Rep. Omar's Statement on the Passage of the NO BAN Act to Repeal All Versions of the Muslim Travel Ban

Press Release

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the following statement after the House passage of the NO BAN Act, legislation to repeal all versions of President Trump's travel bans and change the law to ensure no future President can implement a similar ban without evidence.

"Today's victory represents a turning point in America," said Rep. Omar. "Since the ban first went into effect, we have seen the devastating consequences take place. It has deferred dreams, separated families, blocked access to educational opportunities, and deprived people of lifesaving healthcare. The Muslim ban stems from a hateful ideology that justifies dividing people based on their religion and country of origin. Today, the House made it clear that the American people do not stand by this hateful policy. As the only Member of Congress to come from one of these countries, it has been an honor to help lead the effort to overturn this ban. The fight doesn't stop here. We must keep up the momentum and push the Senate to take up this piece of legislation."

Rep. Omar is the only Member of Congress from one of the seven banned countries. Since becoming a Member of Congress, she has been steadfast in her efforts to repeal the ban. In January, she introduced legislation to repeal the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law used to justify the Muslim Ban. She has also introduced the Freedom of Religion Act to prohibit religious discrimination in our immigration system.

You can also view her remarks on the House floor below and video here.

"It gives me great pride to rise today in support of the NO BAN Act. Our friends on the other side of the aisle might try to obscure the reality here by pointing to the Muslim countries that were not banned. The White House has tried to wrap their hateful policy up in a false story about national security. But we know the truth. I have spoken countless times, both before and since I've entered this office, about the hateful and brutality of the Muslim Ban. Today I want to celebrate the work that brought us to this point. I want to celebrate the countless Americans who went to the airport the day the first ban was announced. I want to celebrate the thousands of State Department employees who signed the dissent memo, and those who resigned in protest. I want to celebrate Congresswoman Chu and Senator Coons for their tireless work on overturning this ban. Today's vote is a culmination of all of their work, starting at the grassroots level. We have been in the struggle together and we will continue to be in it, until this ban is the dustbin of history."

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