The Department of Homeland Security praised the Supreme Court’s decision Monday to allow a limited version of President Trump’s travel ban to take effect and said the move restores the executive branch’s authority to “defend our national borders.”
“The Supreme Court today has allowed the Department of Homeland Security to largely implement the President’s Executive Order and take rational and necessary steps to protect our nation from persons looking to enter and potentially do harm,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. “The granting of a partial stay of the circuit injunctions with regard to many aliens abroad restores to the Executive Branch crucial and long-held constitutional authority to defend our national borders.
“The Department will provide additional details on implementation after consultation with the Departments of Justice and State. The implementation of the Executive Order will be done professionally, with clear and sufficient public notice, particularly to potentially affected travelers, and in coordination with partners in the travel industry,” the statement said.
Trump first signed a travel ban executive order in January, but it was struck down by lower courts. The president then issued a revised travel ban in March, which prevents nationals from six Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — from entering the U.S. for 90 days.
The 4th and 9th Circuit Courts of Appeals ruled against the revised travel ban, but the Trump Justice Department petitioned the Supreme Court to review the litigation.
The high court said Monday it would hear the travel ban case during the October term and is allowing the Trump administration to begin blocking people from the six countries named in the president’s executive order from entering the U.S.
Trump praised the Supreme Court’s decision in a statement Monday and said it is a “clear victory for our national security.”
“My number one responsibility as commander in chief is to keep the American people safe,” he said. “Today’s ruling allows me to use an important tool for protecting our nation’s homeland.”
