Advancing Peace & Diplomacy

Peace Prevails as House Passes #NoWarWithIran Legislation

It's a win! For months, NIAC members have demanded Congress block Trump's path to war with Iran. Today, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation to clarify that President Trump does not have authorization for an Iran war and to rescind the 2002 authorization for war against Iraq.

NIAC joins the pro-diplomacy community in extending our deep gratitude to Reps. Ro Khanna and Barbara Lee for their steadfast leadership in pushing forward this key legislation. But our work is not done. Now it is up to the Senate to take up and pass this legislation. Know that this resounding vote against war would not be possible without all of you. Stay tuned for updates on how you can take action and demand the Senate send a clear and united message that the White House does not have authorization for an Iran war.

📌 Read our statement for more >

Protecting Civil Rights

DHS Launches Investigation into Border Detentions

Earlier this month, over 60 Iranian Americans were detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Washington state border. The individuals detained had their passports taken and endured invasive questions about their political views and about whether they had ever served in the Iranian military.

Today, news broke that the detentions were owed to a discriminatory order issued by the Seattle Field Office to CBP Officers—a stark difference from CBP's earlier claims that there was no directive ordering the detention and secondary screening of individuals based on their Iranian heritage.

After NIAC filed a formal complaint, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties opened an investigation into the detentions. We will continue working to ensure that the investigation results in halting the discriminatory practice targeting our community.

Update on Iranian Student Deportations

NIAC remains concerned by reports that a large number of Iranian students with visas were barred from boarding their flights or were deported upon arriving in the United States. The students were fully vetted and now have had their futures thrown into disarray with no explanation from either the State Department or Department of Homeland Security.

We will continue monitoring the situation and supporting those impacted. We will keep working to ensure that this and all bans imposed by the administration on Iranian nationals are lifted once and for all.

🚨 Did you have a visa to study in the U.S., but were turned away prior to boarding or upon entry to the U.S.? Fill out this form so we can track the impact. All information is confidential.

Community & Culture

The Iranian-American Community is Under Attack

Earlier this month, amid rising fears among Iranian Americans about threats to their civil liberties here at home, Senators Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, and Mike Braun sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr baselessly accusing NIAC of acting as “foreign agents.”

Immediately, however, over 100 pro-peace organizations and individuals—including Ploughshares Fund and Win Without War, and prominent individuals like Iranian-American author Reza Aslan and former special assistant to President Obama Robert Malley—signed onto a joint letter condemning the outrageous attack.

In a piece for Inkstick, NIAC Communications Director Mana Mostatabi reflected on the slanderous attack, saying: "The notion that we [NIAC] are agents of or apologists for the Iranian regime would be laughable if the accusation weren’t so dangerous. But unfortunately, the Cotton et al. letter falls in line with this administration’s three-year-long assault on the Iranian-American community." But despite the attack, she noted, NIAC remains "heartened by the outpouring of support from our community and those in peace, security, and civil rights fields who have promised to stand with NIAC."

📖 "The Iranian-American Community is Under Attack" by Mana Mostatabi >
📰 "The New McCarthyism" by CIA Veteran Paul R. Pillar >
✏️ Sign the Letter of Solidarity to #StandWithNIAC >
📌 NIAC's Response to Baseless Accusations by Sens Cotton, Cruz, and Braun >

Spotlighting Human Rights in Iran

House Passes Resolution Supporting Iranians' Right to Protest

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution in support of Iranian demonstrators and their right to free expression, assembly, and protest. The resolution also condemned Iranian officials for their brutal crackdown on protestors in November 2019, which resulted in hundreds of deaths. The resolution further calls on the Iranian government to abide by its human rights obligations.