Princeton alums spearhead court victory against Trump’s travel ban order

Greeted by crowds of supporters outside the federal court for the Eastern District of New York, Princeton alumnus and CEO of the American Civil Liberties Union Anthony Romero informed onlookers that the judge has granted a stay for two foreign-nationals from a Muslim majority country designated by Trump’s executive order.

This ruling effectively halts the deportation of documented immigrants from countries impacted by the ban across the United States.

“This is a remarkable day. On Day 1 after [Trump] signed the executive order, we jumped into the court arguing that the [EO] was unconstitutional, un-American, and that it flew in the face of established statures that we have long regarded in this country,” Romero said.  “And our attorneys convinced the judge to halt all of these movements and efforts to deports individuals who had lawfully came into this country, immigrants with green cards, individuals with visas, so this was a remarkable day. So what we’ve shown today is that the courts can work and that they are a bulwark in our democracy. And when President Trump enacts laws and executive orders that are unconstitutional and illegal, the courts are there to defend everyone’s rights.”

The ACLU filed a habeas corpus petition on behalf of Iraqi nationals Hameed Darweesh and Sameer Alshawi, both of whom had served with the US military as interpreters and engineers. Both were detained and denied admission to the United States after arriving at John F. Kennedy airport in New York after Trump’s executive orders.

Ann Marie Donnelly issued the decision in an emergency hearing held earlier today. The decision was first tweeted by Dale Ho, another Princeton alum and director of the ACLU Voting Rights project.