The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
1236 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Steny Hoyer
1705 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
March 11, 2021
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer:
As civil rights and liberties organizations, immigration organizations, human rights organizations,
and community-based organizations committed to protecting the rights of Muslim, African, Arab,
Iranian, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities, we write to reiterate our support of the NO
BAN Act and the need for this bill to be voted on immediately in its current form. The No Ban Act
passed with bipartisan support in the last Congress, and we urge you to move this bill to a floor
vote before April 1, 2021, rather than unnecessarily repeat a markup process.
As reintroduced, the NO BAN Act would:
1) Require the executive branch to meet a more stringent and reasonable standard before
issuing future bans. Under current law, the executive branch claims the authority to bar the
entry of large groups of people, including entire nationalities, without effective
accountability or regard for the policies codified in other parts of the Immigration and
Nationality Act. Rather than continue to use this dangerously overbroad standard, the NO
BAN Act would require the executive branch to meet a standard based on “specific and
credible facts” that any suspension of or restriction from entry must be connected to
“specific acts” that have actually occurred. Furthermore, the bill requires that any such
suspension or restriction meet a compelling government interest and that the government
use the least restrictive means in doing so.
2) Establish a system of checks and balances whereby Congress would be routinely
notified and briefed on the status, implementation, and constitutional and legislative
authority of executive branch actions.
3) Expand the non-discrimination provision of the INA by prohibiting discrimination
based on religion.
This bill is a significant step forward for Muslim and African communities and others who could
be targeted and discriminated against in the future. Thank you for your leadership on this bill. We
strongly urge you to pass the NO BAN Act on the House floor in its current form before April 1,
2021.
Sincerely,
No Muslim Ban Ever Campaign
#NoRA
Adelanto Visitation & Advocacy Network
African American Ministers In Action
African Communities Together
African Public Affairs Committee
America’s Voice
American Civil Liberties Union
American Federation of Teachers
American Friends Service Committee
American Immigration Lawyers Association
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Amnesty International USA
Anti-Defamation League
APIENC (API Equality – Northern California)
Arab American Association of New York
Arab American Civic Council
Armenian Action Network
Asian American Advocacy Fund
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus
Asian Americans Advancing Justice -Atlanta
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Brennan Center for Justice
Bridges Faith Initiative
California Immigrant Policy Center
Center for Popular Democracy
Central American Center (CARECEN-LA)
Central American Resource Center of Northern CA (CARECEN SF)
CHIRLA
Church World Service
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
Coalition on Human Needs
Community Change Action
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces
Constitutional Accountability Center
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area (CAIR-LA)
Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR Chicago
Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR Sacramento Valley / Ce
Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR San Francisco Bay Area
Courage California
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries
Emgage Action
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Equality California
Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project
Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM)
Fellowship Southwest
Franciscan Action Network
Freedom Network USA
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
Haitian Bridge Alliance
Hispanic Federation
Human Rights Initiative of North Texas
Immigrant Defenders Law Center
Immigrant Defense Project
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP)
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Immigrant Support Circle, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
Immigration Hub
Indivisible
Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice
Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Collective
International Refugee Assistance Project
Japanese American Citizens League
Jetpac Resource Center
Justice For Muslims Collective
L.A. Coalition for Excellent Public Schools
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
League of Women Voters of the United States
Legal Aid at Work
Legal Aid Justice Center
Libyan American Alliance
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
MomsRising
MPower Change
MSA West
Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Council of Asian Pacific Amercians (NCAPA)
National Council of Jewish Women
National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Immigration Law Center
National Immigration Project (NIPNLG)
National Iranian American Council Action
National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
National Partnership for New Americans
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic social Justice
New Mexico Immigrant Law Center
New York Immigration Coalition
North Carolina Asian Americans Together
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
Oxfam America
Pars Equality Center
Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition
People For the American Way
Public Counsel
Refugee Congress
Refugees International
San Fernando Valley Indivisible
Secure Justice
SEIU 121RN
SEIU CA
SEIU Local 1021
SEIU Local 221
SEIU United Service Workers West
SEIU-UHW
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN)
Silver State Equality-Nevada
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
SPLC Action Fund
TASSC (Torture Abolition & Survivors’ Support Coalition) International
Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition
The Advocates for Human Rights
The Children’s Partnership
The Sikh Coalition
The UndocuBlack Network
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Union for Reform Judaism
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
Venice Resistance
Volunteers of Legal Service
We Are All America
Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center
Women’s March
Yemeni American Merchants Association
Young Progressives Demanding Action – Hawai‘i