December 21, 2018 – In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court refused to allow the Trump Administration to enforce its unlawful “asylum ban” – which aimed to render all immigrants who crossed the southern border without inspection ineligible for asylum.
The Supreme Court ruling follows a preliminary injunction issued in federal district court earlier this week that halted implementation of the ban, labeling it “invalid” and citing the profound harms it would have to those seeking asylum.
The ruling also follows the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to not interfere with the lower district court’s ruling, agreeing with the district court that the ban is likely inconsistent with governing law. Both the Ninth Circuit Court’s and the Supreme Court’s decisions follow an attempt by the Trump Administration to force these courts to stay the district court’s order pending appeal.
These important legal victories stem from a lawsuit brought by the Innovation Law Lab and three other legal services organizations in early November. The suit argues that the president does not have the authority to unilaterally rewrite an immigration statute adopted by Congress which clearly states that those fleeing persecution may apply for asylum regardless of how they entered the country.
According to Ian Philabaum, Program Director at the Innovation Law Lab, currently based at the Tijuana-San Diego border, “The ill-conceived and unconstitutional ‘asylum ban’ is an illegal attempt by the Trump Administration to suspend the rule of law. The Innovation Law Lab’s technology and program design are critical to protecting the rights of everyone and securing fair and just treatment for children and families fleeing persecution.”
Philabaum and other staff at the Innovation Law Lab have been forced to divert time and resources into creating stopgap solutions for asylum seekers who have been targeted by the Trump Administration. Among the measures implemented by the Innovation Law Lab is a software tool that enables lawyers, advocates, activists and on-the-ground volunteers to conduct rapid and secure intakes. Use of the tool allows the Innovation Law Lab to measure the extent to which the rule of law is being followed at the border and, later, to connect asylum-seekers with legal resources in the United States.
In the federal court’s ruling, which blocks implementation of the asylum ban, Judge Jon Tigar specifically cited this rapid response work. “[The Innovation Law Lab] has expended significant resources to send staff to the border as it attempts to shift its programs. It has also been forced to devote resources to develop new software and guidance tools to operate in a more time-sensitive environment with fewer technological resources.”
The Innovation Law Lab and fellow platinfifs, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (ESBC) in Berkeley, Al Otro Lado in San Diego, and Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) in Los Angeles, are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR).
You can support the Innovation Law Lab’s efforts to uphold asylum seekers’ rights and the rule of law by making a gift.
The Supreme Court ruling follows a preliminary injunction issued in federal district court earlier this week that halted implementation of the ban, labeling it “invalid” and citing the profound harms it would have to those seeking asylum.
The ruling also follows the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to not interfere with the lower district court’s ruling, agreeing with the district court that the ban is likely inconsistent with governing law. Both the Ninth Circuit Court’s and the Supreme Court’s decisions follow an attempt by the Trump Administration to force these courts to stay the district court’s order pending appeal.
These important legal victories stem from a lawsuit brought by the Innovation Law Lab and three other legal services organizations in early November. The suit argues that the president does not have the authority to unilaterally rewrite an immigration statute adopted by Congress which clearly states that those fleeing persecution may apply for asylum regardless of how they entered the country.
“The crisis at the border is one of our federal government’s own making,” said Ian Philabaum, Program Director at the Innovation Law Lab, who has been spending more time at the Tijuana-San Diego border as of late. “The ill-conceived and unconstitutional ‘asylum ban’ is one of several attempts by our government to drastically limit all forms of immigration and implement white nationalist policies at the border.”
Philabaum and other staff at the Innovation Law Lab have been forced to divert time and resources into creating stopgap solutions for asylum seekers who have been targeted by the Trump Administration. Among the measures implemented by the Innovation Law Lab is a software tool that enables partner organizations and on-the-ground volunteers to conduct rapid and secure intakes. Use of the tool will allow the Innovation Law Lab to measure the extent to which the rule of law is being followed at the border and, later, connect asylum seekers with legal resources in the United States.
In the federal court’s ruling, which blocks the ban’s implementation, Judge Jon Tigar specifically cited this rapid response work. “[The Innovation Law Lab] has expended significant resources to send staff to the border as it attempts to shift its programs. It has also been forced to devote resources to develop new software and guidance tools to operate in a more time-sensitive environment with fewer technological resources.”
The Innovation Law Lab and fellow platinfifs, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (ESBC) in Berkeley, Al Otro Lado in San Diego, and Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) in Los Angeles, are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR).
You can support the Innovation Law Lab’s efforts to uphold asylum seekers’ rights and the rule of law by making a gift.
