Yemeni-owned bodegas across New York City's five boroughs shut their doors at noon ET Thursday to protest President Trump's executive order barring travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries.
Under the order signed last Friday, travelers from not only Yemen but also Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Syria are barred from entering the U.S. for 90 days. The order also suspends admissions of new refugees for 120 days.
#bodegastrike pic.twitter.com/rYrYeXK1XN
— katie ???? (@katieraffa) February 2, 2017
For Sulaiman Al-Audi, who works at the Best and Tasty Grocery on 143rd Street, the travel ban sends the message that he is not welcome here. Audi was born in Yemen but has been in the U.S. since 2002.
"We've been here over a decade, and we've never posed any threat to anybody. We're just here to make a living," he told Annmarie Fertoli of NPR member station WNYC.