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The Supreme Court of the United States on Tuesday upheld President Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban.
The 5-4 ruling upheld the selective travel restrictions, which critics called a discriminatory “Muslim ban” but the administration argued was needed for security reasons.
“SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS TRUMP TRAVEL BAN. Wow!” Trump tweeted in delight.
The court determined whether the third and latest version of the administration’s policies affecting visitors from five majority Muslim nations discriminates on the basis of nationality and religion, in the government’s issuance of immigrant visas.
According to Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the conservative majority opinion, the order was “squarely within the scope of presidential authority” under federal law.
He wrote further that: “The sole prerequisite set forth in [federal law] is that the president find that the entry of the covered aliens would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. The president has undoubtedly fulfilled that requirement here”
Lower courts will now rely on the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the order.