The Supreme Court on Tuesday formally scrapped Hawaii’s challenge to President Trump’s 120-day refugee ban after the executive order expired.
Trump’s March executive order halted decisions on refugee applications for 120 days. Trump changed the effective date of the order implementing the refugee ban as the legal fight over the executive order moved forward in the courts.
The Supreme Court previously eliminated oral arguments over the travel ban litigation from its calendar and ruled Trump v. International Refugee Assistance Project moot after the 90-day travel ban expired last month.
Following the expiration of Trump’s refugee ban on Tuesday, the high court ruled Hawaii v. Trump moot, too. The justices also vacated lower court rulings over the refugee ban and sent the case back to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented from the Supreme Court’s order vacating the lower courts’ judgments and wanted to dismiss the high court’s decision to grant the case.
The legal battle over Trump’s September new plan to implement the travel ban already has begun in the 4th and 9th Circuit Courts. Federal judges in Maryland and California blocked the newest travel restrictions from taking effect last week, which the Trump administration is preparing to challenge. The newest guidance from the Trump administration created exceptions for refugees from the newest travel restrictions.
