Trump lawsuits 10 times more than last 3 US presidents
Since taking over the most prestigious seat in the US, President Donald Trump has been named in 55 federal cases in 17 American states, mostly because of his anti-immigration order. The number of lawsuits Trump faces is at least 10 times more than the average number of lawsuits in this period against last three US presidents - Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama.
On January 27, Donald Trump passed an executive order temporarily barring entry of immigrants from seven Muslim nations - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. It also states that the US would provide preferential treatment to religious minorities facing persecution in these countries.
Lawsuits against Trump were filed by doctors, professors, students, refugees and Iraqis who worked with the US military. While 40 lawsuits were against the ban, nine were over civil rights, four about general immigration, one about financial conflicts of interest and one about federal funds to sanctuary cities. Two weeks into their presidency, Clinton faced five lawsuits, George W Bush four and Obama five.
Sanctuary cities follow certain procedures to shelter illegal immigrants. On January 25, 2017, Trump signed an executive order denying federal funding to such American cities. Across the US, there are over 300 jurisdictions, including 106 cities, that claim "sanctuary status". Mayors choosing to defend the sanctuary status of their city have to impose a defiance tax of USD 500 on residents, including children.
The US 9th Court of Appeals (a rough equivalent of a High Court in India) is expected to give its verdict on the ban soon. The case is likely to reach the Supreme Court in coming days. The 9th Court (the largest among 13 such courts) has asked the government if there was evidence that these banned countries posed threat to American national security.
Last week, a District Court judge from Seattle granted a restraining order suspending the temporary ban. Trump reacted against this ruling sharply on Twitter saying "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned". The restraining order was brought by the state of Washington, which is backed by Oregon and dozen other states.
