FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2023
PRESS CONTACTS
IRAP | Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
MRNY | Yatziri Tovar | yatziri.tovar@maketheroadny.org
FIGHT TO ACCESS TRUMP REPORT ON MUSLIM BAN CONTINUES AFTER NEW COURT RULING
Biden administration claims Trump-era report is subject to presidential communications privilege
(New York, NY) – Yesterday, a Connecticut federal judge ruled in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case that the U.S. government has not proved that a report on the Muslim ban issued by the Trump administration can be shielded from the public under the presidential communications privilege and ordered a factual hearing to be scheduled. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is representing the Council on American-Islamic Relations – Connecticut and Make the Road New York in the case.
The litigation concerns the public’s right to review documents related to the Trump administration’s Muslim ban, including a report that describes the actions taken by government agencies to implement the “extreme vetting” program ordered by the ban. Despite officially rescinding the Muslim ban on President Biden’s first day in office, the Biden administration has refused to release the report.
Linda Evarts, Senior Supervising Attorney at IRAP, said, “The court has made it clear that the United States government is not above the law. We will continue to fight to ensure the public has access to key information about the implementation of President Trump’s discriminatory Muslim ban.”
Theo Oshiro, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York, said, “The Muslim Ban stands as a dark stain in the history of our country, and the public deserves to have all possible information about how the Trump administration implemented this discriminatory policy.”
Additional Resources
Read the ruling: HERE
Learn more about the case: HERE
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) develops and enforces a set of legal and human rights for refugees and displaced persons. Mobilizing direct legal aid, litigation, and systemic advocacy, IRAP serves the world’s most persecuted individuals and empowers the next generation of human rights leaders.
Make the Road New York (MRNY) builds the power of immigrant and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. We have 25,000+ members and operate five community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; Brentwood, Long Island; and White Plains, Westchester County.
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