“It is abhorrent that, in a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the president’s Muslim ban, apparently turning a blind eye to the president’s own words and our country’s constitutional protections against discrimination. The president has made it clear that his Muslim ban and refugee policies were never intended to be about national security, but instead discrimination against certain people for their cultures and religious beliefs.
“Today’s decision will hurt families and individuals and goes against our nation’s history and constitutional protections against discrimination. It also reinforces anti-Muslim animus.
“The Court has used 'national security' to affirm policies like the internment of Japanese Americans, as in the Korematsu case, a shameful error in judgment that catered to the popular bigotry of the day and hurt so many people under a facade of national security.
"I look out my window on Bainbridge Island every day and see reminders of where many local families were marched into internment camps.
“While in today's ruling the Court expressly overruled Korematsu, this decision violates the spirit of that reversal and replaces one profoundly bad decision with another.
“I remain more committed than ever in ensuring that Washington state remains a place where all people are welcomed, honored and accepted. That is why earlier this year I signed a new law that prevents disclosing religious affiliation to the federal government. The law puts new restrictions on information about a person's religious affiliation that can be shared by employers, state government officials, and law enforcement.
"Today's decision proves that the intended checks and balances on a rogue president have failed. Discrimination should never be accepted in this country. This is a clarion call for action from all of us."
Background:
- Washington state law HB 2097: Limiting disclosure of information about the religious affiliation of individuals.
- Inslee op-ed: Why My State Won’t Close Its Doors to Syrian Refugees