June 17, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 112 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Page S3066]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 626--UPHOLDING THE CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS 
      OF IRANIAN AMERICANS AND CONDEMNING BIGOTRY, VIOLENCE, AND 
                             DISCRIMINATION

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

                              S. Res. 626

       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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