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Chicago’s Immigrant Communities Respond to Revised #MuslimBan Executive Order


DHS director also signed implementation memos last week, which greatly increase the number of immigrants subject to deportation

Chicago, IL–(ENEWSPF)–March 6, 2017. Donald Trump just today signed a revised #MuslimBan executive order, while last week, the DHS laid out a number of implementation memos. Organizations that have led the resistance against Trump’s first month-plus in office will discuss these developments at a press conference today.

Although changes to the original January 27th ban include the exemption of green card holders and the removal of the indefinite ban on Syrian refugees, immigrant advocates still see it as a continuation of the racist, xenophobic, and Islamophobic policies of the Trump administration.

The original executive order was defeated when thousands of people across the country descended on airports–including close to 5,000 on O’Hare over two nights–to protest the ban. These protests prompted a federal judge in Washington state to file an injunction freezing the order, which was upheld on appeal by the 9th Circuit.

“Make no mistake that this is still very much a Muslim Ban,” said Ahlam Jbara, board member of the Arab American Action Network. “Immigrants from six of the original seven Muslim-majority Middle Eastern, Arab, and African countries will be targeted and disallowed entry into the U.S., and refugees won’t be accepted here either.”

In addition, DHS director John Kelly signed implementation memos last week, which greatly increase the number of immigrants subject to deportation proceedings, and allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) much more discretion in carrying out its raids, detentions, and deportations. These memos also seek to strengthen ICE partnerships with local law enforcement, which will be asked to enforce immigration law and further criminalize our communities. These new policies are being implemented in the wake of ICE raids in multiple cities, which have targeted mostly Mexican and Central American immigrants, and have been met with tens of thousands of protesters across the country, including 40,000 in Milwaukee alone.  Resistance to Trump’s first month in office is unprecedented.

#NoMuslimBanChi%20#NoBanNoWallNoRaidsChi%20#RealSanctuaryChi%20#Sanctuary4All

All conveners and supporters of the Chicago and Oak Park actions since January 27th: Arab American Action Network, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago, Organized Communities Against Deportations, United African Organization, Korean American Resource and Cultural Center, PASO – West Suburban Action Project, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, National Immigrant Justice Center, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, National Lawyers Guild, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Pilsen Alliance, Chicago Teachers Union, Council on American-Islamic Relations, 8th Day Center for Justice, Student and Graduate Activists (SAGA)-UIC, Syrian Community Network, Arab American Family Services, Indo-American Center, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance of Illinois, Inner-city Muslim Action Network, National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, Anakbayan-Chicago, Iraqi Mutual Aid Society, Jewish Voice for Peace, Campaign to TAKE ON HATE, Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, Suburban Unity Alliance, American Muslims for Palestine, American Friends Service Committee-Chicago, Jewish Voice for Peace-Chicago, Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, Suburban Unity Alliance, Black Lives Matter-Chicago, Chicago Jobs with Justice, Arise-Chicago, United Electrical Workers (UE) Western Region, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Illinois and Indiana, United Working Families, Fight for 15-Chicago, elected and appointed officials, and many other advocacy, immigrant rights, and legal groups.

Source: http://aaan.org

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