More than one hundred and fifty members of Congress signed onto an amicus brief challenging President Trump’s executive order barring Muslims and refugees from entry to the United States, taking a clear stance against this reprehensible policy.
Members filed the brief on April 19th in both the Fourth and Ninth Circuits. Rep. Conyers, Jr. and Rep. Lofgren led efforts to recruit signatories for the brief, which was drafted by the Constitutional Accountability Center and the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.
Arguing that President Trump’s March 6th executive order was discriminatory and denied individuals due process, the state of Hawaii filed a suit challenging it in district court. That case is moving up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear arguments on May 15th.
Meanwhile, the International Refugee Assistance Project and the refugee resettlement and advocacy organization HIAS challenged the executive order in the US District Court for Maryland. That case has moved up to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, where oral argument is scheduled for May 8th.
To prevent this executive order from causing any harm before it undergoes full judicial review, the courts have placed a hold on its implementation. Were it to go into effect, the order would bar people from six Muslim majority countries, suspend the entire refugee resettlement program, and drastically reduce the number of refugees we welcome.
Designed to discriminate against Muslims and deprive individuals of due process, this executive order is clearly discriminatory and unconstitutional. Similar to the executive order on refugees and immigrants signed on January 27th, this new version violates our core American value of religious freedom and does grave, unnecessary harm to people around the world. FCNL applauds those members of Congress who have chosen to speak out against this unacceptable executive order.
