By Ed Diokno
President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict Muslims from coming to the U.S. received a setback late Friday when a U.S. District Court judge in Seattle granted a temporary restraining order against the executive order.
“The Constitution prevailed today,” said Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “No one is above the law — not even the president.”
AG Ferguson filed the lawsuit Monday, calling Trump’s order “illegal.”
The White House vowed to appeal the decision immediately.
“At the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file an emergency stay of this outrageous order and defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate,” press secretary Sean Spicer said in a written statement Friday night. “The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people.”
“We have been resettling refugees in America safely for decades – and Trump’s claim that refugees will hurt American communities is simply not true,” said Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif. “Welcoming immigrants and refugees – and welcoming people of all backgrounds and faiths – is at the core of who we are as a nation. And this diversity has strengthened, not weakened our country.”
“The Asian American and Pacific Islander community has the responsibility to remind our nation ‘never again,’ and we have that privilege to speak on behalf of our ancestors who could not come to this country, to our ancestors who were discriminated against, who were interned and who were profiled, and who may not have the opportunity to tell their own story,” said Christopher Kang, National Director, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA).
Ed Diokno writes a blog :Views From The Edge: news and analysis from an Asian American perspective.
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