The Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Columbus) today condemned President Trump’s latest travel ban, and encouraged any Ohio Muslims with family members impacted by the ban to contact CAIR-Columbus for assistance.
“The President’s latest travel ban has little to do with national security and everything to do with anti-immigrant bigotry. President Trump, Stephen Miller, and others within the Administration pine for an America that is racially, religiously and culturally monolithic,” said attorney Jennifer Nimer, Executive Director of CAIR-Columbus.
Nimer added, “That’s why President Trump keeps trying to curtail legal immigration, increase deportations, and ban as many Muslims as he can get away with banning, including–once again–foreign relatives of many American Muslims. The travel ban was irrational the first two times President Trump tried to implement it, and it remains so today.”
The President’s latest immigration order places restrictions on travel to the United States from eight countries and comes as the previous ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries was set expire today.
The Trump Administration kept restrictions on five of the six Muslim-majority nations – Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen – and added new restrictions on visitors from Chad, North Korea and Venezuela.
“We strongly suspect that the Trump Administration banned North Koreans and Venezuelan government officials in a token and transparent attempt to escape allegations of anti-Muslim bigotry,” Nimer said.
SEE: Trump Administration Announces New Travel Ban
On Friday, CAIR urged the Trump Administration to refrain from issuing a new Muslim ban, noting that more stealthy attempts to implement that controversial executive order will be just as “unconstitutional and un-American” as the previous attempts. #NoMuslimBanEver
SEE: CAIR Urges Trump Administration Not to Issue New Muslim Ban
Last week, CAIR announced the filing of an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of seven American Muslims opposing the Trump administration’s original Muslim ban and urging the court to declare it unconstitutional.
READ CAIR’s Amicus Brief
In its brief, CAIR argued that the seven American Muslim citizens “have seen increased discrimination, hate speech, and threats of violence as a result of the anti-Muslim animus that underpins” the Muslim ban. [NOTE: Those listed in the amicus brief (“amici”) are represented by CAIR and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.]
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Columbus Executive Director Jennifer Nimer 614-451-3232, jnimer@cair.com; Romin Iqbal, CAIR-Columbus Legal Director riqbal@cair.com