In response to the Trump administration’s expansion of its original Muslim Ban, Noah Gottschalk, Oxfam America Humanitarian Policy Lead, made the following statement:
“Today marks yet another dark day in America’s history. The decision by this administration to expand the list of countries on the original Muslim Ban list rubs salt on wounds that have been festering for the last three years.
This expansion adds more bricks to the wall of isolation that this administration is building, further separating the US from the rest of the world and significantly expanding the suffering of American families who will be separated from their loved ones.
From slashing the number of refugees we admit and forcing people at the border back into harm’s way, this administration will seemingly stop at nothing in its quest to reverse long-standing US values of tolerance and welcome.
Today’s announcement is an extension of that and a part of a larger anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, anti-Muslim mentality of the Trump administration. At its core, the Muslim Ban is rooted in divisiveness, fearmongering, and hate.
Oxfam stands with the individuals and communities who are impacted by these hateful policies. These policies do not reflect American values, as demonstrated by the thousands of people who protested at airports across the country and at the White House three years ago.
We urge Congress to heed these voices and stand on the right side of history by immediately passing the NO BAN Act, which would not only repeal the Muslim Ban but limit the ability of future administrations to ban people based on their religion or where they come from. We also urge the presidential candidates to commit to immediately repeal the Ban if elected.”