Skip to content

More States Join Legal Challenge to Trump Travel Ban

Washington joined by Massachusetts, Minnesota New York and Oregon

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Thursday announced the state will fight President Donald Trump’s new executive order on immigration.  (Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Thursday announced the state will fight President Donald Trump’s new executive order on immigration.  (Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

More states are joining the legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s new travel restrictions on immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.

Washington, which was the first state to sue over Trump’s original executive order, said it would renew its challenge and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said New York asked to join its effort, The Associated Press reported.

Federal Judge for the Western District of Washington James Robart also granted Oregon’s request to join Washington and Minnesota in challenging the new travel ban that Trump signed Monday.

Hawaii also launched its own lawsuit, with the state’s attorney general Douglas Chin saying the ban would affect the state’s economy which relies heavily on tourism.

Massachusetts Attorney Maura Healey said her state would also join in opposing the ban.

“After spending more than a month to fix a broken order that he rushed out the door, the president’s new order reinstates several of the same provisions and has the same illegal motivations as the original,” Ferguson said to reporters.

Trump signed a new order on Monday that restricts U.S. entry of nationals from six Muslim-majority countries for three months and suspends refugees for four months while the Homeland Security, State and Justice departments tighten vetting procedures. 

The new order will go into effect at midnight on March 16 and will apply to nationals of Iran, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen who don’t already have a valid U.S. visa to enter the country.

The new order removed Iraq from countries covered by the ban, and the White House removed a provision that would have permanently banned refugees from Syria. 

Recent Stories

Trump’s choice to lead CFPB, McKernan, left FDIC Monday

House members running for governor could complicate fight for majority

Senators question Todd Blanche for top Justice Department role

Ukraine and the day after a ceasefire

Trump’s proposed Ukraine reset gets mixed Hill reaction

Trump firing lawsuits could lead to more presidential power