January 6, 2020
Muslim Advocacy Group Condemns Trump Administration Attempt to Change Interpretation of Civil Rights Act of 1964
Washington, D.C. – In its final days, the Trump administration is seeking to change the interpretation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin against recipients of federal funding. As currently written, the law deems certain actions discriminatory if they have a discriminatory effect on protected groups. Under the Trump administration’s proposal, only intentional discrimination would be barred.
“These changes intend to weaken a key civil rights law that ensures equity and fairness in federal funding practices. The rationale behind the proposed changes it is eerily reminiscent of the one used to justify the Muslim Ban–that there was no explicit mention banning Muslims in the Executive Order–despite the obvious consequences of such a ban. This is a pattern by an administration that intends to weaken civil rights protection. We cannot let them get away with this in their final days.” – Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action
Emgage Action is a Muslim civic advocacy organization, with national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and state chapters in Michigan, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York.