Supreme Court Upholds Muslim Ban, Ruling in Favor of Discrimination

Washington, D.C.—In response to today’s ruling that upheld the Trump Administration’s Muslim ban, Human Rights First’s Hardy Vieux issued the following statement:

It is disappointing that the Supreme Court today ruled in favor of discrimination and cloaked that decision in the language of national security. The Court failed to check this president’s crusade against Muslims. In deferring to the president’s determination that immigration was ‘detrimental to the interests of the United States’, the Court allowed this administration to abandon our American values, the rule of law, international norms, and human rights.

The Trump Administration has argued that their Muslim ban was necessary to protect national security, yet dozens of retired generals and admirals urged the Court to reject this logic, pointing out that the ban actually undermines relationships with key allies and individuals whose trust is critical to the success of U.S. national security. The Muslim ban endangers our national security rather than protecting our country.

The Supreme Court’s ruling today landed on the wrong side of history.

In March a group of 26 retired generals and admirals filed an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court case of Trump v. Hawaii, arguing that the Muslim ban compromises national security by perpetuating the image of the United States as hostile to Muslims and Muslim-majority nations, fraying relationships with foreign countries and local nationals, undermining U.S. military operations abroad, and serving as a propaganda tool for the United States’ enemies. Human Rights First and pro bono counsel Debevoise & Plimpton LLP prepared the brief for the retired military leaders.