March 15, 2017

Federal judge blocks Trump's Muslim ban

Washington Examiner - A federal judge in Hawaii issued a restraining order against President Trump's revised travel ban that affected six countries from the Middle East and North Africa.

The block comes less than one day before the March 16 executive order was slated to be put into action.

"Upon evaluation of the parties' submissions, and following a hearing on March 15, 2017, the court concludes that, on the record before it, plaintiffs have met their burden of establishing a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their Establishment Clause claim, that irreparable injury is likely if the requested relief is not issued, and that the balance of the equities and public interest counsel in favor of granting the requested relief," wrote Derrick K. Watson, the federal judge, in the ruling.

Watson's ruling noted that his court would not stay the ruling or hold it in abeyance if an emergency appeal is filed. The Trump administration will likely pursue additional litigation to lift the blockade of Trump's newest travel ban, as it attempted to after Trump's first executive orders that created the ban earlier this year.

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