Hawaii Sues Trump Over New Travel Ban

Hawaii Sues Trump Over New Travel Ban

The new order suspends refugee admissions for 120 days and bans entry for citizens of six Muslim-majority countries [Reuters]
The state of Hawaii has filed a lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump’s new travel ban.

The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Honolulu on Wednesday, National Public Radio reported.

In a statement, Hawaii Attorney-General Doug Chin called the new executive order “nothing more than Muslim Ban 2.0.”

Chin said: “under the pretence of national security, it still targets immigrants and refugees.

“It leaves the door open for even further restrictions. Our office is reviewing the new order and will decide what next steps may be necessary.”

The justice department so far has declined to comment on the lawsuit, according to reports.

Trump signed on Monday a fresh executive order halting new visas for people from six majority-Muslim countries and suspending refugee admissions for 120 days.

The new order, which takes effect March 16, bans tourist, immigration and most other entries to the U.S. from six countries for 90 days: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Iraq, which was included on the previous ban issued Jan. 27, is no longer on the list.

NAN recalls that on Feb. 9, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to reinstate Trump’s Executive Order, which temporarily banned citizens from seven countries into the U.S.

The three-member panel, in its unanimous ruling, upheld a Feb. 3 decision by a U.S. District Court judge, James Robart, in Seattle that halted the ban nationwide.

“We hold that the government has not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury, and we, therefore, deny its emergency motion for a stay.

“The American people have an interest in free flow of travel, in avoiding separation of families, and in freedom from discrimination,” the judges, Michelle Friedland, William Canby Jr, and Richard Clifton, said in a 29-page unanimous ruling.

However, Trump immediately indicated his intention to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.