Immigration Reform 2017 News: Hawaii Judge Blocks New Travel Ban
A United States federal judge based in Hawaii has just issued a hold against President Donald Trump's new executive order that reinstates a revised travel ban, a few hours before the new order was to take effect on Wednesday, March 15. President Trump has responded negatively to the sudden halt to his order's implementation.
U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson has placed an immediate halt to the implementation of President Trump's new executive order that was signed on March 6, according to a report by Reuters. Judge Watson's ruling has blocked the new travel ban hours before it is supposed to take effect, as an emergency response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Hawaii.
The lawsuit was brought up on the argument that the new Executive Order is in violation of the U.S. Constitution, on the grounds that the revised travel ban discriminated against Muslims. According to BBC News, Judge Watson said that the court had already established that "irreparable injury" is a likely outcome of the implementation of the new order, in the instances that it violates the First Amendment protections against religious discrimination.
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President Donald Trump has a few strong words in response to this latest roadblock to his administration's immigration policy. "This ruling makes us look weak, which by the way we no longer are, believe me," said Trump, in response during a rally on Wednesday, March 15, according to CNBC. Trump goes on to promise to take his case all the way up to the Supreme Court, vowing to "fight this terrible ruling" and reassuring his supporters that "we're going to win it."
The U.S. Department of Justice has spoken in defense of the blocked Executive Order, calling the district court ruling "flawed both in reasoning and in scope," and reiterating that the new order was well within the U.S. President's authority on immigration as related to national security. "The Department will continue to defend this Executive Order in the courts," it said a statement.
