Texas Attorney General first in country to file brief backing Trump travel ban

Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an amicus brief Wednesday expressing his support of President Donald Trump's travel ban, effectively becoming the first state attorney general to back the controversial executive order. 

Under the executive order, travelers from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Libya are barred from entering the United States for the next 90 days. Last month, the ban immediately created chaotic scenes in major airports across the country, where refugees in transit were detained.

“The law makes it very clear that the president has discretion to protect the safety of the American people and our nation’s institutions with respect to who can come into this country,” Paxton said in a news release. “The safety of the American people and the security of our country are President Trump’s major responsibilities under the law.”

Last week, a three judge panel from the 9th Circuit Court upheld a temporary restraining order that blocked parts of the order. In his brief, Paxton said the "president’s immigration order is a lawful exercise of congressionally delegated executive power over foreign affairs and national security."

To view the brief, click here. 

Read related coverage:

• Most Texas Republicans in Congress backed Trump's travel ban, while Democrats viscerally opposed it, according to a Texas Tribune survey of the Texas delegation.
• Trump's executive order banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries led to the detainment of several travelers at Texas airports.