LAA Signs onto Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Bring the ‘No Ban Act’ to a Floor Vote

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

1236 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Steny Hoyer

1705 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

March 11, 2021

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer:

As civil rights and liberties organizations, immigration organizations, human rights organizations,

and community-based organizations committed to protecting the rights of Muslim, African, Arab,

Iranian, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities, we write to reiterate our support of the NO

BAN Act and the need for this bill to be voted on immediately in its current form. The No Ban Act

passed with bipartisan support in the last Congress, and we urge you to move this bill to a floor

vote before April 1, 2021, rather than unnecessarily repeat a markup process.

As reintroduced, the NO BAN Act would:

1) Require the executive branch to meet a more stringent and reasonable standard before

issuing future bans. Under current law, the executive branch claims the authority to bar the

entry of large groups of people, including entire nationalities, without effective

accountability or regard for the policies codified in other parts of the Immigration and

Nationality Act. Rather than continue to use this dangerously overbroad standard, the NO

BAN Act would require the executive branch to meet a standard based on “specific and

credible facts” that any suspension of or restriction from entry must be connected to

“specific acts” that have actually occurred. Furthermore, the bill requires that any such

suspension or restriction meet a compelling government interest and that the government

use the least restrictive means in doing so.

2) Establish a system of checks and balances whereby Congress would be routinely

notified and briefed on the status, implementation, and constitutional and legislative

authority of executive branch actions.

3) Expand the non-discrimination provision of the INA by prohibiting discrimination

based on religion.

This bill is a significant step forward for Muslim and African communities and others who could

be targeted and discriminated against in the future. Thank you for your leadership on this bill. We

strongly urge you to pass the NO BAN Act on the House floor in its current form before April 1,

2021.

Sincerely,

No Muslim Ban Ever Campaign

#NoRA

Adelanto Visitation & Advocacy Network

African American Ministers In Action

African Communities Together

African Public Affairs Committee

America’s Voice

American Civil Liberties Union

American Federation of Teachers

American Friends Service Committee

American Immigration Lawyers Association

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)

Amnesty International USA

Anti-Defamation League

APIENC (API Equality – Northern California)

Arab American Association of New York

Arab American Civic Council

Armenian Action Network

Asian American Advocacy Fund

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus

Asian Americans Advancing Justice -Atlanta

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago

Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence

Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action

Black Alliance for Just Immigration

Brennan Center for Justice

Bridges Faith Initiative

California Immigrant Policy Center

Center for Popular Democracy

Central American Center (CARECEN-LA)

Central American Resource Center of Northern CA (CARECEN SF)

CHIRLA

Church World Service

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)

Coalition on Human Needs

Community Change Action

Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces

Constitutional Accountability Center

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area (CAIR-LA)

Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR Chicago

Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR Sacramento Valley / Ce

Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR San Francisco Bay Area

Courage California

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)

Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries

Emgage Action

Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)

Equality California

Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project

Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM)

Fellowship Southwest

Franciscan Action Network

Freedom Network USA

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition

Haitian Bridge Alliance

Hispanic Federation

Human Rights Initiative of North Texas

Immigrant Defenders Law Center

Immigrant Defense Project

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP)

Immigrant Legal Resource Center

Immigrant Support Circle, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

Immigration Hub

Indivisible

Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice

Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Collective

International Refugee Assistance Project

Japanese American Citizens League

Jetpac Resource Center

Justice For Muslims Collective

L.A. Coalition for Excellent Public Schools

Leadership Conference of Women Religious

League of Women Voters of the United States

Legal Aid at Work

Legal Aid Justice Center

Libyan American Alliance

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

MomsRising

MPower Change

MSA West

Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees

National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

National Council of Asian Pacific Amercians (NCAPA)

National Council of Jewish Women

National Domestic Workers Alliance

National Immigration Law Center

National Immigration Project (NIPNLG)

National Iranian American Council Action

National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights

National Partnership for New Americans

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic social Justice

New Mexico Immigrant Law Center

New York Immigration Coalition

North Carolina Asian Americans Together

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates

Oxfam America

Pars Equality Center

Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition

People For the American Way

Public Counsel

Refugee Congress

Refugees International

San Fernando Valley Indivisible

Secure Justice

SEIU 121RN

SEIU CA

SEIU Local 1021

SEIU Local 221

SEIU United Service Workers West

SEIU-UHW

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN)

Silver State Equality-Nevada

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)

Southeast Asia Resource Action Center

SPLC Action Fund

TASSC (Torture Abolition & Survivors’ Support Coalition) International

Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition

The Advocates for Human Rights

The Children’s Partnership

The Sikh Coalition

The UndocuBlack Network

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Union for Reform Judaism

Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights

Venice Resistance

Volunteers of Legal Service

We Are All America

Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center

Women’s March

Yemeni American Merchants Association

Young Progressives Demanding Action – Hawai‘i