PAAIA Commends Markup of NO BAN Act and Pushes for Prompt House Vote
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Shannon Kuehn
Email: shannon@paaia.org
Phone: (202) 828-8370
Washington, DC – In response to the House Judiciary Committee’s markup of H.R.2214, the NO BAN Act, Leila Austin, Executive Director of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), today issued the following statement on behalf of PAAIA:
After more than three years under the discriminatory Travel Ban and its recent expansion to six new countries, PAAIA is encouraged by the legislative movement of the NO BAN Act. PAAIA thanks Chairman Nadler for the opportunity today to move the bill closer to becoming law and we urge members of Congress to support the NO BAN Act when it comes to the House floor for a vote. While the fight to end the Travel Ban is not over, the successful markup of the NO BAN Act is an important step forward for PAAIA, its coalition partners, and all the communities impacted by the Administration’s unjust policy.”
The NO BAN Act is a meaningful and practical step forward for the Iranian American community and others that have been negatively impacted by the president’s policy. The legislation would repeal all iterations of the Travel, Asylum, and Refugee Bans, as well as create more mechanisms for any administration to undergo before enacting similar policies. By incorporating substantive criteria and accountability, the NO BAN Act safeguards against the abuse of presidential powers and ensures that the exclusion of entry is maintained for those who pose a real threat to the United States.
The Iranian American community has been significantly and adversely impacted by the Travel Ban. According to the most recent report released by the State Department on Travel Ban waiver statistics, only 5.8% of Iranian visa applicants have been cleared for waivers as of September 2019. PAAIA has been working with the ACLU and other coalition partners on the NO BAN Act, engaging members of Congress to ensure the legislation receives the support it needs to turn into law. The legislation currently has over 200 cosponsors in the House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has confirmed that it will move to a vote on the House floor.
For more information about PAAIA’s efforts to combat the Travel Ban and for details on how the waiver process works, visit PAAIA’s website at www.paaia.org/travel-ban.
February 12, 2020
