Alright good afternoon everyone um my name is mama condom campaign director. Uh power change um grassroots movement. Um and we're here today to talk about trump's Muslim ban. Othe impacts that having on our community and our families and finally, how we can beat it um so today is the one year anniversary of plan comes third Muslim band the limit currently in effect was supposed to uh first go into the thing that week back in 20 17 uh executive orders actually block Buy a little court unfortunately that ruling only stood for about two months until early December last year when Supreme court allowed the band to go into the fact ultimately you're moving this past June and savor the band. So little man is actually been an effect for about 10 months now it's separating families and community that's been blocking people from entering the country for no reason other than trump's hatred of Muslims and the refugee and today we're gonna be Talking about some of the stories of the people infected by the pants impacted by the band and our campaign to see and repeal the band so I'm really happy to be joined by our panelists. We have this treasure is recognized the campaign be the Fox and America. My closet is executive director of that running uh markets across borders. Sorry, relax and run in line to the cross supporters that um and delivering the executive director for care uh Such as the Bay area chapter, um so I really wanted to kick it off for us tell us a little bit about the current state of the band. Um you know what happened after Supreme court decision is there any hope of us over turning the band the location and an what's going on with the band right there um gosh. Thank you so much for recording the conversation. It feels terrible and awkward to say, but we should say it right the Muslim ban is fully in effect right now, if you were trying to come to the United States from here on serious amalia olivia or Yemen The overwhelming majority of cases you cannot come to the United States for months leading up to the Supreme court arguments in the Supreme court decision. We would tell people who call our office and they would call from the Premier the embassy, including from your the embassy in Malaysia because there's an evening open embassy in Yemen or from other parts of the world. We would tell them just just wait and see right, like and it can't be with the Supreme court will uphold them. We said that, for months just wait and see just wait and see We'll do what we can and then in June the Supreme court upheld the ban and that was it was done. You know in the morning there was a decision and we need to go back to all of our clients and say okay clearly this is going to be a longer term problem than we had hoped. It would be and so in many cases the only option for remedy is what's called the waiver the presidential proclamation, which is in effect, right now that I put into a position the Muslim ban has certain exceptions and if you meet those exceptions, they would say Then you should be able to come to the United States. Unfortunately, what we see when people applying for waivers is that there's no clear process. The communication from government staff is um is ambiguous and big people get different notifications depending on where they are overall, even of the people who, on their face, would appear to qualify for a waiver less than two percent of them are actually getting them and so to your question about what's possible with the litigation The Supreme court decided on hawaii trump there were dozens of other lawsuits in place, even when hawaii trump was decided some of them challenging the entire band as the National lawsuit did. Some of them challenge in various provisions of the band. Some of them that were class actions so seeking to get ready for a whole group and others that were seeking remedy purchased individuals, many of those lawsuits are still in play there's, a number of lawsuits where plaintiffs attorneys the attorneys representing people who are impacted are seeking discovery they're trying to get to the bottom of the paper health figure out, what's going on the most active lawsuits right now Are the ones that are on the waivers so there's, a number of groups are filed. Attorney that filed the lawsuit saying our client meets all of the criteria for away for like the most in demand. Sucks but hey. You said that there was a carve out the Supreme court justices talked about the carve out our clients should get in on the carve out and they did it and so what do we do and so those lawsuits are are moving forward the hard thing is, we want to win those lawsuits, but I think we're at a place of we want to, as one of my colleagues um will say We want to cut the band by a million cuts right, like we wanted to abolish the band room million little hits and so the waiver litigation is important both for the individuals that are suing but also for the broader group of people who want waivers. They don't, however, on their own take down the entire Muslim ban. They take down the portion of the raises. They bring into question its legitimacy um as a Supreme court attempted or as a Supreme court seems to have perceived it like this is okay. There was a security review in place and there's, an exception for people who really Need it except this exceptional, doesn't really good idea. The hardest thing about being a lawyer through all of this, though, is being reminded of how many times our courts have gotten. It wrong on issues involving Muslims and civil rights and we saw that a lot of post nine 11 with surveillance and went on a promo and the reality that we don't get approved in the courts, but also historically, we've seen that the court upholds slavery we've seen the court permits the interment of Japanese Americans and so part of why the conversation around revealing the is so important to me is because, while we continue the litigation and It is critical and we're investing in it and I wanna make sure that the people who are impacted get the legal help they need. We also need to be really honest with ourselves. The court upheld the Muslim ban and to the court and the courts along and I'll be are single solution Very thanks so much for sharing that um yeah I know that the particular when it comes to the waiver you know that was one of the things that I think some of the Justice is actually mentioned. Uh as part of the rationale for of holding the band uh do you think that you know if it turns out that the waiver process can be proven to be ashamed. You know has we've heard anecdotally and also through some of the statistics you mention, that only two percent of the people actually uh getting the waivers do you think that can change the mind of uh also to previously supported the ban because of the sort of that you know What's, yeah, I think that's a great question. It it takes a long time for a case to get to the Supreme court. What we saw in in the first year and a half of this administration is an expedited review of things like the Muslim ban. So I worry that the band may not get taken apart at the Supreme court level again may not take it up there at all anytime soon let alone taking apart it's not to say that we don't try and I definitely would agree with you Gonna being able to show that the waivers are of course and people aren't getting them despite the promise from the administration and the question in reading Supreme court, justices can be an important way to change hearts and minds. Some of the people who are seeking waivers are in the most desperate of conditions. They love to war torn countries, their families have been separated. They paid thousands of dollars in attorney's fees to try to just come to the United States and so I'm hopeful that hearing these stories will actually be a major game changer for our fellow Americans Yeah absolutely um and I just wanna questions for it's you know, we hear alot of, especially Progressive politicians and kind of thought leaders talking about you know priorities of how to undo some of the harms caused by the trumpets and uh. We hear about things like abolishing ice, like lying back the tax cuts for billionaires and the wealthy. One thing we don't really hear even from folks, that we consider Uh is uh effort about efforts to repeal the ban. You know we're not really hear about revealing the band as Progressive priority. Um. You know what do you think what do you think that is revealing event at night. Sorta included in the checklist of Progressive priorities alongside things like abolishing eyes and Medicare for all free College education and that Center this is a really great question. Will have it um so now I come and hello to everyone joining us today. I think it's really important to realize that I think there's still a lot of stigma around the Muslim ban and understanding who actually directly impacts uh. We don't realize that there's a lot of Americans are bored and raise here that are directly impacted by the most of and we don't realize that it doesn't just affect most But it impacts for few days from certain countries that effects horrible people fleeing violence and persecution. War and unimaginable circumstances in search of safe haven. Here in America and I think we haven't been really able to draw the parallels. That's, especially with our Progressive allies that this is just setting the precedent for continued discriminatory policies that may not target Muslims tomorrow we'll tell you another of hon population so it's unfortunate that sometimes I feel, like because the word Muslim is involved in this and that there's a lot of stigma around that and people If you like, they have to tip toe around how to uh handle it. What should only matter is that this directly discriminating is against people based on religion and there we call an ace within the state, has paid and it's really important to be able for us to recognize that, and hold people accountable um no matter who they are, including our allies, you know, I think that um some productive allies I've spoken to feel that it's not necessarily their value add or issue that they should take on an lead on and I think, that's into that is that you're right. You shouldn't necessarily be leading in this work. There are incredible people who are directly impacted and incredible organizations, most of which, on the call right now that are leading This work, but that doesn't mean that silence is the answer so it's really important for our allies and for those who wanna get involved. But there's an individual, a whole Organization level to recognize that even if you can't relate to um this band in any way, she perform personally or professionally that you can in the sense of imagine somebody challenging your civil liberties and your right to freedom of religion um infernal expressing their religion and your country of origin. Iran and Imagine what that would feel like and recognizing that that's something that is universal but something that we all can connect on and we all have to together uh fight against that and we'll people accountable so I think that also it's a lack of stories and visibility consistently in the new cycle of North and that that's really uh it's it's kind of what I say it's it's interesting because it's like we new when it first came out, it was so powerful and we had stories every day and we we're in the airport. We were protesting we're rallying and then As the stories new cycle flips onto something else, we think that the impact on this is gone away or that it's not necessarily as important or shouldn't be a priority as it was when it first started, but, like her just mentioned, it's even more priority now um the fact of the matter is that we can't continue to allow us to be on challenge. Yes, we face the reality of this is where we're at and it exist and it is legal and is being implemented and it has had a tremendous impact on the Muslims and Muslim Americans, but also on refugees and immigrants. Overall um, but we cannot Continue to allow the unchallenged and not continue to call it out for what it is so. I think it's we need to increase visibility. We need to remind people that human impact between to remind people of how it directly impacts them. Um and industrial on each other, that our American values calling us to see this as a moral obligation for us to actively work on together oh, yeah. Thank you so much for sharing that um yeah I think you know it is Super important for folks to be hearing story of people impacted by the band Um for all of you were working. You know in the communities and with people impacted by the band. I'm sure you're hearing stories. You know everyday families and communities that are being kept apart by understand um so yeah. I think it's next question is real and they started them on uh. If you could just share like a couple of stories either you know if your own impact on the banner or people that you know and work with and and how the impact has been for almost a year now Yeah definitely, I think um for the members of our Organization it's everything from you know, having a parent come to their wedding to having your actual partner, even be able to come uh oh, we have a couple of folks better engage that are um working on trying to get a waiver for their their significant other to be able to come back here um there's issues with parents and um. You know some of the parents in our community not being able to comeback that normally would get leads us to be able to come and stay with their kids and see their grandchildren and then there's the young people that I work with, whether they're Singer relative or they're just growing up in this climate of demon is Asian and um the hatred that their experiencing everyday Um, I guess I'll go next. I its so I'm personally impacted by the Muslim and and I am from Virginia area, about my border within the us live here in my entire life but my entire extended family is still in Syria and I haven't been able to see them since the Syrian crisis began on the 20 11 and because of the Muslim and I'm not able to apply for them to see them we'll be reunited with them here in my home the us and I think that I had no idea the impact that policies coming from this administration could have on me being an American born and raised here In language and understanding, the cultural nuances, um and honestly, I've been so privileged and the ability that I do the work that I do everyday um and they believe, pursue an education etc and so when the most the band came out and serial was on the list. I couldn't believe it and I still didn't understand fully the impact it would have on me and then I started to realize that those that work on lying refugees that is we're not going through those that were in the refugees process so we're about to be we settle to get to the second we're stopped and put in limbo um those are playing for some of these guys decided to be reunited with their family or have them come to an Asian or someone who is ill we need to seek treatment in the us all of that was brought to a halt and just the idea that the fact that I can't, I physically cannot reunite with my family here in my home. It is incredibly difficult to comprehend, especially when I don't understand the rationale behind it. Um so it's extremely frustrating and I never thought I'd be the place to like this today, but I think it's really important to recognize there's, a lot of people like me who have family members in the countries that are directly impacted by the band that are on the list And they're feeling the exact same frustration I'm feeling and one thing I'm able to do is leading the refugee work for campaign. I'm able to then try to figure out and find those stories and amplify those stories that are impacted and I was actually just as active-duty refugee camp last week and um in my time is active-duty I'm at his name is colin and he is a refugee was polio has, of you, young children and was in the process of being settled here in the United States and he had finished the entire voting process as we know it's the most extensive vetting process um known in the world today Day and he had gone through all the security checks, even pass the last step of the physical examination that they do and I was just about to buy the plane tickets. Yet about. I think they said week until he got on the plane and then the most of them came out and it completely stopped him from being re settled and this was almost two years ago and kind of this still as I do fiji camp doing the best he can to provide for his family and so talking to him. He told me what happened why did the It happened I was this close to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm holding him and he said I'm shocked that I was this close. I did everything that United States asked me to do and I did not put myself in this position. I didn't ask to be our future didn't, ask to have the circumstances I'm dealt with and yet one person could take that away from me to take that future away from my children that future away from um from all of us and seeking that safety and a better life out in the us and so it kinda brought it all back to me full circle that, again we don't realize the impact of this, of this ban, but it is so real and this band has change lives of thousands tens of thousands of people who are seeking Being safety and dignified life and that light at the end of the tunnel Yeah thank you so much for sharing jennifer for the work they're doing so did you made a really good point that if you know just based on one person's animus and hatred towards towards Muslims and immigrants and refugees that has led to this policy and somehow you know the rest of our institutions, including the Supreme court itself, which is sort of a neutral uh we're gonna Justice, although we see that you know it's unravel over the past few weeks with the appointment of I've got this really just you know Radical right-wing traditional operative uh to the quarter we see that you know the institutions around some sort of normalizing and I'm supporting him even though it's very clear to anyone that it's just his personal animus and personal biases that afflict to this policy. Um so I'm gonna give you can share a couple of stories or you know what would you intelligence cars that the impact of the span over the past year sure I'm no weather stories that breaks my heart the most Something that goes along with was talking about with people wanting to be with their loved ones. Uh we had a client at one point was in a relationship and the only way for her to be with your partner was to move outside of the United States and I remember when I first heard the story with omar like this is like such a sweet love story, like people who are United across continents and love each other, despite cultural differences and then and then the Muslim ban that was upheld and for this woman with At matt was to leave the United States we've also heard from alot of many families whose country is being torn apart right now by Saudi blood, more crime, Israeli society we are selling arms America is telling weapons to Saudi Arabia with your than being used to bomb school buses and wedding that villages and um yeah. It is on the brink of what I think I read might be the worst famine in a hundred years and those people Can't come into the United States, the missing sadie wrist in Yemen has been closed for a number of years and so, if your money and you're trying to come to the United States, you have to go to a gym booty or Malaysia or re chipped. In some cases and we heard from a lot of families who are stuck in you know essential water transit cities for them. They they didn't think that they will be there long and they get stuck there, unable to go back to them and because of the conditions on the ground, there but also unable to come to the United States because of the Muslim ban I'm adam and a couple of months ago to master that Whose story is one of those ones that, like constant, he, he came up to me and he had his teenage son with him like a young age, teenage son and he said um my family is not here is of the Muslim ban and I look at him confused cuz. He clearly had a son with him and he said yeah, but my wife is with the other kids in djibouti and so what had happened was that he had multiple kids and only one of them got the permission to come to the United States and so both him and his wife inadvertently became single parents separated by oath Factions which is looks like an impossible it's hard enough to be a single parent like in general, but to have the rest of your family to have your can't separated by the Muslim ban. I don't even know what to tell you exactly lie, qualify for the River end and we'll see what happen and so we've heard dozens of stories like that and that's just add our care office, along with that we have a large how many community at large somali community near where our office is, but I know that care offices across the country have been receiving complaints like this for some time now. I think Before it possible back to you know, there's something that you said that I wanna push back on just a little right and it's to say that it's one man's animus that let us down this path for sure, like he he's, who candlelight our President of this President, fascists in chief, is who can analyzes the hate that leads to the Muslim ban, but the conversation I've been having with members of my Muslim community have been that the system is not broken it's working exactly the way it's supposed to right and so this is not our first time, excluding people based on race, religion or National origin. We've done far worse to people over time of course, including The genocide of indigenous people this little black people, the prison industrial, complex with all of these things and so it's not one man it's not one man's animus he's representative of a larger system but also of institutional racism that is far deeper and doesn't end by the way he was this election. There is reelection in 20 20 and the reason that's important for me to to name and for us to be thinking about is because it does it it's not Just about who's here, I think maybe hard to think of the silver or who's who's impacted by the band. If I were to think about a silver lining around this is that we're now having conversation about the generations of genocide, exclusion, kidnapping and terror. That the American government has engaged in an immigrant parts of the Muslim community word in many cases, those conversations didn't exist before Yeah, I wanna thank you for House for correcting and that uh the totally great alright. This one. I get that you want to first thank you all of those things that was more for the right um. Yeah. I mean I think you gotta another good point is that you know the Muslim ban is just one part of a much broader agenda of you know of White nationalism and racism and xenophobia that has become you know very like marginalized um under this administration Well, maybe you could talk a little bit more about how you know the band fits in with this with this prayer domestic and foreign policy agenda of this administration, yeah, I think, for our communities um. I mean this isn't the first way we've been attacked right so we've been dealing with this particularly since nine 11 um and I think a lot of what came out of that in terms of infrastructure is what we're seeing at the border and how it's affecting families and how it's separating humans right and I think it does, I was pointed it feeds into this larger need to um to keep us out to To kind of scapegoat scapegoat us, I think particularly in this climate, you know that there is a need for scapegoats and I think, focusing on our communities and separating us in this way and banning families and the nation that's occurring both against the next communities and against muscle communities is this larger uh policy that's really working and being able to keep us out and to keep people distracted from us and you know painting. It as some sort of Of um campaign about how their protecting and securing this communities but in reality, as an Iranian American like I'm feeling it on a lot of different levels right so like this is the week where one of our members of Congress, senator who may play it even more crucial role in the next year, said that having heritage like mine is terrible um at the same time as you know, my family and a lot of opinions overseas in Iran, having to deal with like a feeling of urgency and all sorts of um issues of like attend potential conflict and that's just one of the To ask for communities that you know there's, what's going on them and so I think ultimately it's away to um play into this larger agenda of making us hated here and being able to play into some more mom Green agenda as well. Yeah and I think that's why it's so important. You know, for Muslim community communities impacted by the band to work and and build solidarity and you know building movements with communities impacted by other you know policy and administration because you know this administration agenda It's really tex food black and Brown people I'm not Christian people, uh from the country, whether it's excluding us all together, you know finding ways to go to some Republican civic life through different policies. Um this is did you, on it. You want to have something no, I thought minutes out I'm just like not agree with everything you're saying yeah um so uh so you know, we have the band in place uh seems like There's, some potential for things to happen on the litigation on the court side. Um, but really it's not you know, I was in the main focus in the campaign. Um at this moment to wear some of the legislative for other pathways that we have that feeling like yeah. I mean so the courts are hard right, like we lost and we're going to keep pushing there at the same time of a big part of this for us is hey let's make sure the protest continue to make sure that people storytelling continue so if anyone of you uh For tuning in know, someone who's impacted by the band who has a particularly compelling story that they're comfortable sharing, please reach out to any of us that are speaking so that we so we can tell that story to go with it times. People think of the most epic color. I need some people who don't realize the muscle man is an effect right now, which is the most frustrating thing to hear someone say, but even for those who do they think of it as far away and small and minor I've heard this evening the Muslim community, where most of the leaders will see all of the most advance, not that big of a deal, not that many people impacted and it's like actually thousand The people are impacted and the impact is incredibly severe until we want to tell those stories, but really the the next major focus for, for us will be on legislative attempts to repeal the ban and that's actually the hashtag we've been using for that conversation revealed of and we are emerging organizations and community members and people conscience and allies to support two pieces of legislation, its House bill 40 to 71 and or Senate bill 19 79 the bills are nearly identical. There on Different sides of Congress, one on the House side of the others on the Senate side and keep in mind that there's, a lot of legislative attempts to repeal the bands and there's different ways that people are trying to cut at the band. Uh with the assistance of their members of Congress, including by the way, one of the most important ways on the effort to fight the waivers fight for waivers is all of the data inquiries that we're asking members of Congress to submit and that's actually how I learned a lot about how the minutes, how the ban is being implemented. How many waves are being given out is through data inquiries. These two pieces of legislation, though, are different because there are alot more comprehend So we're doing a lot of like cut. It by a million cuts, but 40 to 71 and s. 19 79, both specifically would prohibit any use of federal agency resources to implement the presidential proclamation. That is the Muslim ban. So you know when we were kids in school. We would learn that there are three Co equal branches of government and their responsibility was to play as checks and balance Sizes on each other, the circumstance that we're in right now is one where the executive branch is vehemently racists, not only lead by racist and staffed by his racist friends. We didn't have a judicial branch that has essentially looked the other way. Others, Supreme court upheld the Muslim family said that the President was within his ability to do those things and so now we're turning, naturally, to the third branch of government and asking them to play a check on the other two branches and so these two bills are what we're supporting uh we encourage you to sign the petition and get your Organization to blast. It out, send it out to people the more that we can determine Members of Congress the better and it's hard because you know, will Congress really do anything in this moment. We don't know what congresswoman look like. After November. We know there are a lot of good people in Congress right now and there's a move to put even better people in Congress and so what we wanna do is give them one of their first work assignment, whoever is in power, come to number and say your task right the demand that tens of thousands of Americans are putting on you your our elected officials, is to repeal the ban And to bring the executive branch and the judicial branch to reign them in and say, we are better than this and we want to be better than this Yeah and then you know, while the band is in place, uh it's maybe you could tell us a bit about how people you know one of the resources that are available for people to know their rights. Uh when it comes to dealing with the fan yeah, especially with this band, everyone in particular with all the legal maneuvering in the window dressing we've seen with it and I think that that's contributed to a lot of people, not knowing that we have a Muslim ban in effect um because there's been so many different generations and I think it's a little convoluted about the legal process that that literally just mapped out so eloquently, so I'm Super impressive um, but that's what you do uh so I think it's really important to know that there are many resources out there for you And there are many more that come out every single day beyond those that are on the call right now, especially care who has the legal aspect down value. Um more contributing on the front lines with all these in the midst of organizations and continue to fight it. Legislative Lee and in the course, if there is a potential not sweat space um menace Organization be empowered change they're all organizations that are considering putting out content and to understand your rights and also resources where you can contact them one time to get more information. I also wanna At the National Iranian American Council, um and ac in particular has a really really great resource on their website. Breaking down the awesome band. Three point oh and what you should know, but it's really important to not just take what you see on Tv or in the media or even on facebook at face value to know that they're you have right um and then you need someone that's pretty, like that understands legally professionally. What those are two to consult with so beyond getting the information from these organizations. If there are specific questions that you may have about your status or your families Um or any sort of questions about your impact of the ban on you then I would reach out to uh. I need legal counsel particular again care offers that the offers that is a lot of organizations. We're offering on that sort of support. It's really important to to be informed and be educated and stay on top of this and, like summer said, you know, we should continue to be a rally as you continue to be a protest which you continue to descent around this, because we need to make sure that we keep the pressure up with the people are still aware in our communities that this is still a problem that we can did you have to do that. We have to And deal with you add something really quick it's around my mind. Please. Um so one of the hardest things we've heard from people who are impacted is when I talk to a lawyer and the lawyer ones. Five thousand dollars and I don't have five thousand dollars thing about all of the places that you mentioned is right at the legal services are free and it doesn't matter if you're paying five 10 15 or 20000 dollars for getting free services the two percent success rate of waivers is to percent across the board and so we've been telling people please don't pay that kind of money is actually really problematic that attorneys are trying to rip you off when they know that they don't have a higher chance of success than than anyone else and don't not apply early Want to send or not trying to get help, because you think you can't afford it like all of us are providing our legal we're fund raising in the community, where fund raising in philanthropy we're raising the money to make sure that your ability to pay for an attorney is not what determines your ability. It's a really good point. Thank you for following us around three keyword, important accessible yes, um, whether question of the right you know historically, our community communities of color haven't really been able to rely on institutions in the To provide Justice for us, you know any of the three branches really whether it's the court where the Legislature or the executive branch some of those questions for you what you need to be doing. Like internally within our communities. You know to kind of protect each other and help each other. You know while the bands and the fact that outside of the work that we're doing uh jumped to advocate for and love your teeth seasons, patients yeah, I think uh as an Iranian American, my advice for probably be for Used to have difficult conversations internally because I think there are a lot of members of our community that um are heating into an agenda that potentially are working against us right and um. I think whether it's people who are not directly affected or are focusing more in foreign policy and have, like a specific view um particularly I know, that's truth in their own and I ask for that something we grew up with, but I think, with an almost of communities they're members of our communities that we need to um either you know, like Get on board or make your element. I think at this point um and then I think that also working with other community so like I'm trying to be really good at working with other communities that are impacted by this band and I think that we all have to come together because we are young and ask for community so a lot of our communities don't have a lot of infrastructure and we're just like getting into you know, like civic engagement and, like how to be actually able to work together on fighting this on the Hill and then I think longer term it's like. We have to be able to be Good partners and allies for others because we won't be able to win this on our own and you know this is one form that we're facing and there's another form at line x communities are facing, but then they're all coming back to the same phobia and hatred of us and other and it's our way of communities that are going through this, that can learn from previous communities historically, what they've done and then be able to combat that now, together, but I think ultimately, first and foremost, was like let's have those conversations you know about how um like Pulling the ladder up after our wave is wrong about how you know, like if you have ideas about regime change, like it, should be at the expense of people here and the families that are being affected by this and that ultimately, like our young people, um look at themselves as you know, not as like separated as yours era Iranian but they see that we all have the same experiences right now and we're facing the same struggles and there's, a lot of solidarity and that's why I think some generational conversation And maybe even you know, like multi generational and inter generational organizing needs to happen, to Awesome um so I think we're gonna open it up for q and a from flushing the facebook live right now. So we're tuning in just comments, questions and then we'll uh to the panels and they're now um. We have one question for you. Uh legal free legal advice and she offered it uh are you seeing any spouse flavors come to what is the the current processing time, so we have seen some people who are coming through um But it's less about what your relationship is to the person like whether your spouse a daughter or son as it is about the conditions that behind the partnership, would be in place and the processing time really varies. Right. Just because less than two percent are being granted there isn't, even they significant, of cool for us to be like follow the average processing time is is ex most attorneys. I know have that best had a few labors um branson so I would say that, for the person who's asking uh best to call your local care office or any other Your of legal nonprofit that we work with and get an assessment of your individual circumstances I'm in a great um, so thank you, Jeff for having that question. Um. I don't know if we have any other questions right now. Um but I actually have one question for the panel. Um. You know this is a pretty heavy topic and we know that the impacts on our communities are very severe. You know heart breaking. We hear the story of these certain sense everyday um, but you know we're all here committing suicide in this band and deciding other I'm just pounds um so what is the thing you know, one thing that's giving you hope this moment that's keeping you. You grab it and keep you committed to continuing this fight for Justice for our community Let's go first, I can, I think, because I'm I'm grateful for the sector, I work and I work with young people and honestly, like anytime you feel down just go interact with some young people because they get it. They get a lot of the issues that we're dealing with um. You know there. If it were up to them, this wouldn't future our our current situation, but they're understand the politics and understand how to work together and yeah get yourself next to some youth. It think, for me it's a Definitely seeing how incredible uh incredibly well the Muslim and other vulnerable communities have mobilized in this moment, um I've seen my own. My own people in my own circle who have never said anything remotely. Uh political engaging and civil society issues um on facebook or even in person. Now be Super engage in this issue and wine understand more about how our government operates, different policies that are affecting different communities so I've seen the shift um and even the culture around like women, says youth and our conversations people want Talk about this issues. People, wanna organizing this issues. Alot of my friends and I go protest together that's it was never a thing to do that before, but now it's become um, where it's like this is what is the standard like to become to be someone who is a good person who contributes to um making this world a better place is really important as you wanna share that on my way, back from Jordan after this really emotional trip and um opening experience hearing the stories And feeling hopeless because I know that the us resettlement in particular, is just so dismal right now. Um. I was in the airport and on my flight it was a family being re settled to Canada and I saw them when I saw you in the iowa um outfits and and I wanted to then I just introduce myself and it brought tears to my eyes in these kids that were so excited for this next chapter in their life and I just said okay. I was meant to see this as I was leaving because it's meant to hopefully signify the day when um we'll be welcoming people back the way that we way that we should be and how we should be so So it was really powerful and not really uplifting way to end my trip. If you like twice now on this, uh twice now and our conversations, they have had to follow us and I'm just like oh, I don't know what's left to say hopes um no, no. Thank you for sharing that I can, I can't even begin to imagine how meaningful it must have been an especially after everything that you've seen in the last year and and how you're personally impacted by of and yeah um, I guess my my thought. My husband on what gives me hope is The election like it sounds absurd and for me it's not about Democrats or Republicans at least not when I'm wearing my five oh one C. Three. Hyatt care um it's even and I'm in California. We've got Democrats running against each other here and what gives me hope in this moment is the amount of engagement that we're seeing in the community and among fellow Americans, um I think, like vote dot org with this is absurd, but with Taylor swift, you know, coming out with your political statement, like and then others pushing dot I thought that I read the mood register couple of close to a million voters. This far. This year in their goal was just half a million and so I'm excited about that. I'm excited about our elected officials feeling the heat and not taking their seats for granted, which is why I've mention Democrats running against each other, even Democrats in office are being pushed and should be coach to do more to do better to be courageous. One of the most one of the things that I was really frustrated about during the cabin on hearings and then his confirmation was hey like What more can the Democrats have done when our sisters from the women's marge in including our very own linda, were being arrested nearly daily put in their bodies on the line. What more could including yourself by the way it's right yeah. I saw you at the protest right. Like when they were putting their bodies on the line. What more could our elected officials have done and what gives me hope is knowing that come November. There is an opportunity to replace people on any side of the aisle on any party and it's so many levels and by the way, that includes all of the incredible Muslims who are running for office To put people in office who will do more will do better and we will help us move closer to um the values that we inspired. you Beautiful thank you all for sharing that um. We don't have one more audience questions from Delhi, combo that smell like adele. She ask what is the best way to get in our congressional reps. After November to support the two bills that are introduce um cuz. I can, I can take that will actually so the best thing you can do right now is to go to repeal the Muslim band dot com. Others position there to Congress asking them to support the bills to repeal the ban uh signing the petition we'll be delivering it after the elections and then starting January uh I want the new Congress come then will be. You know going through a bunch of other actions, isn't it folks and you see visiting folks in the district calling Congress and really you'll see. I think you know uh pretty robust campaign coming next year to lobby Congress to take up this legislation and to pass it um kind of stairs no other questions at the moment others that have uh answer my own question What's, keeping me out for all you know, I think, what's keeping me hopeful is really the the way people are starting to think much more boldly about the future and I look for things like the person abolition movement and the push to abolishice ice. Really inspiring me and give me out that even in this moment, when we're facing you know, such a dark cloud of fascism and authoritarianism in this country, people still find it. You know in themselves to be able to imagine a future without police without prisons without nice um. I think that gives me hope when you know the work that we do everyday it's imagine a future where Our communities are now also liberated from from the injustice and oppression that we're facing under this is some of this administration, particularly Hillary um okay, so I don't think there's any other questions. Um school call today um. Thank you all for the journey collection and thanks everyone for, for shooting in again to visit repeal the Muslim ban dot com uh find the petition and follow the Organization on this call I'm Sam care. I be empowered things uh and that's how we keep moving forward. We need to kill them and thank you Thank you, thanks