Progressives accused President Joe Biden of continuing to unfairly deny entry to thousands of immigrants, despite rescinding the so-called “Muslim ban” imposed by his predecessor.
One of Biden’s first actions when he took office was to reverse former President Donald Trump’s travel ban in 13 African and Muslim-majority countries, describing it as a “stain on our national conscience”. He instructed the State Department to find a way to deal with the issue in 45 days.
On Monday, the State Department announced that those denied entry to the United States on or after January 20, 2020, could “seek re-award” without resubmitting their application forms if their initial applications were valid.
Those whose entry was denied before that date could also be reconsidered, although new registrations needed to be submitted.
However, applicants selected through the diversity lottery who have not received visas due to the ban between the 2017 and 2020 fiscal years will not be entitled to new visas.
JIM WATSON / Getty Images
They were prevented from receiving visas under the scheme, which was designed to encourage the migration of underrepresented people, “as the deadlines for issuing visas in these fiscal years have expired,” the State Department said on its website.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said that a large number of Africans would be affected and that Biden “failed to help so many of those affected” by the Trump administration’s immigration restrictions.
“Instead of restoring this opportunity, President Biden just dusted Trump’s ‘CLOSED’ sign and locked the door behind him,” said ACLU senior lawyer Manar Waheed in a statement.
“While Biden made the Muslim ban on recession a priority from the first day, that alone is not enough. Today, he has consolidated Trump’s legacy of damage.”
Michigan representative Rashida Tlaib retweeted the ACLU statement and added the message: “This is annoying.” Progressive fellow Democratic lawmaker Ayanna Pressley referred to Biden’s quote when he rescinded the ban, tweeting, “The Muslim ban is a stain on our national conscience,” adding, “So the damage cycle must be broken. That is unacceptable. “
“The Muslim ban is a stain on our national conscience.”
Therefore, the damage cycle must be broken. This is unacceptable. https://t.co/NsBKZ8GE4v
– Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) March 10, 2021
The executive order that Trump issued in January 2017 limited entry to seven majoritarian nations and, after legal challenges, was maintained and expanded. In February 2020, some African countries were added to the list, leading to accusations of racism.
Since December 2017, about 40,000 people have been barred from entering the United States due to the ban, according to State Department data.
In January 2020, about 75,000 immigrant visa cases were pending at the National Visa Center, while last month, that number increased almost six times to 473,000.
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of the non-profit Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, told the Huffington Post: “The least we can do is offer an opportunity for a new award without prejudice and streamline the application process.” Newsweek contacted the White House for comment.
The graph below provided by Statista shows the number of people who have received asylum in the USA
Statista