The White House said Friday its decision to seek out the Supreme Court's assistance regarding its travel ban is consistent with President Donald Trump's desire to keep Americans safe.
"Last night we asked the Supreme Court to hear this important case and are confident that the president's executive order is well within his lawful authority to keep the nation safe and protect our communities from terrorism," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said.
"The president's not required to admit people from countries that shelter and sponsor terrorism. Until he determines they are properly vetted, that's pretty consistent with what we talked about."
Trump asked the Supreme Court Thursday night to hear arguments on an expedited basis and to reinstate his executive order on travel in the interim.
The administration is trying to temporarily ban people in six predominantly Muslim countries from the U.S. in an effort to protect the country from terrorists. The administration asked the court to let the ban take effect while the justices decide whether to review a lower court ruling that said the policy was "steeped in animus and directed at a single religious group."
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
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