Cartoonists Rights Condemns US Travel Ban
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In a statement released this week, Cartoonists Rights condemned the new U.S. travel ban, stating it directly impacts numerous threatened cartoonists—including past recipients of its Courage in Cartooning Award and even current board members. The organization views the policy as a message that these individuals, often vocal critics of the very regimes posing security concerns, are now deemed too dangerous to enter the United States.
The Travel Ban, one of several policy changes by the Trump administration to decrease travel from foreigners into the United States, has even affected tourists visiting from friendly countries, including a British cartoonist who was detained for three weeks while traveling in the northwest U.S. Cartoonists Rights is now advising international cartoonists against traveling to the U.S., regardless of their purpose or origin, citing an inability to guarantee their safety.
The broader consequences for free expression are alarming. Cartoonists already face censorship and persecution in their home countries. With the USA shutting its doors, it may lose vital lifelines, including legal refuge, speaking engagements, and international recognition.
Cartoonists Rights concluded their statement by questioning the U.S.’s moral authority to champion freedom of expression, arguing that it is using tactics similar to those of repressive regimes and shutting out cartoonists who challenge authoritarianism. The nation, in doing so, undermines its democratic traditions and its credibility as a haven for free speech.
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