Civil liberties groups announced on Wednesday that they intend to file a number of lawsuits against the United States government over how the travel ban signed into existence via executive order by President Donald Trump is being enforced by federal agencies.
The filing of the lawsuits was performed by local divisions of the American Civil Liberties Union against both the Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection, and covers their activities in as many as 14 cities, including Maine, San Diego and Portland. The suits are trying to force Freedom of Information Act requests to be honored that were filed within days of the first executive order travel ban being signed by the President.
The order, which was signed on the 27th of January, was intended to fulfill the campaign promise made by Trump to get tough on immigration, and temporarily banned travel from a number of countries including Iran, Libya, Yemen and the Sudan, as well as temporarily preventing refugees from entering the United States. A federal judge blocked ban, however, in March a less comprehensive order was also signed by the President, although that is also facing legal challenges.
While the Trump administration insists they have a legal right to impose the restrictions in order to protect national security, opponents claim they violate the US Constitution on the grounds of religious discrimination. The lawsuits want exact figures on the number of immigrants detained or given extra screening after the order was signed, and information on the guidance given to DHS staff over enforcing that order.