US court declines wider review of Trump's travel ban

A San Francisco-based appeals court has declined a request for an 11-judge review of President Donald Trumps revised travel ban on admitting refugees and travellers from six Muslim-majority countries, the media reported.

In a brief order on Friday, the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the judges voted to reject a request by Hawaii to skip the standard first step of review by a three-judge panel and move directly to an "en banc" (in bench) panel, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The order did not provide any details about the judges' vote or reasoning.

Normally an appeal is first heard by a three-judge panel.

That panel's decision can then be appealed before an 11-judge en banc panel or to the US Supreme Court.

The 9th Circuit will hear the Trump administration's appeal of a Hawaii federal judge's national injunction against the travel ban during a May 15 hearing in Seattle, reports The Los Angeles Times.

The US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is reviewing a more limited injunction against Trump's executive order, decided without being asked to go directly to en banc review.

The Virginia-based court has scheduled a hearing for May 8.

Trump issued his first travel ban executive order for seven Muslim majority countries (Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia) on January 27, just a week after he was sworn in.

On March 6, Trump issued the revised directive, revoking the old one and striking Iraq from the list of countries affected by the visa ban.

--IANS

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