NIAC Statement on Donald Trump 2025 Inauguration
National Iranian American Council (NIAC) urges President Trump to uphold the Constitution, protect the rights of all Americans, and pursue a foreign policy that prioritizes diplomacy and peace over costly and unnecessary wars. Read our statement here:
NIAC Action Opposes S. 5/H.R. 29 – The Laken Riley Act
National Iranian American Council Action strongly opposes S. 5/H.R. 29, the Laken Riley Act. These concerns have deepened following the Senate’s failure to adopt the common-sense amendment from Sen. Coons (D-DE), SA 23, which would have removed deeply concerning and radical provisions of the bill that could entirely up-end legal immigration as we know it. […]
Iranian Visa & Refugee Processing in the Biden Era
President Joe Biden was right to remove the Muslim Ban on Day One of his administration. Yet, as his term ends after four years, the processing of visas for Iranians under his administration never returned to anything approaching the levels that were seen under the Obama administration. This marks a failure that tarnishes President Biden’s […]
Iranian Visa Processing One Year After the “Woman, Life, Freedom” Protests
President Biden inherited a Muslim ban from his predecessor, and promptly rescinded it on Day One of his administration. However, the U.S. State Department’s visa and refugee processing was slow to recover, which was further inhibited by the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the importance of ensuring that Iranians at risk can […]
NIAC Condemns Florida Court’s Denial of Preliminary Injunction for Alien Land Law (S.B. 264)
Washington, DC – Organizing Director for the National Iranian American Council, issued the following statement on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, ruling against plaintiffs challenging the state of Florida’s recently-passed “alien land law” SB 264: “We are deeply disturbed by this initial court finding ruling against a motion […]
Visa and Refugee Processing for Iranians Following Nationwide Protests
One of the National Iranian American Council’s primary recommendations to the Biden administration following the outbreak of nationwide protests in Iran in September 2022 was to increase visa and refugee processing for Iranians who need to get to safety. Several months after the outbreak of protests and our recommendation, visa and refugee data indicates that the Biden administration has made some improvements in processing Iranians. However, the scale of improvement – with visa processing still lagging.
Deportations and Detentions of Iranians: What We Know and What Congress Can Do
CBP has been discriminating against individuals on the basis of their Iranian and Middle Eastern heritage, resulting in outrageous screening for U.S. citizens and green card holders, as well as deportations of Iranian students with valid visas. Reports indicate that hundreds of Iranian Americans and green card holders were held for secondary questioning at ports of entry and airports solely on the basis of their national heritage in January 2020.
نامه ائتلاف به مجلس سنای ایالات متحده در مخالفت با لایحه کارت سبز که بر مشکلات می‌افزاید
در هفته جاری، کمیته اقدام نایاک نامه ای را در مخالفت با لایحه H.R. 1044/S.386 برای سناتورهای ایالات متحده هماهنگ و ارسال کرد. امضا کنندگان این نامه بنیاد آمریکائیان عرب‌تبار، شورای روابط آمریکایی/اسلامی، سازمان غیردولتی آمریکائی‌های جنوب آسیائی‌تبار و ۱۱ سازمان دیگر که نمایندگی جوامع مهاجر را بر عهده دارند را شامل می شود. این […]
NIAC Deeply Concerned by Flight Ban on Iranian Students
In response to recent reports that the Trump Administration is preventing Iranian students with visas from boarding their flights to the United States, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) issued the following statement: “The National Iranian American Council is deeply concerned by reports that a large number of Iranian students with visas were barred from […]
Memo: A Snapshot of Visas and Waivers Over One Year of the Muslim Ban
Last week, the State Department finally delivered statistics on the Muslim Ban to Senator Van Hollen thanks to his tireless efforts to seek answers. These are some key findings based on the statistics released.
NIAC Sends Letter on Long Administrative Processing for Student Visas
NIAC wrote to the Bureau of Consular Affairs and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in regard to reports of long administrative processing times for Iranian students, including visa renewals for those who have already began studying in the U.S, requesting to meet with the offices. Read the letter in its entirety.
NIAC Sends Letter to Corporations Lobbying for H.R. 392
NIAC’s letter urges these corporations to reconsider their support for legislation that would, if passed, hurt many of their own employees already targeted by unfair immigration policies.