San Diego City Council Supports Lawsuit Against Trump Travel Ban

The San Diego city Council will join the legal challenge against President Trump's travel ban. Damage to the Oroville Dam as a wake-up call on the condition of the states water infrastructure. This is KPBS Midday Edition . It is Wednesday, February 15 pick our top story on midday edition Toppin ministration officials are working on drafting a new Executive Order banning travel into the U.S. by some foreign nationals. The current executive order signed by President Trump remains on hold pending a challenge in federal court. If and when that challenge is heard the city Council has voted to become part of it in San Diego. Joining me is Andrew Bowen. How is Samuel going to join the action?. -- They will cosign a brief and that is a legal document that is part of the court record. It is still just the state of Washington in Minnesota. These briefs are filed by people were not involved in the litigation but have an interest in the outcome of the lawsuit. San Diego is a city that was approached by Chicago. They are attempting to bring cities into the conversation on how this order is affecting people. The argument is are that they are being affected by this travel ban and some weight. Set the scene for us yesterday. There was public testimony but the city Council was taken in closed session. It was because it contained legal deliberation. There were a lot of public speakers that lasted long for something that is in closed session. There were people from the business community saying that immigrants and refugees are important to the San Diego economy. There were people from the LGBT community. Many people who seek refuge in the United States are seeking it because they are gay or lesbian or transgender. There was a group of psychologists talking about the trauma. There was someone from a grassroots organizing movement that is based on the tea party and I think most importantly there were refugees and their children. People who are talking about the great work that they do in their communities and a woman said she was the daughter of refugees who moved to 35 years ago. Refugees are the most but it people that come to the United States. It is a process that takes up to two years. Refugees are not the enemy. The suspension of the refugee program is a blow to our own economic growth as a city in many of our refugees work within tourism and transportation industries here in San Diego. After this public testimony the members took their boats and it was passed 8-1. A councilmember was the only ones that oppose. Do we know why? The Councilman really statement that they are proud that they are taking a step. They mention the protest in San Diego after the travel ban went into effect. The Councilman Sherman was the one who voted against signing this brief also issued a statement and he said that the city was being asked to sign a document that no one has read and it hasn't been written. The city should focus on municipal issues not chasing national headlines. I think the response that we heard to that mindset was a this is a municipal issue and it doesn't affect people in San Diego. Many people talked in support of the brief. Were the people who gave public testimony against it customer There were two. They said they should focus on local issues rather than national ones. Someone said that Executive Order had been suspended and that he might replace it with a different Executive Order in cosigning the brief would not have much of an impact. Told the mayor -- so the mayor came out and did not take about. He did issue a statement saying that Americans deserve an immigration policy that keeps us safe without separating families and shutting doors on innocent people. He said this order directly impacts San Diego inns. I think it is a bold the statement that I've heard from the mayor on Trump administration policy. He did have a recent press conference with the mayor and both of them avoided questions on Trump specifically in sort of focused on this positive cross-border cooperation that they try to encourage. The statement did not mention Trump by name but I think the mayor is walking a fine line but he is moving in a direction of being less conciliatory towards the president. I've been speaking with Andrew Bowen. Thank you. Thank you.