When we fight, we win!

Last night, UAW Local 4121 contributed to the lawsuit filed earlier this week by the Washington State Attorney General alleging that one of President Trump’s Executive Orders violated U.S. laws and the Constitution, including the provision banning entry to the U.S. of people from seven named countries. You can see the Local 4121 declaration here.

This afternoon a Federal Judge granted the AG’s request for a Temporary Restraining Order on a nationwide basis to block portions of the Executive Order, including the entry ban on people from seven countries.

This is big!

As you know, the ruling follows a week of protest and action.   UAW members joined with thousands in a direct action response to the Trump EO last weekend, occupying SeaTac airport as part of a nationwide protest, and marching in downtown Seattle the day after.  Elected officials at the federal, state, and city levels – buttressed by the mass mobilizations of their constituents – spoke out condemning the ban. At Wednesday’s UAW forum, Local 4121 members discussed the impacts the Order has been having on members of the UW community, as well as next steps for moving forward and creating demands to UW.  And now today’s ruling furthers the advance.

We are awaiting further legal interpretation of today’s ruling, and a judge will be issuing a written decision over the weekend.  While the restraining order is not a final decision overturning the Travel Ban it does temporarily halt enforcement, which could lead to other positive outcomes for international students and scholars needing to travel.

We will keep you updated as all of this develops.

Thank you to all who have been getting involved in support of immigrants and refugees in the past weeks — at rallies, at forums, and more. There are more opportunities to continue getting involved in the next week! Please plan to join us next Thursday, 2/9 for an immigration rally from 12-1pm on Red Square, and our February membership meeting at 5:30pm in Sieg 134.

In Solidarity,
Theresa Aliwarga
Douglas Avella-Castro
Andrea Canini
Anthony Castanza
Ying-Yu Chen
Monica Cortes Viharo
Kristen Garofali
Arshiya Hoseyni Chime
Katya Kolesova
Dylan Mayer
Elizabeth Mills
Chelsea Pagan
David Parsons
Michelle Pham
Shua Sanchez
Viral Shah
Sam Sumpter
Arash Tarkhan
Judy Twedt