A small Missouri community is fighting back against President-elect Donald Trump's proposed ban on Syrian refugees, the Kansas City Star reports.
Ibraheem Alkhwaja and Enas Hajah moved into the community in September with their four sons after fleeing Syria. Their neighbor, Jeff Rogers says, "We would do all in our power to keep them here."
According to the Kansas City Star, members of the community didn't always share this particular view in regards to whether or not to allow Syrian refugees to enter the U.S.
Scott Lininger, a Trump supporter told the outlet, "You could spend years learning what we’ve learned in the last few weeks. It’s changed my thoughts on the original feelings I had."
In October, President Obama raised the number of refugees that the U.S. would allow to enter for Fiscal year 2017 from 85,000 to 110,000. Since Trump's victory, refugees and their communities wait on what the President-elect will decide after his inauguration.
Trump previously said during his campaign that anyone entering the country from Syria would be sent back. "We have no idea who these people are, we are the worst when it comes to paperwork," Trump said in mid-November on CNBC. "This could be one of the great Trojan horses."
After Trump won the election on Nov. 8 Alkhwaja said to his wife, "Congratulations. We are in very deep trouble." However, their Missouri community is ready to fight the future president on his promises to ban and send back Syrian refugees.
When Alkhwaja asked a Trump-supporting neighbor what would happen if the president-elect were to kick them out, Lininger said, "I’ll hide you in my basement."
He explained, "These are goodhearted people. They were in a bad situation and you can’t blame them for that. We’d do anything for these kids."
