CAIR-WA Joins Partners NWIRP, ACLU in Calling for End to Unlawful, Discriminatory Immigration Program
(SEATTLE, WA, 7/18/2024) – The Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today joined its partners NWIRP and ACLU in calling for an end to the Controlled Application Review and Resolution Program (CARRP), on the eve of oral arguments in NWIRP and ACLU’s class action lawsuit challenging the federal program.
“The Muslim immigrant community in Washington state has faced bans, bias and discrimination in all aspects of the immigration process,” said Imraan Siddiqi, Executive Director of CAIR-WA. “We stand against CARRP, a program that subjects Muslim immigrants to suspicion and scrutiny on the basis of their religion or country of origin. We reject government policy that prevents immigrant Muslims from accessing citizenship and other immigration options for which they are eligible. It’s time to put an end to this unlawful, unfair, and secretive program.”
“People impacted by CARRP, including some of CAIR-WA’s Muslim clients, are not able to move forward with their lives in the United States,” said Alex Baron, CAIR-WA Senior Attorney – Civil Rights. “They are prevented from reuniting with family members and are not able to vote or participate in our political process. Instead of being welcomed into the United States, they continue to receive the message from the U.S. government that they do not belong.”
BACKGROUNDER:
For over a decade, immigration applications have been needlessly delayed through the CARRP program, which labels Muslims and people from Muslim- majority countries as terrorists or suspected terrorists and subjects them to years of enhanced scrutiny by law enforcement. Individuals impacted by CARRP are subject to years of application delays and deprived of answers to their inquiries, or even chances to respond to issues raised by USCIS. Their lives are put on hold as they as they face enhanced scrutiny by the U.S. government for no justifiable reason while USCIS searches for a basis to deny their applications.
CAIR-WA stands in support of NWIRP, the ACLU, and the plaintiffs in Wagafe v. USCIS in their challenge of this harmful policy.
CAIR-WA provides free, language-accessible immigration services and are currently accepting Muslim clients living in Washington state who are experiencing delays with their naturalization (US citizenship) application. More information is available at cairwa.org/IJP.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.