Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/17-965_h315.pdf
Page Number: 43.0

38 

TRUMP v. HAWAII 

Opinion of the Court 

Finally, the dissent invokes Korematsu v. United States, 
323  U. S.  214  (1944).    Whatever  rhetorical  advantage  the
dissent may see in doing so, Korematsu has nothing to do 
with this case.  The forcible relocation of U. S. citizens to 
concentration  camps,  solely  and  explicitly  on  the  basis  of
race, is objectively unlawful and outside the scope of Pres-
idential  authority.    But  it  is  wholly  inapt  to  liken  that 
morally repugnant order to a facially neutral policy deny-
ing  certain  foreign  nationals  the  privilege  of  admission. 
See post, at 26–28.  The entry suspension is an act that is
well within executive authority and could have been taken 
by  any  other  President—the  only  question  is  evaluating 
the actions of this particular President in promulgating an
otherwise valid Proclamation. 

The  dissent’s  reference  to  Korematsu,  however,  affords 
this  Court  the  opportunity  to  make  express  what  is  al-
ready  obvious:  Korematsu  was  gravely  wrong  the  day  it
was  decided,  has  been  overruled  in  the  court  of  history,
and—to be clear—“has no place in law under the Constitu-
tion.”  323 U. S., at 248 (Jackson, J., dissenting). 

* 

* 

* 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  Government  has  set 
forth  a  sufficient  national  security  justification  to  survive 
rational  basis  review.  We  express  no  view  on  the  sound-
ness  of  the  policy.    We  simply  hold  today  that  plaintiffs 
have  not  demonstrated  a  likelihood  of  success  on  the 
merits of their constitutional claim. 

V 
Because plaintiffs have not shown that they are likely to
succeed on the merits of their claims, we reverse the grant 
of  the  preliminary  injunction  as  an  abuse  of  discretion. 
Winter  v.  Natural  Resources  Defense  Council,  Inc.,  555 
U. S.  7,  32  (2008).  The  case  now  returns  to  the  lower 
courts for such further proceedings as may be appropriate.