The Justice Department is planning on taking a Thursday ruling on President Trump’s travel ban to the Supreme Court.
A Justice Department official said the administration will ask the Supreme Court to weigh in on a three-judge panel’s ruling that the Trump administration’s travel ban could not deny grandparents, aunts, uncles and other extended family members an exemption to travel into the United States.
“The Supreme Court has stepped in to correct these lower courts before, and we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the executive branch’s duty to protect the nation,” a Justice spokeswoman confirmed to The Hill.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously to uphold a district court judge’s preliminary injunction, ruling that President Trump’s executive order on travel had too narrow a view of exceptions to rules the Supreme Court made back in June.
The Supreme Court said in June that the Trump administration could enforce the ban against foreign nationals but not those with a “bona fide” relationship or entity in the U.S.
The Supreme Court also agreed to hear the government’s appeal of a lower court order that had prevented the ban from going into place. Overall, the decision represented a victory for Trump, who for months fought to implement his executive order on travel.
The travel ban blocks many travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days. The countries affected are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. It also blocks all refugee admissions for 120 days.
The administration originally reversed course over what it considered a close family member in June, allowing fiancés to be included in the definition.