The new presidential proclamation set restrictions on citizens from eight countries and is set to go into effect on Oct. 18, eight days after the court is due to hear oral arguments over the legality of Trump's earlier ban.
The Trump administration's announcement on Sunday that it is issuing new travel restrictions on people entering the United States from eight countries could lead to an upcoming Supreme Court case on its previous more controversial ban ending in a whimper rather than a bang.
The new presidential proclamation set restrictions on citizens from eight countries and is set to go into effect on October 18, eight days after the court is due to hear oral arguments over the legality of Trump's earlier ban.
The Trump administration on Sunday night asked the high court to considering hearing new briefing on the case before the oral argument to address "the effects of the proclamation on the issues currently pending before the court in these cases."
Now the nine-justice court could skip deciding the case altogether, legal experts said.
The March 6 order under Supreme Court review banned travellers from six Muslim-majority countries and limited refugee admissions. Challengers say the order discriminated against Muslims in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
A decision on that issue would be consequential not just for Trump but also future presidents who would be bound by it. But with the challenged policy no longer on the books, the court has various options to resolve the dispute without issuing a ruling.
The 90-day travel ban, which covered Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, ran until Sunday. The 120-day refugee ban expires on Oct. 24.
Even before Trump's latest announcement, experienced Supreme Court lawyers and immigration law experts had expressed doubts about whether the nine justices would want to issue a decisive ruling, in part because of a desire to stay out of such a contentious issue.
"If the court can avoid entering into the fray, that may be appealing to them," said Anil Kalhan, an immigration law professor at Drexel University School of Law.
With the travel restrictions expiring, the court has an easy way out because it could simply
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