{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases/trump-administration-prepares-revamped-muslim-ban-rep-chu-sen-coons", "As Trump Administration Prepares Revamped Muslim Ban, Rep. Chu, Sen. Coons Reintroduce Bill to Prevent Presidents from Enacting Religious Travel Bans", "2025-02-05", "2025", "2025-02", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Andr\u00e9 Carson", "C001072", "carson.house.gov", "carson", "https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Sen. Chris Coons (DE) reintroduced the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act, which would prevent future bans by the Trump administration on people of Islamic faith, or any other religious group, by strengthening the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination based on religion. The bill would also require that any suspension of entry into the United States be narrowly tailored, backed by credible evidence, and subject to appropriate consultation with Congress. In the House, the bill is co-led by Reps. Nadler (NY-12), Don Beyer (VA-08), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).\n\nAn executive order issued by President Trump on his first day of his second term requires government departments to identify, over the course of 60 days, nations whose migration and screening processes are \u201cso deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries.\u201d The order lays the groundwork for another ban on migration from predominantly Muslim countries.\n\n\u201cA hateful stain on our nation\u2019s history, the Muslim Ban that President Trump instituted in his first term was fueled by bigotry and Islamophobia and did lasting damage to the families it separated,\u201d said Rep. Chu. \u201cDistressingly, President Trump has already started the process to fulfill his campaign promise to reinstate a ban, signing an Executive Order on his first day back in office that lays the groundwork for a future, and potentially expanded, Muslim Ban. That\u2019s why I am joining Senator Coons and my Democratic colleagues to once again introduce the NO BAN Act to make certain that no president can ever ban people from entering the country solely because of their religion.\u201d\n\n\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s Muslim ban during his first term was un-American, unjust, and weakened our standing in the world,\u201d said Senator Coons. \u201cNow, as the country enters President Trump\u2019s second term, fear and prejudice are once again guiding immigration policy, and his flurry of executive orders have laid the groundwork for another attempt at a Muslim ban. The NO BAN Act is needed now more than ever to ensure that the Trump administration cannot implement discriminatory measures and to reaffirm our nation\u2019s commitment to religious freedom and equality under the law.\u201d\n\nThe NO BAN Act would prevent Trump\u2019s Muslim Ban or any other discriminatory travel ban by:\n\nProviding that the Immigration and Nationality Act nondiscrimination provisions apply to religion, as well as to the issuance of non-immigrant visas and benefits;\n\nRequiring that any travel restriction imposed under Immigration and Nationality Act be based on specific and credible facts, and in a way narrowly tailored to address a compelling government interest; and\n\nEstablishing procedural requirements, including notice to Congress within 48 hours, and periodic reporting\n\nAdditionally, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Sen. Alex Padilla (CA) reintroduced the Access to Counsel Act, which Rep. Chu cosponsored. This bill ensures that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status are able to consult with an attorney, relative, or other interested parties to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more than an hour at ports of entry, including airports. As a result of President Trump\u2019s Muslim Ban in 2017, individuals were held for long periods of time, often without access to legal counsel.\n\nThe NO BAN Act was initially introduced in the 116th Congress in response to President Trump\u2019s attempts in 2017 to impose a Muslim ban. Courts initially struck down the bans, but the Supreme Court upheld a version of the ban in a 5-4 decision. As a result, families were separated, couples were forced to live apart, and communities were unable to reunite for milestones of joy and grief. While former President Biden rescinded the bans, President Trump has signaled intent to issue a new travel ban in the coming months.\n\nThe NO BAN Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in both 2020 and 2021. In 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration issued a statement in support of the legislation, noting that the prior \u201cbans were a stain on our national conscience and are inconsistent with our long history of welcoming people of all faiths.\u201d\n\n\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s 2017 Muslim ban unjustly disrupted countless lives, separating families and denying fundamental protections to those who have every right to be in the United States,\u201d said Congressman Nadler. \u201cNo president should be able to use fear or prejudice to discriminate based on religion or nationality. I am proud to co-lead the NO BAN Act to prohibit the president from being able to ban people from entering the United States solely because of their religion and ensure our immigration policies align with our values, not fear.\u201d\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s Muslim Bans have always been a betrayal of the ideals and values that inspired America\u2019s Founders. Donald Trump\u2019s use of racial and religious prejudice to bar people from entering the country does not make anyone safer, all it achieves is further divisions in our society and the weakening of U.S. leadership on freedom and liberty abroad. Our NO BAN Act would make clear that neither racism nor religious intolerance are acceptable barriers to lawful immigration, and I urge my colleagues to reaffirm America\u2019s stance against bigotry and religious discrimination,\u201d said Rep. Beyer.\n\n\u201cThe reinstatement of the Muslim Ban by the Trump administration is a blow to our nation's core values of religious freedom. As the only member of Congress from one of the previously banned countries, I understand the profound impact this ban has on communities seeking safety and opportunity in the United States. I\u2019m proud to support the NO BAN Act to prevent any future president from abusing executive power and protecting the rights of all individuals, regardless of their background,\u201d said Rep. Omar.\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s Muslim ban during his first presidency had a long-lasting impact,\u201d said Congressman Carson. \u201cThese policies prevented reunification of family members, plus those with jobs, academic spots, or other connections from coming to the U.S. \u2013 all based on false assumptions and stereotypes about Muslim-majority countries. As one of four Members of the Muslim Caucus, this issue is personal to me. When the Commander-in-Chief promotes these stereotypes, it translates to a rise in hate crimes and Islamophobia, as we continue to see. Our NO BAN Act helps protect the entire Muslim community, now and for years to come. These bans only harm our country.\u201d\n\n\u201cDonald Trump is threatening to bring back his hateful Muslim and African Ban to\u2014once again\u2014stoke Islamophobia and racism in our country. We cannot allow this dehumanizing ban to rip families apart again and inflict immense trauma on our communities. There are millions of Muslims around the world whose lives and families were tragically affected by the previous Muslim Ban who fear a return of this cruel, white nationalist policy. I am proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this important legislation,\u201d said Rep. Tlaib.\n\n\u201cAs President Trump fulfills his racist campaign promises by indefinitely blocking all vulnerable refugees and by preparing a potential resurrection of categorical bans on people who come to the U.S. from African, Muslim-majority, or other countries, we welcome the timely reintroduction of an essential policy rooted in the highest American aspirations of equality, religious freedom, and refuge from tyrannical leaders,\u201d said Sumayyah Waheed, Senior Policy Counsel, Muslim Advocates. \u201cWith the reintroduction of the NO BAN Act, we hope to check discriminatory and cruel abuses of presidential power at our borders. We remember clearly the hate, chaos, and family separation resulting from President Trump\u2019s first-term Muslim and African bans \u2013 effects that remain unresolved to this day. Meanwhile, people seeking safety at our borders are forced to face unlawful, dehumanizing, debilitating, and even lethal barriers to doing so. We thank Rep. Chu and Sen. Coons for their leadership and urge Members in both houses to swiftly pass this bill.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe first time President Trump was in the White House, as we all watched his xenophobic Muslim ban wreak havoc on families in airports and communities across the country, the ACLU took to the courts for relief. This time around, the landscape includes the Supreme Court\u2019s decision to allow Trump\u2019s previous ban to go into effect. We can\u2019t sit back as Trump again seeks to inflict cruelty. The NO BAN Act is an important effort to uphold our fundamental values and ensure our laws prevent discriminatory bans from being enacted in the future,\u201d said Naureen Shah, deputy director of government affairs with the ACLU Equality Division.\n\n\u201cDonald Trump's Muslim Ban was a stain on America\u2019s conscience and President Biden\u2019s Executive Order rescinding the various versions of the ban was an important first step,\u201d said Yasmine Taeb, Legislative and Political Director at MPower Change Action Fund. \u201cDuring the campaign trail, Trump vowed not only to reinstate the Muslim Ban but to expand it, and has made good on that promise by previewing a travel ban on his first day back in office. To ensure our communities do not face the threat of family separation, xenophobia, and Islamophobia through the implementation of another unconstitutional and unconscionable ban by Trump, Congress needs to take action and pass the NO BAN Act. We\u2019re grateful for the leadership of Representative Chu and Senator Coons in reintroducing the NO BAN Act and urge Congress to pass the bill swiftly.\u201d\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s discriminatory Muslim and African bans inflicted unthinkable cruelty and separated families. The policy was met with widespread resistance, with thousands of people making their voices heard in protests at airports across the country. With Trump\u2019s return to office, and his day-one executive order signaling another forthcoming ban, we must all do everything in our power to ensure these harmful bans do not return. We commend Senator Coons\u2019 and Representative Chu\u2019s leadership on this issue and call on Congress to pass the NO BAN Act today to protect communities from lasting harm,\u201d said Raha Wala, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy at the National Immigration Law Center.\n\n\u201cThousands of American families will soon be separated and America\u2019s economic competitiveness will be damaged if President Trump reimposes the so-called travel ban. The scars of the first ban have not yet fully healed, and some who were denied entry under the first ban are staring down more than four years of separation from their families. As members of Trump\u2019s own coalition have noted, U.S. innovation and economic strength are fueled by immigrants from Iran and other countries that will potentially be banned. It is not stable or secure or fair to American families for the U.S. to impose and repeal such policies every four years by executive fiat \u2014 Congress must act as a co-equal branch and establish guardrails that protect the rights, security, and economy for all Americans by passing the NO BAN Act,\u201d said Jamal Abdi, President of National Iranian American Council Action.\n\n\u201cThe reintroduction of the NO BAN Act in the 119th Congress is a crucial step in reaffirming America\u2019s historic role as a beacon of hope and opportunity for immigrants. For generations, the United States has stood as a nation that values diversity, equity, and justice. This legislation ensures that the executive power cannot be misused to undermine these principles or to close our doors to those seeking opportunity and refuge. We extend our gratitude to Representative Judy Chu, Senator Chris Coons, and the original co-sponsors of this critical bill and urge Congress to act swiftly to pass it, preserving the ideals that have long defined and strengthened our nation,\u201d said Wa'el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action.\n\n\u201cDraconian and dehumanizing immigration bans are a threat to our values and to our safety. We saw this with the cruel and unconstitutional Muslim bans during the first Trump administration, and we're seeing it again now with the barrage of dangerous executive orders,\u201d said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). \u201cThese attempts to turn prejudice into policy are often advanced by the same deadly conspiracy theories that have fueled a cycle of violence targeting our communities. We are grateful to Rep. Chu for her leadership in reintroducing the NO BAN Act to make clear Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry have no place in our policies and our democracy.\u201d\n\nThe NO BAN Act has received endorsements from numerous immigrants\u2019 rights organizations, faith-based organizations, and civil rights organizations, including Care in Action, 18 Million Rising, Afghans For A Better Tomorrow, African Public Affairs Committee, America Indivisible, American Humanist Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Americans for Immigrant Justice, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, ANAR, Asian Law Caucus, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Church World Service, Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Emgage Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Global Refuge, Hamed PLLC, Hindus for Human Rights, Human Rights First, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Immigrants Act Now, Interfaith Alliance, International Refugee Assistance Project, Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), League of Conservation Voters, Muslims for Just Futures, National Council of Jewish Women, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Immigration Law Center, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, National Partnership for New Americans, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Poligon Education Fund, Queer Crescent, Quixote Center, Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), Refugees International, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Social Workers for Immigration Justice, South Asian Legal Defense Fund, South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA), The Advocates for Human Rights, The Sikh Coalition, Union for Reform Judaism, Win Without War, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, ACLU, Brennan Center for Justice, Arab American Civic Council, ASATA Power, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), CAIR Washington, California Immigrant Policy Center, Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, Civic Ark, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Education Law Center-PA, Estrella del Paso, Family Action Network Movement, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), Indo-American Center, Islamic Society of Central Jersey, Malikah, Muslim Justice League, Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center, Womankind, Stop AAPI Hate, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), and Concerned Christian Citizen.\n\nClick here for the text of the bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T23:42:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases/trump-administration-prepares-revamped-muslim-ban-rep-chu-sen-coons"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.547196112573147, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}