Trump changes travel ban expiration date ahead of high court decision

President Trump on Wednesday made changes to his revised travel ban in an effort prevent the Supreme Court from declaring it moot because it was set to expire. 

The president approved the changes in a memo as the high court considers whether it will allow the long-stalled ban to take effect. 

Trump directed federal agencies to begin the 90-day ban on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations, and a 120-day ban on refugees, 72 hours after lower court orders blocking it are lifted. 

{mosads}The amendment is designed to address a legal technicality that complicated the administration’s effort to revive the embattled policy. 

Under the revised ban, the policies were set to take effect on March 16, meaning they would expire this week. But defenders of the ban said that because the courts placed it on hold, the clock never started. 

The Supreme Court has asked the federal government and states challenging the ban to submit arguments. 

But the justices extended that deadline on Tuesday, ordering the parties in the case to have all briefs on the government’s request for the court to reinstate the ban filed by June 21.

— Lydia Wheeler contributed.