ACLU of Nevada Files Demands for Documents on Implementation of Trump’s Muslim Ban

FOIA Filed As Part of Coordinated Campaign With 50 ACLU Affiliates

February 3, 2017

WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada joined the southern California affiliate in filing a Freedom of Information Act request today with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Los Angeles field office to expose how Trump administration officials are interpreting and executing the president’s Muslim ban, acting in violation of federal courts that ordered a stay on the ban’s implementation. The filing today is part of a coordinated effort from 50 ACLU affiliates, which filed 18 FOIAs with CBP field offices and its headquarters spanning over 55 international airports across the country.

“We continue to believe that the executive order signed by President Trump is an unconstitutional Muslim ban that harms and discriminates against law abiding citizens, legal permanent residents, and visa holders. The only way to discover the total impact and true nature of this ban is to see who it is directed against and how many individuals under the guise of a national security threat and families have been affected by it,” said Tod Story, executive director ACLU of Nevada.

Media reports indicate that CBP officials detained and deported individuals, even after federal courts ordered officials to stop enforcing the executive order following a court challenge from the ACLU and other organizations.

“It is imperative that the public learn if federal immigration officials are blatantly defying nationwide federal court orders that block President Trump’s unconstitutional Muslim ban,” said Mitra Ebadolahi, Border Litigation Project Staff Attorney with the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties. “To shed light on this critical issue of pressing public concern, 50 ACLU affiliates are using the Freedom of Information Act to expose Customs and Border Protection’s abuse of power.”

The Trump administration has yet to inform the public of how many refugees, visa holders, and legal permanent residents have been affected by this action.

The following ACLU affiliates participated in this coordinated FOIA filing:

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Northern California

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

San Diego, California

South Carolina

Southern California

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Washington, D.C.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

The ACLU national release is available here:

https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-files-demands-documents-implementation-trumps-immigration-ban

About American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada

The ACLU of Nevada is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to the defense and advancement of civil liberties and civil rights for all people in Nevada since 1966.

For additional information, please visit http://www.aclunv.org.

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