USA

Appeals Court: Travel Ban Exceeds Trump’s Authority

FILE - Protesters hold signs against U.S. President Donald Trump's limited travel ban, approved by the U.S. Supreme Court, in New York City, June 29, 2017.

A U.S. federal appeals court says President Donald Trump’s travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries exceeds his authority.

However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals placed its decision on hold Friday, pending a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. That means the ban remains in effect for now.

Earlier this month, Trump’s restrictive travel ban went into effect for the first time since the original order was signed in January.

The travel order has been mired in the courts for almost a year.

At issue is the Trump administration’s stated desire to ensure national security. Pro-immigration groups that have sued to stop the order say it is discriminatory and amounts to a ban on Muslims.

The travel ban targets people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen who want to enter the U.S.