We are saddened by the Supreme Court’s decision allowing a limited but discriminatory portion of President Trump’s Muslim travel ban to move forward.
As one of the oldest immigrant rights organization in California, we believe the travel ban is unconstitutional, cruel, and discriminatory. Whereas the Court’s decision focuses on a narrower group of people, the impact is far-reaching nonetheless. For the thousands of immigrants and refugees seeking solace in this country but who now must wait additional months before being considered for asylum (this is after years of waiting for the vetting process to go through), having their paperwork delayed for even a day can mean the difference between life and death.
The high court’s decision sends a signal to Muslims and refugees fleeing harsh and violent conditions in their home countries that their plight and suffering matters very little. Sadly, this ruling is an indication the US has not learned from history or from its past mistakes.
Angelica Salas is the Executive Director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) was founded in 1986 as an immigrant rights, civil rights and human rights non profit organization that seeks to advance human rights by educating, organizing and advocating on behalf of immigrants and refugees.