The US Supreme Court has rejected a bid by President Donald Trump to include grandparents and other relatives in his travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority countries.
But in a partial win for Mr Trump, the court gave the government more leeway to enforce a separate ban on refugees that was included in a 6 March executive order the president said was necessary for national security.
A federal judge had ruled against the government on the scope of both bans last Thursday, prompting the administration to seek Supreme Court intervention.
The high court's decision means that, for now, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and siblings-in-law are not covered by the 90-day travel ban on people from the six countries who want to enter the United States.
The court's action on refugees could block entry of up to 24,000 refugees who have a connection to a US resettlement agency, according to court papers.
The brief order said the court's decision is temporary while the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals considers a separate appeal on the same issue.
Three of the conservatives on the court of nine justices noted that they would have granted Mr Trump's request in full.
Separately, President Trump urged Republican senators to work out their differences and pass healthcare legislation before leaving Washington for their August recess.
Trump says "lies" were told for years about Obamacare coverage and doctor access and those lies "came directly from the President". @rtenews
— Caitriona Perry (@CaitrionaPerry) July 19, 2017
A day after the latest version of legislation to replace Obamacare fell victim to squabbling among Republicans who control the Senate, Mr Trump gathered Republican senators for alunch and told them, "We are so close."
He said Republicans had promised Americans they would repeal and replace former president Barack Obama's signature healthcare law for seven years and that now is the time to act.
"We have to stay here. We shouldn't leave town," Mr Trump said.
The Republicans never discuss how good their healthcare bill is, & it will get even better at lunchtime.The Dems scream death as OCare dies!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2017
Earlier today, President Trump launched a highly controversial investigation into election integrity, with a demand that reluctant US states turn over data about voters.
"This commission is tasked with the sacred duty of upholding the integrity of the ballot box and the principle of one citizen, one vote," Mr Trump said in launching the panel at the White House.
"Every time voter fraud occurs, it cancelled out the vote of a lawful citizen and undermines democracy. You can't let that happen."
The panel was set up after Mr Trump made unsubstantiated claims that his loss of the popular vote in the November elections was caused by voter fraud.
Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by a margin of three million ballots, but did not win the state-based electoral college tally that decides US elections.
"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally," Mr Trump claimed in a 27 November tweet that prompted widespread outrage.
Experts say there is little evidence to support the idea that voter fraud is a significant problem.
Mr Trump's critics say the panel is cover for an assault on voting rights. In protest, many states have refused to hand over data to the Republican-led commission.
"I'm pleased that more than 30 states have already agreed to share the information with the commission and the other states, that information will be forthcoming," Trump insisted.
"If any state does not want to share this information, one has to wonder what they're worried about," Mr Trump said. "There's something. There always is."
The American Civil Liberties Union, a rights advocacy group, has initiated a series of legal challenges.
