Members of the No Muslim Ban Ever coalition, the largest grassroots campaign that worked to repeal the Trump administration’s Muslim and African Bans, applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for today’s vote to pass the NO BAN Act (H.R. 1333). The bill was reintroduced by Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), is cosponsored by 159 House members, and is led in the Senate by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE).
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 Although President Biden rescinded the Muslim and African Bans on his first day in office, Muslim, African, and other immigrant communities want to ensure that no new discriminatory bans can be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 previously passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 22, 2020.
In response to today’s vote, anchor organizations of the No Muslim Ban Ever coalition issued the following statements:
Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center, states:
“The Muslim and African Bans abused executive power to discriminate against and harm countless people based solely on their national origin or religion. The NO BAN Act will make sure that no president can weaponize this dangerously overbroad power again. We are thrilled that the House of Representatives passed this critical legislation and we urge the Senate to quickly follow suit by passing an equally strong bill. President Biden should sign the NO BAN Act into law, and also ensure that people denied entry under these discriminatory, shameful bans can finally be welcomed in the U.S. and reunited with their loved ones.”
Zahra Billoo, Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations-San Francisco Bay Area, states:
“Thousands of families remain torn apart, still reeling from the impact of the previous administration and its Muslim and African Bans. We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the NO BAN Act and taking an urgent step forward to ensuring no future administration could implement Islamophobic and racist immigration policies. We urge the Senate to move quickly to pass the legislation also.”
Linda Sarsour, Co-Founder and Executive Director of MPower Change, states:
“We would never have gotten to this point without Muslim communities mobilizing and taking action to fight the Muslim and African Ban over the past four years. Passing the No Ban Act by the House is a starting point, and I urge the Senate to do the same.”
Aarti Kohli, Executive Director representing Asian Americans Advancing Justice, states:
“The Muslim and African bans are a moral stain on our nation’s history. By passing the NO BAN Act today, the House is sending the message that we must keep xenophobia and discrimination out of our national immigration laws. Even with the NO BAN Act’s passage, the chapter of xenophobic immigration policy is not yet closed. The Biden administration must also work to reunite families separated by the bans and take steps to address the underlying prejudice that created the conditions for the Bans in the first place.”
The No Muslim Ban Ever coalition will continue its national grassroots organizing efforts to ensure that the U.S. Senate takes up 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). A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE).