Federal Court Blocks Trump Muslim and Refugee Ban

WASHINGTON — A federal court in Hawaii today blocked key parts of President Donald Trump’s revised executive order barring entry to the U.S. from six Muslim-majority countries and suspending refugee resettlement. The court found that the Muslim and refugee bans were likely to be unconstitutional, and ordered that the federal government not reduce refugee admissions from 110,000 to 50,000. The court’s temporary restraining order is in place nationwide.

The decision comes just hours before the revised executive order, signed by Trump on March 6, was scheduled to take effect.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“Trump’s discriminatory Muslim and refugee ban, in any iteration, is a clear example of how this administration uses the politics of fear and hate to enact its xenophobic agenda. The courts—and the country—saw through this effort, which has been roundly rejected over and over. It’s clear that no amount of tweaking will undo the discriminatory intent behind this policy. Today’s decision is a victory for the rule of law and reminder that no one—not even the president—is above the Constitution.”

In a separate case, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), with our partners at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Maryland, sued on behalf of the International Refugee Assistance Project of the Urban Justice Center, HIAS, and the Middle East Studies Association, along with individuals, including U.S. citizens, affected by the ban. A federal judge in Maryland is expected to issue a ruling in that case later today.

The temporary restraining order can be viewed here: www.nilc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/HI-TRO.pdf.

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