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Trump Travel Ban Upholds in Supreme Court

Roberts opinion states it is “squarely within the scope of presidential authority.”

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to uphold President Trump’s ban on travel to the U.S. by people living in five Muslim-majority countries (and two others). The justices voted 5-4 in Trump v. Hawaii that the ban was constitutional. The majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts and signed on to by Justices Alito, Gorsuch, Thomas, and Kennedy, argues says the ban is “squarely within the scope of presidential authority.” Justices Breyer and Sotomayor wrote dissenting opinions. Breyer argued that the ban states the government will issue guidance on when to allow people to enter, but none has been issued. Sotomayor wrote that the ban was motivated by anti-Muslim bias and violates the First Amendment. The ban will severely limit the ability of people from Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen to travel to the U.S. The state of Hawaii filed a suit over the ban last year, challenging its definition of “close” family ties required for entry to the U.S. Tuesday's decision reversed a lower court’s decision that the ban “exceeds the scope of [Trump’s] delegated authority.”