ACRS Condemns Expansion of Travel Ban, Calls on Congress to Pass NO BAN Act

Asian Counseling and Referral Service issued the following statement Friday after the Trump administration announced expanding a travel ban to an additional six more countries:

“Almost three years after first imposing the racist and Islamophobic Muslim ban, the Trump administration announced today the expansion of the ban to now include individuals from six additional countries. Under the expansion, immigrant visas will no longer be available to nationals from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, and Nigeria, and nationals from Sudan and Tanzania will no longer be permitted to participate in the diversity visa program. The ban will continue to include Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and North Korea.

Asian Counseling and Referral Service vehemently condemns this version and all versions of the Muslim ban. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to Japanese internment, our communities have experienced first hand the impact of policies that exclude on the basis of race, religion, and nation of origin. Under the guide of safety and national security, our communities have suffered decades of trauma, and we are extremely disheartened to see history repeat itself with each iteration of the Muslim ban.

ACRS stands in fierce opposition to the Trump administration’s consistent attack on immigrants and asks Congress pass the NO BAN Act (H.R. 2214) to end the Muslim ban and prevent the possibility of racist, irresponsible, and reprehensible policies like this in the future. Today and every day we are thinking of our immigrant families who continue to stand in their power to fight back.”