Biden pledges to overturn Trump’s travel ban initially on majority Muslim countries

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday pledged to overturn President Trump’s travel ban that initially targeted majority Muslim countries on his first day in office if elected president. 

“Muslim communities were the first to feel Donald Trump’s assault on Black and brown communities in this country with his vile Muslim ban,” Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said while addressing Emgage Action’s virtual Million Muslim Votes Summit. 

“That fight was the opening barrage in what has been nearly four years of constant pressure and insults, and attacks against Muslim American communities,” he continued. 

Trump placed travel restrictions on seven Muslim-majority countries in January 2017, shortly after he took office. The president argued that the travel ban was for national security purposes.  

Officials added several non-Muslim-majority countries to the list as it faced a number of legal challenges, and it was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Biden went on to hit Trump’s treatment of the Muslim community, saying he was responsible for the rise of Islamophobia in the U.S. 

“Donald Trump has fanned the flames of hate in this country across the board through his words, his policies, his appointments, his deeds, and he continues to fan those flames,” Biden said. “Under this administration, we’ve seen an unconscionable rise in Islamophobia.”

The former vice president’s remarks came shortly after Emgage Action formally endorsed Biden in a letter to supporters. 

Emgage Action is the largest Muslim political group in the country and endorsed former Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during the primaries.