In Focus: Trump’s Travel Ban

Is President Trump’s ban on Muslim immigrants legal?

The United States Supreme Court is currently hearing argument as to the legality of President Trump’s most recent travel ban.  The ban impacts residents of several Muslim countries who desire to visit the United States.  Currently, the travel ban impacts people from Iran, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen.  Trump’s travel ban has been a point of contention for many and this is not the first time it’s been challenged in court.  Here is an overview of the ban and its lengthy legal history thus far.

Overview of the Travel Ban

President Trump ran on a platform of reforming immigration and the travel ban was one of his first major actions in office.  Trump signed an executive order banning entry into the United States of citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen in January of 2017.  The order was met with public outcry and imminent legal challenges. 

Shortly after its passage, a federal judge in New York issued an emergency order partially blocking Trump’s travel ban.  A Boston federal judge followed suit, this time putting the law on hold for one week.  In response to the outcry, the Trump administration altered the ban to exempt legal permanent residents of the U.S. from the banned Muslim countries. 

Since this time, the travel ban has been blocked by federal judges and the Ninth Circuit several other times.  A revised ban removed Iraq from the list of banned countries.  With litigation in the federal courts ongoing, the Supreme Court ultimately took up the challenge last June and upheld a limited version of the travel ban.  The court held that travelers from the listed countries could be barred from entry if they lacked a bona fide relationship with a person or an entity in the U.S. 

In December, the Supreme Court again ruled in favor of the ban, now allowing it to be fully enforced.  The high Court announced in January that it would rule on the constitutionality of the travel ban this April, and now arguments are underway.  Currently, more than 16 states have backed Hawaii’s lawsuit against the travel ban.  It will now be up to the Supreme Court to determine whether the law is constitutional and just.  In the meantime, Muslim families continue to suffer under the law, as their loved ones are turned away from entry or met with harsh examinations as they attempt to visit the United States. 

If you should have any questions or need more information about the ways in which the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Laws may impact you, your family, your friends or your colleagues, please contact the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Lawyers at the NPZ Law Group – VISASERVE – U.S. Immigration and Nationality Lawyers by e-mailing us at info@visaserve.com or by calling us at 201-670-0006 (x107).  You can also visit our Law Firm’s website at www.visaserve.com.