Ending the Muslim Ban
PANA Statement on Inauguration and Day One Executive Actions
Today marks the end of a challenging four years that directly harmed our communities, left immigrants and refugees in a state of daily fear, separated families, and criminalized us and our loved ones.
We look with hope to the future. We welcome the executive actions and proposals that have come out of the Biden Administration on Day One, including the end of the Muslim and African ban, the extension of Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) for Liberians, and the recommitment to protecting Dreamers. We are encouraged by the Administration’s priorities and early legislative proposals, which include a pathway to citizenship for undocumented individuals, and expand programs for refugee resettlement and integration.
These are important first steps, but the work is just beginning. PANA will continue to work tirelessly to ensure these actions and proposals result in real, impactful change for our communities. Refugee and immigrant voices must be centered in the discussion and implementation of the policies that impact them. We will continue the fight to reimagine resettlement and just immigration policies. Our goal, as always, is to ensure refugees and immigrants are granted safe and secure housing, quality education, and employment opportunities so that they may meaningfully rebuild their lives in the United States.
We urge the new leadership to:
Center Directly Impacted People
Center communities directly affected by the African, Muslim and refugee bans by expediting the visa process to those who were impacted by the bans, restoring diversity visas, and ending restrictions on Visa Waiver Program for dual-citizens.
Restore Refuge
Increase the Presidential Determination to 150,000 in the first year and increase it to 175,000 in FY2022.
Invest in Families
Appropriate funding to ensure that the federal refugee resettlement program provides safe, healthy, and affordable housing for three to five years to give families a fair shot at rebuilding a sense of home, find training and apprenticeships that onramp into family-supportive employment, and ensure their successful transition.
End Criminalization and Deportations
End policies, like bans, walls and raids, that treat our communities as inherently suspect and foster bigotry and hate. Institute moratorium on deportations.