N.J. attorney general, others defend Muslims after Supreme Court decision on Trump travel ban
"We may not always win, but we'll always stand up for what's right," New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said.
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Democrats and others who fought President Trump's travel ban against Muslim-majority countries criticized the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to uphold the ban and reject the challenge that it discriminated against Muslims or exceeded Trump's authority.
The ban applies to travelers from five countries with overwhelmingly Muslim populations — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. It also affects two non-Muslim countries, blocking travelers from North Korea and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who was among those who challenged the ban, said, "we may not always win, but we'll always stand up for what's right."
Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) said of the targeted countries: "If it really was about our safety, it would be a different list."
Booker pointed out that Trump spoke out against Muslims and Mexicans during his presidential campaign. Booker also said he was still "emotionally raw" about his recent visit to the southern U.S. border, where more than 2,300 immigrant children were separated from their parents due to a Trump administration policy, which the president reversed last week amid widespread outcry.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania on Tuesday tweeted "#NoMuslimBanEver."
The travel ban has been fully in place since the court declined to block it in December. The justices allowed the policy to take full effect even as the court fight over it continued and lower courts had ruled against it.
A sixth majority-Muslim country, Chad, was removed from the list in April after improving "its identity-management and information sharing practices," Trump said in a statement.
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The ban comes as reports of discrimination against Muslims have surged nationwide.
In Philadelphia, some residents expressed Islamophobia last year when an Islamic nonprofit announced it was opening a free health clinic in Northeast Philadelphia. The clinic opened earlier this year, with mostly support from the neighborhood.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.