Washington, DC (March 5, 2020) – Today the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the UndocuBlack Network, and African Communities Together filed a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking information about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) assessment that led to the Trump Administration issuing a proclamation announcing an expansion of the Muslim Ban to include Eritrea, Nigeria, Tanzania, Sudan, Myanmar (Burma) and Kyrgyzstan. New immigrant visas will no longer be issued to nationals from Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar (Burma), and Kyrgyzstan. The ban will also exclude nationals from the countries of Sudan and Tanzania from eligibility for the diversity visa program.
The expanded ban under this proclamation is based on recommendations the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security submitted to the White House on September 13, 2019. According to the White House, Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan made his recommendation after DHS conducted a worldwide review on the security practices of foreign governments. The FOIA requests seek clarity on this “worldwide review” to ascertain why certain African countries were targeted by DHS.
“The administration’s move to expand the Muslim ban is further evidence of its anti-Black immigration agenda,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “Although the administration’s proclamation is based on so-called national security concerns, we are confident that our FOIA request will help shed light on the real motives and objectives driving this latest ban which primarily targets African countries. We will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to expose the ways in which racism infects the policy actions undertaken by this administration.”
Patrice Lawrence, co-director of UndocuBlack Network noted that “the Muslim Ban was a fulfilled promise from the Trump administration and we know they left a trail of their hatred against Muslims and Black Muslims in particular. From the countless unfounded visa rejections, to Black migrants being deported at a rate nearly double any other migrant group, this government has exercised its anti-Black agenda at will. This new African Ban codifies the anti-Blackness and hate against Muslims. Filing this FOIA is our opportunity to hold the administration accountability to the truth.”
“The Trump Administration’s stated reasons for targeting African countries with their latest immigration ban don’t make any sense,” said Amaha Kassa, executive director of African Communities Together. “The public and the affected communities deserve to know why these countries were targeted and others that appear to pose much greater security risks were not. We look forward to examining the record and getting to the truth.”
A copy of the Freedom of Information Act request can be found here.
About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 56th year, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and voting rights.
About the UndocuBlack Network
UndocuBlack Network is a multi-generational network of currently and formerly undocumented Black people that fosters community, facilitates access to resources, and contributes to transforming the realities of our communities, so that all people are thriving and living their fullest lives.
About African Communities Together
African Communities Together (ACT) is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, get ahead economically, and engage civically. We connect African immigrants to critical services, help Africans develop as leaders, and organize our communities on the issues that matter.
