Trump Administration Asks SCOTUS to Reinstate ‘Muslim Ban’

By Kenrya Rankin Jun 02, 2017

It appears the Trump Administration is not going to let the “Muslim ban” fade away. Yesterday (June 1), the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a request with the Supreme Court to immediately reinstate its 120-day suspension of the refugee program and its travel ban on people who are nationals of six predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

On May 25, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that President Donald Trump’s March 6 executive order is unconstitutional because it discriminates against Muslims. The court also found that the administration has anti-Muslim bias, which influenced the creation of the order. Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is still considering an appeal of a Hawaii court’s stay of the executive order.

The filing argues that the Fourth Circuit Court should have only considered the executive order, not the perceived motivation behind it. DOJ spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores told press that the administration is confident that it will win this battle.

“We have asked the Supreme Court to hear this important case and are confident that President Trump’s executive order is well within his lawful authority to keep the nation safe and protect our communities from terrorism,” she said. “The president is not required to admit people from countries that sponsor or shelter terrorism, until he determines that they can be properly vetted and do not pose a security risk to the United States.”

SCOTUS has not yet announced if it will hear the case, but the American Civil Liberties Union has vowed to continue its fight against the ban.