New Civil Rights Bill to End Muslim Ban and Religious Discrimination in Immigration, Groups Release 100+ Muslim Ban Stories

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, a diverse coalition of close to 400 civil rights, faith, national security and community organizations announced their support for the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act (“NO BAN Act”), a historic civil rights bill that would end the Muslim Ban and prevent faith-based discrimination in immigration. The organizations sent a joint letter to Congress endorsing the bill ahead of its bicameral introduction on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA).  The members will host a press conference to announce the bill that will take place at the Senate Swamp on Wednesday, April 10 at 9:15 am featuring impacted individuals, faith leaders and members of Congress.

• Click here to read the letter from 384 organizations.
• Click here for over 100 Muslim Ban impact stories.

The organizations endorsing the legislation include leading civil rights groups like the NAACP, UnidosUS and Human Rights Campaign; faith denominations like the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, and the Union for Reform Judaism; and impacted American Muslim communities.

“We urge you to support this important legislation because your leadership on this issue is critical to ensuring that Congress sends a strong message to the American people that how someone prays should not dictate whether the government can ban them from coming to the United States,” wrote the groups. “Families should not be separated simply based on their faith. These are our shared values. It is time for Congress to act to overturn the Muslim Ban and stand against religious discrimination.”

In addition to the nearly 400 groups listed in the letter, supporters of the bill include original co-sponsors Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), as well as Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).

Since Trump first announced this horrific policy just over two years ago, the Muslim Ban has cruelly torn families apart; preventing children from being with their parents and grandparents and forced people to miss the births, deaths, weddings and funerals of loved ones. The NO BAN Act will end this discriminatory policy and amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, ensuring that no president will ever again be able to ban an entire community without accountability.

Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination.

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