Many stars have spoken out in opposition to Donald Trump's immigration ban, but it would be hard to find one more passionate about refugees' rights and freedoms than Angelina Jolie. The mother of six, who is a special envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has broken her silence on the subject by penning a hard-hitting and powerful essay in the New York Times.
Angelina has penned an article on refugees for The New York Times
"Refugees are men, women and children caught in the fury of war, or the cross hairs of persecution. Far from being terrorists, they are often the victims of terrorism themselves," write the actress before tearing into the recent decision by the new government to ban immigrants from seven countries.
"I’m proud of our country’s history of giving shelter to the most vulnerable people. Americans have shed blood to defend the idea that human rights transcend culture, geography, ethnicity and religion. The decision to suspend the resettlement of refugees to the United States and deny entry to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries has been met with shock by our friends around the world precisely because of this record."
All six of Angelina and ex-husband Brad Pitt's children were born outside of the U.S
Angelina also addresses her very personal reason for taking a stand against Trump's policy. She writes: "As the mother of six children, who were all born in foreign lands and are proud American citizens, I very much want our country to be safe for them, and all our nation’s children. But I also want to know that refugee children who qualify for asylum will always have a chance to plead their case to a compassionate America. And that we can manage our security without writing off citizens of entire countries — even babies — as unsafe to visit our country by virtue of geography or religion."
To read Angelina's full essay, visit nytimes.com.