Justice Dept. Says a Ban on Travel Is Vital to Safety
February 7, 2017
by Adam Liptak
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Monday eveningurged
a federal appeals courtto
reinstate President Trump’s targeted travel ban, saying immediate action was
needed to ensure the nation’s safety.
The administration’s brief was the last in a series of urgent pleas to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, which is
now set to rule on the most ambitious and disruptive initiative of Mr. Trump’s
young presidency. The ruling will almost certainly be followed by an appeal to
the Supreme Court.
The court scheduled an hourlong oral argument for Tuesday. That gives at least
another day of reprieve to foreign visitors from seven predominantly Muslim
countries, as well as other immigrants, who initially were blocked from entering
the United States by Mr. Trump’s order.
The administration’s brief largely tracked its earlier arguments that dismissing
the ban outright would threaten national security and disregard presidential
authority. But it also asked the appeals court, at a minimum, to reinstate at
least part of Mr. Trump’s order — appearing to acknowledge the possibility that
the government’s case might not be successful.
“At most,” the brief said, the court order blocking the ban should be limited to
“previously admitted aliens who are temporarily abroad now or who wish to travel
and return to the United States in the future.” That would allow the federal
government to block people who have never visited the United States.
On Monday, Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, said the administration
stood ready to reinstate the entire ban. “Once we win the case, it will go right
back into action,” he said.
Later on Monday night, Mr. Trump called threats “from radical Islamic terrorism
is very real.”
“Courts must act fast!” Mr. Trump said on Twitter.
Trial judges around the country have blocked aspects of Mr. Trump’s executive
order, which suspended travel from the seven countries and limited the nation’s
refugee program, but none of those cases have reached an appeals court. And none
of the lower-court rulings were as broad as the one under review in the case,
State of Washington v. Trump.
The Ninth Circuit scheduled the oral argument in the case for Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Pacific time. It is to take place by telephone, and the court said it would be
live-streamed on its website. Holding an oral argument by telephone in a major
case is unusual.
The case will be heard by Judge William C. Canby Jr., appointed by President
Jimmy Carter; Judge Michelle T. Friedland, appointed by President Barack Obama;
and Judge Richard R. Clifton, appointed by President George W. Bush.
At issue is the earlier ruling, by Judge James L. Robart, a federal judge in
Seattle, thatblocked
the key partsofMr.
Trump’s executive order. Judge Robart’s ruling allowed immigrants and
travelers who had been barred from entry to come to the United States, and it
inspired a harsh attack from Mr. Trump, who accused the judge of endangering
national security.