Washington will sue the federal government in an effort to overturn President Trump’s executive order restricting immigration from seven Middle Eastern countries.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson threw down the legal gauntlet this morning, saying he will go to federal court in Seattle later today with a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the order and a request for a judge’s order halting it across the country.

Other court action has challenged the order on behalf of individual travelers denied entry into the United States. This lawsuit will be more general and could have a nationwide impact, he said. 

The lawsuit will contend the executive order signed late last week violates the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment, setting up a religious test because it gives Christian refugees preference over Muslim refugees from the same country, he said. It will include statements from Amazon and Expedia that the restrictions on immigrants who have visas to work for them are hurting their businesses.

Ferguson and members of his staff were joined by Gov. Jay Inslee, who applauded peaceful demonstrations against the order and statements of opposition from religious leaders of many faiths.

“Resistance is not futile, it is productive,” Inslee said.

 

 

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