The Supreme Court just gave the Trump administration the greenlight to enforce its so-called travel ban — at least temporarily.
On Monday the United States Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump's travel ban on refugees and immigrants from six Muslim-majority countries could go into effect while lower courts continue to hear challenges as to whether it is legal, AP reports.
The ruling will allow the administration to "fully enforce" the ban for now.
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This is the third version of Trump's executive order banning immigrants from certain parts of the world. All versions of the ban have been challenged in courts across the country.
While Trump's original travel ban would have blocked residents of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US, the new ban affects refugees, immigrants, and other travelers who hold a passport from six countries: Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. The ban will now be in effect for 60 days for immigrants from these countries, and 120 days for all refugees, Vice reports.
According to the AP report, the ruling to enforce the ban came with two dissenting votes, from Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.
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Online, human rights organizations condemned the decision:
The #MuslimBan is not about keeping our country safe; it’s about dividing Americans. #NoMuslimBanEverhttps://t.co/WY1Era6XhS
— SPLC (@splcenter) December 4, 2017
To Muslims in the United States, those kept apart from loved ones by the ban, and everyone who cherishes religious equality, we stand with you. We continue to fight for freedom and equality and for those who are unfairly being separated from their loved ones. #NoMuslimBanEver
— ACLU (@ACLU) December 4, 2017
SCOTUS turned its back on our Muslim communities today.
— Women's March (@womensmarch) December 4, 2017
It’s up to us to stay loud. It’s up to us to keep fighting back against Trump’s Islamophobia. It’s up to us to keep fighting back against Trump’s white supremacy.#NoMuslimBanEVERhttps://t.co/0rvIwKO5A9
The argument over the legality of the travel ban, which had previously been blocked by lower courts in two states, will continue to make its way to the Supreme Court, according to reports, with a ruling expected before the court goes into recession at the end of June 2018.