In another victory for immigrant communities and advocates, Federal District Judge Derrick Watson in Hawai’i extended his order blocking President Trump’s “Muslim and refugee” ban indefinitely. Earlier this month, President Trump issued his “Muslim Ban 2.0,” a second attempt at an executive order barring refugee resettlement for up to four months, stopping travel from six Muslim-majority countries, and limiting the U.S refugee resettlement quota to 50,000 refugees per year. The judge’s action on Wednesday means that this “Muslim Ban 2.0” will not take effect until the lawsuit - filed by the State of Hawai’i - is finally resolved.
If the Administration appeals the case, it will be heard in the same court that upheld a national halt to Trump's “Muslim Ban 1.0” last month, after a Seattle federal judge ruled against it.
The following is a statement from Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition:
“The Coalition applauds Justice Watson’s defense of justice and equality for all in the United States. This move to extend the restraining order into a preliminary injunction demonstrates what we’ve known all along - that all of these immigration bans coming out of the Trump White House are discriminatory, exclusionary, and bigoted. This is a victory for immigrant and refugee communities across the country, including the more than 700,000 refugees who have successfully resettled in this country over the past fifteen years and who have contributed immensely to America. This decision allows the United States to continue to live up to its values of welcoming refugees and immigrants, while maintaining our already “extreme” vetting process for travelers from these countries.
“Although we have prevailed in the courts again - we know our work is far from over. While the Administration continues to fumble and fail in their attempts to discriminate against Muslims, we will press on and fight to permanently lift all of President Trump’s illegal, incompetent and immoral executive orders for the sake of all our communities. We thank Justice Watson and Attorney General Chin for upholding the dignity of all those who come to America seeking refuge and opportunity.”
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The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees. The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.