CAIR Action Alert: Urge Congress to Pass the NO BAN Act and Access to Counsel Act to Stop Discriminatory Travel Bans
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is calling on all Americans to urge their Members of Congress to pass two urgently needed bills: the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act, sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Sen. Chris Coons (DE), and the Access to Counsel Act, sponsored by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Sen. Alex Padilla (CA).
In response to President Trump’s newly issued travel ban targeting 19 mostly Muslim and African nations, it is more urgent than ever that Congress act to prevent future presidents from abusing immigration authority to impose blanket bans rooted in prejudice—and to guarantee detained travelers the right to speak with an attorney.
📢 CLICK HERE: TELL CONGRESS TO PASS THE NO BAN ACT, ACCESS TO COUNSEL ACT
Adopting the NO BAN Act would:
Explicitly ban religious discrimination in visa and immigration decisions under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Limit national origin-based travel bans by requiring the president to meet strict legal standards, including:
A compelling government interest,
Credible, specific evidence,
Consultation with Congress, and
Public reporting and time limits on restrictions.
Passing the Access to Counsel Act would:
Guarantee that individuals detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more than an hour at ports of entry—including airports—can consult with an attorney or legal advocate.
Prevent rights violations and abuses like those seen during the original 2017 Muslim Ban rollout.
Together, these bills would place critical legal guardrails on the executive branch’s immigration powers and protect the civil liberties of immigrants, travelers, and their families.
Why Now?
On June 4, President Trump issued a new travel ban proclamation titled: “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” The order targets 19 mostly Muslim and African nations and threatens vague ideological screening tests that could be used to exclude immigrants based on their political or religious views.
The ban:
Fully suspends new immigrants and new travelers from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and others.
Partially suspends new entry from seven additional countries, including Cuba, Venezuela, Laos, and Sierra Leone.
Applies only to individuals who are outside the U.S. on June 9 and do not already have a valid visa.
This ban risks:
Separating families, especially by blocking aunts, uncles, and other close relatives from reuniting with loved ones in the U.S.
Blocking students and patients from accessing educational and medical opportunities.
Chilling dissent and activism through the threat of ideological screening.
CAIR strongly urges anyone who experiences or witnesses harassment or civil rights violations linked to this ban to immediately report incidents to CAIR’s Civil Rights Department via the Report an Incident form.
For more information about read CAIR’s guidance: “What You Need to Know About Trump’s New Travel Ban Order.”
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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com