Washington, DC — On Thursday, January 14 at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California will hold a hearing on Emami v Nielsen, a class action lawsuit against the U.S. government. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Muslim Ban victims who were wrongfully denied waivers by the government, despite chronic medical conditions, prolonged family separations, significant business interests or extraordinary talents that would contribute greatly to the United States in fields like medicine, science and music. This historic case will determine:

• What will happen to the countless families who have had no guidance or process for receiving waivers who are currently suffering and will continue to suffer well into the Biden-Harris Administration without swift and unprecedented actions to reverse the harm of the ban
• If the process the Trump administration used to enact the Muslim Ban was in line with its mandate from the Supreme Court that it have a waiver process to ensure that the ban wasn’t unjustly denying people entry

“Even after President-elect Biden ends the Muslim Ban as he has promised, there is still much work left to do to ensure that all the separated families and other victims of the Muslim Ban receive justice,” said Muslim Advocates Legal Director Mary Bauer. “What’s at stake here are not only the fates of countless families separated by the Muslim Ban but also accountability for federal immigration officials who violated the law by failing to offer a real waiver process as required by the Supreme Court.”

Thursday’s hearing will determine whether the case can move forward. If you are interested in covering it and would like to speak with our Legal Director Mary Bauer, please contact me at [email protected].

###

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.