Protest at San Francisco International Airport against the temporary ban on immigration from 7 Muslim countries in 2017. Photo by Kenneth Lu
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the NO BAN Act, which would repeal the Trump administration’s controversial travel ban, reported Time.
The travel ban, which has been criticized for being anti-Muslim, restricts immigration from a number of Muslim-majority and African countries.
The NO BAN Act would also limit the ability of the executive branch to restrict immigration by certain groups, as well as prohibit religious discrimination in immigration law.
The White House previously released a statement opposing the bill in March, claiming that repealing the travel ban “would harm the national security of the United States” and that the ban has been “central to the Administration’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the American people against the spread of COVID-19.”
Although the bill is unlikely to be passed by the Senate, the House’s vote is still cause for celebration among Muslim Americans and civil rights advocates.
In an interview with CNN, Rep. Judy Chu, the House lead sponsor of the bill, stated that the NO BAN Act is “the first bill passed out of the House that would uphold the civil rights of Muslim Americans.”
Farhana Kera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, praised the passage of the bill as “a historic moment for Muslims.”
She added that the House’s vote will “show Muslims, who have been banned and scapegoated by the Trump administration, that we deserve rights and dignity.”
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