MoveOn Applauds President Obama’s Decision to Dismantle NSEERS Registry, Calls for Continued Need to Stand With Muslim Communities Under Trump

By MoveOn Staff. Thursday, December 22 2016

On Thursday, President Obama announced his administration would be formally ending an existing Muslim registry program (NSEERS) before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next year — on the heels of major grassroots pressure from groups like MoveOn.org, Desis Rising Up (DRUM), Credo, the ACLU, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), and other allied organizations.

“This decision from President Obama is a huge victory, but this is only the beginning,” said Iram Ali, campaign director for MoveOn.org. “On Wednesday, Donald Trump refused to reconsider his plans for a Muslim registry or Muslim ban, meaning such programs could still very much happen. The need to continue standing with Muslim communities as long as Trump is in office is as crucial as ever. The coalition of groups who worked towards this victory is representative of the larger, diverse, vocal, and committed constellation of organizations who will not stand silently by as Donald Trump tries to enact anti-Muslim and discriminatory policies.”

Last week, hundreds of people, including Muslims and allies, marched to the White House and delivered more than 341,000 signatures calling on President Obama to eliminate NSEERS before Trump takes office in January. The petitions came from MoveOn.org and DRUM, CREDO, ACLU, Bend the Arc Jewish Action, and MomsRising; the march was organized by 18MillionRising, ACLU, ADC, Asian-Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), Bend the Arc Jewish Action, Color of Change, CREDO, DRUM, MoveOn.org Civic Action, MomsRising.org, MPower Change, Muslim American Women’s Policy Forum, People For the American Way (PFAW), and Washington Peace Center.

** See photos of the march here: http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr493178059