Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/17-965_h315.pdf
Page Number: 84.0

20 

TRUMP v. HAWAII 

SOTOMAYOR, J., dissenting 

tion and Nationality Act sets forth, in painstaking detail, a
reticulated scheme regulating the admission of individuals
to the United States.  Generally, admission to the United
States  requires  a  valid  visa  or  other  travel  document.    8 
U. S. C. §§1181, 1182(a)(7)(A)(i)(I), 1182(a)(7)(B)(i)(II).  To 
obtain  a  visa,  an  applicant  must  produce  “certified
cop[ies]”  of  documents  proving  her  identity,  background,
and  criminal  history.  §§1202(b),  1202(d).    An  applicant 
also  must  undergo  an  in-person  interview  with  a  State 
Department  consular  officer.    §§1201(a)(1),  1202(h)(1), 
22  CFR  §§42.62(a)–(b) 
(2017);  see  also  8  U. S. C. 
§§1202(h)(2)(D),  1202(h)(2)(F)  (requiring  in-person  inter­
view if the individual “is a national of a country officially
designated by the Secretary of State as a state sponsor of 
terrorism”  or  is  “a  member  of  a  group  or  section  that  . . . 
poses a security threat to the United States”).  “Any alien 
who  . . .  has  engaged  in  a  terrorist  activity,”  “incited  ter­
rorist  activity,”  or  been  a  representative,  member,  or
endorser  of  a  terrorist  organization,  or  who  “is  likely  to 
engage 
activity,”
§1182(a)(3)(B),  or  who  has  committed  one  or  more  of  the 
many  crimes  enumerated  in  the  statute  is  inadmissible
and 
See 
§1182(a)(2)(A)  (crime  of  moral  turpitude  or  drug  offense);
§1182(a)(2)(C)  (drug  trafficking  or  benefiting  from  a  rela­
tive who recently trafficked drugs); §1182(a)(2)(D) (prosti­
tution  or  “unlawful  commercialized  vice”);  §1182(a)(2)(H)
(human  trafficking);  §1182(a)(3)  (“Security  and  related 
grounds”).

to  receive  a  visa. 

ineligible 

therefore 

terrorist 

entry 

after 

any 

in 

In addition to vetting rigorously any individuals seeking 
admission  to  the  United  States,  the  Government  also 
rigorously  vets  the  information-sharing  and  identity-
management  systems  of  other  countries,  as  evidenced  by 
the Visa Waiver Program, which permits certain nationals 
from a select group of countries to skip the ordinary visa-
application  process.    See  §1187.    To  determine  which