Appeals court rules against Trump’s immigration action

A federal appeals court today declined to reinstate President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration executive order. In a unanimous decision, the panel of three judges from the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals left in place a lower-court ruling that suspended the travel ban, allowing previously barred travelers to enter the United States.

In a tweet, Trump indicated the administration’s intent to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, writing: “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!”

The appeals court rejected the administration’s argument that it did not have the authority to review the president’s executive order.

“There is no precedent to support this claimed unreviewability, which runs contrary to the fundamental structure of our constitutional democracy,” the court said.

The judges noted the plaintiff states of Washington and Minnesota had raised serious concerns about religious discrimination.

Trump’s order, issued Jan. 27, temporarily stopped all refugees from entering the country for 120 days, barred immigration from Syria indefinitely, and blocked all visitors from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen for the next three months. Trump said the order was necessary to ensure the safety of Americans while the State and Homeland Security departments review and strengthen their vetting procedures for visa-holders. Last Friday, U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle issued a nationwide injunction against the order.

When first issued, the travel ban prompted protests at airports around the country. Evangelical leaders have had mixed responses: Some support the order as needed for national safety, while others say it goes against Biblical teaching about caring for the suffering. Christian humanitarian group World Relief published a letter in The Washington Post on Wednesday with signatures from 100 prominent evangelical leaders asking Trump to reassess his decision.

Some polls suggest most Americans favor Trump’s immigration order. A recent survey from Morning Consult and Politico showed 55 percent of registered voters agree with Trump’s decision. Most support falls along party lines: About half of independents and 82 percent of Republicans back the order, while 65 percent of Democrats oppose it.