Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Johnathan Smith, legal director of Muslim Advocates, regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to partially lift the block on the travel portions of the Muslim ban and to hear the case this fall. Johnathan’s full biography is available here. For booking, please contact Scott Simpson at [email protected] or Nicky Vogt at [email protected].

“Two federal courts of appeals and multiple districts courts have already recognized that President Trump’s Muslim ban executive order is rooted in religious bigotry and contravenes our most fundamental American values. Now that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear these cases, we urge the court to affirm these lower court rulings and clearly and unequivocally establish that no one in this country, including the President, has the right to discriminate against people simply because of what they believe.

We are deeply troubled by the court’s decision to allow portions of the Muslim ban to move forward. The court’s action is likely to lead to massive confusion at airports around the world, ad we are concerned that there will be large-scale violations of people’s rights similar to what happened the first time the ban was implemented. The court’s decision sends the wrong message to the the Muslim community, the nation, and the world.

Now that the court is allowing certain parts of the Muslim ban to proceed, Muslim Advocates will be asking federal officials to provide the public with additional guidance about how the ban will be implemented. This public disclosure is required as a first step to minimize confusion at airports and among affected communities.

We urge all Muslims, American or immigrant, or anyone with a meaningful connection to the banned countries to prepare when traveling, to consult with an attorney, to make sure all of their travel documentation is up-to-date and to know their rights when traveling. Muslim Advocates will be releasing updated guidance for communities soon.

This administration has shown a clear and consistent commitment to isolating and stigmatizing the Muslim community. As such, Muslim Advocates remains dutifully committed to doing all we can to protect the rights of all to live free from unlawful discrimination and harassment.”

Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and educational organization that works on the frontlines of civil rights to guarantee freedom and justice for Americans of all faiths.
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