
A U.S. appeals court in California on Monday allowed President Donald Trump’s latest travel ban to go partially into effect, Reuters reports.
The ruling states the government can bar entry of people from six Muslim-majority countries with no connections to the United States.
A three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals partially granted a Trump administration request to block at least temporarily a judge’s ruling that had put the new ban on hold.
Trump’s ban, which was announced on September 24, replaced two previous versions that had been impeded by federal courts.
The action means the ban will apply to people from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Chad who do not have connections to the United States.
Trump’s order indefinitely bans immigration into the U.S. by nationals of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, and North Korea, as well as certain government officials from Venezuela.
Last month, a judge in Hawaii ordered a freeze on the travel ban, saying it suffers from the same maladies as the previous order.
The connections in Monday's ruling are defined as family relationships and “formal, documented” relationships with U.S.-based entities such as universities and resettlement agencies. Those with family relationships that would allow entry include grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins of people in the United States.
The ruling does not affect people from the two other countries listed in Trump’s ban, North Korea and Venezuela, noted Reuters.
“We are reviewing the court’s order and the government will begin enforcing the travel proclamation consistent with the partial stay. We believe that the proclamation should be allowed to take effect in its entirety,” Justice Department spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said.
Trump issued his first travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in January, just a week after he took office, and then issued a revised one after the first was blocked by the courts. The second one expired in September after a long court fight and was replaced with another revised version.
Trump's travel bans are temporary, until proper vetting procedures – a central campaign promise of his – can be implemented.
In addition to the Hawaii court's ruling, a judge from Maryland also ruled against the Trump administration and partially blocked the ban from going into effect. An appeal in the Maryland case will be heard on December 8 by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia.