AG Bob Feruson (Courtesy of AG office.)

A federal judge will hear a motion from a lawsuit filed by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson against the Trump administration’s travel ban Friday, according to an AG office press release.

The lawsuit argues that core elements of the ban, which puts a months-long prohibition on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. and indefinitely bars Syrian refugees from entry, are unconstitutional. The ban led to a wave of confusion among border security and hundreds of travelers who were in-transit when the order was signed. (Though initially permanent visa-holding residents were denied entry, the White House rolled that back, multiple outlets reported.) The ban also received widespread criticism, including from state Democratic lawmakers. Gallup polls released Thursday morning show that 55 percent of Americans disapprove of the order.

“No one is above the law, not even the President,” stated Ferguson in the release. “My legal team presents a strong case, detailing the constitutional weaknesses in President Trump’s unlawful Executive Order. That order is causing significant harm and demands immediate action.”

On Friday the judge will hear the state’s motion for a restraining order, which would temporarily suspend the ban. The judge could make a decision on that as early as Friday afternoon, according to the release.

Washington is the first state to sue the administration’s order, but Minnesota joined on in the lawsuit. Several lawsuits, on behalf of travelers caught up in the ban, were filed over the weekend, and now three other states — Massachusetts, New York and Virginia — are joining in other efforts against the ban, according to the release.

Erin Fenner: erin@washingtonstatewire.com, @erinfenner

Your support matters.

Public service journalism is important today as ever. If you get something from our coverage, please consider making a donation to support our work. Thanks for reading our stuff.