President Donald Trump is looking to the highest court in the land to approve his controversial executive order that temporarily bans travel from six Muslim-majority nations after a series of defeats in lower courts.
According to CNN, the Trump administration appealed the case to the Supreme Court Thursday night, asking the nine justices to weigh the legality of Trump's order.
The administration also argues that the ban should be allowed to go into effect before the court makes its ultimate ruling.
"We have asked the Supreme Court to hear this important case and are confident that President Trump's executive order is well within his lawful authority to keep the Nation safe and protect our communities from terrorism," Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement.
"The president is not required to admit people from countries that sponsor or shelter terrorism until he determines that they can be properly vetted and do not pose a security risk to the United States."
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) quickly responded to Trump's request Thursday night, promising to continue its fight against the ban.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the block on Trump's travel ban in a 10-3 ruling last month.
U.S. Chief Circuit Judge Roger Gregory said the order "speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination."
The Justice Department is seeking accelerated processing of the petitions in hopes the court will hear the case by October at the start of a new session, according to The Huffington Post.
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"While it seems likely that the court will eventually hear the government's challenge, the real question now is what happens in the interim," said CNN's legal analyst Steve Vladeck. "Are there five votes to grant a stay and allow the ban to go into effect, or will everything remain frozen until the court has the last word."
However, the saga can't end soon enough for the travel and tourism world. Both industry leaders and numerous reports have suggested that the proposed ban is bad for business and is already turning off some travelers to U.S. destinations.
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