A divided Supreme Court gave President Trump’s immigration travel ban a better reception Wednesday than it’s received in lower courts over the past 15 months, raising the chances that it will uphold restrictions on travelers from five predominantly Muslim countries.
The court’s conservative justices appeared sympathetic to the administration’s contention that it has the authority to limit immigration in the name of national security. They voiced skepticism about the relevance of Trump’s campaign promises and statements regarding Muslims.
“If you look at what was done, it does not look at all like a Muslim ban,” Justice Samuel Alito said, noting it applies to about 8% of the world’s Muslims. “There are other justifications that jump out as to why these particular countries were put on the list.”
