Thursday, May 18, 2017

Department of "Justice"

A federal judge in Seattle has temporarily blocked a Justice Department order that called on a local immigrant-rights organization to stop some of its legal work. His ruling also applies to similar groups around the country.

[...]

In a letter last month, the Justice Department told the [Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP)] it must “cease and desist” providing certain legal assistance to immigrants unless it undertakes full representation of them in court.

[...]

[U.S. District Judge Richard] Jones on Wednesday said the immigrant-rights group showed it would be immediately and irreparably harmed by the government’s action. The cease-and-desist order also would violate the organization’s constitutional rights, including to free speech, the judge ruled.

[...]

Despite a government request to limit his ruling to the group, Jones barred the Justice Department from sending similar orders to any other organizations around the nation.

[...]

During a court recess, the executive director [of NWIRP] Jorge Barón said his group has some of the same questions as the judge: “Why after all these years? “Why now [is the government pursuing this action]?

He noted that both Seattle and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project have gotten a lot of attention in recent months for their support of immigrants and resistance to President Donald Trump’s agenda. Barón and other attorneys with the group, for instance, went to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after Trump issued his first travel ban and were instrumental in stopping immigrants from being turned away. The organization also filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the first and second travel bans, and has held countless “know your rights” presentations.

The government’s cease-and-desist order, Barón said, “gives us concern that this could be retaliation for those activities.”

  Seattle Times
No doubt. Plus, Jeff Sessions is now the head of the DOJ.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

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