The immigration order signed last week by President Trump prompted a large protest at Kansas City International Airport, but has not had much of an impact here in St. Joseph.
At the Islamic Center of St. Joseph, someone left a flower bouquet at the front door. On the center’s Facebook page, they posted a photograph of the bouquet, and the following thank you:
“This evening, we came for congregational prayer at the mosque and we found this flower bouquet at the front door. Thank you to whoever did this neighborly act!”
At Missouri Western State University, officials report concern but no direct impact from the President’s order. The order bans the citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries—Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen—from entering the U.S. on any visa category.
Missouri Western’s Assistant Director of PR and Marketing Kent Heier says there are currently no students enrolled at the university who are from one of those seven countries. But Heier says they are hearing of concerns expressed by students from other countries.
“There’s concern about the possible impact on the ability of our students to travel,” Heier said. “I think there’s also a broader concern about what this means in terms of how the United States is welcoming people from elsewhere.”
“I think the formal stand that we are taking is that we welcome and encourage all of our students, including those students who come from overseas, and we will do everything we can to help them navigate this current environment.”