Last night, the Tahirih Justice Center, along with the American Immigration Council, the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Human Rights First, and KIND (Kids in Need of Defense), filed an amicus brief to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the state of Washington’s case against the executive order that bans refugees and citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. The law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP led the drafting. This evening, the Ninth Circuit Court will hear oral arguments in the challenge to the executive order signed by President Trump on January 27, 2017.
“This executive order violates U.S. obligations under international law and the U.S. Constitution, harming the ability of women and girls fleeing gender-based violence from accessing protection,” said Layli Miller-Muro, Tahirih’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
“It further alienates the United States from the world and its agreed-upon obligations in the Geneva Conventions, compliance with which is critical to upholding the responsibilities of members of a global community,” she said.
The amicus brief urges the Ninth Circuit Court not to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO) on this executive order, arguing that if it were to be lifted, “scores of refugees, students, professors, skilled workers, and many others who already have been approved to enter, or re-enter, the United States will be blocked from doing so solely based on their religion or national origin. For U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents (“LPR”) who petitioned for immigrant visas for their family members and for the family members themselves, reversal of the TRO would cause them to lose their fundamental, constitutional right to live together as a family.”
The Tahirih Justice Center is the largest multi-city direct services and policy advocacy organization focused on assisting immigrant women and girls. Tahirih will continue to take action to ensure that the voices of women and girls fleeing violence are heard in communities, courts, and Congress. To learn more about the impact of the January 25 and 27 immigration executive orders on survivors of gender-based violence, read Tahirih’s recently released memo on these orders.
Archi Pyati, Chief of Policy and Programs, or Layli Miller-Muro, Chief Executive Officer, are available for comment on this topic. Please contact [email protected] to arrange an interview.
