Donald Trump's move to ban immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries has triggered a fight in U.S. courts and provoked angry protests in many U.S. cities. But the arguments over its legal and moral merits won't change many minds. The new president's supporters and critics are already motivated and mobilized. Few are neutral on Trump or this policy. But the more important impact of this story is unfolding outside the United States. Trump's immigration policy has only just begun to create both problems and opportunities abroad.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saw Trump's move as an opportunity. Not long after Trump's announcement, Trudeau used Twitter to make clear that Canada remains open to refugees: "To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength." This was no impulsive gesture. Since November 2015, Canada has accepted 40,000 Syrian refugees. That's far less than Germany, Turkey, or Jordan have absorbed, but compare Canada's total with the 15,000 accepted over that period by the Obama administration. Sadly, generosity sometimes comes with a cost; within hours of Trudeau's announcement, a Muslim-hating Canadian killed six and wounded 17 inside a Quebec City mosque.
