Pathway to Victory: Ending the Muslim Ban

Pathway to Victory Muslim Ban

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January 27, 2017

President Trump issues the first Muslim Ban

Fulfilling his promise of a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the United States, Donald Trump signs an Executive Order banning nationals from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. 

Muslim Ban protests at airports

February 6, 2017

Muslim Advocates file an amicus brief in support of the State of Washington’s case against President Trump’s Muslim Ban. The brief argues that Trump’s executive order unconstitutionally targets entire groups of people based on religion. Signatories on the brief with Muslim Advocates are National Arab American Medical Association, American Muslim Health Professionals, Muslim Urban Professionals (MUPPIES), Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals (CAMP), Network of Arab-American Professionals (NAAP), and Islamic Medical Association of North America.

 

March 6, 2017 

President Trump issues the second Muslim Ban

President Trump issues a revised Executive Order, reducing the number of banned countries from seven to six majority-Muslim countries. 

 

March 24, 2017

Muslim Advocates, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer file Universal Muslim Association of America (“UMAA”) v. Trump, challenging the second version of the Muslim Ban.

 

May 3, 2017

Muslim Advocates and Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center file a FOIA request, in Muslim Advocates v. Department of Homeland Security (No. 2), seeking information regarding the agency’s border searches of Muslim travelers. 

 

August 21, 2017

Muslim Advocates, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Covington & Burling LLP file Brennan Center v. U.S. Department of State, to compel the Trump Administration to release critically important details about the basis for the new list of countries included in President Donald Trump’s third Muslim Ban.

 

September 24, 2017

President Trump issues the third Muslim Ban

President Trump signs into the law the third version of the Muslim Ban, which imposes new restrictions on others.

 

October 3, 2017

Muslim Advocates, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Covington & Burling LLP, in partnership with the National Iranian American Council, file Iranian Alliances Across Borders (“IAAB”) v. Trump, the first major federal lawsuit challenging the third version of the Muslim Ban.

 

October 5, 2017

Muslim Advocates, Southern Poverty Law Center, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP file Muslim Advocates, et al. v. U.S. Department of State, et al. (No. 1), a complaint seeking the release of how to obtain waivers from the second Muslim Ban.

 

March 3, 2018

Muslim Advocates, Lofti Legal LLC, and Immigrant Advocacy & Litigation Center PLLC file Emami v. Nielsen, a class action lawsuit on behalf of individuals who have been denied waivers under the Muslim Ban. The lawsuit is the first challenge to the implementation of the Muslim Ban since the Supreme Court’s decision.

 

April 9, 2018

Muslim Advocates and Democracy Forward Foundation file Muslim Advocates v. U.S. Department of Justice, et al. (No. 1), regarding misleading and biased information the government released about terrorism in order to support the Muslim Ban.

 

April 13, 2018

Muslim Advocates files National Iranian American Council (NIAC) v. U.S. Department of State, to obtain documentation about the Trump administration’s Extreme Vetting initiative.

 

May 1, 2018 

Muslim Advocates, Holwell, Shuster, & Goldberg LLP, and Ellahie & Farooqui LLP file Baz v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, et al., a lawsuit on behalf of Dr. Khushnood Ali Baz, a prominent Pakistani physician who believes he has been added to the No-Fly List.

 

June 26, 2018

The Supreme Court upholds the Muslim Ban

In a 5-to-4 vote, the United States Supreme Court upholds the Muslim Ban. Muslim Advocates and the Justice for Muslims Collective host a rally on the steps of the Supreme Court supported by over 80 organizations and 16 members of Congress.

 

April 8, 2019

Close to 400 groups urge Congress to act

Muslim Advocates and partners organize almost 400 civil and human rights groups to urge Congress to stop the Muslim Ban. More than 100 stories of American victims of the ban are also released.

 

Judy Chu introduces the NO BAN Act

April 10, 2019

The NO BAN Act is introduced

The NO BAN Act is introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) with over 90 co-sponsors. The bill repeals  the Muslim Ban, prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, and limits overly broad executive authority to issue future bans. Muslim Advocates’ Executive Director Farhana Khera speaks at the congressional press conference introducing the bill.

 

August 2019

Muslim Advocates conducted a series of meetings with Hill staffers and Members of Congress to brief them in preparation for the historic hearing on the Muslim Ban. 

 

September 16, 2019 

The NO BAN Act Coalition launches

Muslim Advocates mobilizes and leads the NO BAN Act Coalition, comprising over 100 civil rights and faith-based organizations around the country. The Coalition launches a campaign to recruit 149 co-sponsors at the launch. As of today, it has 219. 

 

September 23, 2019 

Corporations endorse the NO BAN Act

Leading corporations, organized by Postmates and Airbnb with the support of Muslim Advocates, call for passage of the NO BAN Act.

 

Farhana Khera testifies at the House hearing on the Muslim Ban

 

September 24, 2019 

The House holds a historic hearing

The House hosts the first congressional hearing on the Muslim Ban and its first hearing in its history on the rights of American Muslims. Muslim Advocates’ Exective Director Farhana Khera and Ismail Alghazali,  its client in a Muslim Ban lawsuit, testify.

 

December 9, 2019

Speaker Pelosi hosts a historic meeting

Speaker Nancy Pelosi meets with diverse Muslim community leaders organized by Muslim Advocates to discuss issues affecting the American Muslim community, including the NO BAN Act. This is one of the first official meetings of its kind that the Speaker has held with American Muslims.

 

January 8, 2020

Civil rights leaders call for a vote

Black, Latino, LGBTQ, Jewish and women leaders join together in calling on House Leadership to hold a vote on the NO BAN Act.

 

January 31, 2020 

Trump expands the Muslim Ban

The Trump Administration doubles the size of the ban to include six additional countries which would impact 25 percent of all Africans.

 

February 12, 2020

House Judiciary Committee markup the NO BAN Act and pass the bill out of committee.

 

February 20, 2020

Black leaders call for passage of the NO BAN Act

As the African Ban goes into effect, leaders of the largest Black organizations in the country join with Muslim Advocates to call for passage of the NO BAN Act.

 

July 22, 2020 

House passes NO BAN Act

 

Biden promises to end the Muslim Ban

 

October 14, 2020

Then-candidate Joseph Biden affirms his commitment to rescind the Muslim ban at Muslim Advocates’ Muslims Making Change event. 

 

Biden ends the Muslim Ban

January 20, 2021

President Biden rescinds Muslim Ban