US President Donald Trump’s travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries has been partially unblocked by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court announced Monday it will review the president’s controversial travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries next term. However in the meantime, the administration are permitted to enforce a watered-down version of the executive order.
The ruling says that a “bona fide” or “familial” relationship with a US citizen is now required for travellers and refugees from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen wanting to enter the USA in the next 90 days.
The White House said the ban would come into force within 72 hours of the ruling.
Passengers flying on a US carrier may be affected by the ban even if they do not intend to spend time in the country. For example, a passenger flying with Delta Air Lines from London to Mexico City will be required to clear immigration during their layover in Atlanta. If that passenger is a citizen of one of the six banned countries, they may be refused boarding in London or detained upon arrival in Atlanta.
Experts say it is unclear how broad or narrow the new restriction will be in practice.
In March, Judge Derrick Watson, of the federal district court in Honolulu, blocked the travel ban on the basis that the state had established “a strong likelihood of success” on their claims of religious discrimination.
The ruling was later upheld by federal appeals courts in California and Virginia, on the grounds that Trump was likely to have exceeded his statutory authority granted by Congress.
Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said the ban remained “an unconstitutional and un-American assault on our country’s religious freedom”.
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