9th Circuit rules against Trump’s third attempt at travel ban

A panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday ruled against the third iteration of President Trump’s travel ban, saying it goes against federal law.

“We conclude that the President’s issuance of the Proclamation once again exceeds the scope of his delegated authority,” the court said in its ruling.

The most recent iteration of the ban bars people from eight countries — six of which are predominantly Muslim — from coming to the U.S.

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The San Francisco-based appeals court, however, said the Trump administration could continue to bar individuals from countries in the Middle East and North Africa from entering the U.S. if they do not have a “bona fide” relationship with someone in the U.S.

The court said the ruling would be put on hold pending any review by the Supreme Court.

In the ruling, the court said that “the Proclamation’s indefinite entry suspensions constitute nationality discrimination in the issuance of immigrant visas,” and that it discriminates against travelers and immigrants in the same vein as Trump’s previous travel bans.

The Supreme Court decided earlier this month that it would allow the latest travel ban to take effect, while litigation ran its course.

A Richmond, Va.-based appeals court must rule on the ban before the Supreme Court revisits the matter.

The Trump administration has pushed for a travel ban since January, which it says is necessary to safeguard national security. But each iteration of the ban has run into legal disputes, prompting the administration to issue increasingly narrow orders.

Updated: 8:30 p.m.