Following President Donald Trump's announcement of a travel ban on 12 countries, Bay Area residents with family members in those countries expressed concerns.
Mhret Weldabzghi, who was born in Eritrea, said she is concerned about what the restrictions mean for her loved ones back home.
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WATCH HERE"We have a big community, the community does it what it has to do, they work hard, they follow the rules, what is the reason to restrict them?" Weldabzghi said.
Weldabzghi is one of more than 10,000 Eritreans living in the Bay Area, with the majority of the population making a home in Oakland.
She said she is concerned the ban will prevent her from seeing her family.
"It’s very bad for the family," she said. "If I wouldn’t see my dad, it would impact me. And I would like to see any Eritrean or any human being that need to gather with their family should have the right."
The new restrictions primarily target countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Others impacted include Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, and more. An additional seven counties came under a partial travel restriction.
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University of California, Berkeley Law Professor Katerina Linos, said she fears the change will significantly impact the country's future leaders.
"International students enrich everyone’s experience, and this is an attack on all of us," Linos said.
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SIGN UP The Trump Administration says some of the counties were selected based on visa overstay rates and inadequate vetting measures.
Linos said international students, including those not directly impacted by the restrictions, are changing their summer plans and even considering taking jobs outside of the U.S. post-graduation because of the uncertainty.
"We are a country that has traditionally welcomed and benefited from immigrants and ideas," Linos said. "I think a lot of people who have choices will decide that there are other destinations that are more attractive, given all this uncertainty."
