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June 26, 2018
Dear ADL friends,
As we reflect on the Supreme Court’s devastating decision in Trump v. Hawaii, the Muslim travel ban case, we should never lose sight of the fact that the America we love is a beacon of light and hope to the world, and not a country fearful of strangers.
We are deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the travel ban. We believe that the Court got it wrong by failing to hold the president accountable for his actions. Justice Kennedy, who joined the Court majority, observed that when a president has broad discretion, that “makes it all the more imperative for him or her to adhere to the Constitution and to its meaning and its promise.” Sadly, with his travel ban, the president has betrayed that meaning and that promise, and the Court has allowed fear and xenophobia to dim our beacon of light.
We should always strive to be a nation that welcomes diversity — diversity of ethnic backgrounds, diversity of faith traditions, and diversity of opinions. We should welcome people from around the world to these shores, and invite them to benefit from and to enhance the American experience. Lady Liberty, standing proudly in New York Harbor, invites with open arms those seeking refuge or better opportunities. We in turn benefit from opening our eyes to perspectives different from our own. We need to be smart about protecting our nation’s security, but Islamophobia and prejudice are not the hallmark of this nation’s greatness.
ADL remains committed to fighting to ensure that we remain a free and open society, a place that welcomes the stranger and lifts up the downtrodden.
On July 10 at noon Eastern time, we are co-sponsoring a program at which experts will discuss this case and what it means, along with other important decisions from the Supreme Court Term that is just concluding. We invite you to watch our 19th annual Supreme Court Review, live online from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Thank you for standing with us in solidarity.