AUSTIN – On April 10, Attorney General Ken Paxton led a coalition of 15 states in filing an amicus brief with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals defending President Trump’s revised immigration order.
The revised order provides for a temporary suspension of entry into the U.S. for refugees from six countries of national security concern while the vetting process is reviewed.
In the friend-of-the-court brief, Paxton, 13 other state attorneys general and the governor of Mississippi lay out the constitutional and federal statutory provisions that provide the authority for the president’s lawful actions, as delegated to him by Congress.
Last month, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit affirmed a ruling that blocked the original order.
“The president’s revised immigration order is constitutional, lawful, addresses the 9th Circuit’s concerns and is a vital step in securing our borders,” Paxton said.
“A temporary pause in the national refugee program will give the government time to review and determine how we can improve the screening process for foreign nationals seeking to enter the U.S. from six countries designated as ‘countries of concern.’ President Trump’s revised immigration order is necessary to protect the homeland from those who wish us harm.”
Texas is joined in the amicus brief by Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant.
Paxton led a 13-state coalition on a similar brief filed in the 4th Circuit on March 27.