A surprising group affected by Trump's travel ban: airline crews
(YAHOO) - On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order issuing a travel ban on seven predominantly-Muslim countries. The action ignited large protests at airports around the United States, as refugees and citizens on incoming flights were detained at airports or sent back to their countries.
The ban on refugees is expected to last 120 days, and suspends entry of citizens from Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen for 90 days. Refugees from Syria have been blocked from entering indefinitely.
One unexpected group of victims is airline flight crews, some of which are international citizens who have to attain Crewmember Visas before working for an international airline in the US. Up until now, that visa was enough to legally enter the US. Now, if a crew member holds a passport for one of the banned countries, it is unclear if they will be able to clear customs after landing at a US-based airport. According to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), which has United Airlines (UAL), Alaska Airlines (ALK) and Hawaiian Airlines (HA) in its union, the ban has already had a negative effect on this community of workers.
