders are temporary, the President may extend them upon their respective expiration dates.

-Trigger warning: This article contains references to violence and loss which may be triggering to survivors. The warning is posted in order to help readers recognize and manage their feelings.

Traumatic loss, such as the sudden passing of a loved one, is one of the most difficult events that a person can experience. The change is immediate and permanent. Reactions to this kind of loss can take any or all of these forms: shock, denial, anger, worry, fear, sadness, numbness, helplessness. In some cases, a delayed reaction might even occur (This can’t be happening). When the loss is violent—as in the case of the young Guyanese man who was recently murdered or the woman who was fatally stabbed by her husband in December, coping becomes even more challenging. Law enforcement, news media, insurance companies, and litigation, impact the process of grief and mourning for the victim’s family.

Traumatic loss affects us at every level. Biologically, it affects our bodies. People sometimes experience heart racing, increased breathing, trouble sleeping, trouble eating, and emotional dysregulation with periods of crying, anger, numbness. Psychologically, it affects our thoughts, feelings, actions: Why did this happen? How can he be here one day and the next day be gone? The world has no meaning. The world is no longer a safe place. Where is god? The combination of these factors can change or transform how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we live our lives afterward. Some people withdraw and isolate, question their faith, and question their sense of belonging in this world. Others remain silent and/or numb for periods of time. Some of these feelings and thoughts are expected. Depression, anxiety, development of eating disorders, substance use and other illnesses however, can develop in response to the stress of traumatic events. When these disorders are present clinical intervention with a trained professional is usually indicated.

I once treated a young woman who suddenly lost her boyfriend. She was in therapy with me for about a year and a half and in that time I witnessed her re-live the days before his death, make peace with it and become angry that it had happened—again and again. In sessions we explored what her life was supposed to look like, how the two of them were supposed to share their lives together, and what her life was like in the present. She worried about the future and whether she could trust in love and relationships again. The suddenness of his death led to panic, worry and racing thoughts about her own purpose in this world. She would wake up at night wondering, “What’s the point of this?” She was haunted by regret over how things had been leading up to his death: I wasn’t there enough, I didn’t call him that day, I should have been there. The loss of meaning in her life and feelings of self-punishment intensified her struggle: What have I done to cause this? Am I deserving of this pain?
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My patient will likely never forget the loss of her loved one—that was not the focus of our work together. As her therapist I joined her in the exploration of the painful parts of that loss, offered support as she confronted and accepted them, and found a meaningful way to integrate the memory of her significant other and his loss into her life. She recovered as best as she could, in the way that only she could do.

Recovery from grief and traumatic loss is a process, and one that is difficult to cope with alone. If you are affected by a traumatic loss consider reaching out to a counselor, trusted friend, or support system (family, church, community agency, neighbors).  If you are trying to help someone through grief and loss—be patient, try checking-in with the person, tell them that you are there to support them, and whenever possible, be ready to listen. 
 
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