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Appeals Court Rules More Family Members Are Exempt From Travel Ban

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals exempted more types of family members from the travel ban that bars people from six countries.

By: Grant Suneson

Posted at 11:32 AM, Sep 08, 2017

and last updated 2017-09-08 11:32:00-04

A federal court has broadened the list of people who will be allowed into the U.S. under the Trump administration's travel ban.

A previous Supreme Court ruling exempted people from one of the six countries listed in the ban if they had a "bona fide" relationship with someone in the U.S. The administration came up with its own definition of what a bona fide relationship is.

But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said family members such as grandparents and cousins should also be exempt from the executive order.

It ruled the government "does not offer a persuasive explanation for why a mother-in-law is clearly a bona fide relationship, in the Supreme Court's prior reasoning, but a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or cousin is not."

The appeals court ruling will go into effect in five days, though it may not last for long. The Supreme Court is set to officially hear arguments Oct. 10 as to whether the travel ban can officially become policy.