Ban On

For John, BLUF:  The US Supreme Court seems to agree the President can ban immigration from certain areas.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Supreme Court lets full Trump travel ban take effect

From CNN's Supreme Court Report, Ms Ariane de Vogue, 4 December 2017.

Here is the lede plus one:

The US Supreme Court on Monday allowed the newest version President Donald Trump's travel ban to take effect pending appeal.

This is the first time justices have allowed any edition of the ban to go forward in its entirety.  It signals that some of the justices might be distinguishing the latest version from previous iterations and could be more likely, in the future, to rule in favor of the ban.

Issued in September, the third edition of the travel ban placed varying levels of restrictions on foreign nationals from eight countries:  Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Somalia and Yemen. Lower courts in two separate challenges had partially blocked the ban.

The order is a significant temporary win for the Trump administration, which has fought all year to impose a travel ban against citizens of several Muslim-majority countries.  Monday's order means it can be enforced while challenges to the policy make their way through the legal system.

The Trump administration has maintained that the President has the authority to install travel bans in order to protect national security.

"The Constitution and acts of Congress confer on the President broad authority to prevent aliens abroad from entering this country when he deems it in the nation's interest," Solicitor General Noel Francisco argued in court papers.  Francisco argued that the ban was necessary "in order to protect national security."

This seems a slap in the face to those lower courts out West.

Regards  —  Cliff