was the basis of a ruling this month in favor of a christian baker who refused to create a cake for a samesex weddingthose principles should apply equally here she wrote in both instances the question is whether a government actor exhibited tolerance and neutrality in reaching a decision that affects individuals fundamental religious freedomin a second milder dissent justice stephen g breyer joined by justice elena kagan questioned whether the trump administration could be trusted to enforce what he called the proclamations elaborate system of exemptions and waiversjustice kennedy agreed that mr trump should be allowed to carry out the travel ban but he emphasized the need for religious tolerancethe first amendment prohibits the establishment of religion and promises the free exercise of religion he wrote it is an urgent necessity that officials adhere to these constitutional guarantees and mandates in all their actions even in the sphere of foreign affairs an anxious world must know that our government remains committed always to the liberties the constitution seeks to preserve and protect so that freedom extends outward and laststhe courts decision a major statement on presidential power is the conclusion of a longrunning dispute over mr trumps authority to make good on his campaign promises to secure the united states bordersonly a week after he took office mr trump issued his first travel ban causing chaos at the countrys airports and starting a cascade of lawsuits and appeals the first ban drafted in haste was promptly blocked by courts around the united statesa second version issued two months later fared little better although the supreme court allowed part of it go into effect last june when it agreed to hear the trump administrations appeals from court decisions blocking it but the supreme court dismissed those appeals in october after the second ban expiredin january the supreme court agreed to hear a challenge to mr trumps third and most considered entry ban the one issued as a presidential proclamation it initially restricted travel from eight nations iran libya syria yemen somalia chad venezuela and north korea six of them predominantly muslim chad was later removed from the listthe restrictions varied in their details but for the most part citizens of the countries were forbidden from emigrating to the united states and many of them are barred from working studying or vacationing here in december the supreme court allowed the ban to go into effect while legal challenges moved forwardthe state of hawaii several individuals and a muslim group challenged the latest bans limits on travel from the predominantly muslim countries they did not object to the portions concerning north korea and venezuela they said the latest ban like the earlier ones was tainted by religious animus and not adequately justified by national security concernsthe challengers prevailed before a federal district court in hawaii and in san francisco before a threejudge panel of the united states court of appeals for the ninth circuitthe appeals court ruled that mr trump had exceeded