The Supreme Court just handed down a big win for President Trump by upholding his infamous travel ban on Muslim-majority countries.
The travel ban, which drew massive liberal protests when it was first enacted last year, has been the subject of a lot of legal scrutinies. The High Court just made it clear: the Executive Branch has the authority to limit travel into the United States for national security reasons.
Politico reports:
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld President Donald Trump’s travel ban executive order, handing the president a major legal win on one of his highest profile and most controversial policy moves and reversing lower court decisions that blocked the policy.
The court divided 5-4 along its usual ideological lines, with the Republican-appointed justices in the majority insisting they were not endorsing Trump’s campaign-trail rhetoric calling for a ban on Muslim immigration to the U.S.
BREAKING: Supreme Court upholds Trump’s travel ban
https://t.co/MwUmM0EpRh— POLITICO (@politico) June 26, 2018
We knew this ruling was coming. Back in April, we reported that during oral arguments over the case, the Supreme Court’s conservative justices were leaning towards siding with President Trump. (RELATED: Supremes Lean Toward Trump In Travel Ban Hearing).
And last December, as the Court decided to hear the case, it allowed the travel ban to go into effect, a tacit approval of the executive’s authority on the matter. (RELATED: Supreme Court Allows Trump Travel Ban to Take Effect).
There is a long history of the executive branch having authority to restrict travel into the country. That authority has never been questioned. What was in dispute regarding Trump’s travel ban is his religious-centered proposal during the campaign that would target all Muslims. A ban such as that wouldn’t pass constitutional muster.
When he first passed the travel ban, Trump cited the high prevalence of terrorism in the countries listed to justify it. The Supreme Court has upheld the ban on the basis of executive power alone.
