November 1, 2019

CNN has reported that Trump administration officials were “discussing adding more countries” to the administration’s Muslim Ban. This news comes just one month after the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Muslim Ban. During that hearing, the panel of government officials were not able to defend the Muslim Ban nor its implementation. The news also comes on the heels of the introduction of the No Ban Act, a bill which would defund the Musim Ban. Despite this, the administration appears to be doubling down on its discriminatory Muslim Ban. Their decision to do so would be a reactionary step in the direction of their ultimate white nationalist goal.

At this point, it is unclear if the administration will add more countries to the Muslim Ban or if those they do add will be Muslim-majority counries. However, the Muslim Ban was built off of Trump’s campaign promise to enact “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” The discriminatory intent and religious bias behind the ban remains the same no matter what countries are added. 

The harm also remains the same. The Muslim Ban puts the religious liberty of all Americans at risk, impacting American families and American values. Engaged and married couples are forced to choose between either starting their families or abandoning the lives they already built here. Families are unable to comfort each other in hospitals and attend funerals. It has left families torn apart by an arbitrary policy, motivated by fear and hate, based solely on a people’s faith.

To be clear: no one should be banned from the United States because of their faith.

We are stronger as a nation when we defend religious freedom for all, a traditional hallmark of U.S. First Amendment rights and foreign policy, rather than give in to the president’s fear and division. We are still working to ensure that the No Ban Act becomes law. We are engaging with government and civil society partners to ensure that the bill will pass the House and become a staple of any presidential candidate’s platform. If the administration adds more countries to the Muslim Ban, then we will contest those as we did the Muslim Ban through its many stages.

We will continue to update you as this situation develops.