Sessions: DOJ ‘Looks Forward’ To Arguing For Travel Ban Before SCOTUS

Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during the Justice Department's National Summit on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, in Bethesda, Md., on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during the Justice Department's National Summit on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, in Bethesda, Md., on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday said the Department of Justice is looking forward to arguing in favor of President Donald Trump’s travel ban on immigrants from six majority-Muslim countries when the Supreme Court hears arguments on the case in October.

“I am pleased that the Supreme Court has decided to hear this case,” Sessions said in a statement. “The Department of Justice looks forward to arguing on behalf of the President and his constitutional duty to protect the national security of the United States.”

The Supreme Court announced Monday morning that it will review the current version of Trump’s executive order. Until the court hears arguments later this year, it will allow for a limited version of the ban, permitting visitors from five countries on the list to enter the United States “if they have a “credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity” in the country.

Sessions said the ruling is “an important step towards restoring the separation of powers between the branches of the federal government.”

“This case raises profound questions about the proper balance of these constitutional powers, and we are eager to advance our views on these important issues,” he said. “The Department of Justice is confident that the United States Supreme Court will uphold this constitutional and necessary executive order.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. We look forward to the indictment for obstruction of justice and lying to congress you obnoxious little garden gnome

  2. I am not sure they have the votes on SCOTUS to back them up. I could easily see SCOTUS ruling against the ban, and by more than 5-4 decision, too.

  3. Well Jeff, hope you have someone to argue the case that has a better memory than yourself. “I don’t recall” won’t win much in the Supreme Court.

  4. It is significant that only three justices (Alito, Thomas and Gorsuch) voted to lift the stay on the full travel ban. Of course, the standard for stay of the ban is different from the standard for considering the ban on the merits, but my guess is that the other 6 justices saw that the harm of allowing the ban to take effect outweighed any possible benefit to the public of keeping Muslims out of the country.

    Note: My auto-correct thinks Gorsuch should be “Grouch.” Did that twice.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

16 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for sysprog Avatar for trnc Avatar for Lacuna-Synecdoche Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for bonvivant Avatar for melindaspop Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for matx Avatar for judygran Avatar for maximus Avatar for edgewise

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: