NIAC Statement on Introduction of NO BAN Act and Release of Muslim Ban Data

On the heels of new data revealing the widespread impact of the Trump Administration’s Muslim Ban, and as legislation to repeal the ban gained its 100th cosponsor in the House and support from every Presidential candidate in the Senate, new legislation is being introduced in both chambers of Congress today to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to prevent any future discriminatory bans. NIAC applauds Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and strongly supports the NO BAN Act (National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act). 

In response, NIAC Action Executive Director Jamal Abdi issued the following statement: 

“The introduction of the NO BAN Act presents a real opportunity for Congress to repeal the Trump administration's reprehensible Muslim Ban—and help to prevent it from happening again by amending parts of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Democratic majority in the House and any Republicans who claim independence from President Trump have a golden opportunity to end this shameful Muslim Ban. If Congress chooses to squander this moment then they will find themselves complicit in one of the most discriminatory policies of our time. And the timing couldn't be better. The act's introduction comes on the heels of statistics on the Muslim Ban released by the State Department last week, which illustrated the vast impact of the ban and the sham waiver process used by the Supreme Court to uphold it. 

“19,163 Iranians were rejected from securing a waiver due to alleged failure to prove that the rejection would cause ‘undue hardship’ or that approval would be in the ‘national interest.’ By contrast, only 413 secured a waiver—meaning for every 47 Iranians considered for a waiver only one is issued. Moreover, only 7 Iranian nationals considered for a waiver were rejected due to national security concerns. While the overall waiver issuance rate is advertised at 6%, the rate for Iranians—the nationality most impacted by the ban—is an abysmal low 1.6%. This more closely resembles a lottery than a genuine waiver process."

Abdi continued:

“The Trump administration’s own statistics unequivocally prove the waiver provision is a fraud. There is a story behind every rejection—a grandparent hoping to see their grandchild for the first time, a student hoping to return to their studies and finalize their degree, or a partner hoping to reunite with their beloved. Now, these rejections are happening at consulates around the world, out of sight of U.S. cameras.

“We commend Senator Coons and Representative Chu for their commitment to repealing the Muslim Ban and preventing such discriminatory policies from ever materializing again. We also commend Senator Van Hollen for his and his colleagues’ tireless efforts to seek out data on the Muslim Ban in an effort to hold the Trump administration accountable. But now it is up to Congress to build on this new momentum and pass legislation ending the Muslim Ban once and for all."