President’s travel ban in top court

The US Supreme Court will directly confront President Donald Trump’s travel ban for the first time with arguments being made yesterday in a case that could redefine the president’s power to control the nation’s borders.

More than four months after letting the ban take full effect during the litigation, the justices will weigh opponents’ contentions that the policy unconstitutionally singles out Muslims while doing little to prevent terrorism.

The policy restricts entry by more than 150 million people from seven countries, five of them predominantly Muslim. It’s the third version of a ban that triggered chaos and protests at American airports when Trump signed the first executive order a week after taking office.

The argument will mark the biggest showdown yet for the president at the Supreme Court. A ruling is likely by the end of June.

Among the questions the court must examine is whether Trump’s call during his presidential campaign for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” can be considered evidence that the travel ban is rooted in anti-Muslim bias.

The justices will also review his post-inauguration tweets and retweets, which opponents say provide further evidence.

Trump’s legal team contends that federal immigration law gives the president broad discretion to decide who can enter the country.

“Congress has granted the president sweeping power to suspend or restrict entry of aliens abroad,” US SolicitorGeneral Noel Francisco said in court papers.

“The president imposed restrictions that he determined are best suited to induce improved cooperation by foreign governments and to protect this nation in the interim.”

Hawaii is leading the challenge at the high court. That state’s lawyer, Neal Katyal, called the travel ban an “unprecedented assertion of power.”

Two federal appeals courts have ruled against Trump.

In the Hawaii case, a San Francisco-based court said he exceeded the powers granted to the president by Congress.