'SHAMEFUL ruling against the very spirit of America': Pa. reacts to travel ban ruling

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold President Donald Trump's immigration travel ban against predominantly Muslim countries raised an outcry across the state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday -- though it was an outcry that stayed within party lines. 

The 5-4 ruling reverses lower court decisions that considered the ban on Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen to be unconstitutional or illegal. 

"The President concluded that it was necessary to impose entry restrictions on nationals of countries that do not share adequate information for an informed entry determination, or that otherwise present national security risks,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the court's opinion. 

Shortly after the ruling, Trump took to social media tweeting, "SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS TRUMP TRAVEL BAN. Wow!"

Reactions across the state were emphatic, though they did not exactly rise to Trump's level of enthusiasm on the matter. 

Congressman Lou Barletta, a Republican congressman running for the U.S. Senate, said the ruling recognizes the president's constitutional authority to use the legal tools at his disposal to secure the Country's borders and uphold the immigration system.

Those who oppose the actions Trump is taking to keep American citizens safe are fighting against the man, not the policy, Barletta said in a statement. Barletta said he supports Trump's ban in establishing a "more thorough and efficient vetting system."'

"The countries currently facing these travel restrictions are failed states, rogue regimes, and nations labeled terrorist havens by previous administrations, both Republican and Democrat alike," the statement reads. "We are a compassionate nation, one which has always offered a place for people seeking better lives.  However, our enemies continuously seek to use our generosity against us, and the president has a duty to protect the American people first."

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, said Tuesday's ruling is troubling.  

"It will remembered as a shameful moment in our nation’s history," Casey said.

Assessing the national security risks of individuals, not blanket bans on countries or entire religions,Casey said, is the right way to protect the nation.

"The Administration should focus on policies that make America safer, including providing significant scrutiny of any individual attempting to enter our country," Casey said. "The Administration’s executive order was not an effort to strengthen our national security, but a scheme to institute a Muslim ban."

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania tweeted out "#NoMuslimBanEver," saying that the ban reflects Trump's presidency as a whole. 

The Pennsylvania Senate Democrat Caucus called this "a SHAMEFUL ruling against the very spirit of America. The United States has a long history as a safe haven from religious persecution, dating back to its very founding."

The caucus posted a thread of tweets all accompanied by "#NoMuslimBanEver."

More:York ICE agents arrest 10 men in Lancaster County

More:White House celebration was a 'beautiful, heartfelt day' even without Philadelphia Eagles

Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia is a law professor at Penn State University and an expert on immigration law. She said Trump's proclamation clashes with the 1965 amendments to immigration law. 

The amendments abolished quotas from specific countries by denying entry to nationals from whole countries, Wadhia said. 

"The court tried to make a distinction between the nondiscrimination clause and the proclamation," Wadhia said. "On nearly every point the court got it wrong."

Congressman Lloyd Smucker, a Republican whose Lancaster district will soon encompass parts of York County, did not have an updated statement to provide, but his press office referred to the statement he made last year in regard to Trump's travel ban.

The first priority of the federal government is to provide for the safety and security of the American people, Smucker said. 

"It is entirely reasonable for a new president to ensure we are doing all we can to reduce the risk of radical Islamic terrorists infiltrating our process, and in fact absolutely necessary."

More:Homeland Security drafts plan to end family separation

More:Here's why the travel ban was misguided (editorial)

More:Pa. colleges speak up on Trump's travel bans