Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, one of the nation’s leading civil rights organization for American Muslims, issued the following statement on today’s Ninth Circuit decision on the Muslim Ban:

Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit not only upheld a federal court ruling that placed a temporary nationwide halt to President Trump’s Muslim ban, it also upheld long-treasured American values of the rule of law and liberty and equality for all, regardless of religion. The decision by the court today not only restores the rights of those directly affected by this misguided and hateful order, but it also serves as vindication for the millions of American Muslims whose faith has been attacked and maligned by this administration.

In this first appellate court decision to rule on the Trump Muslim ban, the Trump administration has been dealt a stinging rebuke.

As other legal challenges make their way through the judiciary and are met with skepticism – by both Republican and Democratic judicial appointees – it is becoming clear that this administration chose to issue this executive order based on anti-Muslim animus, with little to no regard for our constitutional traditions. We are hopeful that, as this case now returns to the district court, federal judges will continue to play their important role in our democracy, acting as a necessary check on an executive that exceeds its constitutional authority.

Muslim Advocates will continue to seek every legal avenue to challenge discriminatory and undemocratic laws and actions.

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A copy of Muslim Advocates’ amicus brief, filed on behalf of six American Muslim and Arab professional associations in the case, State of Washington and State of Minnesota v. Donald Trump, is available here.