Critics say the new order boils down to a scaled-back version of the original "Muslim ban" that prompted widespread protests and legal actions in January. (Photo: Victoria Pickering/flickr/cc)
Mar 09, 2017
At least three more states are suing President Donald Trump over his new travel ban, as Washington state--whose legal action suspended the original executive order--said Thursday that it would renew its request to block the revised one.
Washington's Attorney General Bob Ferguson said both Oregon and New York are joining his state's legal challenge to the new order, which blocks travelers from six majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days, and blocks refugees for 120.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman also said that Minnesota would be taking part in the lawsuit.
Ferguson said the court will decide whether the new ban, which affects travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, exempting current visa holders, is similar enough to the original memo to be covered under the same restraining order that suspended the first one days after it was signed. That memo also banned Iraqi travelers from entering the U.S. for 90 days and blocked Syrian refugees indefinitely.
"It cannot be a game of whack-a-mole for the court," Ferguson said. "That TRO [temporary restraining order] we've already obtained remains in effect."
Critics say the new order boils down to a scaled-back version of the original "Muslim ban" that prompted widespread protests and legal actions in January.
The new round of lawsuits follows in Hawaii's footsteps, which became the first state to challenge the new order on Tuesday. Both Ferguson and Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin argue that the ban is unconstitutional and would hurt their states' respective economies and educational institutions.
"We've won in court, and the president has had to honor those defeats," Ferguson said. "It's my expectation that we will continue to prevail, and certainly my expectation that the president will continue to respect the decision of the court."
Schneiderman separately said Thursday, "President Trump's latest executive order is a Muslim ban by another name, imposing policies and protocols that once again violate the Equal Protection Clause and Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
At least three more states are suing President Donald Trump over his new travel ban, as Washington state--whose legal action suspended the original executive order--said Thursday that it would renew its request to block the revised one.
Washington's Attorney General Bob Ferguson said both Oregon and New York are joining his state's legal challenge to the new order, which blocks travelers from six majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days, and blocks refugees for 120.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman also said that Minnesota would be taking part in the lawsuit.
Ferguson said the court will decide whether the new ban, which affects travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, exempting current visa holders, is similar enough to the original memo to be covered under the same restraining order that suspended the first one days after it was signed. That memo also banned Iraqi travelers from entering the U.S. for 90 days and blocked Syrian refugees indefinitely.
"It cannot be a game of whack-a-mole for the court," Ferguson said. "That TRO [temporary restraining order] we've already obtained remains in effect."
Critics say the new order boils down to a scaled-back version of the original "Muslim ban" that prompted widespread protests and legal actions in January.
The new round of lawsuits follows in Hawaii's footsteps, which became the first state to challenge the new order on Tuesday. Both Ferguson and Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin argue that the ban is unconstitutional and would hurt their states' respective economies and educational institutions.
"We've won in court, and the president has had to honor those defeats," Ferguson said. "It's my expectation that we will continue to prevail, and certainly my expectation that the president will continue to respect the decision of the court."
Schneiderman separately said Thursday, "President Trump's latest executive order is a Muslim ban by another name, imposing policies and protocols that once again violate the Equal Protection Clause and Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution."
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
At least three more states are suing President Donald Trump over his new travel ban, as Washington state--whose legal action suspended the original executive order--said Thursday that it would renew its request to block the revised one.
Washington's Attorney General Bob Ferguson said both Oregon and New York are joining his state's legal challenge to the new order, which blocks travelers from six majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days, and blocks refugees for 120.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman also said that Minnesota would be taking part in the lawsuit.
Ferguson said the court will decide whether the new ban, which affects travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, exempting current visa holders, is similar enough to the original memo to be covered under the same restraining order that suspended the first one days after it was signed. That memo also banned Iraqi travelers from entering the U.S. for 90 days and blocked Syrian refugees indefinitely.
"It cannot be a game of whack-a-mole for the court," Ferguson said. "That TRO [temporary restraining order] we've already obtained remains in effect."
Critics say the new order boils down to a scaled-back version of the original "Muslim ban" that prompted widespread protests and legal actions in January.
The new round of lawsuits follows in Hawaii's footsteps, which became the first state to challenge the new order on Tuesday. Both Ferguson and Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin argue that the ban is unconstitutional and would hurt their states' respective economies and educational institutions.
"We've won in court, and the president has had to honor those defeats," Ferguson said. "It's my expectation that we will continue to prevail, and certainly my expectation that the president will continue to respect the decision of the court."
Schneiderman separately said Thursday, "President Trump's latest executive order is a Muslim ban by another name, imposing policies and protocols that once again violate the Equal Protection Clause and Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.