FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2018
PRESS CONTACT
Sarah Blume
media@refugeerights.org
646-602-5654
IRAP WELCOMES COURT RULING AFFIRMING INJUNCTION OF THE MUSLIM BAN
(New York, NY) – The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) at the Urban Justice Center welcomes today’s decision of the Fourth Circuit Court, which affirms the district court’s previous ruling. On October 18, a district judge had blocked the President’s latest Muslim ban from affecting individuals with “bona fide relationships” to family and organizations in the U.S.
While today’s decision represents yet another court victory against the unconstitutional ban, it follows a December 4 Supreme Court ruling, which allowed the travel ban to go into full effect pending further review. In the meantime, nationals from the six targeted Muslim majority countries remain affected by the sweeping, discriminatory travel restrictions.
“The Muslim ban has a devastating impact on U.S. families waiting to reunite with their family members, foreign students seeking educational opportunities, and others who would otherwise be eligible for visas to travel to the United States,” said Mariko Hirose, IRAP’s Litigation Director. “Today’s ruling affirms that they are being unjustly targeted by this ban. Nevertheless, we must continue to fight this cruel and senseless ban until it is blocked in its entirety.”
The en banc panel of judges in the 4th District Court of Appeals ruled after hearing oral arguments in IRAP v. Trump on Friday, December 8. The decision comes in response to an amended complaint filed by IRAP, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), on behalf of IRAP, HIAS, the Middle East Studies Association, Yemeni American Merchants Association, the Arab American Association of New York, and individual plaintiffs.
In their order, the judges confirmed that “the Proclamation is unconstitutionally tainted with animus toward Islam”. However, the Muslim ban will remain in place until the Supreme Court has weighed in on the merits of this case.
To view the press release, click here.
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