A US judge has temporarily blocked President Trump’s executive order banning entry into the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries.
US District Judge James Robert, who was appointed by President George Bush in 2003, issued a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration’s restrictions, ruling that the ban would be immediately stopped nationwide.
Just hours after the ruling, government officials told airlines in a conference call to begin allowing previously barred passengers to fly, the New York Times reports.
However, the White House issued a statement late last night announcing that the Department of Justice would file an emergency halt of judge’s order. They then sent out another statement to the media calling the judge’s ruling ‘outrageous.’
About 60,000 people from the affected countries had their visas cancelled after Trump signed the controversial executive order on January 27, banning immigration for 90 days from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
It also halted the admission of Syrian refugees indefinitely along with all other refugees for 120 days, sparking confusion and outrage resulting in mass protests across the states.
While the federal government argues that the ban protects the US from these countries, Judge Robert said he found ‘no support’ for those claims.He said: ‘The state has met its burden in demonstrating immediate and irreparable injury. This TRO (temporary restraining order) is granted on a nationwide basis …’
It wasn’t immediately clear what happens next for people who had waited years to receive visas to come to America, however an internal email circulated among Homeland Security officials told employees to comply with the ruling immediately.
After the ruling, Ferguson said people from the affected countries can now apply for entry to the U.S.He added: ‘Judge Robart’s decision, effective immediately … puts a halt to President Trump’s unconstitutional and unlawful executive order.
‘The law is a powerful thing – it has the ability to hold everybody accountable to it, and that includes the president of the United States.’
Reacting to the complaint, White House attorneys issued a response brief, claiming that Washington state is unable to challenge the President and his intentions.
The brief reads: ‘Every President over the last 30 years has invoked this authority to suspend or impose restrictions on the entry of certain aliens or classes of aliens, in some instances including classifications based on nationality.
The brief also claims that foreign nationals do not have the constitutional right to enter the country.
