Part Of Trump's Travel Ban Is In Effect — Here's What That Means

The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will hear arguments in the case of President Trump's travel ban and allow parts of it to be implemented in the meantime. So, after months of legal battles, a limited version of the travel ban will go into effect June 29 at 8 p.m. EST.

After Trump's first proposed ban was blocked by a federal judge, he introduced a second version in March to keep visitors Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the U.S. for 90 days. Two federal appeals courts upheld blocks of the second version, but SCOTUS said this week that for now it can be implemented for people from the six countries, including refugees, who lack a "credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States."

But, what does that mean exactly? Let's break down how this ban will be implemented.

Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen nationals applying for new U.S. visas have to prove they have a parent, spouse, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, or sibling already in the United States in order to be approved, according to the new guidelines sent to U.S. embassies and consulates obtained by The Associated Press.

The criteria is super specific, so the following relatives don't count as "bona fide relationships": grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law, and sisters-in-law.

Fiancees originally didn't qualify, but the State Department updated the rules on Thursday to clarify that fiancees of U.S. citizens would be approved.

Visitors with business ties will also be allowed to enter the country, but a legitimate relationship must be "formal, documented, and formed in the ordinary course rather than for the purpose of evading," according to the State Department's instructions.

Journalists and students with documentation of a job or school enrollment will also be granted entry during the 90-day ban.

The same guidelines apply to refugees trying to come to the U.S. from the six listed countries. However, the refugee ban is longer than the restrictions on other visitors and will last for 120 days.

People who have U.S. citizenship, dual citizenship, green cards, and current visas won't have their legal status revoked. Similarly, anyone already granted asylum and visa applicants who were in the country as of June 26 won't be kicked out.

Consular officers also have the authority to grant exceptions for people who need medical attention, are traveling with a recognized international organization or the U.S. government, and legal residents of Canada, according to The Associated Press.

When the first travel ban rolled out in January, chaos ensued at airports across the country as visitors from the restricted Middle Eastern nations were detained or sent home. Because the ban going into effect on Thursday isn't as broad, there probably won't be the same level of confusion and disorder. However, it really depends on how immigration and airport security officials implement and enforce the ban on the ground and whether or not there's clear communication between all the agencies involved.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the case in October, and the Trump administration plans to review the screening procedures for visa applicants from the six countries while the ban is in place.