[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 626 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 626

Upholding the civil liberties and civil rights of Iranian Americans and 
           condemning bigotry, violence, and discrimination.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 17, 2020

  Mr. Blumenthal (for himself and Mr. Kaine) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Upholding the civil liberties and civil rights of Iranian Americans and 
           condemning bigotry, violence, and discrimination.

Whereas Iranian Americans serve as government officials, in the military, and in 
        law enforcement, working to uphold the Constitution of the United States 
        and to protect all Americans;
Whereas Iranian Americans uphold democratic values and believe in the pillars of 
        America--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;
Whereas Iranian Americans are vibrant, peaceful, and law-abiding citizens of the 
        Baha'i, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Zoroastrian faiths, or are 
        nonreligious;
Whereas Iranian Americans have contributed greatly to the social and economic 
        fabric of American society;
Whereas the Small Business Administration finds Iranian Americans among the 
        immigrant groups with the highest rates of business ownership in the 
        United States;
Whereas Iranian Americans are award-winning artists, scientists, and athletes;
Whereas the United States condemns acts of bigotry, violence, and 
        discrimination;
Whereas dozens of Americans of Iranian heritage were detained for several hours 
        at the Peace Arch Border in Washington State in January 2020 based on 
        their ethnicity or national origin;
Whereas a directive was published appearing to show that the Seattle Field 
        Office directed border patrol agents to target Iranian, Lebanese, and 
        Palestinian nationals born between 1961 and 2001 for additional vetting;
Whereas Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security 
        initially denied that there was any directive ordering the detainment of 
        Iranian Americans;
Whereas many Iranian Americans have been deeply shaken by this discriminatory 
        treatment, with some members of the community stating that they will not 
        travel outside of the country for fear of being unfairly targeted based 
        on their national heritage;
Whereas the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Department of 
        Homeland Security has opened an investigation into the detention of 
        Iranian Americans at the border;
Whereas the United States Commission on Civil Rights, established by the Civil 
        Rights Act of 1957, said that it ``expresses deep concern over the 
        treatment of Iranians and Iranian Americans in airports, and calls on 
        the Department of Homeland Security to take all necessary steps 
        immediately to ensure equitable treatment of all people at America's 
        borders'';
Whereas according to a survey commissioned by the Public Affairs Alliance of 
        Iranian Americans, the percentage of Iranian Americans who say they have 
        personally experienced discrimination because of their ethnicity or 
        national origin was 49 percent in 2018;
Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2019 Hate Crime Statistics reveals 
        that the most common bias motivation of single-bias incidents is due to 
        race, ethnicity, or ancestry bias at 59.6 percent of all incidents; and
Whereas Iranian Americans have long faced discrimination in times of turbulence 
        in the relationship between the United States and Iran: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns bigotry and acts of violence or discrimination 
        against any American, including Iranian Americans;
            (2) declares that government leaders and law enforcement 
        personnel should ensure that the civil rights and civil 
        liberties of all Americans, including Iranian Americans, are 
        fully protected;
            (3) encourages local, State, and Federal elected officials 
        to engage Iranian Americans to share their experiences with 
        their communities to end stereotypes, correct misconceptions, 
        and convey instances of abuse against the Iranian American 
        community;
            (4) calls upon local, State, and Federal law enforcement 
        authorities to investigate and vigorously prosecute crimes 
        committed against all Americans, including Iranian Americans, 
        that are based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, 
        national origin, or ethnicity;
            (5) urges the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in 
        the Department of Homeland Security to conclude a thorough and 
        timely investigation into detentions of Iranian Americans at 
        the border; and
            (6) calls on Customs and Border Protection in the 
        Department of Homeland Security to halt immediately any orders 
        that encourage discrimination on the basis of nationality or 
        religion, including those targeting individuals of Iranian 
        heritage.
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