Moments ago the U.S. House of Representatives made a historic vote to pass the NO BAN ACT. The legislation aims to repeal the Arab and Muslim Ban implemented by President Donald Trump in January of 2017. In addition, it also repeals all subsequent expansions of the Ban, including his asylum and refugee ban. Trump’s Ban is not about keeping the country safe, it is about his broader attack on communities of color and immigrant communities.
ADC Legal Director Abed Ayoub says, “Today’s vote is a welcomed first step in ensuring that no President, regardless of political party, has the authority to implement a policy as discriminatory as the Arab and Muslim Ban. For nearly four years the Ban has had a profound impact on thousands of Arabs and Muslims. Although the Ban is still in place the passage of this Act is a good step forward as we seek to fully rescind it. We thank all the members of Congress who took a courageous stand with this historic vote. We want to thank the advocates who have worked tirelessly pushing back against the Ban, and who helped make this moment possible.”
The Act reigns in the authority of the President and ensures that no future administration can act in the draconian manner that this administration has. While this is an important first step the Act is not perfect. The Act does contain language which falsely links immigrant communities to COVID-19. This language was unnecessary and weakened the final version of the Act. Moving forward we call on lawmakers to support the full passage of this bill without the additional and unnecessary language.
Since taking office in 2017, The Trump administration has continuously targeted immigrants and communities of color. Despite the recognition that white supremacist violence is a serious issue, the administration continues to focus on suppressing the rights of minority and immigrant communities. The xenophobic immigration agenda of the administration was furthered earlier this year when additional countries, mainly in Africa, were added to the Muslim Ban.
ADC will continue to advocate for the introduction and passage of an Act in the U.S. Senate. Given the political climate, we are aware that this will be a challenge, but we will not back down. Despite today’s passage it is important to note that the Ban is still in place – the vote taken today does not lead or provide any relief to those impacted. If you have any questions related to the Ban, or you need legal assistance, please contact the ADC Legal Department at legal@adc.org.