We must reject this dangerous rhetoric that contradicts the moral foundation of the country itself. When America tells people like me that service and civic responsibility are still not enough, it tells the world that belonging here is fragile and reversible.
I still love this country. That has not changed. But love requires honesty and courage. This is your story as much as it is mine, and how it ends is up to all of us. The choices we make today will define not just who belongs here and now but who we become tomorrow.
Shaimaa Zayan is an American Muslim civil rights advocate and operations manager with CAIR-Austin.