Houston, July 11 (IANS): New Mexico's Attorney General Hector Balderas has accused US President Donald Trump of refusing to follow the Supreme Court's ruling on the travel ban in six Muslim-majority countries.
"I will stand up to the illegal actions of Trump and protect New Mexico's economy, research facilities, hospitals and universities," Xinhua news agency quoted the Attorney General office as saying in a statement on Monday.
The Supreme Court on June 26 announced its decision to allow Trump's controversial revised travel ban to go into effect in most instances, blocking the actions of lower federal courts that had put his executive order completely on hold.
The travel ban restricts people from six countries from entering the US for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, unless they can prove a "bona fide" relationship with close relatives or entities like a school or business in the US.
However, Balderas believes the Trump administration refuses to recognise many family relationships, including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, thus violating the purpose of the court's ruling.
Meanwhile, Balderas has joined attorneys general from 15 other states in opposing the way the President is implementing the ban.