White House Uses COVID-19 to Advance White Nationalist Agenda

WASHINGTON, DC — On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order partially banning immigration to the U.S., ostensibly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Muslim Advocates has long opposed the president’s anti-immigrant agenda, including leading multiple lawsuits challenging the administration’s Muslim Ban. The following is a statement from Muslim Advocates Staff Attorney Nimra Azmi:

“President Trump’s hateful executive order curtailing immigration has nothing to do with protecting Americans from COVID-19 and everything to do with leveraging a crisis to advance his white nationalist agenda. I have no doubt that the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Hawaii, which refused to stop the President’s bigotry and rubber-stamped the Muslim Ban, is a major reason why the President now feels empowered to enact this new, broader immigration ban.

The president’s failed response to this pandemic is clear. Instead of governing effectively, he is returning to his playbook of hate and xenophobia. We know he will continue to try to distract the public from his failure to protect the public health of the country.

Throughout his political career, Donald Trump has attacked immigrants, stacked his administration with white nationalists and enacted policies that maximize suffering for immigrants. This new immigration ban is the latest chapter in a familiar story. It is clear that this ban is not about protecting workers or the health of the nation—it is about hate.”

Additional Resources:

• Muslim Advocates Condemns Trump’s Anti-Muslim COVID-19 Tweet

Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination.

###