Santa Monica has joined with other cities to oppose President Trump’s new travel ban.
On March 21, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the Cities of Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City filed a friend-of-the-court (amicus) brief in the federal district court in Seattle, where six States have challenged President Donald Trump’s second attempt at restricting travel into the United States from six majority-Muslim nations is being heard.
The City of Santa Monica joined the filing and Mayor Ted Winterer joined mayors from across the nation in sharing the announcement.
“The revised travel ban continues this administration’s unconstitutional actions that do not align with Santa Monica values or the values of our great country,” said Mayor Ted Winterer. “Santa Monica is proud to stand with other cities, including our neighbors in Los Angeles and West Hollywood, in saying no to hate and reaffirming our ideals.”
Trump’s second executive order restricting immigration prohibits people from six countries—Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen—from entering the U.S. for 90 days and halts the admission into the U.S. of people granted refugee status for 120 days while the Trump administration revises immigration screening procedures. The revised ban comes after s Seattle Judge put the first version on hold and the suspension was upheld by the 9th Circuit appeals court.
Federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland have blocked the revised travel ban from taking effect, the judges spelled out their major concern: the unusual record of statements by the president and his advisers suggesting the executive order's real purpose was to discriminate against Muslims, in violation of the Constitution's ban on officially favoring or disfavoring any religion.
The Hawaii judge rejected the Justice Department's request for clarification on his temporary order blocking President Donald Trump's revised travel ban.
U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson said in court records on March 19 that there's nothing unclear about his order and the federal government can't ask for a distinction that officials failed to make in earlier briefs and arguments.
The Justice Department had asked Watson to clarify that his temporary restraining order only applied to the ban on travel from six mostly Muslim countries and not a global freeze on refugees entering the United States.
Watson issued the order in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Hawaii, concluding there was "significant and unrebutted evidence of religious animus" behind the travel ban.
Santa Monica, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, Central Falls (RI), Gary, Ithaca, Jersey City, Madison, Minneapolis, Montgomery County (MD), Oakland, Portland, Philadelphia, Saint Paul, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara County, Seattle, Skokie, South Bend, and West Hollywood, presented the local government position to the Seattle court, which is considering the States’ emergency motion to apply its existing injunction to the new executive order. The brief explains the vital contribution that immigrants make to our cities and country, points out that classifications based on religion and natural origin are presumptively invalid, and argues that the travel ban is misguided and unconstitutional.
The brief was prepared with the pro bono assistance of several attorneys of the law firm Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP, which has offices in Chicago, New York and San Francisco.
The City has an online hub of information and resources on immigration, including the City’s resolution embracing diversity. Visit www.smgov.net/diversity for more information.
The Associated Press and Santa Monica Public Information Officer Constance Farrell contributed to this story.
