The Trump administration’s most recent attempt to bar immigration to the United States from certain foreign countries was put on hold Tuesday by a federal judge in Hawaii.
U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson, responsible for blocking President Donald Trump‘s second travel ban in March, authored the ruling again Tuesday, which says that the third executive order on the matter ignored the “guidance afforded” by the earlier legal proceedings related to the issue.
“EO-3 suffers from precisely the same maladies as its predecessor: It lacks sufficient findings that the entry of more than 150 million nationals from six specified countries would be ‘detrimental to the interests of the United States,’ a precondition that the 9th Circuit determined must be satisfied,” reads the ruling.
“And EO-3 plainly discriminates based on nationality in the manner that the 9th Circuit has found antithetical to … the founding principles of this nation,” it continues.
The court granted the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order, which will block the order from going into effect Wednesday. The order prohibited immigration to the U.S. from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.
The White House responded to the ruling with a statement Tuesday afternoon, writing that the “dangerously flawed district court order undercuts the president’s efforts to keep the American people safe and enforce minimum security standards for entry into the United States.”
“The entry restrictions in the proclamation apply to countries based on their inability or unwillingness to share critical information necessary to safely vet applications, as well as a threat assessment related to terrorism, instability and other grave national security concerns,” the statement added. “These restrictions are vital to ensuring that foreign nations comply with the minimum security standards required for the integrity of our immigration system and the security of our nation.”
The White House indicated that the Department of Justice will defend the action.
Doug Chin, the attorney general of Hawaii, which challenged the ban, issued a statement saying, “This is the third time Hawaii has gone to court to stop President Trump from issuing a travel ban that discriminates against people based on their nation of origin or religion.”
“Today is another victory for the rule of law,” he continued. “We stand ready to defend it.”
Tuesday’s ruling does not affect travelers from North Korea or certain Venezuelan government officials and their families because the plaintiffs did not challenge those aspects of the executive order.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
