Supreme Court upholds travel ban in major win for Trump

In a 5-4 ruling the conservative majority of the top judicial body made the final decision in one of the first major controversies of the current presidency. The ban, which was passed in September 2017 by a presidential proclamation by Donald Trump, as well as two prior versions from March 2017 and to January 2017, was instantly challenged and blocked by several lower US courts.

Banning travel to the US from countries which were deemed as posing terrorist threat under the Obama administration was one of key promises of the Trump campaign. Critics see the restriction as anti-Muslim and based on a false estimate of the threat posed by the people affected.

The current version of the ban has been in force since December and targets Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and North Korea, and some people from Venezuela. Chad was on the initial list, but was later removed.

The hearings on the case started in April. In the Tuesday decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump acted within the scope of presidential authority when he issued the travel restrictions.