Attorney General Becerra: Court Slaps Down Trump’s Travel Ban Once Again

SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued the following statement after the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia upheld an injunction on President Trump’s travel ban, saying the executive order, “speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination."

“The Fourth Circuit has confirmed what we already know: Donald Trump's travel ban is anti-Muslim, un-American, and unconstitutional. We should protect our national security based on real threats, not on fear mongering and hate. We should continue to welcome people of all faiths and ethnicities to experience the greatness of America – to study at our universities, to contribute to cutting edge research, and to explore our national treasures. 

"This Administration already has suffered a string of well-deserved defeats in the courts. President Trump should read the Constitution. I will continue to fight discrimination and overreach every step of the way.” 

BACKGROUND 

Last month, Attorney General Becerra joined a coalition of 17 states filing an amicus brief urging the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the district court ruling that blocked the travel ban on constitutional grounds. The states’ brief explains the reasons that the district court’s decision should not be overturned on appeal, including the overwhelming and unrebutted evidence of anti-Muslim animus, the lack of a genuine national security rationale, and the significant harms that the ban would cause the states, their residents, and their institutions.