Alhamdulillah! Just a few minutes ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the NO BAN Act.
From the moment, then candidate, Donald Trump threatened a Muslim Ban, in December 2015, CAIR rallied opposition efforts. We have assisted countless clients, filed lawsuits, organized rallies, spoken with the media, and advocated to our elected officials.
Together, with our partners in the No Muslim Ban Ever campaign, Asian Law Caucus, MPower Change, and the National Immigration Law Center, as well as over one hundred organizations who endorsed the campaign, we have been working non-stop to overturn the Ban.
Today’s successful vote is a result of everyone’s hard work and your support!
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). 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.
While we applaud today’s vote, we remain concerned about language inserted into the bill linking COVID-19 public safety considerations with the Muslim and African Ban, as well as Trump’s exploitation of the COVID-19 crisis to rewrite entire portions of immigration law since March of this year.
We will continue our 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.
This is how you can help:
- Join us for a Facebook Live right now to learn more about the implications of the House vote and what comes next. Featured speakers will include Linda Sarsour of MPower Change, Manar Waheed from the ACLU, and Nneka Achapu of the African Public Affairs Committee.
- Continue supporting CAIR-SFBA so we can continue the work of empowering and protecting the American Muslim community from this and other attempts at curtailing our civil liberties.
- If you know someone who needs immigration help, because of the Muslim Ban or otherwise, please refer them to our legal team. They can reach us for free, culturally competent, legal assistance by completing this form on our website.
- Stay in touch. For the latest news on efforts toward #NoMuslimBanEver, follow the coalition on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.