Mass. AG Joins Lawsuit Challenging Trump's Immigration Order
BOSTON (CBS) — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Tuesday morning that her office is joining local education leaders in filing a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration.
"Over the past three days, my office has closely reviewed the language of the order and its many impacts on our state and our people," said Healey in a noon press conference. "The executive order is harmful, discriminatory, and unconstitutional."
We are a unified Massachusetts — government, business, healthcare, academia, nonprofits — rejecting this discriminatory, dangerous measure. pic.twitter.com/klHjlk2bes
— Maura Healey (@MassAGO) January 31, 2017
The Democrat said her office filed the lawsuit Saturday night.
"It discriminates on the basis of religion and national origin, denies our residents access to due process and equal protection of the law, and violates federal immigration law," Healey said of Trump's order.
It sends the message that some people aren't wanted, that people will be judged, and classified, and segregated.
— Maura Healey (@MassAGO) January 31, 2017
The lawsuit is in response to the executive order signed by President Trump on Friday that barred immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days and blocked refugees from entering the country for 120 days.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker issued a statement saying his office supports AG Healey's lawsuit.
Our administration has worked with @MassAGO's office and supports her challenging this action. Full statement: pic.twitter.com/TqJ5wVv4oZ
— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) January 31, 2017
She said her office first learned of detentions at Logan Airport on Saturday afternoon, including the holding of two UMass engineering professors who were returning from a conference abroad.
"They are training the next generation of Massachusetts engineers," she said. "But with the wave of a pen, the president's executive order kept them and thousands of others from coming home."
Healey was joined at the press conference by several local academic, business, medicine, and advocacy leaders, including UMass President Marty Meehan, who said the executive order undermined the university's mission.
Mohammed Ali of #Carbonite calls #Immigration order"damaging to job creation." #UMass Marty Meehan says it undermines mission of University
— Lana Jones (@Lanawbz) January 31, 2017
"By filing this suit today, we are fighting for the principles that have made America a beacon of hope and freedom for the world," Healey said.
She said she hoped other states across the country would do the same.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports