The Port of Seattle has filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court, urging the court to affirm lower courts’ decisions blocking enforcement of President Donald J. Trump’s “travel ban.” Seattle is the first port in the nation to join the Supreme Court case in support of the parties challenging the travel ban.
“We have a moral and economic obligation to address this critical issue,” Port of Seattle Commissioner Courtney Gregoire said in a media release on Wednesday. “America is great because we are a nation of immigrants. President Trump’s travel ban also causes economic harm to our airport, our region and our state.”
In its brief, the port explains that as the primary international airport in the region and with more than 20 passenger airlines, serving approximately two dozen international cities and nearly 80 domestic destinations, the port “has a significant interest in the uniform application of a constitutional and statutorily authorized system of immigration as the operator of the port of entry into the United States for thousands of passengers arriving from the Middle East and other regions on a weekly basis.” The brief also points to the direct economic harm from an April 2017 decision by Emirates Airlines to cancel a second daily flight out of Sea-Tac Airport, “citing in part a drop in demand following the issuance of President Donald J. Trump’s executive orders temporarily halting entry to the United States for citizens of six (initially seven) countries in the Middle East.”
The ongoing legal effort continues a record of action by the port since the travel ban was announced in January 2017. Beginning immediately, the port connected families to lawyers who could advocate for their rights and the rights of their loved ones and set aside private waiting areas for families at the airport. The port filed an emergency motion to stop the expulsion of international travelers who had every right to be here, ultimately enabling those passengers to continue on their travels very early the next day, according to the release. The port has maintained close coordination with congressional, local and state leaders, including Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, since the beginning of this issue.
To the impacted individuals and families in this community, Gregoire said in the release, “we will continue to stand with you, and fight for you.”
The Port of Seattle’s support for immigrant and international communities does not stop with this legal action. Last week the Port of Seattle Commission also expressed its support for congressional efforts to provide permanent legal protections for immigrant children currently eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The Port of Seattle is a leading global gateway that provides economic opportunity for industries and individuals. As one of the closest gateways to Asia, this region benefits from international passengers traveling for business or pleasure, from global commercial shipping through Sea-Tac Airport and Northwest Seaport Alliance container terminals.
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