CBS Chicago: Chicagoans With Family Abroad Criticize Supreme Court’s Travel Ban Ruling

CHICAGO (CBS) — The Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s controversial travel ban Tuesday.

President Donald Trump claimed victory as the justices ruled the ban as lawful in a 5-to-4 decision. The ban applies to mostly Muslim countries which include Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, as well as Venezuela and North Korea.

CBS 2’s Jim Williams shows how this ruling affects families in Chicago with loved ones overseas.

Amal Kassir says her family is suffering in war-torn Syria. With Syria included in the travel ban, Kassir says her relatives have little hope of even temporary safety.

“We had 11 members of our family dead, massacred. A bomb came directly on their building. They didn’t even have a chance,” Kassir said.  “They are victims of terrorism and they don’t have an escape.”

Kassir was among critics who packed a room at the Chicago office of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

“This ruling will go down as one of the Supreme Court’s great failures,” said Colleen Connell of the ACLU of Illinois.

Ahmed Rehab of CAIR was one of the critics, saying the decision was “Decidedly un-American and does not make us any safer.”

Abdullah Mitchell agreed, stating, “It’s giving one person, the President, unfettered discretion to determine what is in the national interest.”

CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller says the majority of Supreme Court Justices decided President Trump, or any president, in an immigration matter, has the authority to make that decision.

“As President by virtue of Congress, the power that Congress gave to him, the absolute authority to protect them, United States, and its citizens,” said Miller.

President Donald Trump stated, “[The ruling is] a tremendous success, tremendous victory for the American people and for our constitution.”

Chief Justice John Roberts said the majority had “no position on the soundness of the policy.”

Amal Kassir calls the ban hypocritical, saying the ban is “preventing individuals who are victims of the very terrorism we are trying to prevent.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday, “just because the Court said this is the president’s legal right, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.”

Critics call this a ‘muslim ban,’ but Chief Justice Roberts noted the president’s order says nothing about religion.