U.S. Court Upholds Suspension of Trump Travel, Refugee Bans
A panel of federal appeals judges voted unanimously against reinstating Donald Trump’s executive order blocking refugee resettlement and immigration from seven countries.
The ruling keeps in place last week’s temporary restraining order on the travel and refugee ban after the states of Washington and Minnesota filed a legal challenge.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s appeal against that ruling, stressing that courts do have the authority to review the U.S. president’s decisions on immigration and national security.
The judges also said that the administration had not shown justification for the travel ban, or demonstrated that the order properly provided notice before implementing the restrictions.
“The government has pointed to no evidence that any alien from any of the countries named in the order has perpetrated a terrorist attack in the United States,” the decision read.
Trump tweeted: “See you in court” after the ruling. Washington Governor Jay Inslee replied: “Mr. President, we just saw you in court, and we beat you.” The administration is expected to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The ruling means refugees and travelers from the seven banned countries can continue to enter the U.S. for now. It does not change Trump’s limit of 50,000 refugees to be resettled in the U.S. during the 2017 fiscal year.
U.K. to End Resettlement of Lone Refugee Children
The British government will not accept any more unaccompanied refugee minors once a final group of 150 children has been admitted.
Around 200 children have come to the United Kingdom so far since the Dubs Amendment, passed last year to provide shelter to some of the tens of thousands of unaccompanied child refugees in Europe. With the final group of 150, a total of 350 will have been admitted, compared with the 3,000 children who had originally been expected to be resettled in the U.K. under the scheme.
The amendment is named after Alf Dubs, who was rescued from the Nazis by British stockbroker Nicholas Winton and brought to the U.K. at the start of World War II, as one of hundreds of children saved by the late humanitarian. “I was one of those lucky ones,” Lord Dubs said after the announcement of the cap. “It would be a terrible betrayal of [Winton’s] legacy if as a country we were unable to do more than this to help a new generation of refugees.”
French Farmer Convicted of Aiding Migrants
French farmer Cedric Herrou has been convicted of helping migrants enter and stay in France and given a suspended fine of 3,000 euros ($3,192).
Herrou, 37, has taken in dozens of migrants on his olive farm in the Roya valley near the Italian border. He has vowed to continue helping them, which he says is an act of humanity and patriotic duty. He has become a folk hero in parts of France.
Recommended Reads:
- Chatham House: What Do Europeans Think About Muslim Immigration?
- NPR: While Others Saw Refugees, This German Professor Saw Human Potential
- Agence France-Presse: Repatriation and Displacement Overwhelms Afghanistan
- Reuters: Aid Ship to Help Rohingyas Arrives in Myanmar, Greeted by Protest
- The Washington Post: Refugees Are Risking a Freezing Winter Trek to Escape the U.S.