Members of the No Muslim Ban Ever coalition, the primary national grassroots campaign working to repeal the Trump administration’s Muslim and African Ban, applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for today’s vote to pass the NO BAN Act (H.R. 2486, formerly H.R. 2214). The legislation would immediately repeal prior versions of the Muslim Ban, including the African Ban, a ban that specifically targets refugees, and an iteration that targets asylum-seekers arriving at the border. It would also change immigration law to prohibit discrimination based on religion, and limit the power of this administration or any future president to enact similar bans. The bill must now go to a vote in the Senate.
In response to today’s vote, anchor organizations of the No Muslim Ban Ever coalition issued the following statements:
Marielena Hincapie, Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center, states:
“We commend the members of Congress who voted to pass the NO BAN Act for their leadership, and applaud the courage and persistence of Muslim and African communities who have fought to repeal these discriminatory bans. The Trump administration has demonstrated a reckless and cruel abuse of power by issuing bans for the sole purpose of shutting out communities of color, fulfilling Trump’s signature and racist campaign promises. Today is a crucial step towards undoing the tremendous harm this administration has inflicted on our communities.”
Zahra Billoo, Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations-San Francisco Bay Area, states:
“After three years of organizing and mobilizing across the country, we celebrate that the NO BAN Act has been passed by the House of Representatives. This follows a pledge from Joe Biden earlier this week to repeal the Muslim Ban on day one of his administration. We know the fight is far from over, as evidenced by the thousands of people who remain separated from their families. We will continue to work with our partners in Congress and grassroots communities until the Muslim and African Ban is a distant memory.”
Linda Sarsour, Co-Founder and Executive Director of MPower Change, states:
“This win is a direct result of our communities mobilizing by the thousands to make calls, send letters, and visit our representatives in Congress. Healing takes a lot of work, but this ‘yes’ vote is a significant first step to finally reuniting the many Muslim and African families and communities that have been torn apart by this Ban. We’ll continue fighting until the Ban is repealed—and until we ensure that no future administration can implement anything like it ever again.”
Aarti Kohli, Executive Director representing Asian Americans Advancing Justice, states:
“From the Chinese Exclusion Act, the incarceration of Japanese Americans, and the Muslim Ban, our government has often articulated a white nationalist vision of who Americans are and ought to be, ostensibly in the name of “national security.” Today, the House stood with Muslim and other communities to reject such racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia. While we express concern that the bill includes language referring to ‘communicable disease,’ language that risks targeting Asian American communities who have long been excluded based on racialized markers, we remain committed to the NO BAN Act and celebrate this significant step forward in rectifying one of the most unjust moments in our history.”
While members of the No Muslim Ban Ever coalition applaud today’s vote, they remain concerned about language inserted into the bill linking COVID-19 public safety considerations with the Muslim and African Ban, as well as President Trump’s exploitation of the COVID-19 crisis to rewrite entire portions of immigration law since March of this year.
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, and to build support for repealing the Muslim and African Ban and creating a more fair and just immigration policy.
As part of this effort, the coalition will host a Facebook Live Community Report Back today at 5pm ET to help Muslim communities understand the implications of the House vote and what comes next. Featured speakers will include Linda Sarsour, Co-Founder and Executive Director of MPower Change; Manar Waheed, Senior Legislative Advocacy Counsel for the ACLU; and Nneka Achapu, Founder of the African Public Affairs Committee.
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).