Muslim group, state of Washington take Trump to court

The top prosecutor in the state of Washington as well as the Council on American-Islamic Relations separately announced lawsuits against the Trump administration on Monday, vowing to challenge a controversial ban which sparked protests and a backlash from much of the globe this week.

"No one is above the law - not even the president," Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson told a news conference. "And in the courtroom, it is not the loudest voice that prevails. It's the Constitution."

Ferguson's lawsuit - the first of its kind - targets Trump, Homeland Security and high-ranking administration officials and calls for key provisions of the president's executive order on immigration to be declared illegal and unconstitutional.

The complaint argues that the travel ban, which has been met with an uproar both in the United States and abroad, was separating and harming families "and undermining Washington's sovereign interest in remaining a welcoming place for immigrants and refugees."

The suit urges the court to schedule a hearing on the matter within two weeks.

Meanwhile, some 15 plaintiffs and 12 other unnamed claimants came together to present CAIR's case against Trump's ban, described as a stepping stone to "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," as announced during Trump's election campaign.

In a 57-page lawsuit submitted to court on Monday, the plaintiffs note "Trump’s hateful, year‐long campaign which was fueled, in significant part, by a desire to stigmatise Islam and Muslims.”

On Saturday, a federal judge in New York blocked Trump's order as it pertained to certain individuals affected by the travel ban.

Ferguson's lawsuit is broader in scope as it seeks to invalidate entire sections of the executive order.