U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today assailed the expansion of the national travel ban to extend to Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, and Tanzania.

“Donald Trump’s travel bans remain one of the most grotesque aspects of a catastrophic presidency. His extension of these bans to more nations is yet further retrenchment of institutionalized anti-Muslim bigotry,” said Rep. Pascrell, a leading congressional opponent of Trump’s spiteful immigration policies. “The Federal Republic of Nigeria is the economic engine of the African continent and one of the largest nations on earth. Countless Nigerian-Americans with roots across the Atlantic have had families, made homes, and have built incredible success within our borders. So too have Eritreans, Sudanese, Tanzanians, and Buremese. This cancerous ban isn’t just an insult to our fellow Americans, but a slur on the people living in these nations. Several of these bans were borne in race-baiting incitement and it is impossible to argue otherwise. This travel ban will be a disgrace on our nation for years to come.”