LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Monday filed court papers joining the legal challenge to President Donald Trump‘s immigration orders, supporting Washington state’s lawsuit that contends the travel restrictions targeting people from Muslim-majority countries are unconstitutional.
Becerra filed a friend-of-the-court brief, joining with attorneys general from New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia in urging the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to deny an administration effort to restore the restrictions, which were suspended Friday by a federal judge in Seattle.
A three-judge appeals panel was scheduled to receive arguments from both sides on Tuesday. The judges will conduct the hearing by telephone at 3 p.m.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed its brief with the court this afternoon in support of Trump’s order.
“The Executive Order is a lawful exercise of the President’s authority over the entry of aliens into the United States and the admission of refugees,” the department wrote.
The court could rule within a week on whether the temporary restraining order against Trump’s directives should remain in place until the constitutional issues are decided.
The matter could well go to the Supreme Court, which is currently split 4-4 between liberal and conservative justices. If the nation’s highest court votes 4-4, the ruling of the 9th Circuit Court would stand.
Trump’s order would halt immigration from Syria, Iraq, Libya, Iran, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia for 90 days and stop the arrivals of refugees from all countries for 120 days while federal authorities devise additional security screening procedures.
Becerra said he took action “to preserve the suspension of the Trump Administration’s travel ban” on behalf of the nearly 40 million residents of California.
“The administration’s reckless dismissal of the constitution threatens to rip apart California families, risks their economic well-being and defies centuries of our American tradition,” the AG said.
“The brief I joined tells the appeals court that immigrants are the life-blood of our nation who work hard to build our country, especially in California,” he said. “Our universities, medical institutions, businesses, and our tax base are all harmed by President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional and un-American order.”
In the brief, Becerra offered what he said were examples of how California would be harmed if the ban were implemented. They include the risk of medical school programs having insufficient medical residents to meet staffing needs and the disruption of the process of admitting immigrant students to state colleges and universities.
Previous related stories:
Iranian man barred by Trump ban returns to LAX
Judge’s order blocks part of Trump’s immigration order at LAX
Trump signs executive order on border wall, CA officials and activists react
Groups vilify county officials for backing DAPA, DACA
L.A. County to establish Office of Immigrant Affairs
County approves $3 million in contributions for legal aid fund
County to seek legal aid for immigrants facing deportation
L.A. County officials push back against threats of deportation
CA university leaders urge Trump to keep DACA program
L.A. County Supervisor calls for immigrant protections
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MAGNETLADY says
The 9th CirCUS Court of RE-PEALS does NOT have the authority to rule on National Security…. This was NOT a Muslim Ban, it’s the PAUSE that America needs so we can VET these ”Refugee’s” coming into our Nation… The U.N. is dictating to USA how many refugee’s we should take, and without lengthy vetting, we DON’T know who they are… During the last Administration, the VETTING process was reduced to 3 MONTHS, instead of the 18-24 months we needed ….”ISIS” has already told us they will infiltrate the migration process…. WHY take a chance & allow Terrorists on OUR Soil?? I believe ”President Trump” will Prevail in this issue…
Tim Scott says
Said someone who has no idea what “checks and balances” means.
Laughing says
Two years seems like a long time to vet refugees as it is. Would you like to live in a war zone with rifle fire and bombs going off for two years? Would you like your children in that situation?
The UN vets them, other agencies vet them, the USA vets them all during that two year period.
ISIL (Isis is an Egyptian goddess) can say what they want, they will still have to go through very stringent vetting. Meanwhile here on American soil home grown converts that are youth of all skin tones and backgrounds are mysteriously joining the cause. Perhaps the president should look into how that is happening.
Not to mention the homegrown terrorists attacking/burning our citizens places of worship and businesses.
Ron says
He should be fired. If they dont want to follow Fed Laws they should lose their job and lose State Funding. You cant just say I will follow the laws I like and not follow the laws I dont like. FIRE HIM!!!!!!!!
Tim Scott says
Bull.
First off, we aren’t talking about a law, we are talking about an executive order that is actually not properly worded to provide a legal structure to begin with. The US AG that was fired for, according to Dingbat Don, “betraying” him actually just pointed out that there was no way to argue for the legality of the order in court because it didn’t meet the basic structural tests.
Second, if the Federal government tries to impose a law that is unconstitutional it IS the state attorney general’s job to fight it. You apparently want to fire someone for doing their job just because you are clueless as to what their job is. No surprise there. Assuming you are the same Ron who routinely posts things that demonstrate similar lack of clue.
Tim Scott says
Thank goodness that uninformed imbeciles have no particular authority.
Perhaps you should take a look at the job description. Ensuring that the federal government doesn’t overstep their constitutional limits is part of the AG’s job.