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JANUARY 20, 2021
WASHINGTON — Shortly after taking office this afternoon, President Biden signed
an executive order repealing the Trump administration’s travel bans, which
barred people from many African and Muslim-majority countries from coming to the
United States.
The Biden administration also sent a sweeping immigration bill to Congress. The
bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of people, help rebuild
the U.S. refugee resettlement program, and includes the NO BAN Act, which
prohibits discrimination based on religion in our immigration system.
These actions, which will help make America’s immigration system more humane and
more welcoming, are exciting and long overdue. After four years of attacks by
the Trump administration, President Biden’s swift actions offer renewed hope
that refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrants will be able to exercise
their rights and find safety in the United States. HIAS is deeply heartened that
the Biden administration has put immigration issues at the top of its agenda.
"Over the last four years, most of HIAS' interactions with Trump administration
officials were in court, suing them over illegal actions taken against asylum
seekers and refugees,” said Mark Hetfield, HIAS’ president and CEO. “Day one of
the Biden administration has already set a dramatically different tone, allowing
HIAS to change the way we work with the White House from confrontation to
consultation, and from litigating to legislating. We welcome a return to rule of
law and respect for human rights."
While the first day of the Biden administration has brought welcome news, there
is much work still to be done. This week, HIAS organized more than 1,000 Jewish
clergy members to sign a letter
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In the months to come, HIAS will continue pressing the administration and
Congress to take such steps and restore America’s tradition of welcoming those
who seek refuge.
Read this statement on hias.org.
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