Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that he is filing a lawsuit to declare unconstitutional key provisions of President Donald Trump’s Immigration Executive Order.
The Washington State Attorney General’s office released a statement on the complaint:
The complaint asserts that the President’s actions are “separating Washington families, harming thousands of Washington residents, damaging Washington’s economy, hurting Washington-based companies, and undermining Washington’s sovereign interest in remaining a welcoming place for immigrants and refugees.”
“No one is above the law — not even the President,” Ferguson said. “And in the courtroom, it is not the loudest voice that prevails. It’s the Constitution.”
Ferguson argues that the Executive Order violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of Equal Protection and the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, infringes individuals’ constitutional right to Due Process and contravenes the federal Immigration and Nationality Act.
The attorney general is also asking for a temporary restraining order to halt the immediate implementation of the executive order.
Red state attorney generals spent years suing the Obama administration for executive actions. The shoe is now on the other foot. Trump’s Muslim ban is clearly illegal and unconstitutional. It is not likely to survive the challenges in court.
Attorney General Ferguson has received statements of support from Amazon and Expedia for his taking the Trump administration to court.
President Trump is about to learn that he is not a dictator. He can’t unilaterally change the law through executive orders. Blue state attorney generals have been preparing for this moment since Trump won the election. If the President continues to act like a monarch, he should expect to spend much of his term in court defending his executive actions.
America is not going to sit back and be ruled by a reality television star wanna be king.