01 July, 2017
President Donald Trump's first, temporary ban on travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations was short-lived, but it sparked confusion, panic and anger that lasted through months of court rulings.
Today's motion also states that lawyers for the plaintiffs in both lawsuits, after the Supreme Court ruling, repeatedly asked the Trump administration to indicate how it meant to implement the bans.
From countries with low rates of immigration to the United States, a program that randomly awards 50,000 green cards annually to people also have to prove they have a "bona fide relationship" within the US.
The Supreme Court order that partially reinstated the ban said it couldn't apply to anyone with a "bona fide" relationship to someone in the U.S.
As far as business or professional links are concerned, the State Department said a legitimate relationship must be "formal, documented and formed in the ordinary course rather than for the goal of evading" the ban. The State of Hawai'i is entitled to the enforcement of the injunction that it has successfully defended, in large part, up to the Supreme Court-one that protects the state's residents and their loved ones from an illegal and unconstitutional Executive Order.
The administration had given itself a Thursday deadline for implementing the scaled-back ban, which applies to visitors from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen. "Unfortunately, this severely limited definition may be in violation of the Supreme Court ruling", the Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin said. It's 120 days if they are a refugee from any country. "As president, I can not allow people into our country who want to do us harm". Officials said they were using a definition outlined in the other parts of USA law. The interim rules will rest in place at least until the fall as arguments before the justices will not hold until at least October.
On Wednesday, the State Department said visa applicants from the six nations must have a close U.S. family relationship or formal ties to an American entity in order to be admitted to the country. "Our country was built on the idea that anyone seeking to better their life and contribute to our communities should be welcome in America".
Dave Ray, a spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which campaigns for tighter rules on entering the U.S., praised the court's decision as a victory for Trump and those who fret about national security. "This travel ban has hurt our global standing and serves as yet another reminder of the short-sighted foreign policy coming from the Trump administration".
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security was expecting the travel ban to be handled more smoothly than in January.
"Yesterday evening the Department of State issued a cable which provided a little bit of guidance, particularly as it pertains to students", says Karen Pita Loor, a clinical associate professor of law at Boston University with a specialization in immigration law and policy.
If implemented as intended, the travel restrictions would allow Trump to declare partial victory on his campaign promise to stem the flow of refugees and travellers from nations he deems a security risk.
