The Justice Department is urging a federal appeals court to lift a Hawaii federal judge’s blockade of President Trump’s newest travel ban.
“The district court’s injunction barring enforcement of the proclamation’s entry restrictions undermines the president’s constitutional and statutory authority to safeguard the nation’s security and intrudes on the political branches’ constitutional prerogatives,” wrote Justice Department attorneys in a motion filed this week.
In two filings this week, the Trump administration asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to expedite its review of the travel ban case and remove a lower court’s injunction on Trump’s newest travel ban restrictions, which were released in September. Hours before the September restrictions were set to take effect, federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland stopped the travel ban in its tracks.
Trump’s newest move blocks visitors from eight countries, adding Chad, North Korea, and Venezuela to the list. However, only Venezuelan government officials and their families are restricted.
The Justice Department challenged the Maryland and Hawaii federal judges’ actions this week. In the Trump administration’s new motion against the Hawaii judge’s ruling, the Justice Department argued that the judge is causing “irreparable injury by invalidating an action taken at the height of the president’s authority” and that the injunction “necessarily imposes irreparable harm.”
Under the government’s requested expedited briefing schedule, oral arguments over the travel ban is scheduled for Dec. 6, with a series of deadlines for briefs and motions in October and November.
