“Amici Curiae Brief by Scholars of Mormonism Opposed to Trump’s Refugee and Immigrant Ban”

A “friend of the court brief” was filed today with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in reference to President Donald J. Trump’s executive order on immigration.  I’m among the nineteen signatories.  Professor Nathan Oman, Rollins Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Markets at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, drafted the document.  This is an introductory statement that he also wrote:

“Earlier today a group of 19 scholars of law and religious history filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit attacking President Trump’s executive order banning immigration from 6 Muslim nations.  The brief emphasizes the dangers of targeting immigrants on the basis of religion, telling the story of the federal government’s campaign against Mormon immigrants in the 19th century and its unfortunate legacy.

“Mormons are often identified as political conservatives, but during the recent presidential campaign the Mormon Church took the rare step of issuing a critical press release in response to then-candidate Trump’s call for a ban on Muslim immigration.  The brief retells the history behind Mormons’ particular concern for religious minorities, and illustrates the evils of targeting Muslim immigrants and refugees or others on the basis of religion.”

Further information, and the text of the brief itself, can be found here:

http://mormonscholarsbrief.blogspot.com/

Posted from Park City, Utah