Trump: We Will Take Immigration Order Case to Supreme Court if Necessary

The President of the United States criticized a court ruling from Hawaii that temporarily halts the implementation of his new immigration order, stating that the court's action "makes America look weak." The U.S. Department of Justice has also expressed "strong opposition" to the Hawaii ruling. Donald Trump stated on March 16 in Nashville, Tennessee, that the ruling is "unprecedentedly beyond [judicial] authority." In his speech, he added that he will continue to fight for the enforcement of the immigration order and will take the case to the Supreme Court if necessary: "We will win." The U.S. Department of Justice, which oversees the government's legal affairs, has also issued a statement strongly opposing the Hawaii judge's ruling. Previously, Judge Derrick Watson, a federal judge in Hawaii, had ordered a temporary halt to the implementation of the President's immigration order, stating that the order is contrary to part of the Constitution regarding the prevention of religious discrimination. The new order includes a temporary ban on issuing visas and the entry of citizens from Iran and five other countries. Earlier, Trump had issued a broader immigration order at the beginning of his presidency, which was temporarily halted by a federal court ruling in Washington. Following that, the government moved to draft a new order. Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House, stated that Trump's new immigration order is necessary to improve the vetting process for visa applicants. Ryan also expressed confidence that higher courts will uphold it. Reuters reports that a legal battle over the ruling is highly likely, which could lead to an appeal that may send the case to the Supreme Court for a decision. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the U.S. and the body that interprets and clarifies the Constitution. The new immigration order was issued on March 6. Just one day later, a lawsuit was filed against it in Hawaii. In addition to Hawaii, Washington State, along with California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York, also filed a lawsuit in a Washington court on March 23. Critics have described it as "similar to the previous order, discriminatory, and detrimental to U.S. interests." The complaining states also argue that the implementation of the new order harms their interests, for example, in universities or healthcare services. Supporters of the new order describe it as necessary for the protection of the people and territory of the U.S. and essential for implementing reforms and reviewing the vetting process for travelers to the country. Trump has rejected criticisms of the order being discriminatory against Muslims, stating that it does not include citizens from dozens of other Muslim countries.