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President Trump has only been in office for two weeks now, and already, he’s had a whole HOST of legal issues. Not only has he been sued for a possible conflict of interest concerning his business endeavors, but he’s also being taken to task by a Chicago doctor who was affected by his recent bans on immigration and suffered a legal loss at the hands of the ACLU, who called (and won!) an emergency hearing to stop travelers from being sent home in the wake of his order.
Now, US District Judge James Robart has temporarily blocked the ban nationwide in response to lawsuits on behalf of the states of Washington and Minnesota, saying, “The state has met its burden in demonstrating immediate and irreparable injury.”
For now, it’s only a temporary restraint, but with other states and advocacy groups filing court challenges (AKA restraining orders against the ban) nationwide, the entire order is currently “under consideration” to ultimately determine whether key sections are illegal and/or unconstitutional.
According to the state’s suit, “The executive order effectively mandates that the states engage in discrimination based on national origin and/or religion, thereby rescinding the states’ historic protection of civil rights and religious freedom.”
In addition, the states argue that the order is harming their businesses (a claim supported by such big-name companies as Amazon, Expedia and Microsoft) and their education systems, preventing some employees and students from travel.
Now, sources tell us that the White House has plans to file an immediate request for a stay (which is, effectively, an appeal), initially calling the ruling “outrageous,” with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer releasing the following statement.
“At the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file an emergency stay of this [outrageous] (the term has since been removed) order and defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate. The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people.”
Ay yi yi! Things are definitely getting crazy, but it seems that for now, the ban is temporarily off. We repeat: The ban is temporarily off!
How are you reacting to this news? Discuss over @BritandCo.
(h/t Washington Post, photos via Aude Guerrucci + Mark Rolston/Getty)
