The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to issue an order on President Trump’s travel ban Thursday, a spokesperson for the court told CNBC.
The court will decide whether to reinstate the Jan. 27 executive order that barred citizens from seven predominantly-Muslim countries from entering the U.S.
A federal judge in Seattle had ordered the government to cease enforcement of the travel ban while separate lawsuits against it proceeded. The Trump administration quickly appealed that ruling. The 9th Circuit’s ruling will likely be appealed, paving the way for a potential Supreme Court hearing.
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Critics of Trump’s executive order say that it amounts to a discriminatory ban on Muslims. But the president has argued that it’s a necessary measure to protect national security.
As a presidential candidate, Trump proposed issuing a temporary ban on all Muslim immigration and frequently slammed efforts to resettle refugees from Muslim-majority countries, claiming that terrorists were entering the U.S. and Europe by hiding among refugee populations.