Action Alert: Reject Trump's Muslim Ban

This is the “Muslim Ban” Donald Trump ran his campaign on — bundled up in a neat package that is supposed to make us feel safer. Even though, according to a recent report by the Cato Institute, not one single foreign national from any of the above-listed countries killed any American on U.S. soil between the years of 1975 and 2015. Trump is claiming that this ban is only temporary, they’re just working on tightening up the U.S. immigration vetting procedures. In reality, our vetting procedures are some of the strongest in the world and they do not need to be tightened up.

The good news is that the American Civil Liberties Union is on it, they’ve filed a class action lawsuit. And a federal judge successfully blocked part of the order — temporarily — ruling that any traveler with a valid visa who has successfully landed in the U.S., shouldn’t be sent home or be detained at an airport for hours on end just because nobody knows what to do with them. (As of Sunday evening, though, four people were still detained at JFK airport.) In addition to all that, protests and rallies broke out across the country. JFK and LAX airports were among those filled with allies holding pro-Immigrant signs, standing in solidarity with the people who have been detained or turned away, purely because of their nationality and/or religion.

A photo posted by @chivexp on Jan 29, 2017 at 6:55pm PST

Here’s what you can do.

Show up to your nearest airport. Or join a rally or protest near you.

Many protests occurred over the weekend. Think Progress published a schedule for many of them here. To keep up-to-date with others that may be occurring in your community, follow your local ACLU branch.

Remember that you don’t need to attend a scheduled rally or march to protest Trump’s Muslim Ban. All you need to do is show up with some friends and family at the arrivals section of your nearest airport to stand in solidarity with those being discriminated against.

Call your senators and congress people.

Call 202-225-3121 in D.C. and tell the operator who you’d like to be connected to. If you’re unsure of how your representatives have reacted to the Muslim Ban, look into it. Vanity Fair has a round-up of Republican reactions here. Many Republicans have already come out opposing the ban, others (like my own Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin) have claimed they just aren’t going to vote on it.

All you have to say is:

I do not support President Trump’s Muslim Ban. It is unconstitutional, un-American, and I expect you to take an immediate stand against it.

But if you want to add some points of your own, here are some other things you can say.

If your representative supports or has remained silent on the ban: Why are you agreeing with [or remaining silent on] the same measure that KKK Grand Wizard David Duke is currently praising?

Cite the Cato Institute report: Trump’s Muslim ban prohibits people from seven different Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. The Cato Institute looked into all of those countries, and between the years of 1975 and 2015, not one foreign national from either killed an American on U.S. soil. Why are these countries being targeted? 

It’s been proven that when a city or town accepts refugees, the local economy receives a boost. I am looking forward to welcoming refugees from other cultures into my community. Why has President Trump banned Syrian refugees indefinitely? 

Ask your representative to give you one reason why this Muslim Ban is not an example of discrimination based on nationality and religion. 

If you have a friend or family member who identifies as Muslim, tell your representative about them. Share a memory or story that illustrates how important this person is to you. Maybe that person has experienced some form of hate speech or discrimination. If you have their permission, share their story.

That’s all you have to do. Time estimate: less than 5 minutes.

If you completed this action, or have other thoughts, leave your comments below. Matador Network is committed to providing you with easy ways to speak out against the issues that impact us all. If you have an Action Alert suggestion from your community, state, or country, contact Emma at emma@matadornetwork.com.