Washington, DC — The Secular Coalition for America released a statement today condemning the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Trump v. Hawaii. The decision upholds the third iteration of President Trump’s travel ban which prevents some (or all) immigrants, refugees, and visa holders from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen from entering the United States.
Statement by Larry T. Decker, Executive Director of the Secular Coalition for America
“By upholding President Trump’s travel ban, the Supreme Court has legitimized bigotry and threatened the rights of all Americans. This travel ban is nothing more than a thinly-veiled religious test and the fulfillment of President Trump’s repeated pledge to institute a ‘total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.’ Any reasonable observer assessing the travel ban in light of President Trump’s 2016 campaign will see it for what it is – an assertion of Christian privilege, anti-Muslim bigotry, a rebuke of our First Amendment, and a grave threat to religious freedom.”
“Americans of all faiths and none must recognize the danger of the majority’s opinion. If the Trump Administration can disparage and single out Muslims, it can do the same to any of us. This reckless ruling undermines a founding principle of our country, that the United States government will show no favor or disfavor to any religion. The Court’s decision today is disappointing, but it is only one part of a larger fight against the flagrant religious favoritism of the Trump Administration. We will continue to condemn religious bigotry wherever it rears its ugly head, even at the highest levels of our government. We cannot allow demagogues to divide us by employing scare tactics and appealing to religious prejudices. It is up to us to elect lawmakers who will work to dismantle this religious test, strengthen our secular government, and uphold the ideals of inclusion and equality.”
Contact: Casey Brescia
Senior Communications Associate and Spokesman
[email protected], (845) 380-6201
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The Secular Coalition for America is the nation’s premier advocacy organization representing atheists, humanists, agnostics, and other nontheists. Its mission is to increase the visibility of and respect for nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all. The Secular Coalition represents 19 voting member organizations.
