Supreme Court green lights parts of Trump Travel Ban

On Monday, the Supreme Court allowed parts of President Donald Trump's travel ban, that prohibits the entry of some people into the U.S., to go into effect. The court also said they would hear arguments in October regarding presidential power to set national security priorities over border security and immigration.

President Trump was quick to hail the court’s decision to lift parts of the executive order. He stated that it was ‘a clear victory’ for national security. “As president, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm,” Mr Trump added “I want people who can love the United States and all of its citizens, and who will be hardworking and productive.”

Those opposing the travel ban said the court’s decision would protect the vast majority of people seeking to enter the United States to visit a relative, accept a job, attend a university or deliver a speech.

Supreme Court green lights parts of Trump Travel Ban: What you need to know

The court's decision stated the ban could not be imposed on anyone who had “a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” This caused much uncertainty for migrants and others seeking to travel to the United States from the six countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — covered by the revised travel ban that President Trump issued in March (an earlier version of the ban also included Iraq.)

The Trump administration has since come forward with an explicit definition:

Stepsiblings and half-siblings are allowed, but not nieces or nephews. Sons- and daughters-in-law are in, but brothers- and sisters-in-law are not. Parents, including in-laws, are considered “close family,” but grandparents are not.

The new guidelines state the vast majority of people seeking to enter the U.S. to visit a relative, accept a job from a company in the United States, deliver a lecture or attend an American university, may enter.

The State Department issued these new guidelines late Wednesday night to American embassies and consulates on applying a limited travel ban against foreign visitors from the six predominantly Muslim countries. Enforcement of the guidelines will begin at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 29, 2017.

The Travel Ban that could

With a tight election race close behind him, Trump was determined to make good on his promises. His first executive order, only one week into his term, seeked to bar people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the US for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days.

After it was blocked by the courts on both constitutional and statutory grounds, Trump tried again in March with a revised version that did not include Iraq. It also clarified the rights of dual citizens and holders of US visas (i.e..: green card holders) not specified in the first executive order.

Trump has repeatedly criticized judges who sided against the travel ban and suggested the judicial system is against him and harming national security interests. "That's right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people," Trump tweeted earlier this month.

The court’s decision could lead to a long and complicated administrative and legal dispute as consular officials try to determine which people are allowed to seek entry into the United States and which are barred by the opinion.