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Richmond continues to react to President Trump’s temporary travel ban

Posted at 7:09 PM, Jan 31, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-31 19:09:09-05

RICHMOND, Va. -- Local reaction to President Trump's executive order temporarily banning travel from seven predominately Muslim nations continues to pour in, especially after the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Dana Boente was appointed the acting U.S. Attorney General.

Before Trump's executive order, the news was always on the TV inside Coliseum Persian Kabob on West Broad Street. Owner Abbas Jahangiri immigrated from Iran in 1971, and has been an American citizen since 2003.

Over the past 14 years, Jahangiri has worked 12 hours every day running his restaurant to help support his family and get his daughters through college.

"They are in charge, they think it's better for the country, that's why they make the decision. For me, I just make the decision how to cook my food," Jahangiri said with a chuckle when asked about the new administration's travel ban, which does apply to Iran.

Abbas Jahangiri

Abbas Jahangiri

Still, Jahangiri said when he heard of the executive order and what it does, he thought of how difficult it is already for Iranian citizens to get travel visas.

"You go through the interview, and they say okay we'll let you know in a month; for some people three, four, five months," he said. Jahangiri said his family members who live in Iran do not want to travel to the U.S., and his sister, who is a green card holder, is not traveling outside of the country as a precaution.

Trump's controversial order brought a Richmond twist Monday when Boente was named acting U.S. Attorney General. President Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates Monday night for “refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States,” the White House said. Yates had said she would defend Trump's temporary travel ban.

Boente was appointed at U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2015 by the Obama Administration. Shortly after President Trump appointed him U.S. Attorney General, Boente said he would enforce the executive order.

"He's well seasoned, he's reasonable, he's very fair," said Toby Vick, a partner at McGuire Woods law firm who said he has known Boente for many years.  "I'm not surprised at all that Mr. Boente decided that the rule of law would prevail, and that the rule of law would be how he'll operate the Justice Department."

Boente will serve in his role until the U.S. Senate confirm's President Trump's pick for Attorney General, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.

Still, other Richmond residents see Trump's actions as unconstitutional. Local immigration attorney Soulmaz Taghavi traveled to Dulles International Airport to lend her services to travelers from the seven nations impacted by the president's order.

Since Taghavi is from Iran and still has family living there, she said she could not sit on the sidelines.

"I just don't see how this logically makes sense, and in fact, it's offensive. It is offensive," Taghavi said when asked about the temporary travel ban.

The Trump administration maintains the order protects Americans from terrorism and that it is constitutional. Several states, including Virginia, have filed lawsuits challenging the order in federal court.

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