The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco today refused to reinstate Donald Trump's ban on travelers from the seven predominantly Muslim nations in which the so-called President has no known business interests.
The ruling addresses a challenge to Trump's January executive order, which was filed by the states of Washington and Minnesota.
The New York Times describes the court loss as "the latest and most stinging judicial rebuke to his effort to make good on a campaign promise and tighten the standards for entry into the United States."
Next stop for this legal battle, most likely, will be the Supreme Court.
From the New York Times:
The ruling was the first from an appeals court on the travel ban, and it was focused on the narrow question of whether it should be blocked while courts consider its lawfulness. The decision is likely to be quickly appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
That court remains short-handed and could deadlock. A 4-to-4 tie in the Supreme Court would leave the appeals court's ruling in place.
Trial judges around the country have blocked aspects of Mr. Trump's executive order, which suspended travel from seven predominantly Muslin countries and limited the nation's refugee program, but no other case has yet reached an appeals court.
When Trump lost an earlier court ruling last Friday on this case, the so-called 'President' tweeted, "If the U.S. does not win this case as it so obviously should, we can never have the security and safety to which we are entitled."
"Politics!," he added.
Trump hasn't commented on his latest ass-whupping by our still functional judicial system— yet.
At 3:35pm Pacific Standard Time today, Trump tweeted, "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!," using his trademark 'demented racist uncle' style of all-caps and exclamation points and lies.
The American Civil Liberties Union is all up in his grill.
"The appeals court's refusal to reinstate the Muslim ban is correct. The government's erratic and chaotic attempts to enforce this unconstitutional ban have taken a tremendous toll on innocent individuals, our country's values, and our standing in the world," said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project. " We will keep fighting this un-American executive order until it is permanently dismantled."
IMAGE: Reuters. Activists march to protest against President Donald Trump's travel ban in Portland, Oregon, U.S.
.@CNN is reporting that at least one of the appeals court judges hearing Trump's travel ban case has needed extra security due to threats.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) February 9, 2017