SPLC Welcomes End to Discriminatory Muslim and African Travel Ban

WASHINGTON – President Biden today signed an executive order rescinding the discriminatory Muslim and African travel ban. The following statement is from Margaret Huang, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center and SPLC Action Fund.  

“The bigoted Muslim and African Ban was an assault on our nation’s founding principles of religious freedom and pluralism. The ban imposed cruel family separation and irreparable harm to members of the Muslim faith and other communities of color and nationalities. Propped up by flimsy polling data from an anti-Muslim hate group, the ban served as an early indicator that fomenting fear, division, Islamophobia, anti-Blackness and nativism would be cornerstones of the Trump presidency. 
 
“Last July, the House of Representatives approved separate legislation, the NO BAN Act, designed to ensure that no future president can impose baseless, discriminatory immigration restrictions hinged on religion or nationality. That legislation would restore the separation of powers by limiting overly broad executive authority to issue future travel bans.  

“It is commendable President Biden is acting to both rescind the ban and include the NO BAN Act within his plan to create a fair, just and functional immigration system, under the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. The Biden-Harris administration must also work to right the wrongs of the ban by restoring lost visas and waiving fees to ensure that families separated by the ban can be reunified. 

“Congress must act promptly to pass the NO BAN Act and ensure that the U.S. will never again restrict people’s entry to the country based on their religion, wealth, race, country of origin, language ability or disability status.”

Last month, SPLC Action released its full immigration policy priorities to promote immigration reform and protection for refugees and asylum seekers.