A United States federal appeals court on Sunday denied the justice department’s request to reinstate President Donald Trump’s immigration ban immediately, reported AP. Rejecting the appeal, the ninth US circuit court of appeals in San Francisco asked those opposing the ban to file a response to the appeal made by the Trump administration.

The US State Department on Saturday had suspended the ban, following which the justice department had filed an appeal to reinstate the order. Judge James Robart of a Seattle court had issued a temporary restraining order on the ban, calling it “unconstitutional”.

Advertisement

In its appeal, the justice department had said Judge Robart’s ruling posed “immediate harm to the public...and second guesses the president’s national security judgement”, reported The Guardian. The appeal said the Congress gave the president full power to decide who can enter or stay in the United States.

On Saturday, Trump had said, “For the safety of the country, we’ll win.” Besides, he called Robart a “so-called” justice. “The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!,” Trump had said on Twitter. He accused the judge of opening up the country to “potential terrorists”. “Bad people are very happy!” he tweeted.

The Department of Homeland Security on Saturday had said it had halted all actions that were taken in compliance with the executive order. Around 60,000 visas have been revoked by the United States after Trump signed the order on January 27, the State Department said on Friday.

The four-month curb according to the executive order is specific to seven Muslim-majority countries – Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. The new order immediately halts a US programme that allows for the relocation of people displaced by war, political oppression, hunger and religious prejudice to the United States. The development had sparked protests at airports across the country. It had also been criticised by activists and politicians around the world.