April 21, 2021
CONTACT: Adam Beddawi, ABeddawi@accesscommunity.org
ACCESS celebrates the passage of the NO BAN Act and the Access to Counsel Act, two bills which jointly address our nation’s long history of xenophobic and restrictive immigration policy. We commend House Representative Judy Chu (CA-27) and Senator Chris Coons (DE) for introducing the NO BAN Act and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7) for bringing the Access to Counsel Act to the table. We also acknowledge the human and civil rights organizations which have brough both bills near the finish line. As we look to the Senate, ACCESS Policy Manager Adam Beddawi released the following policy statement:
“April 21, 2021 was an auspicious day for our country, as the House passed both the NO BAN Act and the Access to Counsel Act. The NO BAN Act imposes specific and democratic limits on the right of any future President to enact restrictive immigration policy. In this way, it is cognizant of the previous administration’s attempt to enforce a baseless ban on immigration from Muslim-majority and African countries. The Access to Counsel Act addresses another critical component of our current, flawed immigration system: lack of access to legal counsel for those detained by United States Customs and Border Protection or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill ensures that people traveling into the U.S. can access representative counsel while their claim for admission is being processed. Our nation’s history of immigration policy is replete with instances of racism and discrimination, both at the border and in the Executive. Together, the NO BAN and Access to Counsel Act point a path forward.”
Learn more about the No Ban Act here and the Access to Counsel Act here.
Read ACCESS’ statement for the record on the NO BAN Act here.