The American Supreme Court has upheld the Trump administration’s travel restrictions on citizens from five Muslim countries, handing President Donald Trump a victory in enforcing one of his most controversial policies.
In a 5-4 split decision, justices of the apex court ruled that the President has the constitutional authority under US immigration laws to limit travel from foreign countries over national security concerns, as the administration had argued.
Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the majority opinion, declaring that the September 2017 executive order by President Trump restricting travel is “squarely within the scope of presidential authority” under US immigration laws. The president has “undoubtedly fulfilled” the requirement under the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act that the entry of the targeted foreign travelers “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States,” Justice Roberts wrote.
The Chief Justice also dismissed the arguments of the challengers – the state of Hawaii, the Hawaii Muslim Association and three residents – that the travel restrictions violated the establishment clause of the US Constitution’s First Amendment, which bars favoring one religion over another.
As to be expected, the Supreme Court’s four liberal justices dissented from last Tuesday’s ruling. Their spokesperson, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, likened it to a 1944 Supreme Court decision that affirmed the US government’s authority to place Japanese-Americans in military internment camps during World War II.
