MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Now, we've been talking about how President Trump's new ban on refugee resettlement and immigration from certain countries is playing out across the U.S. That order, as we are hearing, is adding a new layer of uncertainty for U.S. green card holders traveling abroad. At a briefing today, a senior official on the Trump administration said green card holders from the seven banned countries would need a case by case waiver to return to the U.S.
That worries American citizen Solmaz Sharif. Her mother is an Iranian citizen, who holds a U.S. green card. Her mother flew to Iran a few weeks ago to visit family, and now the two are unsure if they can reunite in New York in early April as had been originally planned. Solmaz Sharif is president of the New York Persian Cultural Center. We reached her via Skype in New York earlier today, and I began by asking her about her first thoughts when she heard of this executive order.
SOLMAZ SHARIF: My first thought was this is so un-American. And I'm not putting that very loosely. There is this idea of America and the freedoms that it provides. And that's main reason so many people leave their family and home and everything behind and come and start a new home. And this is exactly an example of an inquisition.
MARTIN: Your particular concern is that you feel that this kind of puts your mother in this odd limbo situation now. She left in January to visit Iran for the Persian New Year. She was planning to come back in April. But under the existing rules, what? She should be back within six months, is that right?
SHARIF: Exactly. So any green card holders can not be out of country more than six months. And with this new 90-days ban, if anyone fall out of that six months, my question is what would happen then? My mother was planning to come back in April. She'll still have time until June, but it's still - we don't know if she can come back or not.
MARTIN: How does this make you feel?
SHARIF: I should say angry, but it's not enough of a good word of my emotion because she is only one of the other stories that I hear.
MARTIN: Have you been able to talk to your mother since this...
SHARIF: I have.
MARTIN: ...New order came down? What is her reaction to all of this?
SHARIF: Yes, I have talked to her, and she's also very disappointed and angry and on limbo. She doesn't know what would happen. But then, you know, for me as a proud American, I kept bragging in sort of way that what America is. And now she's asking me, well, you tell me what's the difference between Iranian government and American government? And it's such a hard feeling for me. It's just very disappointing.
MARTIN: Well, the administration is saying that these are steps that are necessary to protect Americans like yourself from the threat of persons who may use this refugee resettlement or immigration process to do harm to Americans. I mean, how do you - and they also say that there is no right, there is no absolute right for a non-U.S. citizen to enter the United States. So what do you say to that?
SHARIF: I have plenty to say about that. Among the countries that are on this list, Iran and Iraq both are pretty famous on fight against ISIS. We don't really have any record of showing dangers for American citizens from Iranian citizens. I just don't see any logic, legal analysis and any of American values into this order.
MARTIN: That's Solmaz Sharif. She's the president of the New York Persian Cultural Center. She is a former journalist. She's also a real estate agent and an entrepreneur, and her mother is a U.S. green card holder and is unsure of whether she'll be able to return to United States because of this temporary ban. Solmaz Sharif, thank you so much for speaking with us.
SHARIF: Thank you.