PAAIA Welcomes U.S. House Passage of NO BAN Act, Advocates for U.S. Senate Vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Emily Porter
Email: emily@paaia.org
Phone: (202) 828-8370

Washington, DC – Today, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization serving the interests of the Iranian American community, welcomed the passage of the NO BAN Act in the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 233– 183. The legislation seeks to 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.

In response to House passage of the NO BAN Act, Leila Austin, executive director of PAAIA, issued the following statement:

“PAAIA commends members of the U.S House of Representatives for taking this historic step to dismantle the Travel Ban and prevent the implementation of future discriminatory bans by passing the NO BAN Act. We applaud Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) for introducing and leading the NO BAN Act through the House and we thank House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for bringing this pertinent legislation to the floor for a vote. While today was a major victory for Iranian Americans and all other impacted communities, the fight does not end here. As long as the Travel Ban remains in effect and continues to separate families, PAAIA will work alongside our advocacy partners to upend this unjust policy. We call on the U.S. Senate to follow the House’s lead and expedite a vote to pass this bill.”

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.  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. 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.

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.

July 22, 2020