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Virginia Joins Suit Against Trump Immigration Executive Order

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia is joining a federal lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order on refugees and immigration.

Attorney General Mark Herring announced the legal action on Tuesday, calling Trump's executive order "unlawful, unconstitutional and un-American."

Trump's order suspends immigration for citizens of seven countries for 90 days and blocks refugees from entering 120 days.

Virginia is intervening in a case that focuses primarily on lawful residents affected by the ban. Administration officials have since said that lawful permanent residents, typically known as "green-card" holders, will routinely receive waivers from the ban.

Herring argued that the ban is already hurting Virginians, saying that are students at the state's colleges and universities who are currently unable to return to Virginia. He declined to take questions from reporters, citing the pending legal action.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.