The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed its deep appreciation to Reps. John Garamendi, Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna, Sam Liccardo, Zoe Lofgren, Kevin Mullin, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Lateefah Simon, Eric Swalwell, and Mike Thompson for issuing a joint statement condemning the recent denial of entry to two Palestinian men at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
SEE: Bay Area Congressional Delegation Statement on CBP Activities at SFO
In their joint statement, the members of Congress described the incident as “yet another example of Trump’s needlessly cruel actions” and called on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to provide a full explanation. The two men, who held valid visas, had traveled from the West Bank at the invitation of local interfaith leaders to share their experiences under Israeli occupation in the West Bank with Bay Area audiences.
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:
“We are grateful to our Bay Area congressional delegation for speaking out against this unjust treatment. Turning away individuals invited to speak about justice and human rights sends a chilling message. Our ports of entry should not be used to silence voices critical of U.S. policy or foreign occupation.”
Despite widespread community outcry and a rally outside SFO, CBP reportedly placed the two men on a departing flight Thursday afternoon without public explanation.
SEE: CAIR-SFBA Condemns U.S. Government’s Denial of Entry to Palestinian Human Rights Speakers
CAIR-SFBA calls on CBP to respond to congressional inquiries and provide transparency around this decision.
The organization also encourages anyone impacted by discriminatory treatment at airports or ports of entry to contact its legal team at 408.986.9874.
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, ladam@cair.com, 408.498.5779