Washington, D.C. – We Are All America (WAAA) and the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) unequivocally condemns President Donald Trump’s reinstatement and expansion of the travel ban, set to go into effect on Monday, targeting individuals from Muslim-majority countries, now including Afghanistan and Iran, as well as several Caribbean and African nations. As it was four years ago, this policy is a blatant act of racism and xenophobia that will perpetuate discrimination and harm our economy, all under the guise of national security.
Beyond politics, this ban has real human consequences—it means families will be torn apart, students will be unable to pursue their education, and individuals fleeing violence will be left with nowhere to turn.
The inclusion of Afghanistan in this proposed ban is particularly reprehensible. This policy betrays the tens of thousands of Afghan allies who risked their lives to support U.S. forces over the past two decades. Many of these individuals have been approved for resettlement in the United States under refugee or Special Immigrant Visa programs due to the severe threats they face from the Taliban. Implementing this ban would abandon them–our allies–in their time of need, contradicting our nation’s promises and moral obligations.
This policy does not enhance our national security. Instead, it undermines our nation’s core values of freedom and equality. We urge the administration to abandon this discriminatory proposal, reaffirm our commitment to protecting those who have stood by us, and uphold the principles of justice, inclusivity, and economic opportunity for all.
Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), stated, “We believe that everyone striving for a bright and prosperous future should have the opportunity to reunite with their families—free from persecution and discrimination. Policies like the expanded Muslim Travel Ban 2.0 ignore long-standing avenues for legal migration, separate families, and target specific populations by exploiting fear and racism.
This ban, like the last one, will no doubt be challenged in the courts. In the meantime, we call it what it is—another attempt to score points for Trump’s implementation of Project 2025, a strategy designed to erase immigrants and foment hate. It is meant to appease the insatiable appetite of the MAGA base, which seeks to instigate harm against immigrant communities both domestically and abroad.”
Said Fatima Saidi, Director of We Are All America, “As an Afghan and an asylee, I know firsthand the heartbreak these bans cause. President Trump’s expanded travel ban is a racist and cruel policy that targets Black, Brown, Muslim, and immigrant communities under the false guise of national security. I fled persecution—just like so many others who are now being shut out and vilified. This is not about safety; it’s about fear, exclusion, and white nationalism. We cannot and will not be silent. We must rise together and resist this assault on our communities, our values, and our democracy.”
Arash Azizzada, co-director of Afghans For a Better Tomorrow (AFBT), said, “We utterly condemn reports that the Trump administration is planning to ban and impose ‘extreme vetting’ on Afghans seeking safety in this country. We call this what it is: a craven, bigoted, and ugly decision by this administration.
This move is deeply xenophobic and Islamophobic and will mark yet another dark chapter in this country’s history. For twenty years, the U.S. military waged war in Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of nearly 200,000 civilians and culminating in the Taliban’s return to power. This decision would quite literally cost the lives of Afghan allies, women activists, and queer Afghans, who will now have nowhere to turn for safety. The Trump administration has effectively chosen the brutal Taliban as a partner, working together to detain, torture, and extrajudicially kill Afghans who stood alongside the U.S. during the 20-year war.”
Anahita Panahi, Deputy Director of Refugee Affairs for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and Co-chair of the We Are All America Advisory Committee, stated, “As an Iranian immigrant and refugee advocate, the Muslim Ban 2.0 is not just deeply personal but also crushing. I know firsthand the agony of separation—how policies like this tear families apart, forcing loved ones to miss weddings, funerals, and years of irreplaceable time together.”
“As a Muslim American whose family faced persecution for our Muslim faith, the Muslim Ban 2.0 is not only targeting our communities but also causing reprehensible harm to some of the most vulnerable populations. This ban will lead to family separation, discrimination, and long-term harmful repercussions for those in need of resettlement,” said Nejra Sumic, Senior National Field Manager of We Are All America. “This is not just an issue of visas; it is an issue of the fundamental right to be with family, to be safe, and to belong. We cannot allow history to repeat itself under yet another brutal and discriminatory policy.”
###
The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 86 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 42 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org.
We Are All America works to uphold and strengthen our nation’s commitment to welcome and protect those seeking freedom, safety and refuge in the United States. We organize people across religious and cultural differences to build inclusive communities where we all belong. See our website for more information at weareallus.org
