President Trump’s January Executive Orders relating to immigrants and refugees endanger the safety of victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking, their families, and communities at large, further isolate victims and create barriers to established legal protections for victims. 

Barring refugees and visa holders based on country of origin or religion will leave those fleeing gender-based violence without protection. The Executive Order suspending and limiting refugee admissions blocks countless women and children from obtaining the refuge they need to avoid and escape violence, including trafficking, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence. The Executive Order claims that one aim of barring refugees and individuals from majority-Muslim nations is to reduce violence against women. We object to this counterproductive claim, as the order actually harms those that it professes to protect. Further, targeting seven designated Muslim-majority countries by denying entry for individuals from Somalia, Libya, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Sudan not only harms those left stranded outside the U.S., it also sends the message that victims, including U.S. citizens and their children, with backgrounds from Muslim-majority countries do not merit protection from abuse.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) will introduce legislation calling for the immediate repeal of the Executive Order calling for a ban on Muslims. This bill will be up for a unanimous consent vote January 30th. The time to mobilize is NOW! Contact your Senators TODAY and DEMAND that they vote for the immediate repeal of the Muslim Ban. 

Please call and/or send a message to Senator Feinstein, to thank her for introducing this bill. We encourage you to call and/or send a message to Senator Harris and urge her to support Senator Feinstein’s bill to immediately repeal the Executive Order calling for a Muslim Ban. Social media posts are also a great way to make your views known. Below is a sample script and tweets. To be connected to your Senators or find your Senators and their contact information, click here.  Be sure to say you are a constituent! The hashtag for this effort is #NoMuslimBan and #NoBanNoWall.  Find your Senators’ Twitter handles here.

Sample Script: 

My name is [insert name] and I’m a constituent of Senator ____________. I’m calling because I’m concerned about President Donald Trump signing an executive order restricting immigration from Muslim majority countries and ending the Syrian refugee resettlement program. This executive order goes against our shared American values of religious tolerance, diversity, and nondiscrimination. Further, this ban will have a devastating impact on survivors of sexual and domestic violence, trafficking, and rape fleeing war-torn countries. I urge Senator ________ to vote in support of Senator Feinstein’s bill to immediately repeal the Muslim Ban. 

Sample Tweets:

[Senator’s Twitter Handle] The Muslim ban is un-American, & will hurt women/children fleeing sexual & domestic violence in war-torn countries #NoMuslimBan 

Barring refugees/visa holders based on country of origin/religion will leave those fleeing gender-based violence w/o protection #NoMuslimBan

[Senator’s Twitter Handle] Support @SenFeinstein bill to immediately repeal the Muslim Ban, protect survivors fleeing violence #NoMuslimBan

Further Reading

To see your Senator’s position on the Muslim Ban please click here.