Law Schools, Politics

Sally Yates Explains Why She Defied Trump On The Travel Ban

Yates reflected on one of her 'defining moments' during a speech given at Harvard Law.

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Sally Yates (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Sally Yates (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

I understand that some believe that I should have just resigned rather than direct the department not to defend the order. Indeed, I grappled with that very question over the weekend and during the day on Monday. But I believed then, and believe now, that while resigning would have protected my personal integrity, it would not have protected the integrity of the Department of Justice.

The Department of Justice is not just another law firm, and this wasn’t just any legal issue. It was about the core founding principle of religious freedom. And I could not in good conscience send DOJ lawyers into court to advance the argument that the travel ban was unrelated to religion when the evidence of its intent reflected that this was not the case.

— Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, explaining why she chose to defy President Donald Trump’s Muslim travel ban, in remarks delivered yesterday during Class Day at Harvard Law School. Yates was later fired for ordering Justice Department lawyers not to defend the travel ban.

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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