A federal judge has put a nationwide block on U.S. President Donald Trump’s week-old immigration ban, on Friday.
The ruling effectively nullifies Trump’s executive order that imposes a travel ban on citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries.
The White House has, however, faulted the ruling, which it called “outrageous”, and said it “intends to file an emergency stay”.
The temporary restraining order represents a major challenge to Trump’s controversial action and his administration took three hours to grasp how to address the Seattle judge’s order.
Judge James Robart made his ruling effective immediately, on Friday, and the Customs and Border Protection has already alerted major US airlines that it will begin to reinstate visas.
The state’s attorney general, Bob Ferguson, said: “This decision shuts down the executive order right now. No one is above the law — not even the President”.
Immediately after releasing the first statement the White House issued another release with the same wording but removed “outrageous”, reported CNN.
As airlines have already begun to notify travelers that the executive order has been temporarily lifted, people from Trump’s banned countries can enter the US.
Until the Department of Justice wins its emergency stay, previously denied travellers now have a small window of opportunity to enter the country.
Robart, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, made his decision after Washington state and Minnesota urged a nationwide hold on the executive order that has triggered legal battles across the country.
“The state has met its burden in demonstrating immediate and irreparable injury,” Robart said.
Trump’s order, last week, sparked protests nationwide and confusion at airports as some travellers were detained. The White House has argued that it will make the country safer.
Trump signing the controversial executive order 
When a business man becomes a politician, you should expect him running the nation like a one man dictatorial business. Wielding the stick as the most powerful man in the world can easily get a lay man drunk, how much more a permanently drunk man.