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Washington, D.C. – Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) reintroduced the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act. This bill, cosponsored by 137 House members and led in the Senate by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), strengthens the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, and restores the separation of powers by limiting overly broad executive authority to issue future travel bans. Supporters of the NO BAN Act issued the following statements:
“When the Trump Administration issued its xenophobic Muslim Ban, it was immediately apparent that it was unconstitutional, discriminatory, and morally reprehensible,” said Chairman Jerrold Nadler. “I am grateful that President Biden took bold action on day one to repeal this ban and reunite families, but we cannot risk the possibility of any future President reinstating this heinous policy. That is why I am so proud to join Congresswoman Chu in introducing the NO BAN Act, which defends Congress’s role in establishing our immigration laws and restores our reputation as an inclusive, welcoming nation.”
“The Muslim Ban was a hateful stain on our nation. Inspired only by bigotry and not any genuine national security concerns, the ban served only to separate families while stoking bigotry, xenophobia, and Islamophobia. That is why I was so grateful when President Joe Biden took action on his first day in office to rescind all versions of this ban,” said Rep. Judy Chu. “However, we cannot risk letting prejudice become policy again. That is why I am once again introducing the NO BAN Act to update our laws. By requiring actual evidence of a threat before there can be any such broad based bans like this, the NO BAN Act ensures that future presidents will not be able to ban people solely because of their religion. I’m proud that this bill was passed by the House last Congress and, with the help and leadership of Senator Chris Coons, I hope to see it passed again and brought to the President’s desk soon.”
“We have turned the page on the tragic Muslim ban, but now we must write the next chapter – one in which no president can act through fear and prejudice to discriminate against a community of faith,” said Senator Chris Coons. “The Muslim ban senselessly upended lives and cut off thousands of Americans from their loved ones. Only through an act of Congress can we ensure that such a discriminatory and overreaching action by a president never happens again. The NO BAN Act reasserts not only the role of Congress under our system of checks and balances, but also the proud American legacy of welcoming immigrants and refugees. That’s why I’m glad to see it poised to advance again in the House thanks to the leadership of Congresswoman Chu, and I look forward to reintroducing this bill with renewed support in the Senate.”
“While President Biden rightfully rescinded the former President’s attempt to recklessly rewrite our immigration laws on Day One of his presidency, Congress should still take action to prevent a similar violation from ever happening again,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. “The NO BAN Act not only prohibits a future Muslim Ban, it also amends the authority the former President relied on in invoking the ban—section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act—to ensure that it can never be so flagrantly abused. No President—Democratic or Republican—should be able to utilize Section 212(f) to usurp congressional authority.”
"I am honored to once again join my colleagues in reintroducing the NO BAN Act,” said Rep. Andre Carson. “In the past year, we made historic progress on this priority by passing the NO BAN Act in the House and ensuring President Biden fulfilled his promise to swiftly end President Trump's Muslim Bans. However, this doesn't mean the problem is solved. We still need to make the NO BAN Act law to ensure no future President can ever again institute such a harmful and hateful ban. As one of three Muslim Members of Congress, and a lifelong champion of civil rights, this issue is extremely personal to me. I'll continue working hard, alongside my Congressional colleagues and Americans of goodwill, to make this landmark legislation law."
“While the Trump administration’s bigoted and dehumanizing Muslim and Africa Ban was thankfully ended by the Biden administration, the damage it caused will last for generations,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib. “This is why the passage of the NO BAN Act is as essential as ever: to ensure that future administrations cannot reenact such a hateful agenda and actualize politics that rips families apart and have no place in this country. I thank Congresswoman Chu for leading the reintroduction of this legislation that means so much to me and the hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world whose lives and families were tragically affected by the Muslim Ban.”
“The Muslim ban is a stain on our nation’s history—a direct violation of our basic principles of equality under the law and religious freedom,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar. “Thankfully, President Biden ended this hateful ban on day one of his presidency. But we must ensure that no president can ever ban a group of people from this country based solely on their religion or nationality. We must ensure that mothers will not be separated from their children, that brothers and sisters will not be torn apart—and that people around the world have a shot at the American Dream. I’m proud to work with my colleagues to place the Muslim Ban in the dustbin of history where it belongs.”
“Donald Trump’s Muslim Ban is a dark strain on our country’s history, and it must never happen again,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Congress’s work is not finished just because Trump was defeated – it is very important to make clear to the American people and to the world that this betrayal of our national values, which hurt so many people, is not what we stand for and will not being repeated. Our legislation would help repair the damage to our reputation as a global leader in the cause of freedom and human rights, and reaffirm America’s stance against bigotry and religious discrimination.”
Organizational Endorsements
Ryan Costello, Policy Director of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Action: "The Iranian-American community knows all too well the damage of the Muslim ban and the horrific precedent it set. 30,000 Iranians were denied a visa solely due to Trump's bigotry, separating families and loved ones and deferring dreams for four long years. It is vital that Congress work with the administration to redress this harm, including by passing Rep. Chu's NO BAN Act to ensure that no President has the unchecked authority to institute such discriminatory orders ever again."
Muslim Advocates Executive Director Farhana Khera: “President Biden’s executive order ending the Muslim Ban was a necessary first step but as Muslims, Africans and other communities of color await their previously denied visas, they also live under the threat that a future president may revive the Muslim and African Ban. That is why Congress must pass the NO BAN Act, a historic Muslim civil rights bill that will close dangerous loopholes in our immigration laws and ensure that no future president can enact discriminatory immigration bans again. Thank you, Rep. Chu, Sen. Coons and so many allies who are working hard to ensure that our communities don’t have to experience again the trauma of being banned and separated from their families.”
Manar Waheed, Senior Legislative and Advocacy Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union: In a moment when Black and Brown immigrants continue to bear the brunt of our broken system, the introduction of the NO BAN Act is a welcome change, signaling the importance of protecting us all against future discriminatory bans. President Biden made the rescission of the Muslim ban and its targeting of Africans a Day One priority for his administration, and Representative Chu and the House of Representatives today made it their priority to ensure that this discrimination never happens against our communities again. We hope that this bill marks the beginning of a new chapter in which Black and Brown immigrants, including Muslims, are priorities for us all.
Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center: “As we begin to redress the many harms of the Muslim and African Bans, the NO BAN Act will help ensure the pain inflicted by these shameful bans never happens again. Representative Chu’s leadership on this bill – and the Biden administration’s decision to include it in its immigration bill – demonstrates a serious commitment to ensuring that, beyond just repealing prior bans, we prevent any future abuse of dangerously overbroad executive powers that allowed for these bans to be issued in the first place. The NO BAN Act will make sure no president can weaponize this power to discriminatorily ban people from coming here based solely on their national origin or religion. We thank Rep. Chu for her leadership in bringing the bill forward and urge Congress to pass it swiftly. We look forward to partnering with Congress and the Biden administration to also ensure that individuals denied entry under these discriminatory bans can finally be reunited with loved ones and welcomed in the U.S.”
Leila Austin, Executive Director of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA): “The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) commends Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) and her congressional colleagues for prioritizing reintroduction of the NO BAN Act. This legislation offers closure for so many vulnerable communities that were negatively impacted by the discriminatory Travel Ban. For Iranian Americans, the NO BAN Act provides reassurance that no president can ever again abuse their power to enact such an unjust policy. I urge Congress to move swiftly to pass the NO BAN Act to ensure that this unthinkable chapter of American history remains behind us.”
Wa'el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action: "Over the past four years, the ban has separated families, promoted divisive rhetoric hostile to Muslims, and irrevocably damaged communities of color from all over the world. While we celebrate President Biden's repeal of the Muslim Ban, the work does not stop here: the passage of the No Ban Act is crucial to ensuring that no future president has the authority to institute such a ban. We urge Congress to take action to ensure that no future administration can abuse their executive powers and institute such a ban in the future." -
Original Co-Sponsors of the NO BAN Act: Reps. Nadler, Lofgren, Omar, Tlaib, Carson, Beyer, Demings, Meeks, Maloney (Carolyn), Espaillat, McCollum, McGovern, Schakowsky, Gallego, Johnson (Hank), DeGette, Foster, Stevens, Evans, Castro, Clarke, Velazquez, Sherman, Cooper, Jayapal, Blumenauer, Scanlon, Quigley, Moore, Watson Coleman, Meng, Bonamici, Malinowski, McEachin, Connolly, Boyle, Barragan, Hastings, Garcia (Chuy), Pallone, Sires, Horton, Raskin, Tonko, Napolitano, Escobar, Lieu, Pressley, Lee, Cohen, Dingell, Vargas, Keating, Lowenthal, Gomez, Carbajal, Langevin, Welch, Correa, Pingree, Trahan, Titus, Smith (Adam), Beatty, Cleaver, Suozzi, Pascrell, Kildee, Krishnamoorthi, Neguse, Spanberger, Lawrence, Ross, Kelly (Robin), Stanton, Green, Takano, Torres (Norma), Gomez, Eshoo, Price, Hayes, Schrier, Davis, Pocan, McBath, Kim, Speier, Bush, Garcia (Sylvia), Bera, Dean, Swalwell, Sewell, Strickland, Jones, Williams, Khanna, Levin (Mike), Aguilar, Bass, McNerney, Payne, Torres (Ritchie), Matsui, Panetta, Trone, Ocasio-Cortez, Kirkpatrick, Huffman, Costa, DelBene, Cardenas, Ruiz, Himes, Garamendi, Deutch, Butterfield, Wild, Kaptur, Sarbanes, Cicilline, Veasey, Grijalva, Rice (Kathleen), Luria, Thompson (Mike), and Clark
Endorsed By: Muslim Advocates, Asian American Advancing Justice- AAJC, NIAC Action, American Civil Liberties Union, National Immigration Law Center, American Humanist Association & Center for Freethought Equality, Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, People For the American Way, Bend the Arc Jewish Action, Church World Service, Emgage, Council on American-Islamic Relations, HIAS, Poligon Education Fund, ICNA Council for Social Justice, Sisters of St. Agnes, Brennan Center for Justice, Asian Counseling and Referral Service, Interfaith Alliance, National Council of Jewish Women, Inc., Friends Committee on National Legislation, and American Muslim Empowerment Network
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