A federal judge in Hawaii blocked President Trump’s second travel ban hours before it was supposed to have taken effect on Wednesday.
NBC News reports the revised executive order called for a suspension of admission of almost all refugees for 120 days and a restriction of visas for nationals from Muslim-majority countries Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. The previous order also restricted visas for Iraqi citizens, and applied to green card holders.
A second federal judge from Maryland specifically blocked the 90-day ban on immigrants from these six countries on Thursday, according to CNN. Both judges cited Trump’s comments about Muslims during the 2016 presidential campaign as part of their reasoning.
Trump called the ruling “bad, sad news” and “an unprecedented judicial overreach” during a rally Wednesday night in Nashville, saying the ruling "makes us look weak.”
USA Today reports Trump said he would take the order all the way to the Supreme Court if needed. But the repeated blocks by judges so far don't bode too well for the ban's future in higher courts.
U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson said Trump’s travel discriminated immigrants based on religion. He also said the restraining order applies nationwide, according to NBC News.
Watson cited public statements made by Trump in his argument that the ban was discriminatory against Muslims. Trump said he was “establishing a new vetting measure to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America” because “we don’t want them here.” Hard to argue that doesn't target Muslims specifically.
Watson also cited comments made by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump supporter, in January: “When he [Trump] first announced it," Giuliani said, "he said, ‘Muslim ban.’ He called me up. He said, ‘Put a commission together. Show me the right way to do it legally.”
Trump has yet to comment on Thursday’s additional ruling, but knowing him, you can be sure there is a response coming. His press secretary, Sean Spicer, did say Thursday that the administration would be appealing both rulings.
