This morning the US Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling upholding the Administration’s restrictions on immigration and travel from several predominantly Muslim countries.  The following is the statement of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).

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In its majority opinion, the Supreme Court discusses Korematsu v. US, the 1944 decision upholding the forced evacuation of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent from the West Coast during World War II.  The Court states that “Korematsu was gravely wrong the day it was decided, has been overruled in the court of history, and—to be clear—‘has no place in law under the Constitu­tion.’”  Just as now, nearly 75 years later, we regard the Korematsuruling as wrong and the internment of Japanese Americans as a shameful part of US history, so too will history judge as shameful this Administration’s attempts to ban immigrants and travelers from predominantly Muslim countries, motivated by nothing more than sheer bigotry and ignorance.  And so will history judge as wrong today’s Supreme Court decision upholding these bans.

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In Illinois, the General Assembly has taken a strong bipartisan stand against attempts to single people out solely based on their religion, national origin, or other characteristics.  SB 3488, the Anti-Registry Program Act sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton and Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, received overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both chambers of the legislature, and is now awaiting Governor Rauner’s signature.  Today’s Supreme Court decision makes it all the more urgent for the Governor to stand against bigotry.  ICIRR, which worked with our partners in the Campaign for a Welcoming Illinois to pass this bill, urges Governor Rauner to sign SB 3488 and make a strong statement against the animus that underlies the Administration’s Muslim ban.

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The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is a statewide coalition of more than 130 organizations dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society. For more information, visit www.icirr.org.