People rally to protest President Donald Trump's order that restricts travel to the U.S., Sunday, in Boston. | AP Photo/Steven Senne Baker says state will file brief against Trump immigration order

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday that State Attorney General Maura Healey plans to file a brief in U.S. federal court in Boston Tuesday arguing against President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries.

And while the governor didn't make any public appearances at protests against the order throughout the state over the weekend — something protesters latched onto — he said he's been working behind the scenes to push Massachusetts' interests in Washington.


“My view is my job is to represent the commonwealth, and the best way I can represent the commonwealth is directly to Washington,” Baker said during his monthly Ask the Governor radio segment.

Baker said he hopes courts "are the first arbiter" on Trump's order and swirling questions around its implementation. He said he and Healey spent much of the weekend going over the order's ramifications on people in the state's health care, higher education, human services and public sectors.

“We’re in a position to both support the AG on her brief and reach out to and make representations and recommendations to the Department of Homeland Security,” Baker said.

Baker defended his absence from the protests that developed throughout the weekend after the executive order was signed, saying his role is to keep lines of communication open with Washington.

“I made my views clear on Donald Trump as a candidate, I made my views clear a number of times on issues that have taken place since he took office,” said Baker, who has said he didn't vote for Trump. “I have a job to do. Which is to represent the state’s interest every day on federal policy that has tremendous import to Massachusetts.”

Healey, who had been traveling through Logan International Airport over the weekend, was the first state elected official to appear at the airport that became ground zero of local protest activity on Saturday. Further detail about the brief she plans to file was not immediately available Monday afternoon.

Protesters, upset over the administration’s actions, took to the streets over the weekend throughout Boston. Thousands filled Copley Square while others — including protesters, lawyers and politicians — made stops at Logan.

Baker’s absence was noted by protesters on Sunday, who reportedly chanted, “Where’s Charlie?”

Baker's office issued a statement Saturday denouncing the travel ban and expressing hope the courts would handle it quickly. His office followed up with a longer statement condemning the ban Sunday, after a handful of courts had weighed in to place some of its provisions on hold.

“We believe that we have to comment on it, but we have to comment on in a way that will give us ... a way to move the conversation,” Baker said Monday.

Baker also disagreed with the order singling out Muslim-majority countries.

“It is in fact and always has been one of the major reasons people do seek asylum here because they have been persecuted for their religious beliefs,” Baker said. “I don’t believe an indefinite prohibition makes a heck of of a lot of sense against anybody.”