.
WASHINGTON – The US government on Monday defended President Donald Trump’s travel ban as a “lawful exercise” of his authority, and claimed that a federal court made a mistake in barring enforcement of the measure.
“The executive order is a lawful exercise of the president’s authority over the entry of aliens into the United States and the admission of refugees,” read a brief filed by Justice Department lawyers to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
“The district court therefore erred in entering an injunction barring enforcement of the order. But even if some relief were appropriate, the court’s sweeping nationwide injunction is vastly overbroad,” it said.
The U.S. Justice Department will face off with opponents in a federal appeals court on Tuesday at 3:00 pm Pacific time (2300 GMT).
The appeals court was focusing on the narrow question of whether the district court had grounds to put the order on hold. The bigger legal fight over whether Trump had authority to issue the order will be addressed later in the litigation.
President Donald Trump’s temporary travel ban is his most controversial act since taking office last month.
Source: Agence France-Presse, Reuters