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US SC allows full enforcement of Trump travel ban (Second Lead)
Washington, Dec 5 (IANS) The US Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to fully enforce a ban on travel to the US by residents of eight countries, including six Muslim-majority countries, while legal challenges will proceed in lower courts.
Issued in September, the third version of the travel ban placed varying levels of restrictions on nationals from Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Somalia and Yemen.
In unsigned orders on Monday that did not disclose the Supreme Court’s reasoning, the justices lifted the injunctions which had been issued by federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland, the New York Times reported.
The decision, supported by seven of the nine justices, was a major victory for US President Donald Trump after his two previous versions of the travel ban were blocked or narrowed in lower courts earlier this year.
Under the executive action, an exception would be made for travellers with “bona fide” links inside the US such as documented business purposes or close family relationships.
The ruling did not mean that the apex court accepted the ban as constitutional but that it found persuasive the Trump administration’s argument that an emergency injunction against the ban was unnecessary.
The high court is expected to weigh the ban on its merits — and to rule whether it violates constitutional protections against discrimination — in the coming months.
The restrictions vary in their details but in most cases citizens of the countries will be unable to emigrate to the US permanently and many will be barred from working, studying or vacationing here.
Iran, for example, will still be able to send its citizens on student exchanges though such visitors will be subject to enhanced screening. Somalis will no longer be allowed to emigrate to the US but may visit with extra screening.
The Supreme Court’s orders effectively overturned a compromise in place since June when it said that travellers with connections to the US could continue to travel here notwithstanding restrictions in an earlier version of the ban.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions hailed the ruling as “a substantial victory for the safety and security of the American people”, despite the advice of terrorism scholars who say that security justifications for the ban were misleading.
A spokesman for the White House, Hogan Gidley, said: “We are not surprised by today’s Supreme Court decision.” He called it “lawful and essential to protecting our homeland”.
The progressive Centre for Constitutional Rights decried the ruling.
The Trump administration has denied that the ban is discriminatory along religious lines.
The President’s first ban, issued in January, was chaotically rolled out and quickly blocked by a series of lower court rulings.
The second attempt, a more streamlined version of the first, was also blocked by the lower courts but eventually allowed to come into effect in a limited form.
Lawyers challenging the administration’s successive travel bans have argued that each iteration of the restrictions suffered from the same discriminatory intent, evolving from Trump’s pledge as a Presidential candidate to enforce a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the US.
The San Francisco-based ninth US circuit court of appeals and the fourth US circuit court of appeals in Richmond, Virginia, will be holding arguments on the legality of the ban this week.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, lawyers involved in the current challenges to Trump’s ban vowed to continue fighting.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.