LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday, Feb. 7, to support legislation seeking to rescind the Trump administration’s executive order temporarily barring immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. and suspending the county’s refugee program.
Supervisor Hilda Solis recommended sending a letter of support to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has sponsored the Senate bill, and the rest of the county’s congressional delegation.
The motion passed 4-1, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger casting the dissenting vote without comment.
Solis called President Donald Trump’s executive order unconstitutional.
“As home to roughly 3.5 million immigrants, Los Angeles must continue to stand for protecting the civil rights, safety and dignity of all people,” Solis said in her motion. “Our founding fathers established our nation on the principle of religious freedom, which is a First Amendment right in the U.S. Constitution. We should not be barring any group from entering the United States based on their religious beliefs.”
The administration and many of its supporters have argued that the executive order does not amount to a ban and does not target people based on religion, but is essential in protecting the nation’s security.
“The Executive Order is a lawful exercise of the president’s authority over the entry of aliens into the United States and the admission of refugees,” according to a brief filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in support of the order.
Lawyers on both sides of the issue have argued their case to a three-judge appeals panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.