ACLU of Kansas Files Demands for Documents on Implementation of Trump's Muslim Ban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2017
CONTACT: Micah Kubic, executive director, 913-490-4101, [email protected]
OVERLAND PARK, KS - The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas filed a Freedom of Information Act request today with its local U.S. Customs and Border Protection 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.
"Kansans deserve to know whether federal immigration officials in our area are acting in accordance with the rule of law, or whether they are defying it to implement an unconstitutional and immoral Muslim ban," said Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas.
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.
In addition to Kansas, the following ACLU affiliates participated in this coordinated FOIA filing: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 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, South Carolina, Southern California, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington,Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The ACLU of Kansas FOIA request can be found here: https://www.aclukansas.org/sites/default/files/cbp_foia_al_ar_la_ks_ms_t...
The ACLU national FOIA request can be found here: https://www.aclu.org/cbp-foia-filing-trump-immigration-ban
# # #
About the ACLU of Kansas: The ACLU of Kansas is the statewide affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU of Kansas is dedicated to preserving and advancing the civil rights and legal freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For more information, visit our website at www.aclukansas.org.