In defensive move, Trump extends effective date of travel ban order

WASHINGTON — President Trump signed an order rebooting the effective date of his travel ban Wednesday to ensure that it still would suspend travel from six predominantly Muslim nations for 90 days if the Supreme Court lifts injunctions that have blocked its implementation.

Trump's move was intended to prevent the high court from declining to hear the case because it's already been 90 days since the March 16 effective date of his revised executive order. Opponents of the ban had argued that the elapsed time made the case moot.

In an unusual move, Trump used a presidential memorandum to amend his executive order "in light of questions in litigation about the effective date of the enjoined provisions and in the interest of clarity."

The memorandum comes two days after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court order blocking key provisions of the travel ban on nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. But the court allowed the administration to proceed with a review of screening procedures for people entering the country — what Trump calls "extreme vetting."

Trump had intended those two provisions to go hand-in-hand. The 90-day travel suspension was designed to "temporarily reduce investigative burdens on relevant agencies" so they could focus on tightening vetting procedures.

Without the clarification, opponents could have argued that the 90-day suspension ended on Wednesday. Trump's order made clear that the clock doesn't start until injunctions issued by federal appeals courts in Virginia and California are lifted.

Even then, the order gives the government 72 hours "to ensure an orderly and proper implementation of those provisions." That was intended to eliminate the chaotic implementation of Trump's first travel ban in January, which applied to some visa and green card holders even as they were in flight. The revised ban exempted people with those credentials.