Biden vows to lift ‘Muslim Ban’ issued by Trump

On the first day of his presidency, president-elect Joe Biden vowed to abolish Donald Trump’s travel bans on travelers from 13 countries, most either majority-Muslim or African nations.

Earlier in 2017, just after taking the office as president, Trump issued Executive Order 13769, titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry” that banned travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States.

The Trump administration reworked the order several times amid legal challenges and the Supreme Court upheld a version of it in 2018. The countries subject to entry restrictions have changed over the years.

Meanwhile, in October, Biden also promised to push politicians for laws to fight the surging number of hate crimes in the US.

“As president, I’ll work with you to rip the poison of hate from our society to honor your contributions and seek your ideas. My administration will look like America with Muslim Americans serving at every level,” he said.

“On day one, I’ll end Trump’s unconstitutional Muslim ban.”

Trump imposed the travel restrictions – often referred to by critics as the “Muslim ban” – through a series of executive orders singling out Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen, triggering criticism that it amounted to unlawful religious discrimination.

Trump then expanded the ban to include Venezuela and North Korea and later added Nigeria, Sudan, Myanmar, and three other countries to the list.

“Muslim communities are the first to feel Donald Trump’s assault on Black and brown communities in this country, with his vile Muslim ban. That fight was the opening barrage in what has been nearly four years of constant pressure and insults,” Biden said.

Source: Al Jazeera