Six months ago today, Donald Trump issued an executive order immediately suspending entry of people from seven Muslim majority countries. Confusion and panic ensued nationwide, as wide-spread protests took place at airports across the country. Although different courts have struck down various aspects of the order, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the fall. The Administration has not rescinded its policy on this issue.
“As we enter the halfway point of Donald Trump’s first year as president, the ripple effects of the Administration’s discriminatory policies have been far reaching on our communities. In the face of these challenges, we have successfully rallied tougher, resisting the Administration's senseless agenda,” said Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition. “This has been a harrowing time for the immigrant community, but it will not stop us. We will continue to fight for a future based on the principles that truly make America great: opportunity and justice for all.”
Background
In response to the enactment of Trump’s first Muslim ban, The New York Immigration Coalition led the #NoBanJFK movement, assisting travelers from over 20 countries and organizing hundreds of lawyers and volunteers. The protests at JFK sparked actions across the nation, including a rally held in Battery Park the next day, which drew over 30,000 people. Since it's enactment, over 100,000 New Yorkers across the state have rallied together to resist this executive order. In July, the NYIC was back out at JFK to monitor the situation and provide legal assistance if necessary.
NYIC also hosted a screening of a short film on the events at JFK, called “48 Hours of Resistance,” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Today the NYIC and its partners plan to host a Twitter storm to call on the Trump administration to rescind the executive order by using the hashtag #CantBanMe.
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The New York Immigration Coalition is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees.The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.