WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), and First Vice Chair Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)released the following statements today after President Trump signed a new executive order to ban entry into the U.S. from six Muslim-majority nations and suspend the U.S.’s refugee program for 120 days.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, the new Muslim Ban is still a Muslim Ban. Yes, it’s lawyered up a bit, but that’s all. While the Administration made some token changes to its original Muslim Ban in order to try and appease the courts, the intent is the same. Trump called for this ban in the Presidential primary, stuck with it during the General Election, stated he would pursue it before his Inauguration, and implemented it a week after taking office. Only when it was defeated in the courts did he tweak this order,” Rep. Ellison said. “Just like the previous Executive Order, this new order seeks to ban people from entering our country because of their religion. Plain and simple. The U.S. Constitution says religious tests and bans are wrong. The new Muslim Ban may not ban all Muslims, but the people who are banned are banned for being Muslim. Any such ban violates our constitution and is at odds with our founding principles.”
“Barring people based on their nation of origin or the religion they practice isn’t just a policy change – it’s a tacit admission by our new president that he is incompetent to lead in ways his predecessors were not,” Rep. Grijalva said. “And to be clear, the only difference between this Muslim ban and the last one – which was found unconstitutional by four federal judges – is the time Trump and his cronies spent scheming up a plan to get it past our legal system. Regardless of how successful they are at side-stepping the judicial branch’s rightful check on executive power, they cannot implement this ban without Congressional Republicans providing funding. It remains to be seen if the GOP will stand by our Constitution, our separation of church and state, and the international order that hinges on American leadership, or if they will vote to rubberstamp this president’s hateful agenda and wrecking ball diplomacy. I will fight this Muslim ban and every other corrosive policy Trump pursues that betrays who we are as a people and leaves our nation fundamentally less safe.”
“Although Steve Bannon didn’t write this new Muslim ban in the dead of night, it does not mean the ban is any less harmful to America and our image around the world,” said Rep. Mark Pocan. “Rehashing this hateful and divisive travel ban not only sends the wrong message to immigrants and refugees, it also makes our country less safe. The President should be focused on helping working families struggling to make ends meet, not waging an unconstitutional war on our core American value of freedom from persecution and discrimination.”
###
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is the largest caucus within the House Democratic Caucus, with over 70 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and promote civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, a $15 national minimum wage, fair trade, gun violence reform, debt-free college, and making the federal government a Model Employer.
