To decide on Prez plan in fall
American people safe. Today’s ruling allows me to use an important tool for protecting our nation’s homeland.”
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the ban would be implemented starting 72 hours after being cleared by courts. That means it will take effect Thursday morning.
Others in the administration argued the ruling would help protect against domestic terror attacks.
“We have seen far too often in recent months that the threat to our national security is real and becoming increasingly dangerous. Groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda seek to sow chaos and destruction in our country, and often operate from war-torn and failed countries while leading their global terror network. It is crucial that we properly vet those seeking to come to America from these locations, and failing to do so puts us all in danger,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.
Refugee rights groups decried the decision to let part of the ban go into place.
“It’s devastating to families and communities across the country,” said Tina Luongo, the attorney-in-charge of criminal practice at the Legal Aid Society. “Right now I imagine there is enormous panic for family members here and abroad trying to figure out what this means. There’s real fear as to what will happen next.”
Ahmed al-Nasi, an official in Yemen’s Ministry of Expatriate Affairs, said he was disappointed by the Supreme Court’s action.
“We believe it will not help in confronting terrorism and extremism, but rather will increase the feeling among the nationals of these countries that they are all being targeted, especially given that Yemen is an active partner of the United States in the war on terrorism and that there are joint operations against terrorist elements in Yemen,” he told Reuters.