JFK Airport Terminal 1, Photo Doug Letterman/Wikimedia Commons
A federal judge in Maryland has blocked the latest version of the travel ban to the United States for citizens of several countries that was to be enforced this week.
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang’s decision to halt the third iteration of the travel ban on people lacking a “bona fide” relationship in the United States followed the decision by a judge in Hawaii, Derrick K. Watson, who on Tuesday had also stopped the measure – seen as a national security move by President Donald Trump – from going into effect.
In Maryland, the plaintiffs included the International Refugee Assistance Project.
The plaintiffs “have established that they are likely to succeed on the merits,” District Judge Theodore Chuang wrote, according to an NPR report.
The third version of the travel ban was to be enforced from Wednesday to deny entry to the United States to citizens from Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Chad, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela.
In his decision, Federal Judge Watson in Hawaii had halted imposition of travel restriction on all the countries except North Korea and Venezuela.
Human rights and interfaith organizations and plaintiffs have argued that the travel limitations amount to a Muslim travel ban, citing statements by President Trump. President Trump had first issued an executive director banning entry of travelers from Muslim majority countries soon after his inaugural earlier this year.
Reacting to this week’s decision by Judge Watson of Hawaii, the White House vowed to defend the travel limitation measure.
“Today’s 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,” a White House statement said.
“The Department of Justice will vigorously defend the President’s lawful action,” the statement said, adding the proclamation restricting travel was issued after an extensive worldwide security review by the Secretary of Homeland Security, and following consultation by the President with members of the Cabinet, including the Secretaries of Homeland Security, State, and Defense and the Attorney General.
“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.
“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. We are therefore confident that the Judiciary will ultimately uphold the President’s lawful and necessary action and swiftly restore its vital protections for the safety of the American people,” the statement concluded.
