Family members of those in the U.S., including grandparents and children-in-law, are exempt from President Trump’s travel ban executive order, ruled a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, reports Law.com. The court disagreed with the government’s argument that, under a June order from the U.S. Supreme Court, only parents and parents-in-law, spouses, children, siblings, engaged couples and step-relatives were exempt. The Ninth Circuit’s opinion said the government “unreasonably interpret[ed] the Supreme Court’s reference to ‘close familial relationship[s].’”
“It is hard to see how a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, sibling-in-law, or cousin can be considered to have no bona fide relationship with their relative in the United States,” the decision said. Also at issue was whether “formal assurances” by some refugee resettlement agencies, in which they agree to work with certain refugees when they arrive in the U.S., counts as a bona fide relationship. The court again sided with Hawaii, allowing those refugees to be exempt from the ban. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the government will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.