FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, December 20, 2018
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | [email protected] | 612.281.2310

Washington, DC—The National Iranian American Council (NIAC), along with 118 other national and state organizations, has issued an open letter to the incoming chairpersons of the House Committee on Oversight and the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), calling for urgent hearings on Executive Order 13769, Executive Order 13780, and Presidential Proclamation 9645 – collectively known as the “Muslim Ban” – to address the waiver program, number of individuals impacted by the ban, and detrimental effect on United States citizens.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE OPEN LETTER HERE: https://www.niacouncil.org/organizations-send-letter-to-house/

The organizations argue it is incumbent on lawmakers to formally and publicly question the relevant administration officials on the basis of their perceived threat assessment and to explore these discriminatory policies and their impact on people in the US and abroad, including the repercussions of the stigmatization of Muslims and its role in the reputation of the US across the globe.

The letter comes after an outpouring of concern from the millions of members in the Muslim and Iranian-American community, represented by these organizations, who have been directly impacted, have had family members directly impacted, or are deeply disturbed by the intent and consequences of President Trump’s Muslim Ban.

Jamal Abdi, President of the National Iranian American Council, explained:

“As we approach the two-year anniversary of the Muslim Ban, Congress has yet to hold a single hearing focused on Proclamation 9645, or any of its previous versions, despite the introduction of legislation to end the ban. This unjust law has torn apart families, separated spouses, and extinguished dreams as President Trump’s allies in Congress stayed silent. Now, with a new Congress entering office, we can finally place a check on this presidency, beginning with repealing this un-American ban on our families.

“The Muslim Ban’s origins, numerous statements by President Trump, and the implementation of these and other policies impacting targeted communities make clear this administration’s desire to implement a discriminatory policy as a part of a nationalist agenda.”

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