U.S. Supreme Court Rules to Implement Parts of Trump's Immigration Order

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled to implement parts of Donald Trump's executive order banning the temporary entry of citizens from six predominantly Muslim countries and refugees into the country, marking a victory for the President. According to Reuters, the Supreme Court's ruling states that this 90-day ban only applies to individuals who have no ties to the United States. Several state courts had ruled to completely halt Trump's immigration order on March 6, but the Supreme Court, in its ruling on Monday, July 5, has deemed parts of this order enforceable. The Supreme Court has indicated that it is prepared to hear the government's arguments regarding the immigration order in its next term, which begins in October. The ruling on Monday is an emergency measure to allow parts of the order to take effect, but the legal debate for a final ruling will continue. The order states that the ban on the entry of citizens from six countries into the United States will be enforced 'in the case of foreign nationals who have no qualifying relationship with an individual or entity in the United States.' Trump's executive order, issued on March 16, temporarily suspends immigration and travel for citizens from six countries with predominantly Muslim populations. Under this order, the entry of citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen into the United States is halted for 90 days. The Supreme Court also stated that a 120-day ban on the entry of refugees into the U.S. could also be implemented under the same conditions for foreign nationals. In fact, refugees who have no 'qualifying relationship' with an individual or entity in the United States are subject to this ban. Three conservative justices of the Supreme Court, including Neil Gorsuch, appointed by Trump, have indicated that they will vote for the full implementation of the President's immigration order. This is Trump's first major challenge in the Supreme Court, which has shifted to a 5-4 conservative majority with Gorsuch's appointment in April. Five justices are appointed by Republicans and four by Democrats, with their terms being lifetime appointments. Trump's order had been halted by several state courts before its implementation on March 16. The President issued this order amid rising international concerns following terrorist attacks by Islamist militants in Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin, and other cities. However, critics argue that the spirit of this order contradicts the U.S. Constitution and amounts to a 'ban on Muslims' entering the United States. The Hawaii court and several plaintiffs in Maryland, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, argued that Trump's order violates federal immigration laws and the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the government from favoring or opposing any particular religion. Federal appellate courts in Virginia and California had upheld local court rulings that halted the President's immigration order.