Paxton to U.S. Supreme Court: Let Trump’s new travel ban stand

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined attorneys general from 11 other states Wednesday in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Trump administration's latest travel ban, which seeks to limit entry to the U.S. by citizens of eight countries, six of which are majority Muslim. less Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined attorneys general from 11 other states Wednesday in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Trump administration's latest travel ban, which seeks to limit entry to ... more Photo: Associated Press File Photo Photo: Associated Press File Photo Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Paxton to U.S. Supreme Court: Let Trump’s new travel ban stand 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined attorneys general from 11 other states Wednesday in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Trump administration's latest travel ban, which seeks to limit entry to the U.S. by citizens of eight countries, six of which are majority Muslim.

Paxton and the others argued the newest version of the ban “is emphatically not a ‘Muslim Ban’,” but a necessary step in the fight against terrorism. He said the ban suspends entry from “several failed states, governments that are state sponsors of terrorism or governments otherwise unwilling or unable to respond to adequate vetting or other terrorism-related concerns.”

The latest travel restrictions vary by country, but generally apply to residents of Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea and Venezuela.

Federal courts in Hawaii and Maryland have recently blocked the travel ban to varying degrees. The Trump administration has since asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let the its travel restrictions take full effect.

“Through its latest travel ban, the Trump administration has taken significant and common-sense steps to upgrade vetting and national security procedures vital to protecting Texas and the rest of the country from terrorism,” Paxton said in a statement. “We’re hopeful the Supreme Court will agree with our coalition that the travel ban is lawful and constitutional, and should be enforced in its entirety.”

The other attorneys general who signed onto the friend-of-the-court brief are those from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia.

Critics of the newest version of the travel ban argue that even with the addition of North Korea and Venezuela, it still is an attempt to block Muslims from entry.

amorris@express-news.net