No ink for POTUS on immigration ban
Public officials lauded the ninth circuit court of appeals for Thursday upholding a federal judge’s temporary restraining order freezing Trump’s executive order.
On the other hand President Donald Trump reacted in his usual erratic and spontaneous manner tweeting “See You In Court,” after the three-judge federal appeals court panel unanimously refused to reinstate his executive order barring people from seven predominantly Muslim from entering the United States.
The judges said the government failed to show there would be “irreparable injury” as a result of the temporary restraining order by a federal judge freezing Trump’s executive order.
“The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals just said, ‘No you can’t,’ to the Trump Administration and its un-American travel and refugee bans,” said New York City mayor Bill de Blasio. “Here in New York – the safest big city in America – we will always protect our neighbors, no matter where they came from or when they got here. Those are our values.”
The barred countries are Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Citizens from those countries can’t come to the U.S. for at least 90 days; all refugees are barred for 120 days and those from Syria indefinitely.
New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman called the ruling “a major victory for the rule of law and the fundamental American principle that no president is above the constitution.” He added: “As my colleagues and I have argued in courts across the country, President Trump’s executive order is an unconstitutional exercise of authority that unlawfully discriminates against millions of people based on their religion. State attorneys general have been leading the fight against President Trump’s order on behalf of the many universities, hospitals, businesses, and residents harmed by it, and today the Ninth Circuit affirmed the critical role we play. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I commend my colleagues Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, and all of the attorneys general who supported their arguments in amicus briefs. My office will continue to support all of our colleagues’ efforts to protect their residents and institutions, and will doggedly pursue our claims against President Trump’s unconstitutional and un-American order in federal court here in New York.”
In addition to also suing the Trump administration in the Eastern District, New York had joined 17 other states in filing an amicus brief in support of the Washington State lawsuit.
“This decision is a step forward not just in the effort to dismantle this backwards ban, but for staying true to what we believe in as a nation,” said Scott M. Stringer, the New York City comptroller. “It sends a clear message not just to President Trump, but to the entire world about the importance of checks and balances in our democracy. And it demonstrates why this ban is not just unconstitutional, but morally wrong. Let’s be clear. This ban doesn’t make us safer – it threatens our safety. It doesn’t target terrorists – it disrupts the lives of students and scientists. It doesn’t reflect American values – it erodes them.”
Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition said the “ruling reinforces the fact that no American is above the law – not even the President.”
