--- description: Acting Attorney General Sally Yates has told the U.S. Justice Department not to defend President Trump's executive order banning immigrants title: Acting Attorney General Won't Defend President Trump's Immigration Ban image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8087350528290902/6988b7ec86f68eff276e353f/sally-q-yates.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Justice Department](/tag/justice-department/) ## Justice Department Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Acting Attorney General Sally Yates Tells Justice Department Not to Defend President Trump's Immigration Ban by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 14, 2023 11:18 PM CUTPublished: Jan 30, 2017 11:59 PM CUT  Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on June 28, 2016. Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on June 28, 2016.Pete Marovich—Getty Images by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 14, 2023 11:18 PM CUTPublished: Jan 30, 2017 11:59 PM CUT Acting Attorney General Sally Yates has told the U.S. Justice Department not to defend President Donald Trump’s [executive order](http://time.com/4652607/iraqi-refugees-detained-president-trump-lawsuit/ "undefined") banning immigrants from [seven Muslim-majority countries](http://time.com/4653909/barack-obama-immigration-ban-protests/ "undefined"). “I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution’s solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right,” Yates [wrote](https://twitter.com/ABC/status/826213754094419970/photo/1 "undefined") in a letter to lawyers in the Justice Department on Monday, according to ABC News. “At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful.” Yates, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, is serving in the role until Jeff Sessions, Trump’s nominee for Attorney General is confirmed. “For as long as I am the Acting Attorney General, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the Executive Order, unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so,” she wrote. Trump on Twitter quickly lashed out against Democrats, accusing them of delaying the confirmation of his cabinet nominees. > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/826229971584708608) Yates’ dissent is the latest in a slew of government officials who have come out against Trump’s executive order. Democrats on Monday evening [rallied against the order](http://time.com/4653865/democrats-immigration-ban-rally-donald-trump-supreme-court/?xid=homepage "undefined") outside the U.S. Supreme Court. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4654533/acting-attorney-general-sally-yates-immigration-ban-donald-trump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4654533/acting-attorney-general-sally-yates-immigration-ban-donald-trump/"},"headline":"Acting Attorney General Sally Yates Tells Justice Department Not to Defend President Trump's Immigration Ban","datePublished":"2017-01-30T23:59:14.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-14T23:18:34.000Z","description":"She is not \"convinced that the executive order is lawful\"","url":"https://time.com/4654533/acting-attorney-general-sally-yates-immigration-ban-donald-trump/","keywords":["Justice Department","Department of Justice","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8087350528290902/6988b7ec86f68eff276e353f/sally-q-yates.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mahita Gajanan","jobTitle":"Gajanan is an editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8087350528290902/6988b7ec86f68eff276e353f/sally-q-yates.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Justice Department, EPA Announce $15 Billion Settlement In VW Emissions Fraud","caption":"WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 28: Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. 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