Washington state suing Trump over immigration order

Image
AP Seattle
Last Updated : Jan 31 2017 | 2:02 AM IST
Washington state's attorney general said today he is suing President Donald Trump over an executive order that suspended immigration from seven countries with majority-Muslim populations and sparked nationwide protests.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson became the first state attorney general to announce a legal action against the Trump administration over one of its policies.
Trump signed an executive order Friday that suspends all immigration for citizens of the seven countries for 90 days. Ferguson was one of 16 state attorneys general who released a statement yesterday calling Trump's immigration action "un-American and unlawful."
Trump's order sparked large protests around the country over the weekend, including one that drew 3,000 people to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Trump has repeatedly said that the move is aimed at protecting the nation against extremists looking to attack Americans and American interests.
Ferguson said the lawsuit against Trump and high-ranking Trump administration officials would be filed later today in federal court in Seattle.
He said it would seek to have key provisions of the executive order declared unconstitutional. The lawsuit also seeks a temporary restraining order against enforcement of the executive order.
"We've had folks in our office working all weekend on a legal action," said Ferguson, who was joined at a news conference by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
"This is un-American, it is wrong, and it will not stand," Inslee said. "The clear intent of this executive order is to discriminate against one faith amongst all God's children."
Ferguson said he has been in contact with other attorneys general but that at this point Washington state was acting on its own regarding the legal action.
The Port of Seattle said over the weekend that people who were detained at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as a result of Trump's order have been released.
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal said yesterday that two individuals were released. One is a citizen of Sudan and the other a citizen of Yemen, both countries named in Trump's order.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jan 31 2017 | 2:02 AM IST

Next Story