Washington DC – Today, the plaintiffs in Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) v. Trump filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block President Trump from fully implementing his latest attempt to ban nationals from several predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.

IAAB v. Trump, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, is the first major lawsuit brought against President Trump’s Muslim Ban 3.0.   The plaintiffs in this action are Iranian Alliances Across Borders, an Iranian-American diaspora community organization, and six individual plaintiffs, all of whom are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents with Iranian relatives or spouses who will be blocked from coming to the United States.  Today’s filing argues that Muslim Ban 3.0 violates the U.S. Constitution and other federal laws and that the plaintiffs will be irreparably harmed if the policy goes into full effect on October 18.  

The plaintiffs in IAAB are represented by Muslim Advocates, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Covington & Burling LLP, in consultation with the National Iranian-American Council (NIAC).  The plaintiffs in IAAB v. Trump are joined in their preliminary injunction motion by the plaintiffs in International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) v. Trump, which is pending before the same judge.

• Click here to read the complaint in IAAB v. Trump.
• Click here to read the motion for a preliminary injunction and supporting brief.
• Click here to read about several of the plaintiffs.

According to Johnathan Smith, legal director of Muslim Advocates: “President Trump’s newest efforts to ban Muslims from entering the United States are unconstitutional and contravenes fundamental American values.  Today’s filing will hopefully ensure that this bigoted and discriminatory policy never goes into full effect.”

According to Mana Kharrazi, executive director of Iranian Alliances Across Borders: “It is paramount that we stop the latest ban from taking effect. Graduations, weddings, births – virtually every significant moment for our families will be lost because of this ban. This administration attempts to strip us of our humanity and force us to be invisible, only to be acknowledged as part of a ploy pretending we have anything to do with national security. We refuse to be the last of our communities and to force our youth to endure growing up in a country that denies their identities and right to exist. If we do not stop this ban, we allow our families and our youth to become collateral. Previous attempts to ban our communities have already emboldened hate and violence. What then will become of us and the future of our country if this ban actually becomes law?”

According to Richard B. Katskee, legal director of Americans United: “The eyes of history never look kindly on those who choose to side with discrimination.  Religious freedom is about fairness.  Trump’s Muslim Ban 3.0, just like the previous versions, is both unfair and rooted in discrimination. It subjects people to ill treatment and second-class status simply because of their religious tradition. That’s profoundly un-American, and we’re determined to see that this ban never takes effect.”

According to Shayan Modarres, legal counsel for the National Iranian American Council: “The latest travel ban targeting Iranians and Muslims is not a product of a political conflict between countries, or justified by any credible national security concerns. This ban affects real people and completely disrupts real lives. It robs families of moments they can never get back. Today, we are asking the court to block this unconstitutional ban from impacting these American families and treating them like second class citizens under the law.”

Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and educational organization that works on the frontlines of civil rights to guarantee freedom and justice for Americans of all faiths.

Iranian Alliances Across Borders is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 2003. IAAB addresses issues of the Iranian diaspora by facilitating community building, developing ways to better understand what it means to be part of a diaspora community, and empowering members of the Iranian diaspora community to enhance connections with their new communities as well as maintain connections with their root community.

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

The National Iranian American Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the voice of Iranian Americans and promoting greater understanding between the American and Iranian people.

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