County of Santa Clara joins Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City in filing an amicus brief in support of States’ constitutional challenge to President Trump’s Executive Order
The County of Santa Clara has announced that it joined the Cities of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City in filing a friend-of-the-court (amicus curiae) brief in the federal district court in Seattle, where six States have challenged President Donald Trump’s renewed attempt at restricting travel into the United States from six majority-Muslim nations.
The executive order 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 all refugees for 120 days while the Trump administration says it will revise immigration screening procedures. After those 120 days, refugee admissions will be cut by more than fifty percent.
“Santa Clara County is eager to join the opposition to this unconstitutional executive order,” said Dave Cortese, President of the Board of Supervisors. “Immigrants are central to the economic, social and political fabric of our communities, and they should be welcomed, not shut out.”
The brief, filed late yesterday, explains the vital contribution that immigrants make to our cities, counties, and nation; points out that classifications based on religion and national origin are presumptively invalid; and argues that the travel ban is misguided and unconstitutional.
“Despite the President’s attempts to revise it, the travel ban is still unconstitutional,” said County Counsel James R. Williams. “Targeting individuals because of their religion and national origin is illegal and undermines the values of our nation and Santa Clara County.”
Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, joining with Boston, Central Falls (RI), Gary (IN), Ithaca, Jersey City, Madison, Minneapolis, Montgomery County (MD), Oakland, Portland (OR), Philadelphia, Saint Paul, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara County, Santa Monica, Seattle, Skokie (IL), South Bend (IN), and West Hollywood, presented the local government position to the district court, which is considering the States’ emergency motion to apply the court’s existing nationwide injunction to the new executive order.
