Washington, Apr 25 (EFE).– Dozens of protesters gathered Wednesday at the US Supreme Court carrying placards and shouting slogans to urge the Court to strike down President Donald Trump’s ban on refugees and travelers from several mostly Muslim countries.
Protester Liz Hayes told EFE that she was participating in the demonstration because she thought the ban was unconstitutional and un-American, as the United States is a country founded on the principle of religious freedom.
The 38-year-old Hayes, who is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was carrying a banner with the words “The ban is unconstitutional.”
The Supreme Court is analyzing the legality of the third version of Trump’s travel ban, which seeks to indefinitely restrict entry into the US of individuals from six Muslim-majority countries – Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen – as well as North Korean citizens and Venezuelan government officials and their immediate family members.
The travel ban started as a campaign promise ahead of the 2016 elections, when Trump promised a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslim immigration to the United States, with the goal of stopping jihadi terrorism.
Catholics, Muslims and Jews, including individuals from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), which has provided legal assistance to foreigners affected by the travel ban, decided to join Wednesday’s protest.
The case has become very contentious in the US, as 15 of the 50 state governments, led by Texas, have backed the travel ban, while 16 other states, led by New York, have backed Hawaii’s efforts to challenge enforcement of the ban.