Homeland Security: 'We expect implementation' of Trump's travel ban to begin Thursday
"We expect implementation to begin tomorrow and we'll release additional information then," David Lapan, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, told Business Insider.
Lapan said DHS continues to "work with the Departments of State and Justice on the way forward for implementation of the executive order based on the Supreme Court's ruling."
On Monday, the Supreme Court on lifted most of the injunctions placed on the executive order. The court also decided to hear the case on the ban, which temporarily restricts travel to the US by citizens from six majority-Muslim countries and from all refugees, during its fall term.
In lifting the injunctions lower courts placed on the ban, the Supreme Court said it "may not be enforced against foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States."
"But when it comes to refugees who lack any such connection to the United States, for the reasons we have set out, the balance tips in favor of the government's compelling need to provide for the nation's security," the court wrote Monday.
The court wrote that a "close familial relationship is required" to fulfill the "bona fide relationship" standard.
Shortly after the announcement Monday, Trump celebrated the high court's decision, saying in a statement that it was a "clear victory for our national security" that would allow the travel suspension to "become largely effective."
"As President, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm," he said. "I want people who can love the United States and all of its citizens, and who will be hardworking and productive."
The executive order bars travel to the US by citizens from Libya, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and Sudan. Green-card holders are exempt from the ban.
The order's bans on travel from those countries, scheduled to last 90 days, and for all refugees, scheduled to last 120 days, are now allowed to take place with the court's exceptions. The White House has claimed the temporary ban is needed so it can review its vetting process.
On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly called for a ban on entry to the US by all Muslims, and opponents of the ban have used Trump's past statements to argue that the ban is intended to unconstitutionally target Muslims.
A previous version of the ban also barred entry from Iraqi citizens and did not include exceptions for those with green cards. It also provided a stricter standard for Syrian refugees and appeared to favor Christian refugees from majority-Muslim countries.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a Monday statement that it would consult with the Department of Justice and the State Department before announcing details on the order's implementation. The agencies are seeking to avoid the mass chaos at airports that occurred after the initial travel ban was announced in January.
"The implementation of the executive order will be done professionally, with clear and sufficient public notice, particularly to potentially affected travelers, and in coordination with partners in the travel industry," DHS said in the Monday statement.