Judge Extends Block on Trump Travel Ban

Two weeks after blocking President Donald Trump's revised travel ban, a federal judge in Hawaii has ruled to extend the suspension of the controversial executive order, issuing a preliminary injunction, CNN reported.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson temporarily blocked the order, arguing that it likely violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.

"The illogic of the Government's contentions is palpable. The notion that one can demonstrate animus toward any group of people only by targeting all of them at once is fundamentally flawed," Watson wrote in his initial 43-page ruling. 

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Trump's revised order seeks to ban citizens from six Muslim-majority countries in Africa and the Middle East from entering the U.S. for 90 days. It also bans refugees from entry into the U.S. for 120 days.

Because Watson's initial ruling was just a temporary freeze on the ban, the state requested he grant an extension. Watson's latest ruling means that the order is blocked indefinitely until a higher court overturns it or Hawaii's lawsuit is resolved.

"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," Watson wrote Wednesday via CNN.

Following Watson's ruling, the Justice Department can now appeal the ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. However, it remains to be seen whether that will happen and, if so, how long it would take for the appeals process to be completed.

"The president’s executive order falls squarely within his lawful authority in seeking to protect our nation’s security, and the department will continue to defend this executive order in the courts," the Justice Department said in a statement on March 15.

Trump called the block an "unprecedented judicial overreach" in a speech earlier this month.

READ MORE: What The New Trump Travel Ban 2.0 Means for US Travel

Trump's initial order was signed back on Jan. 27, resulting in chaos about its intended scope and execution, along with protests at major airports across the country. The revised ban, which was signed March 6, excluded Iraq to include just six countries and made it clear that lawful permanent residents or green card holders and travelers with validly issued visas would be exempt from the ban.

On March 8, Hawaii became the first state to file a lawsuit against the U.S. government over the ban that has led to the current indefinite block.