Donald Trump's Justice Department is headed back to the Supreme Court in an effort to piece back together more of Trump's tattered Muslim ban. Specifically, government lawyers asked the high court Monday to block a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling set to take effect Tuesday that exempted certain refugees with resettlement assurances from the ban. Politico writes:
The Trump administration is returning to the Supreme Court in an effort to overturn lower court rulings crimping the application of President Donald Trump's travel ban executive order.
Justice Department lawyers asked the high court Monday to allow authorities to keep up a block on many refugees covered by Trump's ban.
While the administration continues its effort to curtail refugee resettlements, government lawyers did not re-up requests that the ban cover what the court has defined as “close familial relationships” such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins of U.S. citizens.
The two issues—refugees with resettlement assurances from U.S. organizations and who exactly should be considered close family—have been at the heart of the battle over Trump’s Muslim ban.
In July, the administration’s position on both of these issues was rejected by federal district judge Derrick Watson. After the Trump administration unsuccessfully tried to get the Supreme Court to immediately overrule the district court, the case ended up in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. A three judge panel of that appellate court has now unanimously rejected the administration position and affirmed the district judge on both questions.