Businesses Speak Out Against the Court Decision Upholding Travel Ban

Media Release

Washington, DC — Reacting to today’s announcement by the U.S. Supreme Court that it is upholding the Trump Administration’s travel and immigration restrictions for countries that have mostly Muslim populations, ASBC released a statement expressing disappointment. ASBC also called on Congress to reverse the ban through legislation. The following may be attributed to CEO Hammad Atassi:

“We are disappointed that the Supreme Court upheld the ban on travel and immigration from predominantly Muslim countries. Religion should not be a factor in determining who receives travel and immigration permission, any more than it should be used to decide who should be hired or promoted. We call on Congress to reverse the ban through legislation.

“When individuals are excluded for arbitrary reasons such as religion or race, we all suffer. Immigrants have proven their worth to our country, our businesses and our economy. It’s not just against American values to ban them, it also hurts America’s competitiveness and future prosperity.”

ASBC’s new CEO Hammad Atassi is an example of the value of immigration to the United States. A U.S. citizen born in Syria, he immigrated with his parents and three sisters in the early 1970s. His father, a Cardiologist, believed in the American dream and sought a life of freedom for his family in a country where everyone was equal under the law.

ASBC Board Member and Co-founder/Executive Director of 1worker1vote Michael A. Peck said, “America’s founding free enterprise brand eschews government picking winners and losers in the marketplace or at our borders. U.S. national security is best served when America stands as primo entre pares for those seeking and finding freedom and self-fulfillment, the pursuit of happiness and exercising democracy. Racial and religious profiling tax competitive commercial, socioeconomic, geopolitical, cultural and human resources by imposing arbitrary standards that are not market-driven. We risk turning into prisoners of our own making in flagrant repudiation of this country’s origin, self-denying freedoms of movement and association with others who are prepared to brave everything to make the journey and connect with us.”

Recently, ASBC launched a business sign-on statement opposing the separation of children from their families at the border. It says, in part, “As responsible businesses and investors, we are remiss if we don’t stand up for dignity and respect for all people. We cannot allow our government to abuse its role of protecting borders with deliberately harmful and damaging policies like its policy of separating children from families at the border.”