Court: Trump May Have Established a Religion by Prioritizing Refugee Claims of Persecuted Minorities

A three judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit determined it is possible President Donald Trump may have violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution by issuing an executive order that calls for prioritizing the refugee claims of persecuted religious minorities.

The relevant provision in Trump’s order would apply equally to Syrian Christians, Syrian Shiite Muslims and Syrian Yezidis—all of whom the U.S. Congress has determined are being targeted for genocide by the Islamic State, a group which ascribes to Sunni Islam, the majority religion in Syria.

The element of the Constitution the three judges believe Trump may have violated is found in the First Amendment. It says:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

On January 27, Trump issued his executive order, entitled “Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.” Read more here: http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/terence-p-jeffrey/court-trump-may-have-established-religion-prioritizing-refugee-claims