Muslim Advocates

We're helping students prepare for all scenarios, including ICE detention; that means figuring out a care plan for any dependents and putting a process in place to notify emergency contacts. "The U.S. government wields more power and discretion at the border than it does within its borders, and “severe consequences can emerge very quickly.” -Golnaz Fakhimi, Legal Director?at Muslim Advocates Read more from The Cut: https://lnkd.in/e5Q_mtu5

“Without the limitations of the NO BAN Act, presidents will continue to abuse their power by closing our borders arbitrarily or based on thinly veiled religious or racial hate.” As we learn that a new and cruel Muslim Ban could issue as soon as next week, we're proud to share “A new Muslim and African ban by Trump can and must be prevented”, an insightful and timely op-ed by Sumayyah Waheed, Senior Policy Counsel here at Muslim Advocates, in Al Jazeera. In this powerful piece, she discusses the Trump administration’s brutal crackdown on immigrants and asylum seekers, the harm countless people are facing, and the importance of the NO BAN Act in the fight against discriminatory travel bans and the protection of civil rights for all. In a world filled with humanitarian disasters, immigration policies can mean the difference between life and death for so many. Read the full article to learn more about how this legislation seeks to address cruel border policies and uphold the values of humanity, equality and justice. Click here for the full op-ed: https://lnkd.in/e-MRkhFz

The Muslim Advocates team wishes you and your family a #RamadanMubarak! As we move through this time, we wish peace and spiritual renewal to everyone observing this sacred month. We also invite you to learn more about our work this Ramadan. From pressuring carceral facilities to observe their constitutional obligations, to fighting for transparency about anti-Muslim targeting at the southern border, to collaborating with fearless partner organizations nationwide, we are unwavering in our commitment to building power, fighting systemic oppression, and to demanding shared wellbeing for all. Click here to learn more: https://bit.ly/4ilUymy

Refugees are our neighbors. We worship together, work together, learn together, raise our families together, and build stronger communities together. Stand with our neighbors to #DefendRefuge. Take Action: bit.ly/DefendRefugeAction

The Islamic month of Ramadan is fast approaching, meaning many Muslims around the country—and the world—will be fasting from dawn to sunset or dusk, while going about their daily lives. In order to practice this pillar of faith, some Muslims may need religious accommodations. Whether on the job, at school, or while incarcerated, the right to practice your religious beliefs is legally protected and may require what's called a "religious accommodation" by schools, workplaces, and carceral facilities. An “accommodation” is an agreement for an institution to do things differently from how it normally does, in order to serve a legally protected interest. Some examples of needed accommodations during Ramadan: students at school may need prayer breaks, adjusted testing schedules, or time off for Eid w/out penalty; and incarcerated people may need adjusted food & meds schedules, modified work schedules, and support getting religious texts.While seeking workplace accommodations can be more nuanced, fasting Muslims can try to seek schedule changes or reassignment of certain job responsibilities. You can read more about seeking an accommodation this #Ramadan, laws governing your specific request, and what to do if denied, in our Know Your Rights pamphlet, which includes template letters you can adapt to your needs. Click here to access the full materials: https://bit.ly/4gOIN72?

For decades, Japanese Americans have raised their voices to say “never again” when our country has been on the precipice of repeating mistakes from the past. On this National Day of Remembrance, in the midst of relentless anti-immigrant attacks that rely upon similar narratives and policies, we are among the 100+ organizations who have joined @TsuruforSolidarity and @BuildingMovementProject in recommitting to community care and solidarity. Find the full statement and ideas to be in solidarity this Day of Remembrance and beyond at https://lnkd.in/efG5Y-Qn

Join Alliance for Justice at 3pm ET today for Holding Court: Power, Precedent, & Pushback in Trump's Second Term. Their panelists will be Hannah Swanson of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and our legal director, Golnaz Fakhimi. They’ll delve into the impacts of President Trump's judicial appointments for racialized and otherwise marginalized communities and discuss how movements can navigate those impacts. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/en8RHUEn

In an article published today in The Nation, our legal director noted that the Trump administration is “considering trying to strong-arm campuses in ways that could be unlawful” and that “[c]ampuses should reject any invitation to capitulate blindly to the administration. If they do, it could create legal exposure for them and otherwise hurt their standing and their stated mission of promoting learning.” "When anti-Jewish bias is defined to include criticism of [Israel’s] practices, the consequence of that is itself discriminatory. It amounts to anti-Palestinian racism."?-Golnaz Fakhimi Read more from The Nation: https://lnkd.in/eWtr9XvD

Thank you Rep. Judy Chu and Sen. Chris Coons for introducing the NO BAN Act in the House and Senate today! This bill would close loopholes in immigration law to prevent future presidents from enacting another Muslim or African Ban and limit presidential power to close the border. Along with MPower Change, NILC, Asian Law Caucus, CAIR, and No Muslim Ban Ever we celebrate the reintroduction of the National Origin-Based Anti-discrimination for Nonimmigrants (“NO BAN”) Act.? Banning people because of their faith or country of birth goes against core American ideals of equality and freedom. This is a critical bill at an even more important moment in our history. “As President Trump fulfills his racist campaign promises by banning refugees, attempting to block asylum, and preparing new bans on people visiting from African, Muslim-majority, or other countries, we welcome the timely introduction of an essential policy rooted in the highest American aspirations of equality, religious freedom, and refuge from tyrannical leaders,” said Sumayyah Waheed, Senior Policy Counsel, Muslim Advocates. “With the reintroduction of the NO BAN Act, we hope to check discriminatory and cruel abuses of presidential power at our borders. We remember clearly the hate, chaos, and family separation resulting from President Trump’s first-term Muslim and African bans – effects that remain unresolved to this day. Meanwhile, people seeking safety at our borders are forced to face unlawful, dehumanizing, debilitating, and even lethal barriers to doing so. We thank Rep. Chu and Sen. Coons for their leadership and urge Members in both houses to swiftly pass this bill.” Eight years ago we confronted the hateful, white nationalist, anti-immigrant agenda of then-President Trump’s Muslim ban. It was the first of several discriminatory travel bans Trump would attempt, collectively dubbed the Muslim and Africa Bans. Thousands of travelers from predominantly Muslim countries were detained for hours at airports across the nation. Click here to contact your representatives today and ask them to vote yes on the NO BAN Act: https://bit.ly/4aS4a63

Trump’s Revamped Muslim “Travel Ban” Has Another Target: Free Speech on Campus “Students are afraid of being labeled as terrorists, and now there’s more ammunition from this executive order to actually carry that out.” Read more from our Staff Attorney Sadaf Hasan in Mother Jones: https://lnkd.in/ek8bngNT