US: Bill Reintroduced to Prevent Future Executive Orders Similar to Trump’s Muslim Ban

IQNA – Congressional Democrats have reintroduced a bill aimed at preventing future executive orders similar to former President Donald Trump’s travel ban, often referred to as the "Muslim ban."

The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to further regulate the circumstances under which presidents can restrict the entry of certain individuals into the United States.

“A hateful stain on our nation, Trump’s Muslim ban was inspired by bigotry and Islamophobia and did lasting damage to the families it separated,” Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said in a statement. “We can’t risk letting prejudice against Muslims, or any other religious minority, become policy once again.” Chu sponsored the bill alongside Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.

In January 2017, former President Trump signed an executive order blocking individuals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen — all Muslim-majority countries — from entering the United States. Trump cited his authority under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the president to suspend the entry of noncitizens when their entry is deemed detrimental to U.S. interests. The order was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision.

The new bill, known as the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act, aims to broaden the INA to prohibit discrimination based on religion. It also requires specific evidence to support the use of Section 212(f) for the full duration of any ban or suspension.

Although the bill passed the House in both 2020 and 2021, it was not signed into law. “President Trump abused this authority, twisting it in ways that were never intended,” Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said in 2021. “He was the first to deliver on his campaign promise to ban Muslims from the United States, an immoral and disastrous policy that inflicted trauma on thousands of children and families and that made us no safer while weakening our standing in the world.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, welcomed the reintroduction of the bill on Thursday. The group urged all Americans who opposed the Trump administration’s travel bans and the harassment of travelers based on race, color, religion, or nationality to encourage their members of Congress to support the legislation.