NIAC Action urges Members of Congress to vote in favor of amendments to the Homeland Security Appropriations bill that would bar funding from being used to implement the Trump administration’s discriminatory and unconstitutional Muslim ban. An amendment will be offered during today’s markup from Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) to bar the Trump administration from banning close familial relations in line with the recent Supreme Court ruling, in addition to an amendment from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) to bar funding for the implementation of the entire Muslim ban.
These amendments are urgently needed to protect American citizens and their loved ones from the discriminatory Muslim ban as well as to safeguard U.S. national security.
Last month, the Supreme Court overturned lower court injunctions against the Muslim ban, however, the court exempted individuals who have a “bona fide relationship” with a person or entity in the U.S. The Trump administration subsequently issued a directive that limits the Supreme Court exemption to “close familial relationships” which excluded grandparents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins, and siblings-in-law from the exemption. The U.S. District Court (Hawaii) then reimposed the exemption, ruling that grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins qualify as close familial relationships. The Trump administration announced it would appeal the Hawaii decision to the Supreme Court.
The Pocan Amendment would restrict funding in the DHS Appropriations bill from being used to implement the travel ban Executive Order against an individual who is a parent, spouse, fiancé, son, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or cousin of a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.
The Barbara Lee Amendment would restrict funding in the DHS Appropriations bill from being used to implement any element of the travel ban Executive Order.
Not a single person has been killed in the US by a terrorist attack committed by people from the countries subjected to Trump’s ban. The Muslim ban makes America less safe by diverting resources away from real threats and instead arbitrarily cracking down on loved ones and the ability of U.S. businesses to freely recruit talent.
NIAC Action strongly encourages Members of Congress to vote for the Pocan Amendment and allow Americans to see their grandparents and other relatives, as well as to vote to defund this misguided ban altogether with the Barbara Lee Amendment.
Tweet at key lawmakers here to repeal the ban on Grandparents today: niacaction.org/grandparentsnotterrorists
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