In reaction to the House of Representatives passing the NO BAN Act, H.R. 2214, Isra Chaker, Senior Migration and Protection Campaign Lead, made the following statement:
“Today’s historic vote signals to the world and to countless impacted people here and abroad that President Trump’s hateful Muslim, Refugee, and Asylum Bans do not reflect American values. We applaud the House of Representatives for upholding our founding principles of religious tolerance and inclusion by voting to repeal these horrific bans and limiting the ability of future administrations to enact such hateful policies.
“While we have concerns about language added to the original legislation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that reinforces the false and harmful association of immigrants with public health risks, the NO BAN Act ultimately achieves the important goal of affirming Congressional opposition to the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, anti-Muslim agenda.
“While it appears unlikely at the moment, we hope the Senate will decide to stand on the right side of history by taking up the NO BAN Act.
“For three and a half years, the Trump administration has waged an all-out assault on America’s legacy as a tolerant and welcoming nation founded by refugees and immigrants, starting with the introduction of the Muslim Ban within days of coming into office. Earlier this year, the Trump administration expanded this trademark hateful policy, significantly expanding the suffering of American families who will be separated from their loved ones and further isolating the US from the rest of the world.
“From slashing the number of refugees we admit to forcing people at the border back into harm’s way, this administration will seemingly stop at nothing in its quest to reverse American ideals of tolerance and welcome. Today’s passage of the NO BAN Act is an important step forward in reversing the Trump administration’s dangerous and un-American policies.”
