Donald Trump fired acting US Attorney General Sally Yates on Monday, Jan. 30 after she refused to enforce Trump’s recent executive order temporarily halting immigration from seven countries, among other things. The order places 90-day halt on immigration from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Syria, while halting all refugee admissions for 120 days and halting Syrian refugee admissions indefinitely.

“It’s terrible, because the Attorney General is supposed to uphold the law, which Yates was doing,” senior Quinton Heney said. “Trump firing her because she was protecting the law, and not his administration, is worrying.”

The ability to ban immigration from specific countries or regions is within the rights given to the president. While in 2011, Barack Obama authorized a renewed visa review process for Iraqi refugees. Former presidents have also restricted immigration; Jimmy Carter halted Iranian immigration after the hostage crisis in 1979, and Chester Arthur ended Chinese immigration with the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882.

Yates, who was deputy attorney general under the Obama administration, retained her position as a result of the pending confirmation of Trump’s pick, Jeff Sessions, by the Senate. While the Senate, as of 11 p.m. CST on Jan. 31, has yet to vote on the approval of Sessions, the Trump administration has named Dana Boente to act as attorney general until Sessions is approved.

“[Yates] has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States,” the Trump Administration said in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday. “Ms. Yates is an Obama Administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration.”

Some have seen this as a breach of justice by the Trump Administration. Analysts have compared this firing to the infamous “Saturday Night Massacre,” when former President Richard Nixon fired the Watergate prosecutor, which then prompted the resignation of former Attorney General Elliot Richardson.

Many people fear the firing of Yates resembles the beginnings of an oppressive government by punishing Yates for opposing the president’s policies. Yates, speaking for the DOJ, released a statement expressing that her job and her department answer to the law, and not the president.

“I think it’s historic,” Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor from Harvard University, said in an interview on MSNBC. “It certainly reminded me immediately of the Saturday Night Massacre. There are many differences but one is how quickly this has happened in the Trump presidency. It’s as if history is being collapsed into a black hole and everything is happening faster than the speed of light.”

Jeff Sessions’ approval has been widely debated in the last few weeks. Much of the debate revolves around his past; Sessions was nominated to be a federal judge by former President Ronald Reagan, but Reagan withdrew his nomination after allegations of racism surfaced. However, many of Trump’s cabinet picks have progressed through Congress in the past few days. They include Ben Carson (Housing and Urban Development), Elaine Chao (Transportation) and Betsy DeVos (Education).

“I think it’s good that Trump is keeping his campaign promises and his cabinet picks are being confirmed,” senior Michael Maloney said. “Too many politicians these days have made false promises let Americans down. Even though I didn’t support Trump, I admire his attitude in helping Americans and being truthful.”