From No Muslim Ban Ever (https://www.nomuslimbanever.com):
WASHINGTON, DC — Members of the No Muslim Ban Ever coalition, the largest grassroots campaign that worked to repeal the Trump administration’s Muslim and African Bans, welcome today’s reintroduction of the NO BAN Act in the Senate and urge members of Congress to pass the historic civil rights legislation as quickly as possible. The bill was reintroduced by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is cosponsored by 39 senators.
If passed, the NO BAN Act would limit dangerously broad authority in U.S. immigration law so that no future president can issue bans that bar the entry of people to the U.S. based on their religion or national origin. Although President Biden rescinded the Muslim and African Bans on his first day in office, Muslim, African and other immigrant communities want to ensure that no new discriminatory bans can be issued in the future.
The NO BAN Act passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 21, 2021, and is also included in President Biden’s U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, a broad immigration bill introduced in Congress that would improve the lives of millions of immigrants and their families.
In response to the reintroduction of the NO BAN Act in the Senate today, co-leading organizations of the No Muslim Ban Ever coalition issued the following statements:
Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center, states:
“The reintroduction of the NO BAN Act in the Senate is an important step toward ensuring that future presidents cannot abuse and weaponize their executive power to further an unjust agenda. Though nothing can undo the harm already inflicted on Muslim and African communities as a result of the previous administration’s agenda, we must ensure that such discriminatory bans never happen again. We are grateful for Sen. Coons’ leadership and urge the Senate to pass the NO BAN Act.”
Linda Sarsour, Co-Founder and Executive Director of MPower Change, states:
“Our government banning and separating families should never have happened in the first place. Muslim communities mobilizing and taking action to fight the Muslim and African Bans over the past four years should be a signal to Congress that they must pass the NO BAN Act. The House got the message from our communities, and it’s time the Senate does the same to pass the No Ban Act.”
Aarti Kohli, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, states: “The Muslim and African Bans embodied some of the worst Islamophobia and racism of the Trump administration. Biden’s rescission has begun to put the Bans behind us, but we have an obligation to learn from the past and ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. The Senate must pass the NO BAN Act so tens of thousands of families can live free of the fear that another ban could tear them apart.”
Zahra Billoo, Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations-San Francisco Bay Area, states: “This urgent step is needed to ensure no future administrations are able to implement Islamophobic and racist immigration policies. We call on the Senate to take immediate action to pass this legislation.”
See here for statements from Senator Coons and other members of Congress regarding today’s reintroduction of the NO BAN Act. The NO BAN (National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants) Act was first introduced in April 2019 by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) in the U.S House of Representatives, and a companion bill was first introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Coons.
The NO BAN Act was reintroduced today alongside the Access to Counsel Act, which would ensure that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and others with valid visas are able to consult with an attorney, family member, or other interested party to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection at airports or other ports of entry.
About No Muslim Ban Ever
The No Muslim Ban Ever coalition is led by Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Francisco Bay Area, MPower Change, and the National Immigration Law Center. It includes more than 100 leading civil and human rights organizations. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Leave a Reply