Washington state's attorney general says a federal court ruling temporarily blocking President Donald Trump's travel ban shows nobody is above the law.
U.S. District Judge James Robart granted a temporary restraining order Friday that Washington state and Minnesota requested. It halts Trump's executive order banning travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries and suspending the U.S. refugee program. The Trump administration is seeking an emergency stay of Robart's restraining order.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said after the ruling that "the law is a powerful thing — it has the ability to hold everybody accountable to it, and that includes the president of the United States."
Ferguson said people from the affected countries can now apply for entry to the United States.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security had no immediate comment on the ruling.
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3:55 p.m.
A federal judge in Seattle has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's ban on people from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
U.S. District Judge James Robart granted a temporary restraining order Friday at the request of Washington state and Minnesota that's effective nationwide.
Trump signed an executive order last week that sparked protests across the country and confusion at airports as some travelers were detained.
Lawyers for the U.S. government argued that the states don't have standing to challenge the order and said Congress gave the president authority to make decisions on national security and admitting immigrants.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson had sued, saying the order is causing significant harm to residents and effectively mandates discrimination. Minnesota joined the suit this week.
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7:58 a.m.
Washington state and Minnesota officials are asking a federal judge for an immediate nationwide halt to the implementation of portions of President Donald Trump's immigration travel ban.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson says the state has a "profound interest" in protecting its citizens from the harms caused by what he called "the irrational discrimination" embodied in Trump's order. A hearing is scheduled for Friday afternoon. Trump issued an executive order last week prohibiting people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from crossing U.S. borders.
Washington and Minnesota want a temporary restraining order while the court considers their lawsuit, which says key sections of the order are unconstitutional.
Ferguson says the order is causing significant harm to Washington residents and businesses.
The Washington-based businesses of Amazon, Expedia and Microsoft support the state's efforts to stop the order.
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