# Amicus Curiae Brief — Trump v. Hawaii, 138 S. Ct. 923 (2018) (No. 17-965)

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## Record

- **Collection:** Supreme Court brief
- **Document type:** Amicus Curiae Brief
- **Published:** January 1, 2018

## Text

No. 17-965

In The
Supreme Court of the United States

DONALD J. TRUMP, et al.,

Petitioners,
v.

STATE OF HAWAIL, et ai.,
Respondents.

&
—

On Writ Of Certiorari To The
United States Court Of Appeals
For The Ninth Circuit

@®
. A

BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE IMMIGRATION LAW
SCHOLARS ON THE TEXT AND STRUCTURE OF
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT IN

SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS

DEBORAH ANKER* FATMA MAROUF*
Clinical Professor of Law Counsel of Record
SABRINEH ARDALAN* Professor of Law
Assistant Clinical Professor TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

of Law SCHOOL OF LAW
PHILIP L. TORREY* 1515 Commerce Street
Lecturer on Law and Fort Worth, TX 76102

Managing Attorney (817) 212-4123

HARVARD IMMIGRATION AND fatma. marouf@
REFUGEE CLINICAL PROGRAM law.tamu.edu

HARVARD LAW SCHOOL

6 Everett Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

(617) 384-8165

danker@law.harvard.edu

sardalan@law.harvard.edu

ptorrey@law.harvard.edu

*Filed in an individual capacity. University affiliation is for
identification only.

COCKLE LEGAL BRIEFS (800) 225-6964
WWW.COCKLELEGALBRIEFS.COM

GEOFFREY HOFFMAN*

Director, Immigration Clinic
Clinical Associate Professor of Law
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER
4604 Calhoun Road, Room 56, TU-II
Houston, TX 77204

(713) 743-2094
ghoffman@central.uh.edu

ALAN HYDE*
Professor of Law

131 21st Avenue South

Nashville, TN 37203

(615) 322-3092
karla.mckanders@vanderbilt.edu

*Filed in an individual capacity. University
affiliation is for identification only.

Of Counsel

NATHAN MACKENZIE

225 Walden Street, #4N

Cambridge, MA 02140

(978) 852-8626
nmackenzie@jd17.law.harvard.edu

Page

INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE ................0..00000 1

SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT ..................... 1

SE vicraceseniicasinentneintinciintabneninianiindennntiias 4
I. CONGRESS HAS ESTABLISHED A SPE-

Il.

i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CIFIC IMMIGRATION ADMISSION SYS-
TEM, WHICH THE PRESIDENT CANNOT

A. Congress Has Primary, If Not Exclusive,
Power to Regulate Immigration............

B. The President’s Delegated Authority
Does Not Allow Him to Circumvent
Congress’s Deliberately Crafted Ad-
I I cacsciescseriecemensesedevntenene

CONGRESS HAS DELEGATED POW-
ERS OVER IMMIGRATION TO THE
PRESIDENT THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT,
BUT NOT UNLIMITED ...............ccccccceeeees

A. Congress Has Delegated Certain Pow-
ers Over Immigration Enforcement,
Adjudication, and Visa Processing to
I ctectasvinicnnsicncsintonnaniinsons

B. The Delegation of Authority Under

1182(f) Does Not Provide the Presi-
dent Unlimited Power .........................

1. The Plain Language of 1182(f) Con-
strains the President’s Power..........

12

12

15

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS — Continued
Page
2. Prior Practice Confirms the Con-

straints on the President’s Power
CREE ER RC a 19

3. The Purported Purposes of EO-3
Are Inconsistent with the Con-
straints on the President’s Power
EE Se tcincuctschmintiasgidaedbensmens 22

C. Section 1185(a)(1) Does Not Provide
the President Authority to Impose a
Nationality-Based Ban on Entry......... 25

D. The INA’s Nondiscrimination Provision
Further Constrains the President’s Del-
egated Authority Under 1182(f) and

| Ee 28
Se Riiccnsndscninntundvencnenindesdndesininninnminanstn 33
APPENDIX
Se ee cstcicticrinsnhnitictnsiasninsshatiienitiiaasiiiaiaiiibaldidasandnk App. 1

ili

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
Page
CASES
Abourezk v. Reagan, 785 F.2d 1043 (D.C. Cir.

UTE secensuiceciianiabeinenenigtiepianepneueeannecaiealenieints 10, 11
Arizona v. United States, 567 U.S. 387 (2012) ............. 5
Dada v. Mukasey, 554 U.S. 1 (2008) «0000.0... .cccccccccc cece 6
Fiallo v. Bell, 430 U.S. 787 (1977) ..........c.cccceeeeeeeerenenens 5
Fong Yue Ting v. United States, 149 U.S. 698

ihciesinthivecsitinseitbiinadscilipdabintiaanntindiatnnpinieen 2,5
Haitian Refugee Ctr. v. Civiletti, 503 F. Supp. 442

ee eas SUE cinscaressncsininincnnsecnentnatuiniicatisinningiinsinnccses 32
Hawaii v. Trump, 265 F. Supp. 3d 1140 (D. Haw.

Ue sisinpnisiisinediaicimpenenincnppiitidaisanninnandibnteiitnsmiiernminte 25
Hawaii v. Trump, 878 F.3d 662 (9th Cir. 2017)... passim
Hawaii v. Trump, 138 S. Ct. 923 (2018)..................... 25
Hillman v. Maretta, 133 S. Ct. 1943 (2013) ............... 30
Int'l Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump, 857

OEE a 33
Int'l Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump, 265

F. Supp. 3d 570 (D. Md. Oct. 17, 2017) ................... 28
Int'l Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump, 883

F.3d 233 (4th Cir. 2018).................0cccccccccreceeees passim
Kent v. Dulles, 357 U.S. 116 (1958). ................cccceceeeees 19
Kerry v. Din, 135 S. Ct. 2128 (2015)....................00000+ 13
Kleindienst v. Mandel, 408 U.S. 753 (1972) ............... 14
Lopez v. Gonzales, 549 U.S. 47 (2006)..............00000000- 4,6

iv

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Continued

Page
Martinez v. Plumbers & Pipefitters Nat'l Pension
Plan, 795 F.3d 1211 (10th Cir. 2015)...................... 17
Marx v. General Revenue Corp., 568 U.S. 371
Si ii vstucticacaiienlaiipichidnsesehaiibainsaisandaientindadniasistdieneantbioias 16
Morton v. Mancari, 417 U.S. 535 (1974)..................... 31
NLRB v. Noel Canning, 134 S. Ct. 2550 (2014)......... 19
Olsen v. Albright, 990 F. Supp. 31 (D.D.C. 1997) ....... 28
Puello v. Bureau of Citizenship & Immigr. Servs.,
611 F.3d 324 (3d Cir, 2007) ............cccceseccsesescrseseseses 29
RadLAX Gateway Hotel, LLC v. Amalgamated
Bank, 566 U.S. 639 (2012)...........ccccccccceeeesseseeseeeerees 11
Regan v. Wald, 468 U.S. 222 (1984) ............ccccccceeeeeeees 21
United Air Lines, Inc. v. Civil Aeronautics Bd..,
198 F.3d 100 (7th Cir. 1952) 00..........cccccccceseeeeeeeeenens 17
United States ex rel. Knauff v. Shaughnessy, 338
ee ED tenniniccincusesscmictedusainaiapiadsenianniennianesd 5,6
United States v. Updike, 281 U.S. 489 (1930) ............ 17
Walters v. Metro. Educ. Enters. , Inc., 519 U.S. 202
ie ciincinnctinenmninsininvininneinenpemianmanenciatanuanensaisees 16
Whitman v. American Trucking Assns., Inc., 531
Sy Ne IED sconrusdenicrenipsnestvtinctateclinaniepasnintinatinetdnidatieihinionatiie 27
Youngstown Sheet and Tube v. Sawyer, 343 U.S.
Ne iichisrretansdecisncisepanienensentasniniiniindmmpiosebeoces 6,19

Zivotofsky ex rel. Zivotofsky v. Kerry, 135 S. Ct.
ee iciscnvenedernineicservesnaidavsineanindinbsaioes 11,19

—

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Continued

Page
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS
Se HEIL: Uiahsicinnderitancnecenstensesvmnnenssensabesensennemmmeneiniats 5
Se SE III TIF saverreseinscibvciibbciidonedsnbiaticnnipienembenidtuctsiebiniaitaiia 19
STATUTES
Be Oe TEE enierrcunscinisticentectibonieniionindlinestbectinpvevedenrtiniates 13
Be EH SUTIN watcevashicciovuntbasdiennsonseeninnnocebietendousininitaneiingl 8
Oe Be hectaincecienerndcirsousinnnennyictiannedieitianmistinstnasintnenestios 13
Pe Te IE ecitedcianstienisnnsicvitesisaianitedniiniiatiiscsectiniinhatiananiianidinns 7
se IE cncecsinteciantaisteveniasunstiatinintinamendaes 3, 29, 30, 31
ee Be iniinienicstnitensnccnsninenisnincinenticniniianmiaidainmmaiianis 7
ee ee etibnicceniriestattnsichinettieniaininniembiansénndenitgs passim
a tr HEE ulainicsndesciicipcnninininenissinaiitiinpaiiobinnidnidaiiciaiei passim
Be ee IIIT dniciiednssicetecinstntintedgnaaielidanaiennimsdeninidénmimeiinn 23
Sy IT TD ITE ein ssciceiainnitnnhettapeatisaddaliatiniaiacadadiinddan 14, 23
III IIIT iepisinchenniscnncuiessednccieiessdbnstbpanttisenapanecniiban 13
Fe I Ut SE atenssicocsenenepenssobeiunsatsnndensgnsieseiaininiiicmemnees 13
BG II tansdncciasiinniencntcntsnnsninaseiéebtanstesacimeaiatinen 13
ee PI -ccnsantninndacecicmnsccnsnenntessnicentonsinanniinistanneens 24
RWGULATIONS

ee OF i ctereeresinovssnreenpsveneevenetieipcineinnsseeemnmmmeniines 24

vi

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Continued

Page
OTHER AUTHORITIES
Adam B. Cox & Cristina M. Rodriguez, The Pres-
ident and Immigration Law, 119 Yale L.J. 458
ITT eniihdsaitdinlseniadendensucscianegnitntdiniindensadsanicebetaninieetiaes 12
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Pub. L. No.
95-426, 92 Stat. 992 (Oct. 7, 1978) ..........cccccceeee eee 27
Gerald L. Neuman, Terrorism, Selective Depor-
tation and the First Amendment After Reno v.
AADC, 14 Geo. Immigr. L.J. 313 (2000).................... 8
H.R. 8662, 89th Cong., Ist Sess. (1965) .................0.. 29
H.R. Rep. No. 101-955 (1990) ..........cccccccseceeeeeeeeseeeeees 11
Immigration & Nationality Act of 1952, Pub. L.
No. 82-414, 66 Stat. 190 (June 27, 1952)................. 27
Kate M. Manuel, Cong. Research Serv., R44743,
Executive Authority to Exclude Aliens (2017)......... 20
President’s Announcement of Sanctions Against
Iran, 16 Weekly Comp. of Pres. Doc. 611 (Apr.
Tri PIE sivediuibeasinsepanitnsnaiinesiededanteutidemidasiencttgisiiendiadaiiaenedons 20
Proclamation No. 5517, 51 Fed. Reg. 30,470
I as: Ser crscsncntncectnccninssestossntsienccinensscnssese 20, 21
Proclamation No. 9645, 82 Fed. Reg. 45,161
I Se ee i icitecentsicninnsnemnnniancnpinsnipsninsanceininds passim

Reagan Orders Aliens Stopped on the High Sea,
oe: 8 8 ee 21

vii
TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Continued

Remarks at the Signing of the Immigration Bill,
Liberty Island, New York, 546 Pub. Papers
Ces Ai ec rnesidanpnicsdh ditcceuncaduiesoinieiabiineccwente 28

S.500/H.R. 2580, 89th Cong., 1st Sess. (1965) ........... 29

1

INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE

Amici are immigration law scholars. They teach
immigration law, have written numerous scholarly ar-
ticles on immigration law, and understand the practi-
cal aspects of immigration law through client
representation. They submit this brief to demonstrate
that the text and structure of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (“INA”) constrain the authority delegated
to the executive branch under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1182(f) and
1185(a)(1), rendering Proclamation 9645, 82 Fed. Reg.
45,161 (Sept. 27, 2017) (*EO-3”), ultra vires.'

+
A

SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT

While Congress has delegated broad powers to the
executive branch concerning the enforcement of immi-
gration laws, the INA’s text, structure, and usage limit
those powers. The scope of authority delegated under
1182(f) can only be reconciled with the INA as a whole
if that provision is construed to apply in exigent

' Pursuant to Sup. Ct. R. 37.6, amici state that no party’s
counsel authored the brief in whole or in part; no party’s counsel
contributed money that was intended to fund preparing or sub-
mitting the brief; and no person — other than counsel for amici —
contributed money that was intended to fund preparing or sub-
mitting the brief. A Motion for Leave to File is not required pur-
suant to Sup. Ct. R. 37.2(a) because counsel for Respondents has
consented in writing to the filing of this amici curiae brief, and
Petitioners lodged their blanket consent to amici curiae briefs
with the Clerk. A complete list of amici is set forth in the appendix
to this brief.

2

circumstances involving diplomacy or military affairs,
where the President’s power is at its peak. Further, the
grant of authority under 1185(a)(1) must similarly be
construed in its appropriate context as pertaining to
procedural requirements for entering and departing
the United States — not the power to implement a
wholesale ban on issuing visas based on nationality. 8
U.S.C. § 1185(a)(1). The Government’s assertion that
the INA authorizes the actions outlined in EO-3 is thus
unfounded.

Part I explains that Congress has primary author-
ity over immigration policy and argues that the Presi-
dent may not unilaterally alter the categories of aliens
who may be admitted to the United States as immi-
grants (permanent residents) and nonimmigrants
(temporary visitors). See Fong Yue Ting v. United
States, 149 U.S. 698, 713-14 (1893) (“The power to ex-
clude or to expel aliens .. . is to be regulated by treaty
or by act of congress, and to be executed by the
executive authority according to the regulations so es-
tablished ....”). Nor is the President authorized to
override the grounds for exclusion legislated by Con-
gress, including the provisions barring admission
based on national security and foreign policy concerns.
While Congress has delegated broad power to exclude
noncitizens under these grounds, it has also legislated
restrictions on that power.

Part II discusses the authority that Congress has
delegated to the executive branch over immigration
enforcement, adjudication, and visa processing, and
shows why 1182(f) and 1185(a) do not provide the

3

President the unchecked power that the Government
claims. This section discusses the plain language of
1182(f) and how specific words in the statute constrain
the President’s authority, prohibiting an indefinite, na-
tionality-based ban. We argue that the text of 1182(f),
together with its prior usage, limit its application. This
interpretation gives the President the authority and
flexibility needed to respond to exigent situations
without subverting the INA as a whole.

Here, there is no exigent circumstance or appro-
priate detrimental finding that would warrant the type
of sweeping ban that EO-3 dictates. Furthermore,
the purported purposes of EO-3, which pertain to the
designated countries’ information-sharing and iden-
tity-management practices, are not related to the re-
strictions actually imposed. Congress has already
determined what to do if a foreign country’s documen-
tation is inadequate: its nationals must apply individ-
ually for visas, at which point applicants are vetted on
a case-by-case basis. EO-3 rewrites that rule by indis-
criminately prohibiting the issuance of visas to nation-
als of such countries.

The INA’s nondiscrimination provision further
constrains the President’s delegated authority under
1182(f) and 1185(a)(1). See 8 U.S.C. § 1152(a)(1)(A).
When 1182(f) was enacted in 1952, exclusion of entire
nations was a central feature of U.S. immigration law.
In 1965, Congress amended the INA to end the dis-
criminatory barred zones and national origin quotas.
The abolition of national origin quotas was an im-
portant change in U.S. immigration policy — not one

4

that the President is free to ignore. Congress defini-
tively abandoned a system rooted in national origin
discrimination in favor of a more equitable admission
system based primarily on family unification. This
change would be meaningless if the President had un-
checked power under 1182(f) and 1185(a)(1) to over-
ride the principle of nondiscrimination embedded in
the INA. Thus, the text and structure of the INA as a
whole unambiguously doom EO-3.

,
A

ARGUMENT

I. CONGRESS HAS ESTABLISHED A SPE-
CIFIC IMMIGRATION ADMISSION SYS-
TEM, WHICH THE PRESIDENT CANNOT
UNILATERALLY REWRITE.

Congress has legislated specific categories of al-
iens who may and may not be admitted to the country
based on certain criteria. The President cannot effec-
tively repeal that system by rewriting the rules of ad-
mission via executive fiat. Where, as here, Congress
has repeatedly legislated to limit the President’s stat-
utory authority related to the admissions system, he is
not free to ignore those constraints. The provisions del-
egating authority to the President must be construed
in light of the INA as a whole. As this Court recognized
in Lopez v. Gonzales, reading provisions of the INA in
isolation could lead to “so much trickery, violating the
cardinal rule that statutory language must be read in
context.” 549 U.S. 47, 56 (2006) (citations and internal
quotation marks omitted).

5

A. Congress Has Primary, If Not Exclu-
sive, Power to Regulate Immigration.

Pursuant to the U.S. Constitution, primary re-
sponsibility over immigration policy-making lies with
Congress, which has the power to “establish an uni-
form Rule of Naturalization,” “regulate Commerce
with foreign Nations,” “declare War,” and prohibit
“(tlhe Migration or Importation of such Persons as any
of the States now existing shall think proper to admit.”
U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 3, 4, 11 & § 9, cl. 1. The Court
has recognized that these enumerated powers, com-
bined with the Necessary and Proper Clause, give Con-
gress primary — if not exclusive — authority to regulate
the admission of aliens. See Hawaii v. Trump, 878 F.3d
662, 685 (9th Cir. 2017), cert. granted, No. 17-965, 2018
WL 324357 (U.S. Jan. 19, 2018) (describing Congress’s
power, as compared to the executive’s, as “the primary,
if not exclusive,” power over immigration) (citing Ari-
zona v. United States, 567 U.S. 387, 409 (2012)); see also
Fiallo v. Bell, 430 U.S. 787, 792 (1977) (“[O]ver no con-
ceivable subject is the legislative power of Congress
more complete than it is over the admission of aliens.”
(internal quotation marks omitted)); Fong Yue Ting,
149 US. at 713-14.

The President cannot use his delegated »uthority
under 1182(f) and 1185(a)(1) of the INA to undermine
the admissions system Congress created.’ See

* Although the Government invokes United States ex rel.
Knauff v. Shaughnessy, 338 U.S. 537, 539 (1950) to argue that the
President has inherent authority over admission, Knau/ff is inap-
posite. In that case, the President denied entry to a single German

6

Youngstown Sheet and Tube v. Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579,
637 (1952) (Jackson, J., concurring). The language of
1182(f) and 1185(a)(1) must be interpreted in a man-
ner consistent with other specific provisions of the INA
and the statute as a whole to give them proper mean-
ing without allowing them to be used as a backdoor to
override the INA’s admission system. See, e.g., Dada v.
Mukasey, 554 U.S. 1, 16 (2008) (“In reading a statute
we must not look merely to a particular clause, but con-
sider in connection with it the whole statute.” (internal
quotation marks omitted)); Lopez, 549 U.S. at 56
(“[Ojur interpretive regime reads whole sections of a
statute together to fix on the meaning of any one of
them.”).

Interpreting 1182(f) and 1185(a)(1) in the context
of the entire INA demonstrates that these provisions
do not authorize the blanket ban on immigrant visas
and the improper and contradictory restrictions on
nonimmigrant visas set forth in EO-3. In the sixty-five
years since the enactment of 1182(f), Congress has re-
peatedly enacted restrictions on executive discretion
that would make no sense if the President were free to

national pursuant to a 1941 Act that authorized the President to
impose additional restrictions on entry and departure “during the
national emergency proclaimed May 27, 1941.” See Knauff, 338
U.S. at 539. The case thus stands for the uncontroversial proposi-
tion that the President, authorized by a clear congressional man-
date, may deny entry to an individual during a proclaimed
national emergency, following an individualized finding of possi-
ble harm to the public interest. Jd. at 544. EO-3, in contrast, bans
approximately 150 million foreign nationals in the absence of a
national emergency, in direct contravention of a specific statutory
scheme, and without any individualized findings.

7

ignore them. See Hawaii, 878 F.3d at 685 (concluding
that “the Proclamation conflicts with the statutory
framework of the INA by indefinitely nullifying Con-
gress’s considered judgments on matters of immigra-
tion”); International Refugee Assistance Project v.
Trump, 883 F.3d 233, 295 (4th Cir. 2018) (Gregory, J.,
concurring) (comparing “the Government’s interpreta-
tion of § 1182(f) and § 1185(a)(1) [as] authorizling] the
President to prevent significant portions of the INA
from having any effect, indefinitely” to “the unconsti-
tutional line item veto”).

B. The President’s Delegated Authority
Does Not Allow Him to Circumvent Con-
gress’s Deliberately Crafted Admission

System.

The INA provides detailed and delimited catego-
ries of aliens who may be admitted to the United
States, which the President cannot unilaterally alter.
For individuals seeking permanent residence, Con.
gress has established three primary pathways to ob-
taining an immigrant visa: family relationships,
employment, and the diversity lottery. 8 U.S.C.
§ 1153(a)-(c). These visas are issued pursuant to stat-
utorily established methods for calculating the num-
ber of visas available, see 8 U.S.C. §§ 1153(a)-(b),
1151(b)(2)(A)(i), and for determining in what order in-
dividuals will be admitted. See, e.g., 8 U.S.C. § 1153(c)
(providing a formula to determine admission in a ran-
dom order, from certain underrepresented geograph-
ical regions). For nonimmigrants, who comprise the

8

vast majority of individuals admitted to the United
States, Congress has created an equally specific sys-
tem — an alphabet soup of visas for individuals coming
to the United States for tourism, business, investment,
study, training, temporary work, artistic performances,
athletic events, and exchange programs, among others.
8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15).

Just as Congress has specified categories for ad-
mission, so too has it specified categories of aliens who
may not be admitted. 8 U.S.C. § 1182. Those inadmis-
sibility grounds render certain aliens “ineligible to re-
ceive visas and ineligible to be admitted to the United
States,” subject to specified exceptions and discretion-
ary waivers. 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a). The inadmissibility
grounds include, but are not limited to, categories
based on: criminal convictions; crime-related conduct;
immigration violations; fraudulent misrepresentation;
national security; and foreign policy. See 8 U.S.C.
§ 1182(a). Of those, the national security and foreign
policy inadmissibility grounds are the most critical for
interpreting the President’s authority under 1182(f)
and 1185(a)(1).

The Government justifies EO-3 as necessary to
protect national security, but Congress has already ad-
dressed that concern. The national security inadmissi-
bility ground at 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B) provides broad
definitions of “terrorist activity” and “engag|ing] in ter-
rorist activity,” according consular and immigration of-
ficials wide discretion in applying those labels to
render individuals inadmissible. See Gerald L. Neu-
man, Terrorism, Selective Deportation and the First

9

Amendment After Reno v. AADC, 14 Geo. Immigr. L.J.
313, 321-22 (2000). For instance, any organization
may qualify as a Tier III terrorist organization if
it is “a group of two or more individuals, whether
organized or not, which engages in, or has a sub-
group which engages in [terrorist activity].” 8 U.S.C.
§ 1182(aX(3BXviID. The definition of “terrorist
activity,” in turn, includes unlawful use of a “weapon
or dangerous device,” and the phrase “le|ngagling]
in terrorist activity” includes providing “material sup-
port” to any “terrorist activity” or “terrorist organiza-
tion.” 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)iii)(V)(b), (B)iv); 8 ULS.C.
§ 1182(d)(3)(B).

At the same time that Congress delegated this ex-
tensive power of exclusion on national security
grounds, it legislated specific restrictions on that exec-
utive power. For example, an alien may not be excluded
for membership in a Tier III terrorist organization if
he or she “can demonstrate by clear and convincing ev-
idence that the alien did not know, and should not rea-
sonably have known, that the organization was a
terrorist organization.” 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)GX(V1);
see also 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)(ivTV\(cc). Further-
more, the definition of terrorist activity excludes the
use of weapons “for mere personal monetary gain.” 8
U.S.C. § 1182(a\(3)(B)iii(V)(b). The Government’s
reading of the INA would render these restrictions
meaningless because the President would retain power
to bar any noncitizen from the country. Congress’s re-
strictions on executive discretion show that it did not

10

intend 1182(f) to be construed as broadly as the Gov-
ernment claims in this case.

It would be pointless for Congress to legislate spe-
cific criteria for terrorism-related inadmissibility, as
well as inadmissibility-related exceptions and exemp-
tions, while also authorizing the President to nullify
those provisions by summarily excluding entire na-
tions based on alleged terrorism concerns. See
Abourezk v. Reagan, 785 F.2d 1043, 1057-58 (D.C. Cir.
1986), aff’d, 484 U.S. 1 (1987) (prohibiting the execu-
tive branch from using the general exclusionary au-
thority conferred by Congress in one provision of the
INA to circumvent a more specific provision excluding
aliens on the basis of organizational affiliation); Ha-
waii, 878 F.3d at 690 (“[Bly suspending entry of a class
of 150 million potentially admissible aliens, the Proc-
lamation sweeps broader than any past entry suspen-
sion .. . in the name of addressing,” inter alia “general
public-safety and terrorism threats,” which “Congress
has already addressed.”).

Similarly, Congress made the foreign policy inad-
missibility ground extensive but imposed specified
constraints. That ground applies to any alien “whose
entry or proposed activities in the United States the
Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe
would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy
consequences for the United States.” 8 U.S.C.
§ 1182(a)(3)(C) (emphasis added). Yet, Congress carved
out specific exceptions to the foreign policy inadmissi-
bility ground, including an exception that a person
generally should not be inadmissible based on “past,

11

current, or expected beliefs, statements, or associations
that would be lawful within the United States.” 8
U.S.C. § 1182(aX3)(C)(ii)-Ciii).

Congress created this inadmissibility ground to
“establish a single clear standard for policy exclusions”
to be applied on a case-by-case basis. H.R. Rep. No. 101-
955, at 128-29 (1990) (emphasizing that individuals
cannot be excluded “merely because of the potential
signal that might be sent”). By requiring the executive
branch to have “reasonable grounds to believe” that an
individual was excludable based on the foreign policy
inadmissibility ground before denying admission, Con-
gress limited the President’s authority to exclude. See
RadLAX Gateway Hotel, LLC v. Amalgamated Bank,
566 U.S. 639, 645 (2012) (interpreting a statute to
avoid “the superfluity of a specific provision that is
swallowed by the general one”).

EO-3 effectively renders entire groups defined by
their nationality inadmissible, thereby overriding Con-
gress’s deliberately crafted, individualized admission
system. See Hawaii, 878 F.3d at 691-92 (rejecting the
President’s efforts to “effectively rewritle] the immi-
gration laws as they pertain to the affected countries”).
EO-3’s attempt to override Congress’s statutory ad-
mission scheme is clearly “incompatible with the ex-
press or implied will of Congress.” See Zivotofsky ex rel.
Zivotofsky v. Kerry, 135 S. Ct. 2076, 2084 (2015) (quot-
ing Youngstown Sheet and Tube, 343 U.S. at 637 (Jack-
son, J., concurring)); Abourezk, 785 F.2d at 1061 (“[Al-
though] the Executive has broad discretion over the
admission and exclusion of aliens, |that discretion] . . .

12

extends only as far as the statutory authority con-
ferred by Congress ... .”).

Il. CONGRESS HAS DELEGATED POWERS
OVER IMMIGRATION TO THE PRESI-
DENT THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT, BUT NOT
UNLIMITED.

Although EO-3 belatedly attempts to correct the
deficiencies in the President’s prior efforts to ban for-
eign nationals from certain countries, it exceeds the
President’s delegated authority. As set forth in Part A
below, the powers Congress delegated to the executive
branch are limited and primarily concern the INA’s en-
forcement, as well as matters related to the adjudica-
tion of immigration relief and benefits and the
processing of visas — not carte blanche authority to re-
write the INA. As Parts B and C demonstrate, respec-
tively, the President’s authority under 1182(f) and
1185(a)(1) is broad, but not unlimited.

A. Congress Has Delegated Certain Powers
Over Immigration Enforcement, Adjudi-
cation, and Visa Processing to the Presi-
dent.

The broadest delegations of authority from Con-
gress to the executive branch pertain to enforcement
and removal, rather than admission. Adam B. Cox &
Cristina M. Rodriguez, The President and Immigration
Law, 119 Yale L.J. 458, 464-65 (2009). Congress has
charged the Secretary of Homeland Security with

13

“lelstablishing national immigration enforcement pol-
icies and priorities,” and, even more generally, with
“the administration and enforcement” of immigration
laws. 6 U.S.C. § 202(5); 8 U.S.C. § 1103(a). Those pow-
ers allow the President, through the Secretary of
Homeland Security, to prioritize certain classes of
noncitizens for removal and provide guidance regard-
ing the use of prosecutorial discretion. Although Con-
gress has set forth detailed grounds of deportability,
see 8 U.S.C. § 1227, the executive branch has prosecu-
torial discretion to determine who is actually placed in
removal proceedings and who is ultimately deported
under those statutory grounds.

In addition, Congress has authorized the Execu-
tive Office for Immigration Review of the Department
of Justice, as well as the Department of Homeland Se-
curity (“DHS”), to make determinations about whether
to grant certain forms of relief and protection from re-
moval if an individual satisfies the INA’s eligibility cri-
teria. Many of those determinations, including
whether to grant different types of cancellation of re-
moval, voluntary departure, and adjustment of status,
require executive branch officials to exercise some de-
gree of discretion. See 8 U.S.C. §§ 1229b, 1229c, 1255(c).

Congress has provided the executive branch with
the authority to make individualized determinations
about matters related to admissions, parole, and visa
processing. For example, Congress has authorized the
executive branch to deny entry based on an existing
inadmissibility ground. See, e.g., Kerry v. Din, 135 S. Ct.
2128, 2131-32 (2015) (upholding consular official’s

14

denial of a visa, where the official acted pursuant to a
statutory provision prohibiting the issuance of visas to
persons who engage in terrorist activities). Congress
has also delegated authority to grant discretionary
waivers of certain inadmissibility grounds in individ-
ual cases. See, e.g., Kleindienst v. Mandel, 408 U.S. 753,
769-70 (1972) (involving denial of a waiver of inadmis-
sibility by the executive branch pursuant to a delega-
tion of authority in former 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(28)).
While some waivers are quite broad, see, e.g., 8 U.S.C.
§ 1182(d)(3) (waiver of inadmissibility grounds for
nonimmigrant visa holders), others may be granted
only if the applicant satisfies specific statutory re-
quirements. See, eg., 8 US.C. § 1182(a)(9)(B)(v)
(waiver of three and ten-year bars to admission for un-
lawful presence). Congress has also authorized execu-
tive branch officials to grant “parole,” which allows
entry “on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian
reasons or significant public benefit.” 8 U.S.C.
§ 1182(d)(5)(A).

In addition, Congress has delegated authority to
executive branch officials to determine the form and
manner of processing immigrant and nonimmigrant
visa applications. See 8 U.S.C. § 1202(a)-(d); 8 U.S.C.
§ 1202(h)(1)(C) (authorizing the Secretary of State to
waive the in-person interview requirement for a
nonimmigrant visa if it is “in the national interest of
the United States” or “necessary as a result of unusual
or emergent circumstances”); 8 U.S.C. § 1202(g)(2)(B)
(authorizing the Secretary of State to grant an excep-
tion to the rule that overstaying a nonimmigrant visa

15

makes an individual ineligible to be readmi.. u as a
nonimmigrant).

Viewed in its entirety, the admissions system Con-
gress created affords the President broad — but not un-
limited — powers over immigration. The President’s
attempt to override the admission system and impose
a blanket ban on immigrants from seven countries and
certain nonimmigrants from eight countries is outside
the scope of his delegated authority. See JRAP, 883 F.3d
at 290 (“Congress has not clearly delegated the expan-
sive authority that the President seeks, and the powers
Congress did delegate contain restraints that have
been exceeded in this case.”) (Gregory, J., concurring).

B. The Delegation of Authority Under
1182(f) Does Not Provide the President
Unlimited Power.

EO-3 relies primarily on the President’s authority
under 1182(f) in this third attempt to impose a
nationality-based ban. Section 1182(f) provides:

Whenever the President finds that the entry
of any aliens or any class of aliens into the
United States would be detrimental to the in-
terests of the United States, he may by procla-
mation, and for such period as he shall deem
necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or
any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmi-
grants, or impose on the entry of aliens any
restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.

16

8 U.S.C. § 1182(f) (emphasis added). As discussed be-
low, 1182(f) does not grant the President unfettered
discretion. First, the plain language of this section
demonstrates that Congress’s grant of authority to the
President to restrict or suspend entry of aliens is lim-
ited. Second, past practice confirms that the authority
in 1182(f) is limited to exigent situations involving
military or foreign affairs, which are not at issue in this
case. Third, EO-3 unlawfully circumvents Congress’s
complex vetting scheme, which already takes into con-
sideration countries’ information-sharing and iden-
tity-management practices.

1. The Plain Language of 1182(f) Con-
strains the President’s Power.

Interpreting 1182(f) requires giving each term of
this provision some effect without rendering the INA’s
admission scheme superfluous and its restraints on
th. executive branch’s discretion meaningless. See
Marx v. General Revenue Corp., 568 U.S. 371, 386
(2013) (“[T]he canon against surplusage is strongest
when an interpretation would render superfluous an-
other part of the same statutory scheme.”); Walters v.
Metro. Educ. Enters., Inc., 519 U.S. 202, 209 (1997)
(“Statutes must be interpreted, if possible, to give each
word some operative effect.”).

First, the words “suspend” and “period” used in
1182(f) indicate that the provision cannot be invoked
as authority for the type of indefinite ban set forth in
EO-3. See Hawaii, 878 F.3d at 684 (interpreting

17

“suspend” and “period” as limiting the President’s “ex-
clusion power”). As this Court and others have noted,
the terms “suspend” and “period” c»nnote temporary,
finite intervals of time. See, e.g., United States v. Up-
dike, 281 U.S. 489, 495 (1930) (interpreting “period” as
a “stated interval of time commonly thought of in
terms of years, months, and days”); Martinez v. Plumb-
ers & Pipefitters Nat'l Pension Plan, 795 F.3d 1211,
1221-23 (10th Cir. 2015) (interpreting “suspend” in
conjunction with “resume” as referring to a temporary
withholding of benefits); United Air Lines, Inc. v. Civil
Aeronautics Bd., 198 F.3d 100, 108 (7th Cir. 1952) (de-
scribing “the power of the Board to ‘suspend’ as not in-
cluding the power to ‘revoke’”).

By imposing indefinite, and potentially perma-
nent, nationality-based bans, EO-3 exceeds 1182(f)’s
temporal limitations. Although EO-3 pays lip service
to periodic reviews of the affected countries’ infor-
mation and identity sharing practices, it would allow
the nationality-based bans to remain in effect indefi-
nitely. See Hawaii, 878 F.3d at 684-85 (describing the
scheme as creating a situation where “the restrictions
may persist ad infinitum” — especially given the lack of
evidence that the restrictions will actually incentivize
countries to improve their information-sharing and
identity-management practices — a result that § 1182(f)
“heavily disfavors”).

Even if 1182(f) were construed to allow for an in-
definite ban, its plain language requires the President
to “find” that the entry of noncitizens “would be detri-
mental to the interests of the United States.” 8 U.S.C.

18

§ 1182(f) (emphasis added). This requirement, which
limits the President’s discretion, stands in stark con-
trast to other provisions of the INA, which delegate
much broader grants of discretion. For example, other
INA provisions instruct the executive branch to “con-
sider” whether admission is in the “national interest”
and delegate authority at “the discretion of” the Attor-
ney General. See, e.g., 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(14) (giving the
Secretary of DHS discretion to waive inadmissibility
grounds for victims of crimes applying for U visas “if
[he] considers it to be in the public or national interest
to do so”); 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(3)(A) (leaving it to “the
discretion of the Attorney General” to grant nonimmi-
grant visa applicants waivers of specified grounds of
inadmissibility); 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(1) (giving the Attor-
ney General discretion to waive inadmissibility
grounds for nonimmigrants if he “considers it to be in
the national interest to do so”).

The language of 1182(f) requiring the President to
“find” that entry is “detrimental to the interests of the
United States” indicates that this provision applies
only to situations where a proper finding was made
that admission would be damaging to national secu-
rity. This interpretation of 1182(f) gives the President
the authority and flexibility needed to respond to exi-
gent situations without subverting the INA as a whole.
Here, there is no exigent circumstance or appropriate
detrimental finding that would warrant the type of
sweeping ban that EO-3 dictates.

19

2. Prior Practice Confirms the Con-
straints on the President’s Power Un-
der 1182(f).

Past practice confirms the limitations on the scope
of 1182(f) reflected in its text. See Zivotofsky, 135 S. Ct.
at 2090-91 (placing “significant weight on historical
practice” in interpreting what foreign affairs power is
legitimate (quoting NLRB v. Noel Canning, 134 S. Ct.
2550, 2559 (2014))); Kent v. Dulles, 357 U.S. 116, 122,
129-30 (1958) (declining to expand the authority
granted under the INA beyond the scope of its histori-
cal usage, despite a declared national emergency).
Prior Presidents have relied on 1182(f) in exigent sit-
uations invoking military powers or foreign affairs,
which match the President’s constitutional authority.
See U.S. Const. art. II, § 2, cl. 1-2; IRAP, 883 F.3d at 296
(Gregory, J., concurring) (finding that 1182(f) empow-
ers the President to exclude “(1) foreign nationals
whose individual conduct or affiliation makes their en-
try harmful to national interests for reasons unantici-
pated by Congress and (2) foreign nationals in
response to a foreign-affairs or national-security exi-
gency”). In contrast, when the President attempts to
restrict entry of classes of aliens in situations that do
not implicate specific diplomatic emergencies or mili-
tary crises, he is encroaching on Congress’s power to
establish the classes of persons who may and may not
be admitted to the United States, and consequently his
power is at “its lowest ebb.” See Youngstown Sheet and
Tube, 343 U.S. at 637 (Jackson, J., concurring).

20

The President may invoke 1182(f) to pressure a
foreign government to conform with U.S. policy (often
as part of broader sanctions), to enforce a treaty, or to
respond to a foreign coup, act of aggression, or emer-
gency. See Kate M. Manuel, Cong. Research Serv.,
R44743, Executive Authority to Exclude Aliens 6-10
(2017) (listing all previous presidential suspensions).
In those exigent circumstances, the President’s power
is at its zenith. For example, President Carter used his
delegated authority under 1182(f) in response to the
1980 Iranian hostage crisis, directing the Secretary of
State to invalidate and suspend the issuance of visas
to Iranians “except for compelling and proven human-
itarian reasons or where the national interest of our
own country requires.” President’s Announcement of
Sanctions Against Iran, 16 Weekly Comp. of Pres. Doc.
611 (Apr. 7, 1980). Restricting the entry of Iranians
was just one of several measures, including ending dip-
lomatic relations, that President Carter used to in-
crease pressure on Iran to release hostages taken
during the attack on the U.S. embassy. /d.

Perhaps the broadest use of 1182(f) was President
Reagan’s decision to “suspend entry into the United
States as immigrants by all Cuban nationals.” Procla-
mation No. 5517, 51 Fed. Reg. 30,470 (Aug. 22, 1986).
But even that Proclamation included specified excep-
tions for immediate family of U.S. citizens. Moreover,
President Reagan issued Proclamation No. 5517 in re-
sponse to the Cuban government’s refusal to honor an
immigration agreement between the two countries,

21

which disrupted normal migration procedures.’ Jd. See
also Regan v. Wald, 468 U.S. 222, 241-42 (1984) (up-
holding President Reagan’s ability to restrict U.S. citi-
zens’ travel to Cuba, specifically citing “weighty
concerns of foreign policy” as the justification for the
restriction).

In contrast to EO-3, those prior executive actions
were taken in response to specific diplomatic exigen-
cies and therefore fell squarely within the scope of the
President’s authority under 1182(f). See Hawaii, 878
F.3d at 689 (“[U]nlike the Proclamation, the Cuba and
Iran orders were intended to address specific foreign
policy concerns distinct from general immigration con-
cerns already addressed by Congress.”). The broad, un-
prompted reach of EO-3 is unprecedented. See IRAP,
883 F.3d at 289 (Gregory, J., concurring) (“The Procla-
mation has no historical precedent.”). EO-3’s suspen-
sion of the entry of foreign nationals from certain
countries is not related to exigent diplomatic or mili-
tary affairs. There is no evidence, for example, that the
President suspended entry from these countries to

° President Reagan’s High Seas Interdiction Proclamation
and its implementing executive orders were also limited in scope
and driven by exigent circumstances related to U.S.-Haiti foreign
affairs. That Proclamation suspended “entry of undocumented al-
iens from the high seas” and thus only applied to individuals who
were already inadmissible. See 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(7AXiXD. It
was also based on a diplomatic agreement between Haiti and the
United States, reached after months of negotiations, and con-
tained a military component. See Reagan Orders Aliens Stopped
on the High Sea, NY Times, Sept. 30, 1981, available at http://
www.nytimes.com/198 1/09/30/us/reagan-orders-aliens-stopped-on-
the-high-sea.html.

22

apply pressure in foreign negotiations, to enforce a
treaty, or to respond to an act of aggression or a coup
or recent revolution. Jd. at 300 (“The Proclamation
cannot be responding to an exigency because it does
not identify any new event or factual circumstance
that Congress has not already considered via legisla-
tion.”). The Government’s interpretation of 1182(f)
thus “requires a breathtaking delegation to the Presi-
dent of virtually unconstrained power not only to de-
part from Congress’s priorities but to dramatically
reorganize the domestic affairs of broad swathes of
Americans.” Jd. at 291.

3. The Purported Purposes of EO-3 Are
Inconsistent with the Constraints on
the President’s Power Under 1182(f).

EO-3 summarily asserts that information-sharing
and identity-management deficiencies in the desig-
nated countries compromise national security and that
EO-3 serves a diplomatic purpose by encouraging the
designated countries to improve their practices in
those areas. But the Government’s purported reasons
are not related to the restrictions actually imposed.
EO-3 “makes no finding that nationality alone renders
entry of this broad class of individuals a heightened
security risk” or that “the nationality of the covered in-
dividuals alone renders their entry into the United
States on certain forms of visas detrimental to the in-
terests of the United States.” See Hawaii, 878 F.3d at
693-94 (noting that EO-3 “attempt(s] to rectify EO-2’s
lack of a meaningful connection between listed

23

countries and terrorist organizations” by “cit|ing] to
the fact that ‘several terrorist groups are active’ in
Chad,” but it “does not tie the nationals of the desig-
nated countries to terrorist organizations” and “makes
no finding that nationality alone renders entry of this
broad class of individuals a heightened security risk or
that current screening processes are inadequate”); see
also IRAP, 883 F.3d at 317 (Keenan, J., concurring)
(concluding that “the Proclamation suffers from the
same deficiency as its predecessor: the Proclamation
fails to find that the entry of these particular nationals
would be detrimental to the interests of the United
States”).

Furthermore, Congress has already accounted for
the variations in countries’ information-sharing and
identity-management practices when deciding which
countries can participate in the Visa Waiver Program.
See 8 U.S.C. §§ 1187(a)(3)(B), (a)(12)(D)(iii), (c)(2)(D)-
(F) (requiring foreign governments to issue electronic
passports, report lost or stolen passports, share secu-
rity-related information about its nationals, and not be
a safe haven for terrorists to participate in the Visa
Waiver Program). Nationals of countries that do not
meet those information-sharing criteria cannot enter
without a visa and must go through the regular visa
application process, during which the individual appli-
cant has the burden to prove visa eligibility, including
admissibility into the United States, through both doc-
umentation and an interview. See 8 U.S.C. §§ 1202(a)-
(d), (g)-(h) (placing the burden on applicants in the
visa application process); 1182(a)(2), (a)(3)(A)-(C)

24

(inadmissibility bars based on threats to national se-
curity and public safety). Individuals who fail to pro-
vide sufficient information and documentation cannot
obtain visas. 8 U.S.C. § 1361; 22 CFR § 40.6.

In other words, Congress has determined what to
do if a foreign country’s documentation is inadequate:
its nationals must apply individually for visas. EO-3
rewrites this rule by prohibiting issuance of visas to
nationals of specified countries. See Hawaii, 878 F.3d
at 690 (concluding that EO-3 “addresses only matters
of immigration already passed upon by Congress”).
EO-3 therefore conflicts with Congress’s considered
judgment as to how countries’ information-sharing
and identity-management practices should impact the
vetting of aliens for admission. See Hawaii, 878 F.3d at
686; IRAP, 883 F.3d at 337 (Wynn, J., concurring) (de-
scribing EO-3’s reliance on the “inadequacy of the sub-
ject countries’ vetting capabilities and processes” as
“inconsistent” with the complex vetting scheme that
Congress set forth to preclude the entry of nationals
from certain countries without a visa where their coun-
tries do not meet the requisite information-sharing cri-
teria).

EO-3’s internal incoherencies further undermine
any rationale related to diplomacy or national security.
If the diplomatic purpose is to encourage foreign gov-
ernments to improve their practices, it makes little
sense to exclude from the ban a country like Iraq,
which did not meet the baseline information-sharing
and identity-management criteria, while a country like
Somalia, which met the baseline criteria, is included in

25

the ban. See Proclamation 9645, 82 Fed. Reg. 45,161, at
1(g), (i) (Sept. 27, 2017). Similarly, EO-3 provides no
explanation for why some types of visitors from a
particular country are banned while others are not. If
information-sharing and identity-management defi-
ciencies generally compromise national security, it
does not serve the Government’s purported purpose to
allow individuals from Chad, Yemen, and Libya with
nearly all types of nonimmigrant visas to enter the
United States. Hawaii v. Trump, 265 F. Supp. 3d 1140,
1156 (D. Haw. 2017), aff'd in part, vacated in part, 878
F.3d 662 (9th Cir. 2017), cert. granted, 138 S. Ct. 923
(2018) (describing the “internal incoherencies” of EO-
3). Nor does it serve that purported purpose to allow
Iranian nonimmigrants with student and exchange
visas to enter while barring all other Iranian non-
immigrants. Indiscriminately excluding certain
nonimmigrants, as opposed to the previous Executive
Orders’ wholesale exclusion of nonimmigrants, does
not automatically render EO-3 a permissible exercise
of presidential authority.

C. Section 1185(a)(1) Does Not Provide
the President Authority to Impose a
Nationality-Based Ban on Entry.

The President’s authority under 1185(a)(1) also
does not grant him the sweeping power necessary to
enact EO-3. Section 1185(a)(1) states that “it shall be
unlawful for any alien to depart from or enter .. . the
United States except under such reasonable rules, reg-
ulations, and orders, and subject to such limitations

26

and exceptions as the President may prescribe.” 8
U.S.C. § 1185(a)(1). The statute’s text and legislative
history demonstrate that its grant of discretionary au-
thority allows the President to create reasonable pro-
cedural requirements for entering and departing the
United States. See IRAP, 883 F.3d at 301-02 (Gregory,
J., concurring). It does not grant unbridled authority to
prevent entry based on nationality. Jd. at 301-03.

Interpreting 1185(a)(1) in light of its text and the
language of surrounding provisions demonstrates that
Congress did not intend to delegate the extensive Pres-
idential authority needed to authorize EO-3. Such an
expansive delegation of authority requires a statement
of legislative intent that is conspicuously absent from
1185(a)(1).‘ Id. at 291. The content of surrounding stat-
utory provisions demonstrates that 1185(a)(1) is con-
cerned with regulating the use or acquisition of travel
documents. See, e.g., 8 U.S.C. §§ 1182(a)(3) (prohibiting
a person from making false statements in an applica-
tion for permission to enter or depart the United
States); 1182(a)(5) (prohibiting a person from fraudu-
lently using a permit to enter or depart the United
States); see also IRAP, 883 F.3d at 301 (Gregory, J., con-
curring) (“Read in context, § 1185(a)(1) is at best a

* As noted in the previous section, Congress has granted the
executive branch broad discretionary authority to regulate spe-
cific aspects of immigration in other immigration-related statu-
tory provisions. See, eg., 8 US.C. §§ 1182(a)(10)C)iiIID)
(persons designated by the Secretary of State in her “sole and un-
reviewable discretion” as related to an international child abduc-
tor are inadmissible); 1182(d)3)(P i) (waiving an inadmissibility
ground for certain nonimmigrani: ‘n the “sole unreviewable dis-
cretion” of the Secretary of State).

27

residual provision that enables the President to issue
reasonable rules pertaining to travel documents and
related administrative processes — similar to its adja-
cent subsections.”). Cf Whitman v. American Trucking
Assns., Inc.,531 U.S. 457, 468 (2001) (Congress does not
“hide elephants in mouseholes”).

Section 1185(a)(1)’s legislative history similarly
reveals Congress’s intent to limit the President’s au-
thority granted under the provision. In 1952,
1185(a)(1) authorized the President to enforce depar-
ture and entry “restrictions and prohibitions in addi-
tion to those provided otherwise than by this section”
during war or other “national emergency” and until
“otherwise ordered by the President or Congress.” Im-
migration & Nationality Act of 1952, Pub. L. No. 82-
414, 66 Stat. 190 (June 27, 1952), § 215. In 1978, Con-
gress amended the provision to reflect its current lan-
guage by repealing (1) the President’s authority to
impose “restrictions and prohibitions in addition to
those provided . . . by this section,” and (2) the require-
ment that the provision be exercised only during times
of war or national emergency. Foreign Relations Au-
thorization Act, Pub. L. No. 95-426, 92 Stat. 992-93
(Oct. 7, 1978), § 707. While the Government relies on
the latter aspect of the amendment, the former actu-
ally reins in the President’s previously granted author-
ity to impose additional restrictions on entry and
departure. See IRAP, 883 F.3d at 301-02 (Gregory, J.,
concurring).

The Government's interpretation of 1185(a)(1)
does not comport with the statute’s text or history, and

28

sweeps so broadly as to swallow the more specific
1182(f).° See Hawaii, 878 F.3d at 694 (concluding that
“the Government cannot justify the Proclamation un-
der § 1182(f) by using § 1185(a) as a backdoor,” be-
cause “|gleneral grants in a statute are limited by more
specific statutory provisions, and § 1182(f) has a spe-
cific requirement that there be a finding of detriment
before entry may be suspended or otherwise restricted”
(citation omitted)). EO-3 therefore cannot stand as an
exercise of statutory authority under 1185(a)(1).

D. The INA’s Nondiscrimination Provision
Further Constrains the President’s Del-
egated Authority Under 1182(f) and
1185(a)(1).

Section 1152(a)(1)(A) of the INA prohibits discrim-
ination on the basis of nationality and place of birth in
the issuance of immigrant visas. Introduced as part of
the Immigration Act of 1965, the INA’s nondiscrimina-
tion provision was designed to remedy the “harsh in-
justice of the national origins quota system.” See
President Lyndon B. Johnson, Remarks at the Signing
of the Immigration Bill, Liberty Island, New York, 546
Pub. Papers 1037, 1038 (Oct. 3, 1965); see als:. Olsen v.

° Previously, the Government has not argued that 1185(a\1)
grants the President more authority than 1182(f). See, e.g., Int
Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump, 265 F. Supp. 3d 570, 611 (D.
Md. Oct. 17, 2017) (“Although the Proclamation also relies on
§ 1185(a)(1), the parties do not argue that this section provides
broader authority than § 1182(f).”).

29

Albright, 990 F. Supp. 31, 37-38 (D.D.C. 1997) (noting
that “[t]he legislative history surrounding the 1965 Act
is replete with the bold anti-discriminatory principles
of the Civil Rights Era,” and that visas may not be de-
nied based on prejudicial national stereotypes).

Congress rejected a proposal to transition away
from national origin quotas gradually, preferring in-
stead to abolish them immediately and limit the exec-
utive’s discretion in the visa allocation process.
S.500/H.R. 2580, 89th Cong., Ist Sess. (1965) (Hart-
Celler, Johnson administration bill); H.R. 8662, 89th
Cong., 1st Sess. (1965) (Feighan bill). Congress surely
did not imagine that a future President could unilater-
ally create barred zones and national exclusions that
violate Congress’s requirements of nondiscrimination,
8 U.S.C. § 1152(a)(1)(A), or a first-come first-served
policy for visa applicants, 8 U.S.C. § 1153(e).

Considering Congress’s intent to repeal the na-
tional origin quota system and its discriminatory foun-
dation, it is unsurprising that the text of the
nondiscrimination provision is succinct and unambig-
uous: “[N]o person shall receive any preference or pri-
ority or be discriminated against in the issuance of an
immigrant visa because of the person’s race, sex, na-
tionality, place of birth, or place of residence.” 8 U.S.C.
§ 1152(a)(1)(A). That text is clear and should be inter-
preted in accordance with its plain meaning. See Puello
v. Bureau of Citizenship & Immigr. Servs., 511 F.3d
324, 327 (2d Cir. 2007).

30

Although Congress did create some narrow statu-
tory exceptions to the nondiscrimination provision,
none are applicable to EO-3.° Notably, Congress did not
choose to exempt the President’s authority pursuant to
1182(f) or 1185(a)(1) from the nondiscrimination pro-
vision. See Hillman v. Maretta, 133 S. Ct. 1943, 1953
(2013) (“Where Congress explicitly enumerates certain
exceptions to a general prohibition, additional excep-
tions are not to be implied, in the absence of evidence
of a contrary legislative intent.” (citations omitted)).
Additionally, none of the statutory exceptions to the
nondiscrimination provision grant the President au-
thority to create his own exceptions. There would be no
point to a law that prohibits the President from dis-
criminating except for when the President chooses to
discriminate. See IRAP, 883 F.3d at 291.

Presidential authority pursuant to 1182(f) and
1185(a)(1) must therefore be construed in conformance
with the INA’s nondiscrimination provision. See Ha-
waii, 878 F.3d at 697 (finding that EO-3 “runs afoul of
§ 1152(a)(1)(A)’s prohibition on nationality-based dis-
crimination.”). Only then can all three statutory provi-
sions be given effect as Congress intended. In addition,
Congress enacted 1152(a)(1) in 1965 against the back-
drop of 1182(f) and 1185(a)(1), meaning that those

5 Most significantly, Congress can assign per-country caps on
the number of family and employment-based visas that are is-
sued. 8 U.S.C. § 1152(a)(1)(A), (a)(2). Also, the Secretary of State’s
authority to determine “the procedures for the processing of im-
migrant visa applications or the locations where such applications
will be processed” is not limited by the provision. 8 U.S.C.
§ 1152(a)(1)\B).

31

provisions must be read as limited by the later-enacted
and more specific nondiscrimination provision. See Ha-
waii, 878 F.3d at 696 (finding that “§ 1152(a)(1)(A) pro-
vides a_ specific anti-discrimination bar to the
President’s general § 1182(f) powers”); JRAP, 883 F.3d
at 303-04 (Gregory, J., concurring) (same); see also Mor-
ton v. Mancari, 417 U.S. 535, 550-51 (1974) (“[A] spe-
cific statute will not be controlled or nullified by a
general one, regardless of the priority of enactment.”)

The Government contends that 1152(a)(1)(A) does
not conflict with its interpretations of 1182(f) and
1185(a)(1), because the former addresses the issuance
of immigrant visas to aliens “who are otherwise eligi-
ble” and therefore has no effect on aliens who are not
permitted to enter based on other INA provisions, like
1182(f) and 1185(a)(1). But “the Proclamation effectu-
ates its restrictions by withholding immigrant visas
based on nationality,” which “directly contravenes”
Congress’s prohibition of nationality-based discrimi-
nation. Hawaii, 878 F.3d at 695-96 (recognizing that
1152(a)(1)(A) “prohibit{s] discrimination on the basis
of nationality throughout the immigration visa pro-
cess, including visa issuance and entry”) (emphasis in
original); JRAP, 883 F.3d at 304 (Gregory, J., concur-
ring) (finding that EO-3 “directly contravenes
§ 1152(a)(1) and the fundamental principles of equal-
ity that it embodies”). Construing 1152(a)(1) in the
manner the Government proposes flies in the face of
the statute’s text and undercuts the very purpose of
this historic piece of legislation.

32

Although the President has the authority to sus-
pend the entry of immigrants “detrimental to the in-
terests of the United States” via 1182(f), he cannot
establish blanket prohibitions on entry based solely on
nationality. See Hawaii, 878 F.3d at 687 (“[T]he Presi-
dent cannot effectively abrogate existing immigration
law while purporting to merely strengthen it; the cure
cannot be worse than the disease.”); Haitian Refugee
Ctr. v. Civiletti, 503 F. Supp. 442, 453 (S.D. Fla. 1980)
(noting that under 1152(a), the “INS has no authority
to discriminate on the basis of national origin, except
perhaps by promulgating regulations in a time of na-
tional emergency”). Indeed, as described above, the
only instances in which the executive branch has im-
posed nationality-based restrictions on entry to the
United States — the bar to entry of Cuban nationals
imposed by President Reagan in response to Cuba’s
suspension of an immigration agreement and the lim-
itations on entry of Iranians imposed by President
Carter in the wake of the Iran Hostage Crisis — were
both more limited in scope and involved discrete exi-
gencies related to foreign affairs.

EO-3, in contrast, imposes a blanket prohibition
on the issuance of immigrant visas for the named coun-
tries with “no specified end date and no requirement of
renewal,” in direct contravention of 1152(a). See Ha-
waii, 878 F.3d at 684 n. 10 (“At the very least, Congress
in adopting § 1182(f) likely did not contemplate that
an executive order of the Proclamation’s sweeping
breadth would last for an indefinite duration.”). To al-
low such a blanket prohibition would both undermine

33

the visa allocation system over which Congress retains
authority and would run afoul of the INA’s nondiscrim-
ination provision.

The most recent version of the travel ban at-
tempts, belatedly, to correct the deficiencies of the prior
executive orders, which failed to provide any “findings”
and offered no nexus to any identifiable U.S. interests.
However, it is still ultra vires. Unlike the prior orders,
it does not invoke “the specter of ‘honor killings’... a
well-worn tactic for stigmatizing and demeaning Islam
and painting the religion, and its men, as violent and
barbaric.” Intl Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump,
857 F.3d 554, 596 n. 17 (4th Cir. 2017) (en banc), va-
cated and remanded by Trump v. Int'l Refugee Assis-
tance Project, No. 16-1436, 2017 WL 4518553 (U.S. Oct.
10, 2017). It also nominally adds two non-Muslim
countries with little practical impact on migration and
provides a new purported rationale. But its roots can-
not be ignored. EO-3 fulfills its predecessors’ promise
of a permanent ban, using nationality as a proxy for
religion, and thereby revealing animus and invidious
discrimination not permitted by the INA. See IRAP,
883 F.3d at 322 (Wynn, J., concurring).

,
¥

CONCLUSION

Based on the foregoing, amici respectfully submit
that the Court should find EO-3 ultra vires. EO-3 is
inconsistent with the text and structure of the INA as
a whole. While 1182(f) provides the President the

34

authority and flexibility needed to respond to exigent
situations involving diplomacy or military affairs, it
does not give him unlimited authority to override the
immigration system that Congress has so carefully
crafted.

Dated: March 30, 2018 Respectfully submitted,

DEBORAH ANKER* FATMA E. MAROUF*
SABRINEH ARDALAN* Counsel of Record
PHILIP L. TORREY* TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
HARVARD IMMIGRATION AND SCHOOL OF LAW
REFUGEE CLINICAL PROGRAM 1515 Commerce Street
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL Fort Worth, TX 76102
6 Everett Street (817) 212-4123
Cambridge, MA 02138 fatma.marouf @
danker@law.harvard.edu law.tamu.edu
sardalan@law.harvard.edu Aran *
ptorrey@law.harvard.edu anecen <a SCHOOL
KARLA MCKANDERS* 123 Washington Street
VANDERBILT LAW SCHOOL Newark, NJ 07102
131 21st Avenue South hyde@law.rutgers.edu
Nashville, TN 37203
’ Counsel
karla.mckanders@ me MACKENZIE
vanderbilt.edu 225 Walden Street, #4N
GEOFFREY HOFFMAN* Cambridge, MA 02140
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON (978) — oy
Law CENTER id17.law.harvard.edu
4604 Calhoun Road, Room 56, 2°) °°"
TU-II
Houston, TX 77204
ghoffman@central.uh.edu

*Filed in an individual capacity. University affiliation
is for identification only.

App. 1

List of Amici
Muneer I. Ahmad* Stella Burch Elias*
Clinical Professor of Law Professor of Law
Yale Law School University of lowa
Deborah Anker* College of Law
Clinical Professor of Law Kate Evans*
Harvard Law School Associate Professor
Sabrineh Ardalan* ay ty —
Assistant Clinical ollege of Law
Professor of Law Jill E. Family*
Harvard Law School Commonwealth Professor
David Baluarte* of Law and Government
Associate Clinical ore cone i
Professor of Law —— 24
Washington and Lee _
University School of Law Lauren Gilbert*
Jem Remer* Professor of Law

Clinical Professor of Law gg me pe —
and Richard D. Tulisano ae Se aw
’69 Scholar in Human Denise Gilman*

Rights Clinical Professor
University of Connecticut University of Texas

School of Law School of Law
Lenni B. Benson* Geoffrey Heeren*
Professor of Law Associate Professor
New York Law School Valparaiso University
Holly Cooper* Law School

Co-director UC Davis Laila L. Hlass*
Immigration Law Clinic Professor of Practice
U.C. Davis School of Law Tulane University
School of Law

App. 2

Geoffrey Hoffman*

Clinical Associate
Professor of Law

University of Houston
Law Center

Mary Holper*
Associate Clinical
Professor
Boston College Law School
Alan Hyde*
Distinguished Professor
of Law and Sidney
Reitman Scholar
Rutgers Law School
Michael Kagan*
Professor of Law
University of Nevada,
Las Vegas, William S.
Boyd School of Law

Jennifer Lee Koh*
Professor of Law
Western State College
of Law
Annie Lai*
Assistant Clinical
Professor of Law
U.C. Irvine School of Law

Fatma E. Marouf*

Professor of Law

Texas A&M University
School of Law

Karla McKander: '
Clinical Professor of Law
Vanderbilt Law School

Nancy Morawetz*

Professor of Clinical Law

New York University
School of Law

Angela D. Morrison*

Associate Professor

Texas A&M University
School of Law

Elora Mukherjee*

Associate Clinical
Professor of Law

Columbia Law Schoo!

Gerald L. Neuman*

J. Sinclair Armstrong
Professor of
International, Foreign,
and Comparative Law

Harvard Law School

Huyen Pham*

Professor

Texas A&M University
School of Law

Jaya Ramji-Nogales*
I. Herman Stern

Research Professor
Temple Law School

App. 3

Carrie Rosenbaum*

Adjunct Professor

Golden Gate University
School of Law

Rachel E. Rosenbloom*

Professor of Law

Northeastern University
School of Law

Director, James H. Binger
Center for New
Americans

University of Minnesota
Law School

Leticia Saucedo*

Professor of Law

U.C. Davis School of Law

Andrew I. Schoenholtz*
Professor from Practice

Georgetown Law
Ragini Shah*
Clinical Professor of Law
Suffolk University

Law School

Sarah Sherman-Stokes*

Associate Director,
Immigrants’ Rights &
Human Trafficking

Program
Boston University

School of Law
Jayashri Srikantiah*
Professor of Law and

Director, Immigrants’

Rights Clinic
Stanford Law School
Elissa Steglich*
Clinical Professor
University of Texas

School of Law

Philip L. Torrey*
Lecturer on Law
Harvard Law Schoo!

Rose Cuison Villazor*
Professor of Law
U.C. Davis School of Law

Leti Volpp*
Robert D. and Leslie Kay
Raven Professor of Law
U.C. Berkeley School
of Law

*Filed in an individual capacity. University affiliation

is for identification only.

---

Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/brief%3Amicro_IA40385016_0806%3A43. Public record. Not legal advice.
