27 Jun 2018 | 01:13 AM UTC
US: Supreme Court upholds travel ban June 26 /update 7
US Supreme Court rules June 26 to uphold executive order restricting travel from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, and Venezuela; protests expected
Event
On Tuesday, June 26, the US Supreme Court ruled to uphold President Donald Trump's executive order restricting travel from five Muslim-majority countries - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen - as well as North Korea; most nationals from these six countries are banned from travel to the US until further notice. The order also names Venezuela, but only pertains to some government officials and their families. Although the order has been in effect since December 2017 pending a final court ruling, Tuesday's decision allows the so-called travel ban to remain in place and removes legal ambiguity about its enforceability.
Protests denouncing the ruling sprung up across the US in the hours after the ruling, including in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, and at Foley Square in New York City. Additional protests are to be expected in cities across the country in the coming days.
Context
Tuesday's ruling pertains to the third version of the travel ban, after two previous iterations were struck down by lower courts. The first such order was announced shortly after President Trump took office in January 2017, but was blocked by courts and withdrawn. A second version was released in March 2017 and was eventually allowed to go partially into effect. The third (current) version was released in September 2017, and included restrictions on Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen, with the restrictions varying by country; the ban on travelers from Chad was lifted in April 2018, with the Trump Administration citing improvements to Chadian security measures and protocols.
According to President Trump, the ban is necessary due to security concerns, primarily revolving around the threat of terrorism.
Advice
Potentially-affected travelers are advised to keep abreast of the situation and to contact their nearest US Embassy or Consulate for further details regarding visa and entry requirements. Those already in the US who may be affected by the ban are advised to contact their respective diplomatic mission for more information.
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