Muslim Ban

During his first week in office, former President Donald Trump issued the “Muslim Ban,” which prohibited nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the country, suspended entry for Syrian refugees indefinitely, and prohibited other refugees from entering the country. 

President Joe Biden, upon taking office, issued a proclamation rescinding the deeply Islamophobic ban, which immediately revoked Proclamation 10014 and its extensions. Additionally, Congress sought the passage of the National Origin-Based Anti-discrimination for Nonimmigrants Act (NO BAN Act). This Act imposes limitations on the President’s authority to restrict or suspend the entry of foreign nationals into the United States to ensure that decisions are not made based on discriminatory grounds. In other words, it amends the language in the Immigration and Nationality Act to include protections against religious discrimination. It passed the House in both 2020 and 2021. 

Although these are postive steps and will begin the process of repairing the damage that was done during the Trump Administration, there is still some more work to be done, including addressing the backlog of visas and individuals who need to be re-processed.

Emgage Action’s advocacy efforts helped in the passage of the NO BAN Act – meant to impose limitations on the President’s authority to enact discriminatory immigration-related decisions, such as the Muslim Ban – in the House of Representatives in both 2020 and 2021.

For the upcoming 118th session, Emgage is seeking the re-introduction and passage of the NO BAN Act in both chambers of Congress.