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Iranian Visa & Refugee Processing in the Biden Era

President Joe Biden was right to remove the Muslim Ban on Day One of his administration. Yet, as his term ends after four years, the processing of visas for Iranians under his administration never returned to anything approaching the levels that were seen under the Obama administration. This marks a failure that tarnishes President Biden’s commendable step to end the Muslim Ban on Day One of his Presidency. Moreover, Iranians and others now await Trump’s plans to reimpose and expand the Muslim ban, risking separating many Iranian families once again. Below are key trends that we have observed in the processing of Iranian visas over the past calendar year and throughout the Biden administration: Trump’s Ban Still Looms Over Iranian Visa Processing While many more Iranian visa and refugee admissions arguably could have been facilitated by the Biden administration, it is important to emphasize that President Biden’s decision to end the Muslim ban made a difference for many Iranian-American families and their loved ones. If the ban had remained in place, more than 60,000 Iranian nationals who received visas under existing policies would likely have been barred from receiving them under the ban. This includes Iranians receiving visitor visas to

NIAC Action Statement: Responding to Trump’s Win and the Road Ahead

Washington, DC – National Iranian American Council Action Executive Director Jamal Abdi issued the following statement following Donald Trump’s election victory: Many in our community feared this day – worried about the return of the travel ban, attacks on our civil liberties, demonization of immigrant communities and deepening militarism in the Middle East. But we have been here before and our resilience is unwavering in standing up for our community and our rights.  We are ready to fight any reimposition of the Muslim ban and other grave threats to our community and loved ones’ rights. And, as Trump has positioned himself as an anti-war candidate who favors diplomacy, we will work to hold him to those commitments to the American people. This election outcome didn’t arise in a vacuum. The Democratic Party failed to listen and respond to many of their own constituents, including those who truly value peace and abhor war – including Biden’s failure to uphold his promise to restore the Iran nuclear deal, and his administration’s enablement of Israel’s devastating war that has taken so many innocent lives and is expanding across the Middle East. This inability to engage with real and pressing needs has proven catastrophic,

Iranian Americans in the 2024 General Election

Congressional Candidates Maryam Abolfazli, Candidate for United States Congress With a background in serving under both the United Nations as well as the World Bank, Abolfazli touts her background in expanding global access to education, business development, and social entrepreneurship. Abolfazli has also navigated the tech industry and the nonprofit sector in numerous capacities. Her stated priorities on Capitol Hill, if elected to represent Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, include maintaining reproductive rights, pursuing gun safety, increasing affordability across all aspects of the economy, supporting veterans, improving healthcare access,  protecting minorities and civil rights, and more.  Yassamin Ansari, Candidate for United States Congress Ansari has served as Phoenix’s vice mayor and was the youngest woman elected to Phoenix’s City Council. Ansari’s stated priorities for Capitol Hill are reproductive rights, protecting voter rights, advancing plans to combat climate change, lowering costs for working families, supporting small businesses, and more.  Stephanie Bice, Incumbent Candidate for United States Congress Bice is seeking re-election as the Representative for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional district. Assuming office in 2021, Stephanie has since served on the House Appropriations Committee, Committee on House Administration, and House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Bice’s primary issues of concern include fiscally conservative

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