NCLEJ is appalled at the SCOTUS decision to uphold President Trump’s Muslim ban
In a major blow to America’s progress towards justice and inclusion, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold President Trump’s travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries. The decision effectively upholds a policy that explicitly targets people of the Muslim faith from entering into the United States. NCLEJ is deeply disturbed and outraged by this decision.
President Trump has made it clear that xenophobic and racist policies that target minority communities are becoming the new normal under his administration. The travel ban is no exception. While the White House has justified the travel ban under the veil of securing America’s borders, vetting the influx of immigrants, and fighting international terrorism, it is clear that anti-Muslim sentiment is the true driving force behind the ban. Even before taking office, President Trump made numerous public statements that were blatantly anti-Islam and anti-Muslim, including calling for a prohibition on Muslims entering the country.
In dissent, Justice Sotomayor compared today’s decision with Korematsu v. United States, which upheld the detention of Japanese Americans during World War II, stating that the majority opinion “upends this Court’s precedent, repeats tragic mistakes of the past, and denies countless individuals the fundamental right of religious liberty.” This decision mirrors a shameful chapter in this nation’s history, and allows this administration to continue to target immigrant communities under the guise of national security.
The Court’s decision goes against the very values that the United States was founded on. In a week when Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy has split up children and parents along the Southern border, this decision is particularly devastating. NCLEJ will continue to push back against the Trump administration’s discriminatory policies and divisive, hateful rhetoric in the fight for religious freedom and a just and inclusive society.
