M&S Files Federal Lawsuit on Behalf of Four Prominent Iranian-American Organizations Fighting Trump Travel Ban Executive Order

Lawsuit Against Travel Ban Executive 

Last week, Mehri & Skalet filed a case in federal court challenging the Trump Administration’s Executive Order banning nationals from Iran and six other predominantly Muslim nations from entering the U.S.
Mehri & Skalet teamed up with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and pro bono counsel, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, on behalf of the Pars Equality Center, the Iranian American Bar Association, the National Iranian American Council, and the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans and 18 individuals.

Approximately one million people of Iranian descent live in the United States. The case claims that President Trump’s Travel Ban Executive Order is unlawful and discriminates against the Iranian-American community by unfairly and improperly categorizing them as terrorists. According to the Cato Institute, there has not been a single case of an American being killed in a terrorist attack in this country by a person born in Iran — or any of the other six countries specified in the Executive Order.

Cyrus Mehri, who is Iranian-American, said, “This unlawful and arbitrary Executive Order has galvanized the Iranian-American community in an unprecedented fashion. From this crisis, we will emerge stronger and more united. We will set a good example for our children by standing up thoughtfully and courageously for our community. In addition to thanking our friends at the Lawyers Committee and APKS, I want to deeply thank the volunteer lawyers around the country at IABA, attorney Shayan Modarres, Pam Coukos of Working Ideal, and M&S attorneys Joanna Wasik, Amelia Friedman, and retired federal judge U.W. Clemon for their tireless efforts on this matter.”

The case was covered on NBC Nightly News and in the New York Times, Bloomberg, Politico, Los Angeles Times, Agence France Presse/Public Radio International and more.
The Trump Administration lawyers have until this Friday to respond. A hearing has been scheduled for February 28th. Read the complaint and more background on the case at www.endthetravelban.com.