Seattle, Feb 4 (AP\/UNB)- A U.S. judge on Friday imposed a nationwide hold on President Donald Trump\u2019s ban on travelers and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries, siding with two states that had challenged the executive order that has launched legal battles across America.
\nU.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle ruled that Washington state and Minnesota had standing to challenge Trump\u2019s order, which government lawyers disputed, and said they showed their case was likely to succeed. About 60,000 people from the affected countries had their visas cancelled.\u201cThe state has met its burden in demonstrating immediate and irreparable injury,\u201d Robart said. \u201cThis TRO (temporary restraining order) is granted on a nationwide basis \u2026\u201d
\nIt wasn\u2019t immediately clear what happens next for people who had waited years to receive visas to come to America.
\nWhite House spokesman Sean Spicer released a statement late Friday saying they \u201cwill file an emergency stay of this outrageous order and defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate.\u201d Soon after, the White House sent out a new statement that removed the word \u201coutrageous.\u201d
\n\u201cThe president\u2019s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people,\u201d the statement said.
\nTrump\u2019s order last week sparked protests nationwide and confusion at airports as some travelers were detained. The White House has argued that it will make the country safer.
\nWashington became the first state to sue over the order that temporarily bans travel for people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen and suspends the U.S. refugee program.
\nState Attorney General Bob Ferguson said the travel ban significantly harms residents and effectively mandates discrimination. Minnesota joined the lawsuit two days later.
\nAfter the ruling, Ferguson said people from the affected countries can now apply for entry to the U.S.
\n\u201cJudge Robart\u2019s decision, effective immediately \u2026 puts a halt to President Trump\u2019s unconstitutional and unlawful executive order,\u201d Ferguson said. \u201cThe law is a powerful thing \u2014 it has the ability to hold everybody accountable to it, and that includes the president of the United States.\u201d
\nGillian M. Christensen, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said the agency doesn\u2019t comment on pending litigation. The judge\u2019s ruling could be appealed the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
\nThe judge\u2019s written order, released late Friday, said it\u2019s not the court\u2019s job to \u201ccreate policy or judge the wisdom of any particular policy promoted by the other two branches\u201d of government.
\nThe court\u2019s job \u201cis limited to ensuring that the actions taken by the other two branches comport with our country\u2019s laws.\u201d
\nRobart ordered federal defendants \u201cand their respective officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys and persons acting in concert or participation with them are hereby enjoined and restrained from\u201d enforcing the executive order.
\nA State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the matter is under litigation, said Friday: \u201cWe are working closely with the Department of Homeland Security and our legal teams to determine how this affects our operations. We will announce any changes affecting travelers to the United States as soon as that information is available.?\u201d
\nFederal attorneys had argued that Congress gave the president authority to make decisions on national security and immigrant entry.
\nThe two states won a temporary restraining order while the court considers the lawsuit, which aims to permanently block Trump\u2019s order. Court challenges have been filed nationwide from states and advocacy groups.
\nIn court, Washington Solicitor General Noah Purcell said the focus of the state\u2019s legal challenge was the way the president\u2019s order targeted Islam.
\nTrump has called for a ban on Muslims entering the country, and the travel ban was an effort to make good on that campaign promise, Purcell told the judge.
\n\u201cDo you see a distinction between campaign statements and the executive order,\u201d Robart asked. \u201cI think it\u2019s a bit of a reach to say the president is anti-Muslim based on what he said in New Hampshire in June.\u201d
\nPurcell said there was an \u201coverwhelming amount of evidence\u201d to show that the order was directed at the Muslim religion, which is unconstitutional.
\nWhen the judge questioned the federal government\u2019s lawyer, Michelle Bennett, he repeatedly questioned the rationale behind the order.
\nRobart, who was appointed the federal bench by President George W. Bush, asked if there had been any terrorist attacks by people from the seven counties listed in Trump\u2019s order since 9\/11. Bennett said she didn\u2019t know.
\n\u201cThe answer is none,\u201d Robart said. \u201cYou\u2019re here arguing we have to protect from these individuals from these countries, and there\u2019s no support for that.\u201d
\nBennett argued that the states can\u2019t sue on behalf of citizens and the states have failed to show the order is causing irreparable harm.
\nRobart disagreed.
\nUp to 60,000 foreigners from the seven majority-Muslim countries had their visas canceled because of the executive order, the State Department said Friday.
\nThat figure contradicts a statement from a Justice Department lawyer on the same day during a court hearing in Virginia about the ban. The lawyer in that case said about 100,000 visas had been revoked.
\nThe State Department clarified that the higher figure includes diplomatic and other visas that were actually exempted from the travel ban, as well as expired visas.
\nFerguson, a Democrat, said the order is harming Washington residents, businesses and its education system.
\nWashington-based businesses Amazon, Expedia and Microsoft support the state\u2019s efforts to stop the order. They say it\u2019s hurting their operations, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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