FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shayan Modarres
Phone: (202) 780-9590
Email: [email protected]

Washington, D.C. – Shayan Modarres, Legal Counsel for the National Iranian American Council, issued the following statement in response to President Trump amending his March 6 Executive Order which seeks to impose a Muslim ban:

“President Donald Trump amended his March executive order today, ensuring that if the courts rule in his favor the ban once again will go into immediate effect. However, the American people should not overlook two key points: First, the Muslim ban is already being implemented through ‘extreme vetting.’ The backdoor ‘extreme vetting’ policy already reduced the number of visas issued to Iranians by 52% in April, according to Politico. As long as the Muslim ban is still being carried out through ‘extreme vetting,’ existing court orders will be insufficient.

“Second, the administration never intended the ban to be a temporary measure – but a permanent measure—hence its continued attempts to implement a full ban nearly five months after its initial order. As has been noted numerous times, there was a provision in each Executive Order to make the ban permanent by Presidential decree. For nations including Iran, the administration has clearly stated its intention to make the ban permanent.

“The courts and Congress have a tall task ahead of them in order to block the administration from violating the Constitution. Not only must the orders be struck down, but so must the administration’s backdoor ban.”

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Please see NIAC’s Fact Sheet for key information about the Supreme Court’s ruling.