SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Pierce County prosecutor not surprised by ruling on travel ban

Feb 10, 2017, 8:43 AM | Updated: 10:35 am

DNA, Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist...

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. (File, Associated Press)

(File, Associated Press)

If President Donald Trump didn’t anticipate that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals would rule against reinstating his refugee and immigration order, he should have, Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist says.

Ross: Donald Trump just got a judicial spanking

“I expected this was an issue that was almost guaranteed to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Lindquist said while on KIRO Radio’s Ron and Don Show. “I expected the Ninth Court to come down as they have.

“The president knew, or should have known, the constitutionality of the ban would be challenged all the way to the top.”

Attorneys representing the Trump administration tried to convince three federal judges this week that the halt on his executive order should be lifted. The order — commonly referred to as the travel ban — was issued at the end of January. It bars people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, save for those from Syria, who are banned indefinitely.

The ruling by the 9th Circuit declines to block a lower-court ruling that originally suspended Trump’s executive order. The State of Washington and Minnesota sued the president over his executive order.

Though the U.S. Supreme Court typically tackles more “meaty” topics, Lindquist says he expects the court to accept the case based on the public’s interest.

“It’s something I’m getting asked about all the time,” he said.

And it certainly appears as though President Trump isn’t ready to give up the fight, even though several notable political figures have told him to give up.

Listen to the entire conversation with Lindquist below.

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Pierce County prosecutor not surprised by ruling on travel ban