Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Johnathan Smith, legal director of Muslim Advocates, regarding last night’s change from the Trump Administration to include fiancés as “bona fide relationships” in the reinstated Muslim ban executive order:

“Last night’s backtracking from the Trump Administration acknowledges that its interpretation of the Supreme Court’s order was overly narrow. This half-step of including fiancés but excluding close family members is still a far cry from following the Supreme Court’s order. The Trump Administration has no business stopping close family members from visiting relatives in the United States.

There is no sensible justification for banning grandmothers from their grandchildren or aunts from their nephews.  Excluding these clearly bona fide relationships is absurd.

We urge the Trump Administration to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling, stop the ‘grandma ban,’ and allow all bona fide family members to see one another.”

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.

###