Trump’s new travel ban still bad for immigrants — NaFFAA

NaFFAA National Chair Brendan Flores. NaFFAA

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Federal of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) in a statement said President Trump’s latest executive order banning immigrants and refugees in Muslim-majority nations will “continue to have and adverse impact on immigrant communities.”

The order bans immigrants and visitors from six Muslim-majority countries: Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Iran, Syria, and Sudan. The order now exempts Iraq from the ban, but continues to suspend the refugee program, which has provided asylum to individuals fleeing political turmoil.

The order comes less than a month after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit halted the original ban for violating constitutional protections.

“Diversity is the cornerstone of democracy,” said Brendan Flores, NaFFAA National Chairman. “We reaffirm our commitment to creating dialogue and serving as a voice for the Filipino American community on key policy issues. In light of the new executive order, NaFFAA will continue to work with Filipino American leaders across the country to raise awareness around our community’s immigrant and legal rights.”

NaFFAA Executive Director Jason Tengco. NaFFAA

Following the original order, NaFFAA’s National Council for Government Relations and Legislative Affairs has been engaging with Filipino American leaders and closely monitoring policy changes. As a result, NaFFAA has committed to hosting “Know Your Rights” Immigration Forums to raise awareness around immigrant rights and legal services for the community.

“Despite minor changes to the ban, the executive order will continue to have an adverse impact on immigrant communities,” said NaFFAA Executive Director Jason Tengco. “NaFFAA embraces the contributions of immigrants, and speaks out against the Administration’s anti-Muslim and anti-refugee rhetoric. Rather than excluding others, we should strive to promote a vision of our country that fosters and welcomes diversity at all levels.”