US SC sets deadline for travel ban filings

The US Supreme Court has set a deadline for challengers to President Donald Trumps travel ban executive order to respond to the governments emergency request to reinstate it, the media reported.

The court announced on Friday a deadline of 3 p.m. on June 12, Politico news reported.

Friday's move comes after the Justice Department on Thursday night asked the Supreme Court to temporarily lift injunctions that bar officials from carrying out Trump's directive to suspend visa issuance to citizens of the six majority-Muslim countries and halt the flow of refugees to the US from across the globe

A key part of the order - a 90-day suspension of issuance of visas to citizens of six majority-Muslim countries - is currently blocked by two different district courts, one in Maryland and the other in Hawaii.

The Hawaii order also blocked a 120-day halt Trump planned to refugee admissions to the US from around the globe.

Last week, the Virginia-based 4th Circuit Court of Appeals voted, 10-3, to uphold the Maryland-based judge's injunction.

A three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit is considering the Hawaii injunction but has not yet ruled on it.

Trump issued his initial travel ban order just seven days after taking office on January 20. It was quickly neutralized by a series of court orders.

The revised directive emerged in early March, exempting existing visa holders and removing Iran from the original list of seven countries affected by the visa ban.

--IANS

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