Donald Trump’s new role as Commander in Chief has been an interesting one so far. His presidency has been met with opposition and support alike. Trump and his administration made headlines quite recently, with his new immigration ban which prevents immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Some have called the ban Islamaphobic, while others believe it’s only a security measure to ensure the safety of our country from radicals and terrorists. Sally Yates, the acting attorney general made headlines recently. On January 30th, President Trump fired her due to her opposition of the immigration ban. Yates refused to back Trump’s new policy in court and consquently was fired. In her letter she wrote she wasn’t “convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities, nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful” (NYTimes). After her termination, Yates was nominated for the Profile in Courage Award by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.).The award is in memory of former president John F. Kennedy. The award is given to public officials at state, federal, or local levels that courageously serve the public and its interests.
After her nomination, Yates was congratulated and met with an outpouring of support on many social media platforms, including Twitter. #ThankYouSallyYates became a trending topic. Not only is Yates courageous, but she is also a University of Georgia alumni! The Atlanta native received both her Bachelor of Arts degree and law degree from UGA. She served as an assistant for the attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and was also the lead prosecutor in the Eric Rudolph case, who was found guilty for committing the Centennial Olynpic Park bombing in 1994.
In 2010, Yates was nominated by former president, Barack Obama, to be the U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Georgia. In 2015 she was confirmed as Deputy Attorney General of the United Sates. Despite being fired, it is without a doubt that Sally Yates has had a long and successful career, and will continue to represent her state, country, and alma mater. Hopefully this former Bulldog wins the Profile of Courage Award, and continues to stand up and serve others.