Honolulu, Nov 14 (AP) A US appeals court has allowedPresident Donald Trump's newest version of the travel ban topartially take effect.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruling will barpeople from six Muslim-majority countries included in thetravel ban who do not have a "bona fide" relationship with aperson or entity in the US from entering the country. The bancan't be enforced against people who have those relationships.
Hawaii sued to stop the latest ban, which was announcedin September. Hours before it was set to take full effect lastmonth, US District Judge Derrick Watson in Hawaii issued aruling blocking the ban. Watson found that the new ban, likethe version before it, failed to show that nationality alonemakes a person a greater security risk to the US.
The policy applied to travelers from Chad, Iran, Libya,North Korea, Somalia, Syria and Yemen plus some Venezuelangovernment officials and their families.
Rulings against the ban in Hawaii and later in Marylandapply only to the six Muslim-majority countries. They did notaffect the restrictions against North Korea or Venezuela,because the plaintiffs did not ask for that. The Marylandruling was narrower than the Hawaii one in that it allowedenforcement against those with no US ties.
The US government appealed, saying the rulings thwartedTrump's efforts to keep the American people safe.
The 9th Circuit in San Francisco had blocked previousversions of the ban.
"We are reviewing the court's order and the governmentwill begin enforcing the travel proclamation consistent withthe partial stay," U.S. Department of Justice spokeswomanLauren Ehrsam said in a statement. "We believe that theproclamation should be allowed to take effect in itsentirety."The appellate judges adopted language that the SupremeCourt itself either wrote or blessed when it considered legalchallenges to the previous version of the travel ban.
In June, the justices said the travel ban could not keepout of the country people who could claim a bona fiderelationship with someone or a group in the US.
The justices did not list precisely what kinds ofrelationships were covered, but they left in place asubsequent 9th circuit ruling that protected grandparents,cousins and other relatives.
Monday's ruling spells out the "close familyrelationship" includes grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews andcousins.
The decision "closely tracks guidance previously issuedby the Supreme Court," Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin saidin a statement. "I'm pleased that family ties to the U. S.,including grandparents, will be respected. We continue toprepare for substantive arguments before the Ninth Circuit onDecember 6 in Seattle." (AP)AJR.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.