Darlington Nagbe is among several U.S. National Team players that have been critical of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that bars refugees and people from seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States.
The executive order bans citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days, prevents refugees from entering the U.S. for 120 days, and bars Syrian refugees from entering the USA indefinitely.
Nagbe was among a handful of U.S. National Team players asked about the executive order following the U.S. National Team’s 0-0 draw with Serbia Sunday and the Portland Timbers midfielder told Four Four Two that the ban concerned him.
Nagbe, 26, was born in Liberia in the middle of a deadly seven-year civil war. His mother, Somah, made the decision to flee Liberia when Nagbe was just five months old and the family ended up in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone. Nagbe and his family went on to spend the next 10 years in Europe before emigrating to the United States when Nagbe was 11.
“At one point, I was a refugee, and my mother was a refugee,” Nagbe told Four Four Two. “So I can only imagine. I mean, I know the pain that [refugees are] feeling this moment. When we moved to this country [on a visa, after escaping to Sierra Leone], it was one of the best things that ever happened to us, and me just being here, being able to represent the country is a dream come true for myself and my mother and my entire family.
“You know, hopefully everything gets cleared out and everyone’s able to go about their day and chase freedom and try to pursue their dream, just like I did.”
— Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com
503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg
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