YOU CAN'T BE BOTH:

While those on the political left have long been vocal in their opposition to the travel restrictions, the expansion of the policy drew responses from some Christian leaders who have been supportive of the Trump administration's push to promote international religious freedom. 

This includes David Curry, president of Open Doors USA, a global persecution watchdog organization active in over 60 countries. Six of the 13 countries included on the travel ban list are listed on Open Doors USA's 2020 World Watch List of the 50 worst countries in the world when it comes to Christian persecution. Eritrea is ranked No. 6, while Nigeria is ranked No. 12 and Myanmar is ranked No. 19. 

"Though I recognize there is an important discussion on how to best deal with terrorists who are present dangers to free societies, we must never restrict based on religious identification," Curry said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "It's up to us to exemplify religious tolerance and freedom on a daily basis. To the degree we have failed in the past, let's never fail to fix the wrong and to keep raising the level of freedom."

Travis Wussow, vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told The Alabama Baptist that SBC churches are among the "most committed people in the country" when it comes to "ministering to those fleeing persecution." 

Wussow asserted that while international religious freedom has been a priority to the Trump administration, any policy that "closes the door to refugees" undercuts such a priority. He stressed that the U.S. should find a way to balance "security and compassion." 

"[Our churches] recognize that all of those escaping tyranny are made in the image of God, and many of them are our brothers and sisters in Christ," Wussow said in a statement. "That's why, from the beginning, the ERLC has asked our government to do everything possible to provide security without turning away from those in danger and need."

World Relief, an evangelical refugee resettlement agency and humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals that has helped resettle thousands of refugees since the 1980s, has long opposed the travel ban.

World Relief President Scott Arbeiter argued in a statement that the new restrictions "will mean families seeking reunification will be stymied."

"This overly broad policy unfairly targets individuals of particular nationalities in Africa and Asia, and sadly it's consistent with various other policies that have the effect of significantly restricting legal immigration to the United States," Arbeiter stated. 

Although the extended travel ban does not apply to the U.S. refugee resettlement program, World Relief fears how the ban will impact Myanmar. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been the top country of origin for refugees resettled to the U.S. in the past decade with over 150,000 resettled in the last 12 years. 

Many of those 150,000, World Relief notes, are persecuted Christians.

Prior to the official signing of the travel ban extension, Michael K. Le Roy, president of the reformed Christian institution Calvin University in Michigan, voiced concern with reports of Nigeria's inclusion in the travel ban with U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. 

Le Roy raised the issue during a question and answer session at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Presidents Conference in Washington. He said that Calvin University's mission is to equip students "to think deeply, to act justly and to live wholeheartedly as Christ's agents of renewal in the world."

"I am really concerned about these reports that I have heard that Nigeria may be [put] on the banned country list," he said, adding that the university has students that come from Nigeria. "We have a long history of working with [Nigerian Christian students] to the extent that a ban would limit those students' opportunities to be a part of our community."

He argued that a ban on Nigeria and other countries would "rob" Christian students from those places of the opportunities.  

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