Press Release

The Supreme Court allows Travel Ban to stand; Iranian American Organizations say the fight is not over

June 26, 2018

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States reversed an injunction blocking the enforcement of the Travel Ban, affirming the executive’s broad power to make immigration policy.  The Court’s decision will allow the administration’s callous executive order to continue separating families and upending lives.
 
While this decision is extremely disappointing for many including Pars Equality Center’s clients, it is limited to the question of whether the policy violated the law.  A separate question remains whether the Trump administration implemented the policy in a discriminatory manner, creating a separate and inherently unequal immigration system for Iranians and individuals from Muslim countries.
 
During the Supreme Court’s oral arguments in April, an amicus brief filed by Pars Equality Center and other Iranian American organizations, was explicitly referenced. The brief included numerous stories of Iranian Americans separated from loved ones or unable to come to the United States as a result of the Travel Ban. The two dissents today cited this amicus brief (pg. 61; pg. 86). While the public evidence of the administration’s misconduct was discussed in the amicus brief, that only scratches the surface; no one has been allowed to conduct discovery into the government’s conduct. This decision allows others to do that and to hold the administration accountable for its actions.
 
We remain committed to protecting the civil liberties of Iranian Americans and will continue to advocate for the Travel Ban’s rejection, both in the halls of Congress and by exploring further options in court.
 

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