FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2022
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REFUGEES AFFECTED BY TRUMP MUSLIM BANS CONTINUE TO BE STALLED OR REJECTED UNDER BIDEN, SHOWS NEW DATA AND ANALYSIS RELEASED BY IRAP
Read IRAP Data and Analysis HERE
(New York, NY) – Today, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is releasing new data that demonstrate that refugees affected by the Trump administration’s Muslim ban continue to suffer under the Biden administration.
Settlement reporting from IRAP’s lawsuit Jewish Family Service of Seattle v. Trump, a challenge to the October 2017 iteration of the Muslim ban, shows the enduring impact of the bans and demonstrates that the Biden administration has failed to rectify the harm done to refugees by the previous administration, especially when it comes to reuniting families and instituting fair and transparent refugee vetting.
The data shows that of 104 affected refugees who were cleared for resettlement when the ban was issued, only 19 have actually arrived in the U.S. in the nearly two years since the settlement was reached. More than half (53) have actually had their applications denied, primarily under the Biden administration.
The Washington Post first reported on the data and implications here.
Find a fuller presentation of the data and analysis on the IRAP website here.
The following is a quote from Deepa Alagesan, Senior Supervising Attorney at IRAP:
“Despite President Biden officially rescinding the Muslim ban on his first day in office, its legacy continues to affect refugee processing and keeps many Muslim and Black refugee families from reuniting in the United States. Many refugees who were approved for resettlement before the ban have now been denied under the Biden administration. The Mohamuds were already en route to join their family in the U.S. when the ban was implemented. They were turned back during a layover and the family is still waiting for their joyful reunion. Their story is just one of many that demonstrate that the Muslim ban continues in impact if not in name. IRAP calls on the Biden administration to review the Mohamud family’s case and other similar cases, and stop applying Muslim ban-era restrictions that have decimated the refugee system.”
- Read the new IRAP data and analysis, “How the Muslim Ban Lives On For Some Refugees”
- Read about IRAP and the lingering impact of the Muslim ban in the Washington Post story, “Lawyers say the Biden administration is still rejecting some refugees once banned by Trump”
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