The US President faces yet another setback in his attempt to ban travellers from six Muslim-majority countries.
A federal judge in Hawaii has extended his block on US President Donald Trump’s controversial “Muslim ban”.
Earlier this month, Trump signed a new executive order which blocked entry to the US for nationals of six Muslim-majority countries for 90 days, and halted the US refugee programme.
The nations affected by the revised ban were Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Iran.
On March 15, US District Judge Derrick Watson issued a temporary block on Trump’s revised order, which was designed to last for about two weeks.
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However, Judge Watson has now issued a preliminary injunction – basically, a longer hold on the ban – after hearing arguments in a lawsuit filed by the state of Hawaii.
Hawaii said the policy not only discriminates against Muslims, but also hurts the state’s economy, which depends on tourists and international students.
Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin said the implied message of the revised ban still was like a “neon sign flashing ‘Muslim ban, Muslim ban’” that the government had not bothered to turn off, AP reported.
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Judge Watson’s ruling comes as the latest blow for Trump, who was forced to rewrite the travel ban after his original executive order was halted by another federal judge in February.
Trump described Judge Watson’s previous ruling as an example of “unprecedented judicial overreach.”
During the week it was in place, the original ban caused havoc at the airports and sparked massive protests worldwide.
