Judge’s ruling didn’t cite countries’ terrorist activities

“I’m calling into question the accuracy of the ruling (halting the Trump executive order restricting some immigrant travel). For instance, the district judge in Seattle said that there was no indication of terrorism from these seven countries and our country. That is a factually false statement.” — White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller on the Feb. 12 edition of ABC’s “This Week.”

During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller took aim at court rulings temporarily halting the implementation of the Trump administration’s executive order on immigration.

Several states have sued the Trump administration over its executive order that temporarily blocks immigration and travel from seven countries in the Middle East and Africa. A federal trial court judge in Seattle ruled Feb. 3 that the federal government could not enforce the executive order while the case is pending.

So lawyers for the administration appealed that decision to the 9th Circuit, which ruled unanimously to affirm the Seattle judge’s decision.

On the Feb. 12 edition of “This Week,” host George Stephanopoulos asked Miller whether he was “calling into question the legitimacy” of the judges who ruled on the case.

Miller responded, “I’m calling into question the accuracy of the ruling. For instance, the district judge in Seattle said that there was no indication of terrorism from these seven countries and our country. That is a factually false statement.”

Miller went on to say that “there’s at least several dozen — perhaps many more than that — cases of terrorism from these countries that have happened in the United States in terms of terroristic plots, terroristic activity, material support for terrorism, supporting terrorism overseas, all different kinds of terroristic activity that’s been interdicted in the United States tracing back to these seven countries.”

Our ruling

Miller said, “I’m calling into question the accuracy of the ruling. The district judge in Seattle said there was no indication of terrorism from these seven countries in our country.”

Miller’s comments seemed to reference the ruling — the only part of the case record with legal authority. But no such statement was included in the ruling. And while the judge did make a comment along those lines during oral arguments, citing this ignores a contradictory claim in the appeals court ruling.

We rate Miller’s statement Mostly False.

Stephen Miller