ACLU of South Carolina Files Demands for Documents on Implementation of Trump's Muslim Ban
FOIA Filed As Part of Coordinated Campaign With 50 ACLU Affiliates
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2017
CONTACT:
Jessica McFadden, ACLU of South Carolina, 843-720-1423 or jmcfadden@aclusc.org
Gabriela Melendez, ACLU, 202-715-0826 or gmelendez@aclu.org
CHARLESTON, SC — The American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina joined ACLU affiliates in North Carolina, Georgia and West Virginia to file a Freedom of Information Act request today with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection field office that serves states in this region to expose how Trump administration officials are interpreting and executing the president’s unconstitutional immigration ban. The filing today is part of a coordinated effort from 50 ACLU affiliates, which filed 18 FOIAs with CBP field offices and its headquarters spanning 55 international airports across the country.
“The Executive Order issued by Mr. Trump last Friday has caused real people real pain. Families have been separated and uncertainty and fear are rampant. Clearly the Custom and Border Patrol agents were caught flat-footed. America’s international reputation as a country of fairness and due process has been tarnished. Images of young children being held in handcuffs cannot be erased, ” said Susan Dunn, Legal Director of the ACLU 0f South Carolina.
Media reports indicate that CBP officials detained and deported individuals, even after federal courts ordered officials to stop enforcing the Trump executive order following a court challenge from the ACLU and other organizations. In Georgia, a CNN producer was detained at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, despite being a permanent legal resident and having the proper paperwork.
“It is imperative that the public learn if federal immigration officials are blatantly defying nationwide federal court orders that discontinue President Trump’s unconstitutional immigration ban,” said Mitra Ebadolahi, Border Litigation Project Staff Attorney with the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties. “To shed light on this critical issue of pressing public concern, 50 ACLU affiliates are using the Freedom of Information Act to expose Customs and Border Protection’s abuse of power.”
The Trump administration has yet to inform the public of how many refugees, visa holders, and legal permanent residents have been affected by this unlawful action. In North Carolina, 37 refugees scheduled to resettle in Charlotte this month were banned from entering the country.
The following ACLU affiliates participated in this coordinated FOIA filing:
ACLU of Georgia
ACLU of North Carolina
ACLU of South Carolina
ACLU of West Virginia
The FOIA filings can be found here:
This statement is online here:
