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BRONX TIMES REPORTER,18 MAY 14-20, 2021 BTR
Torres announces
legislation to end
Trump Muslin Ban
Congressman Ritchie Torres announced the introduction of new legislation, “Keeping Our
Promise Act,” that will end the Donald Trump era “Muslim ban” Photos by Jason Cohen
BY JASON COHEN
While President Joe Biden ended
the Muslim ban in January, many who
were granted diversity visas during
the Trump presidency are being left
out in the cold.
Biden stated in his recent proclamation
that anyone whose diversity
visa was approved between 2017 and
2020 must reapply.
Needless to say, Congressman
Ritchie Torres has noticed this and
is taking action. On May 10, the lawmaker
announced the introduction of
new legislation, “Keeping Our Promise
Act,” that will end the Donald
Trump era “Muslim ban” by requiring
the Secretary of State to reissue diversity
visas that were halted and not
honored to successful applicants.
The “Keeping Our Promise Act”
will help more than 20,000 people,
who were successful in the diversity
visa lottery, to pick up where they left
off in the process if their application
was disrupted by the Muslim Ban or
Trump’s COVID-19 travel and immigration
restrictions.
“We’re here to speak about the need
to fully and finally reverse the destructive
legacy of the infamous trump
Muslim ban,” Torres stated. “Across
the globe American residence is the
equivalent of winning the lottery.
Imagine winning the lottery and have
the winnings stolen.”
The congressman explained that
applying for a diversity visa is not an
overnight process. It can take years
and is quite costly.
This is leaving 2,000 Yemenis
dreaming of coming to America stuck
in the nation with the worst humanitarian
crisis. This ruling also affects
many in Morris Park as within the
neighborhood is Little Yemen, an area
with a high Yemeni population and 500
Yemeni businesses.
“America made a promise to thousands
of Yemenis,” said Yahay Obeid,
the outreach coordinator for the Bronx
Muslim Center. “They sold everything
they had for the American dream.”
Fellow Little Yemen resident Zaid
Nidi shares Obeid’s sentiments.
“Congressman Torres said he would
stand with us and we are glad he is keeping
his word,” Nidi said. “We are asking
President Biden to keep his word and
give these people their miracles back.”
One person who is an example of
how important the visa system works
is Tali Farhadian Weinstein. Farhadian
Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor,
who is a candidate in the New
York City District Attorney race, immigrated
to the United States with her
family on Christmas Eve in 1979, fleeing
the Islamic Revolution.
“My family knows what it’s like to
need an opportunity,” she stressed.
“As someone who has crossed an ocean
like so many people are willing to do
to be here, I deeply empathize with the
uncertainty those people are facing.
A Jewish girl from a Muslim country
needed a miracle on Christmas, how
American is that?”
Est. 1940
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