Trump’s travel ban likely to be upheld, justices indicate

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed poised Wednesday to uphold President Donald Trump’s ban on travel to the U.S. by visitors from several countries, giving the president another victory on a signature policy.

In the court’s first fullblown consideration of a Trump order, the justices seemed unwilling to let judges overrule the president on matters of national security.

The justices in December allowed the ban to take full effect even as the legal fight over it continued, but Wednesday was the first time they took it up in open court. Trump’s tough stance on immigration was a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, and he rolled out the first ver- sion of the ban one week after taking office.

The room was packed for the court’s final arguments until October, and people waited in line for seats for days.

Some who oppose the ban have said courts should treat the president differently from other presidents.

With lawyer Neal Katyal at the lectern, Justice Samuel Alito said it seemed wrong to call the travel policy a Muslim ban – a term used by Trump opponents – when it applies to just five of 50 Muslim countries, 8 percent of the world’s Muslim population and only one country — Iran — among the 10 largest with Muslim majorities. “Would a reasonable observer think this is a Muslim ban?” Alito asked.

Outside the court, opponents of the travel ban held signs that read “No Muslim Ban. Ever” and “Refugees Welcome.”

The justices are looking at the third version of a policy that Trump brought out shortly after taking office. The current version is indefinite and now applies to travelers from seven countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, North

Korea and some Venezuelans. A sixth country, Chad, was removed from the list this month after improving “its identity-management and information sharing practices,” Trump said in a proclamation.

The administration has ar- gued that courts have no role to play because the president has power over immigration and national security, and foreigners have no right to enter the country.

The case is Trump v. Hawaii, 17-965.