CAIR Welcomes Hawaii Judge's Order Blocking Trump's 'Muslim Ban 2.0' Nationwide

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, tonight welcomed an order issued by a federal judge in Hawaii blocking President Trump's new "Muslim Ban 2.0" executive order.

That presidential executive order, issued March 6, preserved major components of the original Muslim ban, including halting new visas and green cards for people from six majority-Muslim countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – stopping all refugees from entering the United States for 120 days and limiting total refugee admissions. The ban was set to go into effect just after midnight tonight.

Today's federal court order stated in part: "The illogic of the Government's contentions is palpable. The notion that one can demonstrate animus toward any group of people only by targeting all of them at once is fundamentally flawed."

It also stated: "Any reasonable, objective observer would conclude, as does the Court for purposes of the instant Motion for TRO, that the stated secular purpose of the Executive Order is, at the very least, 'secondary to a religious objective' of temporarily suspending the entry of Muslims."

SEE: Federal Judge in Hawaii Puts Trump's New Travel Ban on Hold
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/New-Trump-Travel-Order-Court-Filing-416182023.html

"We welcome this order as confirmation of the strength of our nation's system of checks and balances that prevents one branch of government from violating the Constitution or the rights of any vulnerable group," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "We urge the Trump administration to scrap this Muslim ban entirely because it disrespects both the Constitution and America's longstanding tradition of religious freedom and inclusion."

Last month, CAIR similarly welcomed a federal appeals court's decision to maintain a freeze on President Trump's first "Muslim ban.

SEE: CAIR Applauds Appeals Court's Ruling Against Trump's 'Muslim Ban' Executive Order
https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14103-breaking-news-cair-applauds-appeals-court-s-ruling-against-trump-s-muslim-ban-executive-order.html

CAIR had filed its own federal lawsuit on behalf of more than 20 named and "john doe" individuals challenging the constitutionality of the original Muslim ban.

A hearing is scheduled for March 21 in Virginia on a second CAIR filing seeking for a temporary restraining order on the new ban. In that filing, CAIR argued that the "Muslim ban 2.0" results the same discriminatory outcome as the original order.

For questions or for assistance, contact the nearest CAIR chapter or CAIR National's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html   

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

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CONTACT: CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri, 248-390-9784, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]  

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

Related Links

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