Statement from Advancement Project on Rejection of Muslim and Refugee Ban
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit refused to reinstate Donald Trump’s Muslim Ban. Advancement Project, a national racial justice and civil rights organization, released the following statement:
“We are relieved that the Fourth Circuit exposed Trump’s so-called national security plan for the blatant discrimination that it is,” said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project’s national office. “Trump’s own words couldn’t be erased. The Muslim and refugee ban is a clear example of how the Trump administration uses the politics of fear and hate to enact its xenophobic agenda. Today the courts saw through this effort and rejected it.”
“It is impossible to divorce Trump’s words – and attempts to lock Muslims out of the country – from the broader patterns of racial hatred in his actions and rhetoric. The Trump administration is modeling to its followers that it is OK to devalue or endanger the lives of people of color. We remember the lives of people like Richard Collins III and Timothy Caughman, who were killed by White supremacists. We also think of the countless people who have fallen victims to hate crimes and racist attacks at the hands of perpetrators who have reveled in Trump’s hatred since the campaign.”
“Not only were Trump’s words during the campaign hateful – he is turning his hateful campaign bluster into policy. Fortunately, our country’s core rights and values cannot be swept away by presidential edict. Even as the attacks from Trump or his supporters come, we will look within, resist, and turn adversity into strength in our movements.”
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Advancement Project is a multi-racial civil rights organization. Founded by a team of veteran civil rights lawyers in 1999, Advancement Project was created to develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns that produced the landmark civil rights victories of earlier eras.
