Angelina Jolie Has Something Fearless To Say About That Immigration Ban

You’re likely well aware that President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning seven countries’ immigrants, as well as refugees, from entering the US for 90 days. From protests and marches to online activism, many are speaking out against the ban, and longtime refugee advocate Angelina Jolie just added her voice to the cause. In an op-ed published yesterday in The New York Times, the actress urged the president to prioritize human rights, adding that her six children “were all born in foreign lands and are all American citizens.”

“Every government must balance the needs of its citizens with its international responsibilities,” she wrote. “But our response must be measured and should be based on facts, not fear.”

She also discussed the country’s vetting process for people who seek asylum, pointing out that Trump’s claims that US borders are overrun and refugees are admitted without rigorous screening is “simply not true.”

“We must never allow our values to become the collateral damage of a search for greater security,” she wrote. “Shutting our door to refugees or discriminating among them is not our way, and does not make us safer. Acting out of fear is not our way. Targeting the weakest does not show strength.”

Angelina remains a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She has advocated for refugees on global displacement matters and served as a UN Goodwill Ambassador from 2001 to 2012. Read her full essay here.