Since Donald Trump proposed his temporary ban on Muslim immigrants from certain Middle Eastern and African nations over a week ago, there has been an uproar over what this means for America, a nation comprised of immigrants, going forward. Over 100,000 visas were revoked in the wake of the ban, and when Acting Attorney General Sally Yates advised the Justice Department to denounce Trump’s plan, she was fired for her dissent. Despite behind the scenes frustration over Trump’s hasty executive order from a few of his cabinet picks, the established line was one that appealed to fear in the name of national security, with Kellyanne Conway citing a fake massacre to justify Trump’s plans.
Many trial judges around the country have blocked aspects of Trump’s ban, with objectors calling it “a threat to the rule of law, to the nation’s security and to the economy.” However, on Tuesday, the Justice Department requested that the federal appeals court reinstate the ban, citing national security and separation of powers as reasons for adhering to Trump’s vision for immigration. A 3-hour oral argument for the broadest case challenging the ban, State of Washington V Donald Trump, will occur on Tuesday at 3 p.m., with an audio recording from the proceedings released to the public after it’s over, not in progress. Over 15 states and the District of Columbia have filed their own lawsuits against the executive order, and a a supporting brief said:
“If this court were to grant a stay, it would resurrect the chaos experienced in our airports beginning on the weekend of January 28 and 29, and cause harm to the states — including to state institutions such as public universities, to the businesses that sustain our economies, and to our residents.” (via)
The Trump administration requested that the Ninth Circuit would throw out all arguments that the ban was fueled by religious discrimination, despite Trump’s claims to favor Christian refugees. The administration has taken a number of positions on what the ban actually constitutes, so the court will “have both the right and the duty to examine defendants’ true motives.” On top of having a “devastating humanitarian impact,” the ban will also endanger damage American troops, intelligence, and the economy.
In a statement made in the wake of the ban, over 100 companies (including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Disney) urged the Ninth Circuit to uphold the ban, saying:
“The instability and uncertainty will make it far more difficult and expensive for U.S. companies to hire some of the world’s best talent — and impede them from competing in the global marketplace. Immigrants or their children founded more than 200 of the companies on the Fortune 500 list, including Apple, Kraft, Ford, General Electric, AT&T, Google, McDonald’s, Boeing, and Disney. Collectively, these companies generate annual revenue of $4.2 trillion, and employ millions of Americans.” (via)
If Trump is the businessman that he claims to be, surely he will understand what’s at stake from a fiscal perspective, even if the administration chooses to ignore the diplomatic and humanitarian risks.
(Via The New York Times)