US court rules against Donald Trump’s travel ban

TIL Desk/World/Washington/ A US federal appeals court has declined to reinstate an order from the Trump administration that would block travellers from six Muslim-majority countries, the latest legal setback to the controversial measure.

Chief Judge Roger Gregory of the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that the order speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination.

He added: “Surely the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment yet stands as an untiring sentinel for the protection of one of our most cherished founding principles that government shall not establish any religious orthodoxy, or favour or disfavour one religion over another.

Congress granted the president broad power to deny entry to aliens, but that power is not absolute. It cannot go unchecked when, as here, the president wields it through an executive edict that stands to cause irreparable harm to individuals across this nation.”