Congressional Democrats introduced legislation to undo President Trump’s anti-Muslim travel ban, as well as his efforts to block asylum seekers and refugees from entering the country. The NO BAN Act would revise the Immigration and Nationality Act, imposing certain standards for restricting entry, and giving more power to lawmakers to oversee or reject discriminatory bans. The act aims to circumvent the Supreme Court’s decision last year to reinstate Trump’s travel ban.
The ACLU welcomed the legislation, saying, “This president has continually claimed broad executive powers to target Muslims and other marginalized communities he deems unworthy. … While no Congressional action can erase the pain inflicted on Muslim communities by the Muslim ban, Congress can put in place standards and checks and balances to prevent other communities from enduring that same pain in the future.”