A federal appeals court has struck down President Trump’s Travel Ban policy on the grounds that the president appears to have exceeded his authority in issuing the order.  The ruling will have no direct effect though, because of a Supreme Court ruling that allows the Trump Administration to implement the travel ban while lawsuits make their way through the courts.

The Trump Administration, earlier this year, instituted a travel ban against several Muslim-majority countries because of threats, it said, existed to national security.  The original ban, in addition to new emigrants from those countries, also barred existing visa holders from entering the United States.  It sparked widespread protests across the country with civil rights activists declaring it biased.

The Justice Department responded by pointing out that the Supreme Court decision allows the ban to be implemented while the related cases are being litigated.  “We continue to believe the order should be allowed to take effect in its entirety,” a statement from the Department said.