Hawaii gives up Trump administration travel ban legal fight

HONOLULU — Hawaii is dropping its legal fight against President Donald Trump’s travel ban on citizens from several mostly Muslim countries after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the policy.

The state attorney general’s office voluntarily dismissed the case Monday.

Lt. Gov. Doug Chin sued to stop the travel ban from taking effect when he was attorney general last year.

“Although we were disappointed by the United States Supreme Court’s decision upholding President Trump’s third travel ban,” current Attorney General Russell Suzuki. “Hawaii’s fight pushed the administration to walk back its efforts to exclude people from the country. We continue to believe that the third travel ban is unlawful and unconstitutional, and today, we pass the baton to other litigants who have taken up the fight regarding the travel ban’s flawed waiver process.”

Suzuki spokeswoman Dana Viola says the department weighed options, evaluated litigation rights and decided dropping the case was in the state’s best interest.