Durbin statement on SCOTUS decision on Trump travel ban

Jun 27, 2017 8:31 AM

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, released the following statement after the Supreme Court decision to hear a legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s ban on refugees and travelers from six Muslim-majority countries. The Court will hear arguments in the lawsuit against the Administration during its October term.

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For the President of the United States to be forced to defend his travel ban before the Supreme Court is not a victory. By lifting Trump’s ban for travelers with close relationships in the United States, the Court has sent a clear signal that it will strike down that portion of the ban. It’s important to note that this case only deals with whether Trump’s travel ban is constitutional. It is not for the Court to decide if it is wise or just. This travel ban alienates our allies and is a recruiting tool for terrorists. It will not help keep the American people safe, and it is inconsistent with America’s tradition as a refuge for innocents fleeing war and terrorism.

Remember the purported reason for President Trump’s original travel ban? He needed a 90-day pause to formulate an extreme vetting model for travelers from these seven, now six, Muslim-majority nations. It has now been 150 days, and the President is spending more time fighting American judges than any suspected terrorists.

The Supreme Court will revisit this awful policy again in October. Any chance President Trump will have his vetting reform ready by then?

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