The court ruling dealt a further setback to Trump, who has denounced the judge in the state of Washington who blocked his executive order on Friday. Trump says the temporary immigration restrictions on citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and on all refugees, are necessary to protect the United States from Islamist militants. In a brief order, the appeals court said the government’s request for an immediate administrative stay on the Washington judge’s decision had been denied. An official at Beirut airport said three Syrian families had left for the United States via Europe on Sunday morning. The Justice Department appeal criticized Robart’s legal reasoning, saying it violated the separation of powers and stepped on the president’s authority as commander-in-chief.

Source: Huffington Post February 05, 2017 11:40 UTC