Muslim civil rights group calls on Trump administration to withdraw proposed rules

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/17/17) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is welcoming a decision today by a federal judge in Hawaii to block the Trump administration from implementing “Muslim Ban 3.0,” the latest version of the president’s controversial travel ban.

Judge Derrick K. Watson’s decision means that the administration cannot restrict the entry of travelers from six of the eight countries targeted by the ban, which was to go into effect tomorrow.

SEE: Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Third Travel Ban

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-third-travel-ban/2017/10/17/e73293fc-ae90-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html

Read the full Hawaii Opinion HERE:

The Hawaii court found that the Muslim ban “lacks sufficient findings that the entry of more than 150 million nationals” from the Muslim majority countries would be “detrimental to the interest of the United States.”

Recognizing that “national security” is pretext for the Muslim ban, the court determined that it contains “internal incoherencies that markedly undermine its stated ‘national security’ rationale.” The court concluded that the ban contradicted its stated “national security” rationale and that many of its provisions were not supported by any verifiable evidence.

“We are thankful that the judiciary has once again blocked President Trump’s attempt to undermine our nation’s laws and Constitution,” said CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri. “President Trump should do the right thing and withdraw his latest Muslim ban, which represents nothing more than an irrational, illegal and unconstitutional attempt to fulfill a bigoted campaign pledge.”

She noted however that the judge’s decision only blocks the ban for 14 days.

On October 18, CAIR will join a coalition of national and local American Muslim and civil rights organizations at the #NoMuslimBanEver rally and march outside the White House in Washington, D.C.

The event is designed to protest discriminatory policies that unlawfully target and hurt American Muslim and immigrant communities across the country and are part of the administration’s xenophobic, white supremacist agenda.

WHAT: #NoMuslimBanEver Rally and March

WHEN: Wednesday, October 18, 11:30 a.m. [MEDIA NOTE: Members of the media should sign in by 10 a.m. at the press risers in Lafayette Square.]

WHERE: Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.

11:30 a.m. – March begins at Lafayette Square with speeches by a member of Congress, American Muslim leaders and impacted individuals

1:30 p.m. – March to the Trump International Hotel via Pennsylvania Avenue

3:30 p.m. – Program will end with march up to the doorstep of the enforcers of the Muslim ban, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com

SEE: https://www.nomuslimbanever.com/

The #NoMuslimBanEver campaign, a coalition of national and local civil rights and Muslim advocacy groups, is mobilizing and organizing events around the country to help lead the fight against President Trump’s latest unconstitutional Muslim ban, as well as other discriminatory immigration policies that criminalize and negatively impact American Muslim communities across the country.

Earlier this month, CAIR announced the filing of a federal lawsuit on behalf of six individuals challenging the lawfulness of President Trump’s most recent attempt to implement a Muslim ban. A federal court hearing on that and other related lawsuits took place today in Maryland.

VIDEO: CAIR Joins Other Civil Rights Organizations at News Conference Outside Federal Court in Maryland

https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational/videos/10155231767967695/

That lawsuit was the latest CAIR legal filing challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to implement its Muslim Ban.

In September, CAIR — with the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and Profeta & Eisenstein — filed an amicus brief with U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of seven American Muslims.

READ Amicus Brief

https://www.cair.com/images/pdf/170918_-_Trump_v_Hawaii_-_Amicus_Brief_FINAL.PDF

 These groups also filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit in August.

 Read CAIR’s Amicus Brief

https://www.cair.com/images/pdf/17-16426-Hawaii-v-Trump—Brief-of-Amici-Adam-Soltani-et-al.pdf