Credit: AFSC
Yesterday the Trump administration instituted a new travel ban that bars people from traveling to the U.S. from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The ban also puts restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
This order will separate families, exile U.S. residents traveling abroad, and prevent students and workers from traveling to the U.S. It will also likely stoke xenophobia and discrimination against Muslims, immigrants, and people of color.
Banning people from the U.S. based on their country of origin is racist and immoral and must be categorically opposed. When previous versions of the ban were introduced during the first Trump administration, hundreds of thousands protested at airports and in cities and towns across the U.S. We urge everyone to act with similar urgency now. And we are calling on Congress to pass the NO BAN Act, which would prohibit bans based on religious beliefs and mandate involvement of Congress for any suspension of entry.
As a Quaker organization, we welcome everyone. We honor the Light in each one of us. We call on people of conscience to join us in speaking out against these discriminatory policies and demanding dignity and fair treatment for all.
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine Light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.