On January 30, 2017, following President Donald Trump’s signing of the Executive Order entitled, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” the Attorney General of Washington State filed a lawsuit in federal court against the President, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and high-ranking Trump Administration officials on the grounds that key provisions of the Executive Order are unconstitutional.
Subsequently, James L. Robart, a Federal Judge in Seattle, issued a temporary restraining order (RO) on the case pending further review.
In light of these events, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement on February 4, 2017 declaring that:
In accordance with the judge’s ruling, DHS has suspended any and all actions implementing the affected sections of the Executive Order entitled, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.”
On February 9, 2017, the Ninth Circuit of Appeals unanimously declined motions to lift the RO. At this time, the RO will continue to be in effect, thereby halting the implementation of key provisions of the Executive Order.
Our offices will keep you apprised of any important developments as they become available.