STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL HERRING

~ On the Supreme Court's decision on the third iteration of President Trump's travel ban ~

RICHMOND (June 26, 2018) – Attorney General Mark R. Herring issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision upholding the third iteration of President Trump's travel ban. Attorney General Herring won the nation's first preliminary injunction against the original travel ban, and continued to successfully fight to block the second and third versions when they were challenged in court.

“I can’t overstate how much fear and hurt I felt from Virginia’s Muslim community when President Trump turned his viciously anti-Muslim rhetoric into his un-American, discriminatory travel ban. That fear extended even beyond Virginia’s Muslim communities into other minority communities who wondered whether they would be the next target of President Trump’s ire, and whether anyone would step up to protect them. I fear the Court has staked out a dangerous position that could be used to justify future acts of discrimination by governments, so long as those in power cover their tracks sufficiently. In this case, President Trump and his team were clear about what they were doing and didn’t even try to hide their tracks, yet the Court considered that unrefuted mountain of evidence to be irrelevant.

 

"This decision only reinforces my commitment to fight for the fundamental rights of all Virginians to live, work, worship, and raise their families free from discrimination and hate. That is a Virginia value, and I will never give up on it."

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