ACLU wins a 'Muslim Ban' victory, but Trump's executive order survives

The Trump administration and the ACLU have settled the initial "Muslim ban" lawsuit. Travelers who were impacted by this initial ban and have not since been able to return to the U.S. can now reapply for a visa and will have access to free legal services to assist in the process.

The case was Darweesh v. Trump, a nationwide class action suit filed Jan. 28, 2017, just hours after Trump's initial travel ban was implemented. When the ban, which has since been blocked and modified, was first enforced, airports nationwide faced confusion, chaos and protests.

The initial ban imposed a 90-day visa suspension on people from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. A revised executive order in March applied to all the aforementioned countries except Iraq, and was also blocked by some courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court lifted the lower court orders blocking the executive order in June. The ruling by the Supreme Court allows the ban and the 120 day suspension of the U.S. refugee resettlement program to be enforced against people who lack a "credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States."

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the legality of the ban in the fall. While those hearings may come after the completion of the 90/120 day initial periods of these bans, the results will still have significant implications on the executive authority of the president.