President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon gloated about the Supreme Court’s decision to partially enforce his administration’s 90-day travel ban on immigrants from six majority-Muslim countries, calling the stay a “victory for national security.”
“As President, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm. I want people who can love the United States and all of its citizens, and who will be hardworking and productive,” he said in a statement. “My number one responsibility as Commander in Chief is to keep the American people safe. Today’s ruling allows me to use an important tool for protecting our nation’s homeland.”
The Supreme Court announced Monday morning that it would review Trump’s revised executive order on immigration. That order had been blocked by two federal appeals courts since he first announced it in March, after the initial version of the travel ban was similarly tied up in the courts.
The court will hear arguments in October. Until then, a limited version of the ban will be enforced, allowing visitors from Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen to come into the country if they have a “credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” That includes people who have job offers or have been accepted to study in the United States.
Trump said in his statement that the SCOTUS ruling allows his travel ban on “six terror-prone countries and the refugee suspension” to become “largely effective.”
He also touted the fact that the court’s decision was unanimous, saying he was “particularly gratified” by the 9-0 determination.
This story has been updated.
