Elham Asaad Buaras
The three Muslim members of US Congress said in a joint statement they were “horrified” by a Republican proposal to expel and ban Palestinians from the U.S.
Republican Congressman Ryan Zinke, who represents Montana, introduced the “unpassable” Safeguarding Americans from Extremism Act along with 10 other members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus.
“Let’s be clear: using the full power of the state to target and persecute a particular ethnic group or nationality is fascism and pure bigotry,” Reps. André Carson (D-Ind.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said on November 7.
“This legislation — by a former cabinet official no less — directly violates the U.S. Constitution and would illegally destroy the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian immigrants who live in and contribute to American society,” Carson, Omar and Tlaib said.
Carson, Omar, and Tlaib said Republicans, including Zinke, used deadly political language that resulted in the death of a 6-year-old Palestinian American child in Illinois.
This targeting does not just put Palestinian-American lives at risk, but all Muslim-Americans, Arab-Americans, Sikhs, and other people of colour who share our identities,” the Democrats said.
In a press release on November 2, Zinke said his proposed bill would stop any Palestinians with a passport issued by the Palestinian Authority from entering the US., alongside a host of other restrictions.
The Act would require the Department of Homeland Security to refrain from issuing visas or granting refugee, asylum, or temporary protected status to anyone holding a passport issued by the Palestinian Authority. It would also revoke visas and refugee or asylum status for anyone who had granted them on or after October 1.
The bill also directly orders Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remove those who lose their lawful status in the country under the new criteria. The legislation also refers to Palestinians as “covered aliens,” which are defined as “an alien who is a holder of a passport or other travel document issued by the Palestinian Authority.”
During the release, Zinke said: “I don’t trust the Biden Administration any more than I do the Palestinian Authority to screen who is allowed to come into the United States.”
“This is the most anti-Hamas immigration legislation I have seen, and it’s well deserved,” he added.
Zinke’s release cited attacks by Syrian refugees in the U.S. and other countries, but none by Palestinians.
Despite being the biggest stateless community in the world, the U.S. has resettled only approximately 2,000 Palestinians in the last 20 years, according to the Migration Policy Institute. This is mainly because most Palestinians suffer from special immigration restrictions and are ineligible for conventional visas.
Zinke was previously Secretary of the Department of Interior under then President Donald Trump, during which Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the US.
Trump placed restrictions on people entering the US from several Muslim-majority countries following his election.
Naureen Shah, Deputy Director of Government Affairs, equality division, at the American Civil Liberties Union, strongly condemned the bill, saying that although it “has no chance of passing,” its proposal is an “attempt to vilify and dehumanise Palestinians.”
“While those who stoke racism and hate contribute to harassment and the risk of violence against American Muslim and immigrant communities,
“We’ve already seen the devastating effects of Trump’s Muslim ban, a measure that embodied prejudice and bigotry and separated Muslims in the United States from their family members abroad.
Instead of misusing our political system to advance racist bills, our elected officials should support Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Palestinians already in the US as violence continues in Gaza. We must not turn our backs on Palestinians seeking safety in the US.”
Photo: Rep. Ryan Zinke official photo, 118th Congress (Credit: United States Congress/WikiCommons)
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