(CN) - Three college students and two professors failed in their attempt to challenge the U.S. Treasury Department's restrictions on travel to Cuba, the D.C. Circuit ruled.
The Emergency Coalition to Defend Educational Travel claimed the travel restrictions violated their First and Fifth Amendment rights.
President John F. Kennedy's restrictions on trade with Cuba have been in place since 1963.
A 2004 government report ruled that some educational programs in Cuba are fronts for illegal tourism in that country.
Judge Silberman ruled that a restriction on First Amendment rights is justified if it furthers a governmental interest.
Silberman denied the plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim regarding their right to travel for the same reason, noting that the regulations "are applied equally to all citizens and were rooted in foreign policy concerns."
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