Washington DC: The US Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld President Donald Trump’s travel ban on nationals of several Muslim-majority countries.
Chief Justice John Roberts penned the ruling stating that Trump’s immigration restriction fell “squarely” within the president’s authority. The court also discarded claims that the ban was motivated by religious resentment.
“The president lawfully exercised that discretion based on his findings – following a worldwide, multi-agency review – that entry of the covered aliens would be detrimental to the national interest,” the Hill quoted Roberts as saying, in his opinion.
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The travel ban case was argued on April 25, with the court’s conservative majority signalling support for Trump’s policy in a significant test of presidential powers.
The ban, announced in September, bars most people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen from entering the US. It also includes limited sanctions against North Korea and Venezuela.
SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS TRUMP TRAVEL BAN. Wow!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2018
Soon after the court’s ruling, Trump took to his Twitter and tweeted, “SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS TRUMP TRAVEL BAN. Wow!”