US House approves bill reversing Trump's 'Muslim ban'

The United States House of Representatives has voted to reverse President Donald Trump's controversial order banning entry to immigrants from mostly Muslim-majority countries, further restricting the president’s power to limit entry to the US.

The bill, called the NO BAN Act, was passed the Democrat-controlled House 233-183, but is unlikely to advance in the Senate because of opposition from Republicans and the White House.

"There are today millions of Americans who, because of the Muslim ban, are separated from families and loved ones: parents who can't be reunited, families who can't be reunited, grandparents who are missing out on life events," said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, a group supporting the bill.

“It will be a proud day for this Congress when we invalidate the president’s infamous and ugly attempt to scapegoat people based on their religion,” Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, said.

The bill would terminate Trump's executive orders imposing a ban on immigration from mostly Muslim-majority countries.

Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan were initially among the US president’s ban list, but later Sudan was delisted due to its participation in Western-backed Saudi war on Yemen.

The 2017 Trump travel ban, which triggered criticism that it amounted to unlawful religious discrimination, later expanded to include Venezuela and North Korea, and then added Nigeria and Myanmar.

In Wednesday's debate, Democrats shared stories from dozens of their American constituents who have seen family members prevented from entering the US for arbitrary reasons under the ban, Al Jazeera said.

The legislation is likely to be blocked in the Republican-led Senate, but it appears that the issue will be fought out in the US presidential election contest in November.

On Monday, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told a Muslim political organization that he would reverse the ban if elected president "on day one".

"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 told the group.

"If I have the honour of being president, I will end the Muslim ban on day one," he said.

The NO BAN Act’s passage represents “a huge step forward for Muslims, Africans, immigrants, and everyone who wants to ensure that future presidents cannot use rank prejudice to issue discriminatory bans,” said Manar Waheed, senior legislative and advocacy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Trump administration effectively shut down immigration to the US because of the coronavirus pandemic through another executive order in April.

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