A federal court in Hawaii halted Donald Trump’s revised executive order temporarily closing US borders to refugees and nationals from six Muslim-majority countries, dealing the president a humiliating defeat.
US District Judge Derrick Watson ruled that the state of Hawaii, in its legal challenge to the order, had established a strong likelihood that the ban would cause “irreparable injury” were it to go ahead.
The ruling means a nationwide freeze on enforcement of a ban on entry by nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. It also halts a 120-day suspension of the US refugee admissions program.
Trump quickly vowed to fight the “flawed” ruling all the way to the Supreme Court if required, describing it as “unprecedented judicial overreach.”
“The law in the constitution gave the president the power to suspend immigration when he deems it to be in the national interest of our country,” he said at a speech in Nashville, Tennessee, adding: “We are going to win.”
The Hawaii court said however it would not stay its decision in the event of an appeal, meaning the ban cannot go ahead as planned on Thursday regardless of any action the White House takes.
The court in Honolulu was the first to rule in a trio of legal challenges against the ban, which had been set to go into effect at midnight.
A federal court in Seattle later granted a separate emergency motion from Washington and Oregon states for a “14-day temporary restraining order,” also citing “irreparable harm.”
Earlier in the month, Trump signed a revised ban behind closed doors with a reduced scope, exempting Iraqis and permanent US residents but maintaining the temporary ban on the other six countries and refugees.