PRESS RELEASE: Muslim Ban Expansion Goes into Effect Today; CAIR-Chicago Vigilant
PRESS RELEASE: Muslim Ban Expansion Goes into Effect Today; CAIR-Chicago Vigilant
(CHICAGO, IL, 2/21/2020) – The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) remains vigilant after President Trump’s expansion of the Muslim Travel Ban went into effect this morning. The decision, announced on January 31st, 2020, includes six more countries.
Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, and Tanzania, are included in the expansion. The U.S. government will suspend the issuance of visas that can lead to permanent residency (immigrant visas) to nationals from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, and Nigeria. The U.S. government will also stop issuing “diversity visas” to nationals of Sudan and Tanzania, which are available by lottery for applications from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
Nigeria -Africa’s most populous country- as well as Sudan, Tanzania, and Kyrgyzstan have Muslim majorities while Eritrea has a sizable Muslim population (close to half). Myanmar’s Muslim minority, the Rohingya, is currently facing genocide under its government.
“Once again, Trump’s Muslim Ban appears arbitrary, targeting more Muslim-majority countries en masse with little to no basis in actual security data or metrics. As such, it is yet again designed for political theatre, and not national security. That in itself is a breach of trust of the office of the president, and an abuse of power, not to mention constitutional overreach,” said Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago’s Executive Director.
In 2017, CAIR-Chicago launched the Traveler’s Assistance Project (TAP), which aids at-risk travelers in the face of the Muslim Ban. Travelers can visit the website, www.tapus.org, or contact the 24/7 hotline at 1-872-333-2737.
CAIR-Chicago’s Deputy Director, Sufyan Sohel, stated “since the first Muslim Ban, we have fought to protect the rights of the most vulnerable seeking to enter our country. We will not back down. We will continue to stand against this injustice and offer assistance to those affected by this extremely biased government policy.”
TAP is prepared to accommodate the expected increase in requests for assistance from travelers. CAIR-Chicago is working alongside national partners to support and advocate for the NO BAN Act introduced in Congress and asks community members to contact their elected representatives to condemn the expansion of the Muslim Ban and demand full support for the NO BAN Act immediately.
CAIR-Chicago is the Chicago office of America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Our mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Saadia Pervaiz, 312-212-1520, spervaiz@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Hannah Faris, 312-212-1520, hfaris@cair.com