Judge Says Extended Family Relations Can Travel To U.S. Under Travel Ban

A district court judge has ruled that travelers who have grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and brothers- and sisters-in-law in the United States, qualify as having a “bona fide” relationship, and will be allowed to travel to and from the U.S. under the temporary travel ban approved by the Supreme Court in June.

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu ruled that “common sense, for instance, dictates that close family members be defined to include grandparents. Indeed, grandparents are the epitome of close family members,” he wrote.

The decision comes after the state of Hawaii asked the court to narrow the Supreme Court’s ruling that restricted travel from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, as well as refugees for 120 days, but allowed anyone with a “bona fide relationship” to a U.S. person or entity.

For family relations, the Trump administration interpreted that opinion to only allow spouses, parents, children, fiancés and siblings.