When I first found out about the immigration ban that President Trump had put into place via an executive order, I became emotional for the first time since the election.

Granted, I was a Hillary supporter. Yet even after the stunning defeat, I was disappointed, but not emotional.

After every action Trump took and every word he muttered as President-elect and every action and word since his inauguration, I was calm. Not complacent, but calm. The love I have for this country has not and will never die, and I continue to look towards tomorrow every time I become upset with the current state of affairs. I’ll protest, I’ll petition, I’ll vote – that’s what democracy is all about – but I won’t become flustered.

And I hadn’t, until the immigration ban.

Now, I don’t know anybody personally affected by this ban and it certainly doesn’t affect me. And to be quite frank, I understand that this is Trump’s way of “making America safe again.” To play devil’s advocate, he is right when he says it’s his number one job to keep us Americans safe, and I respect the fact that he is doing what he can in order to do that. I just wish he had taken another approach.

When I first heard the news, my immediate thought was how young children in this country – Muslim or not – would react to such an order. I feared that these young, innocent souls would turn on their televisions and see their religion plastered on the “breaking news” headlines next to the word banned. I feared that their parents would have to explain to them that the next 90 days, the next 120 days, and possibly even the next four years would be a difficult time for them. I feared the most that these children would feel as if they wouldn’t belong.

I don’t know if this article will reach out to anyone affected by this executive order, but if it ever does, I just want to say I’m sorry.

I’m sorry that President Trump himself labeled this as a ban against Muslims during his campaign and that it’s made it hard for any of us to believe that this executive order isn’t just that. I’m sorry that too many people will brush it off and tell you that you shouldn’t be upset, the President is just trying to keep us safe. I’m sorry that some of you may not be able to visit your families because you may not be able to regain entry into the country that you love and contribute to. Consequently, I’m sorry that your mother or grandmother, father or brother, aunt or uncle will not be able to visit you here in America simply because they live in a country where terrorists are most likely to try and gain entry into the U.S. from.

But, I hope that you realize that this land is your land as much as it is mine. You’re my brother or sister just as I am yours. You are an American just as much as this proud Catholic is an American. And I hope you know that I, and millions of others for that matter, will stand with you and fight with you until we as a country – a unified people – find a way to keep our beloved country safe without demonizing the religion you are a part of.

But most of all, please never forget that the American dream is still alive – and it is still alive for you.