The travel ban was partially lifted recently and new guidelines were introduced by the Trump administration. Among those who are not exempted from the travel ban are grandparents and after Hawaii’s bid to change that, a United States judge rejected it.
U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson said he is not allowing the exemption of grandparents but urged those who continue to fight against the travel ban to ask the U.S. Supreme Court which parts of the travel ban will take effect as there was only a partial lifting of the executive order, Reuters reported.
The order bans people from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the country for 90 days.
What Supreme Court said
The Supreme Court said during the partial lifting that the ban could be implemented as long as the individuals applying for visas have a bona fide relationship with a person or an entity in the United States. These people are the relatives or individuals who were given an invitation to lecture or were offered a job in the country. The close familial ties, on the other hand, are limited to parents, spouse, children, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, siblings, or fiancés, The Washington Post shared.
Grandparents are not considered close relatives. Uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, brother-in-law, and sisters-in-law are also not exempted.
The opponents of the travel ban claimed that the Trump administration’s new guidelines in line with the close familial relationships ordered by the Supreme Court cover only a narrow list.
Hawaii, Trump administration exchange arguments
Hawaii claimed that there should be clarification on the guidelines because the people who were not exempted should not be blocked.
The Trump administration argued that they made the guidelines based on their understanding of what is under the Immigration And Nationality Act. The Justice Department further explained that the Immigration and Nationality Act does not allow every relative to enter the country and it is limited to close familial relationships.
After the judge’s decision and recommendation on Hawaii’s latest inquiry into the travel ban, a spokesman for the Hawaii attorney general office said they would refile the matter with the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court will hear more arguments regarding the travel ban this fall. The six affected countries are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
