San Francisco sues Trump over immigration; more officials slam White House

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera (right) with Mayor Ed Lee (to his left) at press conference on the city’s lawsuit to protect its Sanctuary City status. 48 HILLS

SAN FRANCISCO — City Attorney Dennis Herrera on behalf of San Francisco filed a federal lawsuit against President Trump’s administration to protect San Francisco’s Sanctuary City status.

Mayor Ed Lee commended “City Attorney Herrera and his team for their swift action on this filing to protect our Sanctuary City.”

Lee added: “The misguided Executive Order makes our cities less safe, and we believe, is unconstitutional. If President Trump is truly invested in making America safer, then it is imperative that the new administration and Congress pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

Meanwhile, in Washington, DC, Asian American legislators denounced Trump’s ban on travelers and refugees from 7 Muslim countries.

“I was elected to help unify our country. This executive order from President Trump is an assault on our Constitution; it hurts working families; and it only serves to divide Americans, not unify them,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (Illinois-8). “It is no longer time to agonize but to organize. It is time to do everything we can to oppose this executive order.”

“It is unthinkable that this country, which welcomed me when I arrived at 16 years old, would so boldly, defiantly and barbarically turn its back on immigrants and refugees,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (Washington-7).

An Asian American advocacy group also praised Acting Attorney General Sally Yates who was fired by the White House yesterday, after she directed Justice Department attorneys not to defend the administration’s flawed executive order to ban refugees and immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, said in a statement:

“We applaud former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates for standing by her sworn oath and duty within the U.S. Department of Justice. Ms. Yates did not ‘betray’ her country or the President. She acted in accordance with the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution she was sworn to uphold. It is dangerous to the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution, and our country for an attorney general to be painted with the brush of “betrayal” for doing his or her job.