Press Release
Attorney General Ellison supports banning discrimination on the basis of religion in immigration decisions
Led coalition of 19 AGs in supporting NO BAN Act being raised today in Congress in response to Trump Administration Muslim Ban
September 24, 2019 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison led a coalition of 19 attorneys general in submitting a letter to Congress today in support of a bill that would expand the anti-discrimination protections in the Immigration and Naturalization Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion in immigration decisions.
The National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act, or NO BAN Act (H.R. 2214/S. 1123), is a response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Trump v. Hawaii that allowed President Trump’s third iteration of his immigration travel ban, effectively a Muslim Ban, to take effect. The bill is being raised in Congress today before a special joint hearing of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship and the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to discuss the Muslim Ban.
“No Minnesotan wants to be discriminated against on the basis of how they worship, or thinks anyone else should be —that’s what the President did with his Muslim Ban. The President abused his power, Congressional intent, and constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion in order to scapegoat a whole class of people for purely personal political ends — not to pursue the national interest or keep Americans safe,” Attorney General Ellison said. “By supporting the NO BAN Act, Congress can fix this so that neither this president nor any future president can abuse the law and play politics with people’s lives in this way again.”
In the letter to Congressional leaders submitted for today’s hearing, Attorney General Keith Ellison and the coalition assert that the President’s Muslim Ban “resurfaces the discriminatory practices and anti-immigrant sentiments of immigration laws form the early 1900s,” contrary to Congressional intent. They urge Congress to “right this wrong by restoring the balance of powers, limiting overly broad executive authority to issue future discriminatory travel bans, and reasserting the rule of law and decency.” The NO BAN Act requires future presidents and secretaries of state to provide specific evidence in support of any proposed suspension of a class of immigrants, consult with Congress before doing so, and use the least restrictive means necessary. The Act also repeals the Muslim Ban.
Attorney General Ellison and the coalition highlight some of the damage that the Muslim Ban has caused around the country. They argue that the NO BAN Act is a “rational and pragmatic solution to the grave harms caused by the President’s Muslim Ban” and would benefit all Americans by bolstering the economy, strengthening local communities, and improving safety for everyone.
Joining Attorney General Ellison in the letter are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
