WASHINGTON: – The White House on Friday pledged to fight back after a federal judge in Seattle ordered a temporary nationwide halt to President Donald Trump’s controversial ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations.
The original statement from press secretary Sean Spicer called the federal court ruling "outrageous," but an updated version removed that word.
Spicer called Trump’s executive action "lawful and appropriate," adding: "The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people."
Most severe legal blow
The US federal judge in Seattle on Friday ordered a temporary, nationwide halt to President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, in the most severe legal blow to the controversial measure.
The temporary restraining order issued by US District Judge James Robart will remain valid nationwide pending a full review of a complaint by Washington attorney general Bob Ferguson.
"The constitution prevailed today," Ferguson said, describing the judge’s decision as historic. "No one is above the law – not even the president."
"I said from the beginning it is not the loudest voice that prevails in a courtroom, it’s the constitution," he added, pointing out that Robart was appointed by Republican president George W. Bush.
Friday’s ruling was not the first to challenge the travel ban, but it was the most sweeping as it effectively vacated the main tenets of the order.
Gillian Christensen, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
Ferguson said the order technically means that anyone with a valid visa must be allowed entry into the country by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
It was unclear, however, whether the Trump administration would mount a legal challenge or whether federal border agents would abide by the ruling.
Robart’s decision came after Ferguson filed a suit to invalidate key provisions of Trump’s executive order which bars Syrian refugees indefinitely and blocks citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entry into the US for 90 days. Refugees from countries other than Syria are barred from entry for 120 days.
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