Trump slams court ruling as 'ridiculous,' US suspends travel ban
The Department of Homeland Security has said it will stop flagging travelers from the countries under the Trump administration’s travel ban, following a federal judge’s ruling to suspend the executive order.
A spokesperson for Homeland Security said in a statement on Saturday that the decision was made in order to comply with a Friday ruling by a federal judge, adding that the department will resume with its standard procedures in its inspection of travelers.
"We have reversed the provisional revocation of visas," the State Department official said in a statement. "Those individuals with visas that were not physically canceled may now travel if the visa is otherwise valid."
The Justice Department will lodge an emergency stay to reverse the court order at the earliest possible time, the spokesperson said.
Earlier, President Donald Trump responded to the judge’s block of his travel ban, tweeting that the decision is “ridiculous” and will be “overturned.”
The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017
On Friday, US federal Judge James Robart issued a temporary restraining order on the ban until a full review of a complaint made by Washington state’s attorney Bob Ferguson has been conducted.
The US Customs and Border Protection said they would reinstate visas to comply with the order. The White House has released a statement saying the Department of Justice intended to file an emergency stay on the order to “defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate.”
Earlier Trump also tweeted; “When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot , come in & out, especially for reasons of safety &.security - big trouble!”
When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot , come in & out, especially for reasons of safety &.security - big trouble!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017
On January 27, Trump issued an executive order that banned citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the US.
The order was met with widespread protests and confusion, with multiple lawsuits already filed and many more expected in the coming days.
During the hearing, Judge Robart questioned the administration’s use of 9/11 to justify the order, saying no attacks had been carried out on US soil by individuals from any of the seven countries listed.
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Trump’s Twitter response came after the CBP issued an advisory to airlines allowing passengers to board from the seven countries targeted in the executive order.
The back-and-forth between the White House and US courts has caused further confusion at airports, with several international airlines now allowing passengers with valid travel documents to board once again amid the information tumult.
